It is that time of the month when we get to check out the latest single-issue comic book sales rankings. Things are getting murkier in terms of actual unit numbers. So, we will have to settle with going to ICv2 for their Top 200 sales rankings. It is not as good as actual unit numbers, but we have to work with what we get.
Keep in mind, the Top 200 single-issue comic sales chart are based on orders tracked by the ComicHub system at local comic book shops selling American comics. During the period for which these reports were generated, there were over 100 stores using the ComicHub system. As this is a small, non-random sample of over 3,000 stores selling American comics worldwide, these rankings may not be typical for all stores, but do represent a variety of locations and store emphases. As always, it is important to remember that these rankings are also not actual sales. These rankings only represent the number of units ordered by local comic shops.
February 2022 Top 200 Single Issue Comic Rankings
The Battle for the Top 10
- Amazing Spider-Man #88 (Marvel Comics)
- Ghost Rider #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman #120 (DC Comics)
- Savage Spider-Man #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Star Wars Darth Vader #20 (Marvel Comics)
- Devils Reign #4 (Of 6) (Marvel Comics)
- Hulk #4 (Marvel Comics)
- Moon Knight #8 (Marvel Comics)
- X-Men #8 (Marvel Comics)
- Venom #5 (Marvel Comics)
Sweet Baby Jesus. February 2022 starts off brutally for DC Comics. This trend shows no end of stopping. Marvel absolutely dominated the Top 10 by placing a stunning nine titles in the Top 10. Even more impressive is the diversity of titles that Marvel slotted into the Top 10. Marvel was powered by Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, Star Wars, Hulk, X-Men, and Moon Knight. It is just so damn impressive.
I also want to take note of showing how phenomenal Ghost Rider #1 was in February 2022. Yeah, that is what happens when you roll out the real Ghost Rider in Johnny Blaze instead of Robbie Reyes or the derivative female Ghost Rider that literally nobody was asking for at all. I want to say that Marvel will take note of this fact. But…they won’t.
On the other hand, DC Comics had an embarrassing showing in the Top 10 by placing just one measly title in the Top 10. And, of course, that one title was a Batman title. DC Comics’ pathetic showing shows how much DC Comics has completely driven away their consumers and has no clue what comic book readers want in a comic book. DC Comics is in desperate need of a full overhaul of its editorial staff because these people are utterly clueless.
The Battle for the Top 25
- Thor #22 (Marvel Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #89 (Marvel Comics)
- X Deaths of Wolverine #2 (Marvel Comics)
- X Lives of Wolverine #2 (Marvel Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #88.1 Beyond (Marvel Comics)
- Dark Knights of Steel #4 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- Star Wars Crimson Reign #2 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- X Lives of Wolverine #3 (Marvel Comics)
- Sabretooth #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Dark Ages #5 (Of 6) (Marvel Comics)
- Batman Catwoman #10 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- BRZRKR #7 (Of 12) (Boom Studios)
- Iron Fist #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Monkey Prince #1 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- Daredevil Woman Without Fear #2 (Of 3) (Marvel Comics)
Marvel Comics continued their merciless onslaught by placing a stunning twenty titles in the Top 25. Twenty. This is Marvel Comics completely decimating DC Comics. It is amazing.
Again, Marvel Comics can take pride in the fact that they pulled from a phenomenal cross-section of franchises to power their Top 25 success. This continues to highlight how well Marvel Comics has been able to build up multiple franchises into sales successes. Diversification is critical to continued sales success and Marvel Comics obviously understands this fact.
Good. God. Almighty. It gets even more brutally ugly for DC Comics. You did not think it could get any worse than January 2022 when DC Comics only placed five titles in the Top 25. Well, it can get worse. DC Comics only placed a pathetic four titles in the Top 25. Of course, three of the four DC Comics titles in the Top 25 came from the Batman franchise.
Honestly, can we even consider DC Comics one of the Big Two in North American comics these days? It is frightening to see how DC Comics is a clueless company that is a hollowed-out shell of what it used to be back in the day.
Boom managed to place one title in the Top 25 with their ever-popular BRZKR comic book. I love seeing BRZRKR continuing to have success.
The Battle for the Top 50
- Amazing Spider-Man #90 (Marvel Comics)
- Detective Comics #1051 (DC Comics)
- Joker #12 (DC Comics)
- Star Wars High Republic #14 (Marvel Comics)
- Saga #56 (Image Comics)
- Secret X-Men #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Avengers #53 (Marvel Comics)
- Saga #55 (Image Comics)
- Nocterra #7 (Image Comics)
- X Deaths of Wolverine #3 (Marvel Comics)
- Detective Comics #1052 (DC Comics)
- Nightwing #89 (DC Comics)
- Detective Comics #1053 (DC Comics)
- Fantastic Four Reckoning War Alpha #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Carnage Forever #1 (Marvel Comics)
- King Spawn #7 (Image Comics)
- Alien #9 (Marvel Comics)
- Spawn Scorched #2 (Image Comics)
- Spawn #326 (Image Comics)
- Star Wars Halcyon Legacy #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Crossover #11 (Image Comics)
- X Deaths of Wolverine #1 (Marvel Comics)
- X-Cellent #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Geiger 80-Page Giant #1 (Image Comics)
- New Mutants #24 (Marvel Comics)
Marvel Comics enjoyed great success by placing thirty-two titles in the Top 50. I know this sounds like a broken record, but Marvel Comics is literally pulling from just about all of their franchises in attaining this Top 50 sales success. Right now it is simply Marvel Comics playing on a completely different level than every other American comic book publisher.
DC Comics managed to do even worse than they did last month. In January 2022, DC Comics had eleven titles in the Top 50. Here, in February 2022, DC Comics was only able to place a sad nine titles into the Top 50. This is just horrendous. Seriously, this should be alarming Warner Brothers. The entire DC Comics editorial staff needs to be fired. All of DC Comics needs to be gutted and rebuilt because they are completely out of touch with what comic readers are looking for these days.
Of course, eight of DC Comics’ nine titles came directly from the Batman franchise. Unlike Marvel Comics, DC Comics has continued to fail to build up any of their other franchises. At some point, DC Comics is going to have to address this ever-increasing problem.
Now we get to what is really shocking. Image Comics placed eight titles in the Top 50. Yes, Image Comics almost tied DC Comics in the Top 50. DC Comics. Supposedly one of the Big Two in North American comics. Image Comics went toe-to-toe with DC Comics and almost won the battle for the Top 50. This is stunning.
Boom wrapped things up with their one title in the Top 50.
The Battle for the Top 75
- Batman The Knight #2 (Of 10) (DC Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #87 Beyond (Marvel Comics)
- Maestro World War M #1 (Marvel Comics)
- X-Men #7 (Marvel Comics)
- Gunslinger Spawn #5 (Image Comics)
- Superman Son of Kal-El #8 (DC Comics)
- Fantastic Four #40 (Marvel Comics)
- Justice League #72 (DC Comics)
- Detective Comics #1054 (DC Comics)
- DC Vs Vampires #5 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- Justice League 2021 Annual #1 (DC Comics)
- Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (Marvel Comics)
- Harley Quinn The Animated Series The Eat Bang Kill Tour #6 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Justice League Incarnate #4 (Of 5) (DC Comics)
- Silver Surfer Rebirth #2 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Robins #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- X-Men Legends #11 (Marvel Comics)
- Thor #21 (Marvel Comics)
- I Am Batman #6 (DC Comics)
- House of Slaughter #5 (Boom Studios)
- Batgirls #3 (DC Comics)
- Hawkeye Kate Bishop #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Primordial #6 (Of 6) (Image Comics)
- Star Wars High Republic Trail Shadows #5 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Detective Comics #1050 (DC Comics)
Marvel Comics overwhelmed the Top 75 with forty-two titles in the Top 75.
DC Comics managed to place twenty-one titles in the Top 75. This is a slight improvement over January 2022 when DC Comics put nineteen titles in the Top 75.
Again, DC Comics’ success comes from the Batman franchise as it accounts for fifteen of DC Comics’ twenty-one titles in the Top 75. The Batman franchise comprises 71% of the DC Comics in the Top 75. There are also three from the Justice League franchise and one title from both the Superman franchise, DC v. Vampires, and Monkey King.
Image Comics put ten titles in the Top 75 which is a solid showing for this small publisher. It is an improvement over January 2022, when Image Comics had seven titles in the Top 75.
Boom managed two titles in the Top 75.
The Battle for the Top 100
- Fantastic Four Life Story #6 (Of 6) (Marvel Comics)
- Strange Academy #16 (Marvel Comics)
- Devils Reign #3 (Of 6) (Marvel Comics)
- Ben Reilly Spider-Man #2 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Elektra Black, White & Blood #2 (Of 4) (Marvel Comics)
- Department of Truth #16 (Image Comics)
- Mary Jane Black Cat Beyond #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Robin #11 (DC Comics)
- Venom #4 (Marvel Comics)
- Devil’s Reign Superior Four #2 (Of 3) (Marvel Comics)
- X Lives of Wolverine #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Silk #2 (Marvel Comics)
- Iron Man #17 (Marvel Comics)
- Gunslinger Spawn #4 (Image Comics)
- The Flash #779 (DC Comics)
- Action Comics #1040 (DC Comics)
- Draculina #1 (Dynamite)
- Human Target #5 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- Step By Bloody Step #1 (Of 4) (Image Comics)
- Miles Morales Spider-Man #35 (Marvel Comics)
- Joker Presents A Puzzlebox #7 (Of 7) (DC Comics)
- Spider-Woman #19 (Marvel Comics)
- She-Hulk #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Supermassive (One-Shot) (Image Comics)
- Death of Doctor Strange #5 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
Marvel dominated the Top 100 by putting fifty-seven titles in the Top 100. This is slightly down from January 2022, where Marvel Comics put sixty comics in the Top 100.
DC Comics limped into second place with just twenty-six titles in the Top 100. This is identical to what DC Comics did in the Top 100 in January 2022. The Batman franchise accounts for seventeen of DC Comics’ twenty-six titles in the Top 100.
Image slotted fourteen titles in the Top 100. This is an improvement over the ten titles they put into the Top 100 in January 2022.
Boom put two titles in the Top 100. Dynamite managed to sneak one title into the Top 100. I see you, Draculina!
Debut Issues
2 Ghost Rider #1 (Marvel Comics)
4 Savage Spider-Man #1 (Marvel Comics)
19 Sabretooth #1 (Marvel Comics)
23 Iron Fist #1 (Marvel Comics)
24 Monkey Prince #1 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
31 Secret X-Men #1 (Marvel Comics)
39 Fantastic Four Reckoning War Alpha #1 (Marvel Comics)
40 Carnage Forever #1 (Marvel Comics)
45 Star Wars Halcyon Legacy #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
48 X-Cellent #1 (Marvel Comics)
49 Geiger 80-Page Giant #1 (Image Comics)
53 Maestro World War M #1 (Marvel Comics)
92 Draculina #1 (Dynamite)
94 Step By Bloody Step #1 (Of 4) (Image Comics)
101 Suicide Squad Blaze #1 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
105 Marvels Voices Legacy #1 (Marvel Comics)
126 Aquamen #1 (DC Comics)
157 New Masters #1 (Of 6) (Image Comics)
167 Primos #1 (Of 4) (AWA)
176 Liife Zero #1 (Ablaze)
178 Faithless III #1 (Boom Studios)
190 Until My Knuckles Bleed #1 (Behemoth Comics)
What a massive surprise Ghost Rider #1 must have been for Marvel Comics. I am sure the Marvel brass is happy with this sales ranking. I am thrilled to see Johnny Blaze getting some love.
Savage Spider-Man #1 opened to an impressive sales ranking. This is no surprise as Peter Parker is one of Marvel’s biggest sellers.
Sabertooth #1 had a good debut sales ranking at the number 19 spot. It is a bit higher than I was expecting.
Iron Fist #1 only debuted at the number 23 spot. This is a bit worrying. I have a feeling that Iron Fist is going to tumble out of the Top 50 by the third issue.
Ditto for Monkey King #1 who came in at the number 24 spot. This should be out of the Top 50 rather quickly.
Star Wars Halcyon Legacy #1 debuted at an average number 45 ranking. This is lower than Marvel Comics would like to see. This is also a kick to the nuts for Disney as this comic was scheduled to come out at the same time that they debuted their new Star Wars hotel in Disney World. That Star Wars hotel is a LARPing experience taking place on a cruise ship named the Halcyon. This also takes place during the Disney Star Wars sequels. I have a feeling interest in this title will continue to drop. I would expect this comic to fall out of the Top 75 by the end of the mini-series.
X-Cellent #1 had an average debut at the number 48 spot. This does not surprise me as Peter Milligan normally delivers highly stylized niche comic books. This is another title that should quickly drop out of the Top 100.
Suicide Squad Blaze #1 had a poor debut number at the 101 spot. This just shows once again that movie success rarely translates into comic book success.
Marvel Voices Legacy #1 came in at an unimpressive number 105 spot. It appears that these Marvel Voices titles have run their course at this point. However, Marvel Comics will gladly continue to subsidize Marvel Voices because it makes them feel good about themselves.
Aquamen #1 had a laughably bad debut coming at the number 126 spot. This just highlights how utterly clueless DC Comics is when it comes to what their readers want to buy. This title is already a dead title walking. DC Comics can continue to push these characters that nobody likes and watch themselves become totally irrelevant in the North American comic book market.
And I just want to point out that Draculina #1 crushed Aquamen #1 in the sales rankings. That says all you need to know about what DC thinks readers want from them.
Big Events
6 Devils Reign #4 (Of 6) (Marvel Comics)
20 Dark Ages #5 (Of 6) (Marvel Comics)
Devils Reign continues to be a Top 10 seller for Marvel Comics. On the other hand, Dark Ages has not found the same success. Successful big events should always stay in the Top 10. Still, Dark Ages just barely made it into the Top 20 which is probably good enough for Marvel Comics.
Star Wars Franchise
5 Star Wars Darth Vader #20 (Marvel Comics)
17 Star Wars Crimson Reign #2 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
29 Star Wars High Republic #14 (Marvel Comics)
45 Star Wars Halcyon Legacy #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
74 Star Wars High Republic Trail Shadows #5 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
148 Star Wars High Republic Adventures #13 (IDW Publishing)
160 Star Wars High Republic #13 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
180 Star Wars High Republic Trail Shadows #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
185 Star Wars Crimson Reign #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
The big successes for the Star Wars franchise continue to be Darth Vader and Crimson Reign. No surprise with either of those.
Star Wars High Republic #15 came in out of the Top 25. This title has struggled to get back into the Top 25.
Spider-Man Franchise
1 Amazing Spider-Man #88
4 Savage Spider-Man #1
10 Venom #5
12 Amazing Spider-Man #89
15 Amazing Spider-Man #88.1 Beyond
26 Amazing Spider-Man #90
40 Carnage Forever #1
52 Amazing Spider-Man #87 Beyond (Resolicitation)
62 Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (Resolicitation)
79 Ben Reilly Spider-Man #2 (Of 5)
82 Mary Jane Black Cat Beyond #1 (Resolicitation)
84 Venom #4 (Resolicitation)
87 Silk #2
95 Miles Morales Spider-Man #35
97 Spider-Woman #19
106 Amazing Spider-Man #86 Beyond (Resolicitation)
133 Ben Reilly Spider-Man #1 (Resolicitation)
143 Amazing Spider-Man #85 Beyond (Resolicitation)
Look, the Spider-Man franchise rests squarely on the shoulders of Peter Parker, Amazing Spider-Man, and Venom. That is it. The rest of the Spider-Man franchise is actually full of a collection of poor-performing titles. But, damn, the success of the Spider-Man franchise at the top of the sales chart is so impressive.
There were three issues of Amazing Spider-Man in the Top 15. That is amazing. There were four issues of Amazing Spider-Man in the Top 26. Throw in Peter Parker’s new title in Savage Spider-Man #1 and Venom #5 and you get a whopping three Spider-Man franchise titles in the Top 10 and five Spider-Man franchise titles in the Top 15! Peter Parker and Venom make Marvel Comics a lot of money.
Amazing Spider-Man is so popular that this title managed to place three resolicited titles in the Top 150. Hell, the resolicitation for Amazing Spider-Man #87 Beyond almost managed to crack the Top 50! All of this is really good news for Marvel Comics.
Things get less rosy for the Spider-Man franchise after those three aforementioned titles. Ben Reilly Spider-Man #2 dropped out of the Top 75. That is a bad sign for just the second issue of a mini-series. It looks like Ben is headed for falling out of the Top 100 before this mini-series is done.
Silk #2 dropped like a rock from the number 35 spot in January 2022 down to the number 87 spot. Silk looks to fall out of the Top 100 with just the third issue. Silk is already a dead title walking.
Miles Morales Spider-Man #35 dropped from the 66 spot in January 2022 down to the number 95 spot. This is another poor ranking. It will be interesting to see of Miles Morales is able to bob back up into the Top 75 or if it slips out of the Top 100.
Spider-Woman #19 continues its trend of being a bottom-feeder title. It continues to bob in and out of the Top 100.
What is amazing is that the resolicit for Amazing Spider-Man #87 Beyond nabbed the 52 spot and the resolicit for Venom #4 took the number 84 spot. Both are well ahead of the new issues of Silk, Miles Morales Spider-Man, and Spider-Woman. This just highlights where all the strength for the Spider-Man franchise is located.
X-Men Franchise
9 X-Men #8
13 X Deaths of Wolverine #2
14 X Lives of Wolverine #2
18 X Lives of Wolverine #3
19 Sabretooth #1
31 Secret X-Men #1
35 X Deaths of Wolverine #3
47 X Deaths of Wolverine #1 (Resolicitation)
48 X-Cellent #1
50 New Mutants #24
54 X-Men #7 (Resolicitation)
67 X-Men Legends #11
86 X Lives of Wolverine #1 (Resolicitation)
149 Marauders Annual #1 (Resolicitation)
189 Phoenix Song Echo #5 (Of 5)
Now that we are firmly in the Post-Hickman era of the X-Men franchise, it will be interesting to see how this franchise performs in the sales charts.
X-Men #8 manages to retain its status as a Top 10 title. This will be interesting to see if this title can continue this trend the farther we get from Hickman’s departure.
X-Deaths of Wolverine and X Lives of Wolverine both continue to demonstrate the strength of Wolverine’s character to sell issues. X Lives of Wolverine is clearly the stronger of the two Wolverine titles. The only slightly alarming trend is that X Deaths of Wolverine dropped from the number 14 spot to the number 35 spot with the third issue.
Secret X-Men #1 had an average debut coming in at the number 31 spot. This is a Tini Howard title and Howard has never shown the ability to sell comics. I would expect this title to drop out of the Top 50 with the second issue. I could see Secret X-Men being outside of the Top 75 by the third issue. Let’s see how the second issue does before we start any long-term forecasting.
X-Cellent #1 barely made it into the Top 50 and is definitely going to be a niche title. X-Cellent should certainly be out of the Top 100 in short order.
New Mutants #24 continues to be a mid-level performer. I think we will continue to see this title bob in between the number 50 and 75 spot for a while.
Phoenix Song Echo #5 came in at the number 189 spot. This is an embarrassing ending for a mini-series that was a complete and total bomb. I have no idea why Marvel Comics thought anyone would be interested in this title.
Avengers Franchise
7 Hulk #4
11 Thor #22
32 Avengers #53
68 Thor #21 (Resolicitation)
72 Hawkeye Kate Bishop #4 (Of 5)
88 Iron Man #17
98 She-Hulk #1 (Resolicitation)
119 Black Widow #14
120 Captain Marvel #36
121 Hulk #3 (Resolicitation)
142 Black Panther #3 (Resolicitation)
154 Thor #20 (Resolicitation)
162 Avengers Forever #2
171 Iron Man #16 (Resolicitation)
186 Avengers #52 (Resolicitation)
191 Avengers Tech-On #6 (Of 6)
The Avengers franchise continues to be all about the Hulk and Thor. And….nothing else.
Hulk continues to be a Top 10 title. It is cool to see Hulk assuming such a central position for Marvel Comics in the sales charts. Thor #22 just missed out on the Top 10. A testament to Thor’s popularity list that the resolicitation for Thor #21 outsold new issues of Hawkeye Kate Bishop, Iron Man, Black Widow, and Captain Marvel. That is impressive.
Avengers #53 took the number 32 spot which is neither bad nor impressive. This flagship title continues to struggle to live up to its former glory.
The rest of the sales rankings looks bleak for the Avengers-related titles. Hawkeye Kate Bishop #4 barely managed to stay in the Top 75. Iron Man #17 only came in at the number 88 spot. This is awful. The state of Iron Man is just pathetic.
It gets worse from here as Black Widow #14 fell out of the Top 100. That is a far cry from the number 46 spot that Black Widow #13 had in January. Captain Marvel #36 crashed and burned all the way down to the number 120 spot. That is hideous. This is also a big drop from the number 54 spot that Captain Marvel had in January.
Batman Franchise
3 Batman #120
16 Dark Knights of Steel #4 (Of 12)
21 Batman Catwoman #10 (Of 12)
27 Detective Comics #1051
28 Joker #12
36 Detective Comics #1052
37 Nightwing #89
38 Detective Comics #1053
51 Batman The Knight #2 (Of 10)
59 Detective Comics #1054
63 Harley Quinn The Animated Series The Eat Bang Kill Tour #6 (Of 6)
66 Robins #4 (Of 6)
69 I Am Batman #6
71 Batgirls #3
75 Detective Comics #1050 (Resolicitation)
83 Robin #11
96 Joker Presents A Puzzlebox #7 (Of 7)
107 Batman Urban Legends #12
108 Batman Catwoman Special #1 (One-Shot) (Resolicitation)
115 Arkham City The Order of The World #5 (Of 6)
122 Catwoman #40
125 Harley Quinn #12
127 Task Force Z #5
134 Future State Gotham #10
153 Robin #10 (Resolicitation)
155 Batman #119 (Resolicitation)
159 Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #11 (Of 12)
164 Batman The Knight #1 (Of 10) (Resolicitation)
172 Detective Comics #1049 (Resolicitation)
181 Superman & Robin Special #1 (One-Shot)
183 Nightwing #88 (Resolicitation)
192 Harley Quinn #11 (Resolicitation)
198 Batman Vs Bigby A Wolf In Gotham #6 (Of 6)
It is Bruce Wayne’s world and we are all just living in it. The Batman franchise continues to be the only bright spot for DC Comics. However, there are some worrying cracks in the armor that may be developing.
To be sure, Batman is unstoppable and gets another Top 3 ranking once again. Bruce Wayne has also helped propel Dark Knight of Steel #4 into the number 16 spot which is slightly better than the title did in January. Bruce Wayne helped Batman Catwoman #10 stay in the Top 25.
How important is Bruce Wayne to DC Comics? Well, DC Comics only placed three issues in the Top 25. That is it. All three of those DC Comics starred Bruce Wayne. Do not listen to anyone who wants to sell you the idea that DC Comics can replace Bruce Wayne. They cannot. The numbers do not lie.
That is the good news for the Batman franchise. Now, here are some slightly concerning numbers. In January 2022, Detective Comics #1047 took the number 21 spot, Detective Comics #1048 took the number 27 spot, Detective Comics #1049 took the number 38 spot, and Detective Comics #1050 took the number 23 spot.
In February 2022, Detective Comics #1051 took the number 27 spot, Detective Comics #1052 took the number 36 spot, Detective Comics #1053 took the number 38 spot, and Detective Comics #1054 took the number 59 spot.
This is a slightly worrying trend for Detective Comics. DC Comics cannot afford for Detective Comics to become a title that sells outside of the Top 50.
Nightwing #89 took the number 37 spot which is slightly lower than the number 33 ranking in January 2022. Still, Nightwing has become a consistent Top 50 title that DC Comics can rely on each month.
Once you get past Bruce Wayne’s three titles in the Top 15, Detective Comics, and Nightwing then the numbers for the Batman franchise start to become much softer.
The Robins mini-series remains an average seller with issue #4 taking the number 66 spot.
Batgirls continues to drop down the chart as issue #3 falls to the number 71 spot. Batgirls seems destined to drop out of the Top 100 by the fifth issue.
Robin continues to be a reliably mediocre title as issue #83 takes the number 83 spot. This is largely the same as the January ranking of 85.
It gets even worse as we find Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Task Force Z, and Future State Gotham all out of the Top 100. And it is not even close for those titles.
Catwoman #40 is down at the number 120 spot. As we mentioned with Secret X-Men #1, Tini Howard is the writer for Catwoman. Howard cannot sell comics. Period. DC Comics needs to get a new writer on Catwoman ASAP. There are zero reasons why Catwoman should be selling this poorly.
125 Harley Quinn #12 came in at the number 125 spot. This is beyond terrible for a character as historically popular as Harley Quinn. Again, Stephanie Phillips is not a viable comic book writer for one of the Big Two. DC Comics needs to make a switch at the writer position to try and resuscitate this dead title walking.
Task Force Z #5 took the number 127 spot. Matthew Rosenberg is the writer for this title. Notice a trend? DC Comics needs to figure out how to hire better writers or else they are going to continue this death spiral in the sales charts.
Future State Gotham #10 took the number 134 spot as it continues to be a title that nobody is interested in reading.
Superman Franchise
56 Superman Son of Kal-El #8
91 Action Comics #1040
103 Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow #8 (Of 8)
181 Superman & Robin Special #1 (One-Shot) (Resolicitation)
182 Action Comics #1039 (Resolicitation)
The Superman franchise continues to be a dumpster fire. DC Comics should be utterly embarrassed over the fact that they do not have a single Superman title in the Top 50. That is setting the bar pretty damn low.
Superman Son of Kal-El #8 finished outside of the Top 50. This has been a trend as we have watched this title crash in the charts after their gimmicky sales stunt with Superman Son of Kal-El #5. I saw this coming. You saw this coming. Anyone with two brain cells saw this coming. How DC Comics does not see this coming is what is truly frightening.
Action Comics #1040 barely made its way into the Top 100. The only solace for Action Comics is that it managed to place a resolicited issue into the Top 200 while Superman Son of Kal-El could not.
Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow #8 finished with a thud by coming in at the number 103 spot. There is nothing to see here. Move on.
DC Comics has a serious problem on their hands with the Superman franchise. Superman is the most iconic superhero in the world. Yet, DC Comics editorial has managed to run this franchise into the ground. Sadly, it appears that DC Comics is either frighteningly stupid or willfully obtuse about the direction of the Superman franchise. I do not see anything positive happening with the Superman franchise anytime soon.
Wonder Woman Franchise
123 Wonder Woman #784
150 Nubia And The Amazons #5 (Of 6)
Do you know what makes the Superman franchise look remarkably healthy? The desolate wasteland that is the Wonder Woman franchise. The clueless DC Comics editorial staff have completely eviscerated the Wonder Woman franchise. The DC Comics “brain trust” through sidelining Diana and focusing on Nubia and Yara Flor was the path to success. Well, that turned out to be the path off of a cliff Wiley Coyote style.
Yara Flor’s title got canceled before it could even get to ten issues. Nubia’s title crashed and burned out of the Top 100 from the start. Again, I saw this coming. You saw this coming. Anyone with two brain cells saw this coming. The fact that DC Comics editorial did not see this coming is almost unbelievable.
Wonder Woman #784 came it at the number 123 spot. This is embarrassing. Wonder Woman is the most iconic female superhero. There is no excuse for Wonder Woman to be selling this poorly. Wonder Woman should be an automatic Top 50 title each and every month at the very least.
Again, looks to the writers for this title. Vita Ayala, Michael Conrad, and Becky Cloonan. These people cannot sell a comic if their lives depended upon it. I have no idea what criteria DC Comics uses to hire some of these writers. At any rate, these three writers need to be fired immediately.
Nibia and the Amazons #5 came in at the number 150 spot because nobody cares about this title. Of course, it is only fair of me to say that this is an improvement over January! Issue #4 of this title only came in at the number 193 spot. So, success?
Justice League Franchise
58 Justice League #72
61 Justice League 2021 Annual #1
64 Justice League Incarnate #4 (Of 5)
90 The Flash #779
102 Green Lantern #11
126 Aquamen #1
147 Justice League #71 (Resolicitation)
179 The Flash #778 (Resolicitation)
It just gets uglier for DC Comics the more we look at the state of their franchises not named Batman. Not a single title associated with the Justice League franchise finished in the Top 50. This is utterly inexcusable. This is comic book malpractice on the behalf of DC Comics.
Justice League #72 took the number 58 spot. Look, we all knew Brian Bendis was going to be an expensive failure for DC Comics. It is a shame that DC Comics did not realize this, too.
The Flash #779 at least managed to crack the Top 100. That is an improvement over its number 140 spot in January! Look, Wally West’s character was ruined by Heroes in Crisis and then again by the Future State storyline in Flash. DC Comics has no one to blame but themselves.
Green Lantern #11 took the number 102 spot. For another month, Green Lantern finishes outside of the Top 100. We have already written about how DC Comics has ruined the Green Lantern franchise. Choosing to stick with Jo Mullein who has the worst sales numbers of any Green Lantern character continues to defy common sense. I have no clue why DC Comics is choosing to stick with Jo Mullein as the main Green Lantern.
Then we get to the laughably embarrassing debut of Aquamen #1. Oh, man, this is just too hilarious. Again, we all saw this coming. The fact that DC Comics seems either too unintelligent or willfully obtuse to see this as well is alarming. Again, I have no idea what criteria DC Comics is using for the characters they are choosing to push. What I do know is the idea of anyone other than Arthur Curry being Aquaman is going to lead to crap sales numbers like this one. Aquamen is already a dead title walking whether DC Comics wants to acknowledge it or not.
The Top Female Lead Titles
- (25) Daredevil Woman Without Fear #2 (Of 3) (Marvel Comics)
- (63) Harley Quinn The Animated Series The Eat Bang Kill Tour #6 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- (71) Batgirls #3 (DC Comics)
- (72) Hawkeye Kate Bishop #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- (80) Elektra Black, White & Blood #2 (Of 4) (Marvel Comics)
- (87) Silk #2 (Marvel Comics)
- (92) Draculina #1 (Dynamite)
- (97) Spider-Woman #19 (Marvel Comics)
- (102) Green Lantern #11 (DC Comics)
- (103) Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow #8 (Of 8) (DC Comics)
- (119) Black Widow #14 (Marvel Comics)
- (120) Captain Marvel #36 (Marvel Comics)
- (122) Catwoman #40 (DC Comics)
- (123) Wonder Woman #784 (DC Comics)
- (125) Harley Quinn #12 (DC Comics)
- (150) Nubia And The Amazons #5 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- (170) Red Sonja Valentines Special (One-Shot) (Dynamite)
- (177) Silk #1 (Marvel Comics)
- (196) Vampirella Valentines Special (One-Shot) (Dynamite)
The Battle for the Top 10 selling female lead titles was a close one. Marvel Comics won with five titles in the Top 10. DC Comics took second with four titles in the Top 10. Dynamite took third with one comic in the Top 10.
The Battle for the Top 19 yielded a tie with both Marvel Comics and DC Comics placing eight tiles each in the Top 19. Dynamite came in third with three titles in the Top 19.
This list of female lead titles also highlights in dramatic fashion the complete failure of the current writing team on Wonder Woman. There is absolutely no reason why Wonder Woman should be in 14th place on a list of female lead titles. Embarrassing.
Overall, the only female lead title that had a good sales ranking was Daredevil Woman Without Fear #2. Yeah, a title in which the female character is stripped of her own unique identity and given the derivative mantle of a male character. That is depressing.
The remaining eighteen female lead titles? None of them are in the Top 50. And elven of them are not in the Top 100. Still, this ranking does show why Marvel Comics and DC Comics continue to publish certain titles despite the poor sales rankings. Sure, Batgirls #3 might only have a 71 sales rank, but it is the third highest-selling female lead title. So, by that metric, Batgirls is a smashing success.
The Top Minority Lead Titles
- (23) Iron Fist #1 (Marvel Comics)
- (24) Monkey Prince #1 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- (44) Spawn #326 (Image Comics)
- (87) Silk #2 (Marvel Comics)
- (95) Miles Morales Spider-Man #35 (Marvel Comics)
- (102) Green Lantern #11 (DC Comics)
- (105) Marvels Voices Legacy #1 (Marvel Comics)
- (109) Shang-Chi #8 (Marvel Comics)
- (126) Aquamen #1 (DC Comics)
- (139) Shang-Chi #9 (Marvel Comics)
- (150) Nubia And The Amazons #5 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- (189) Phoenix Song Echo #5 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
The numbers for minority lead titles are worse than the ones for female lead titles. Marvel Comics took first place with seven titles in the Top 12. DC Comics took second with four titles in the Top 12. Image took third with one title in the Top 12.
There were only two titles in the Top 25 and both of those barely made it and did so with debut issues. Only three titles made the Top 50. Only five titles made the Top 100. There is not much positive here in this chart.
Dead Titles Walking
Titles outside of the Top 100 are usually selling under the 30,000 unit sales mark. Titles normally fall into the 20,000 unit range somewhere between spots 90 and 100. These are the Marvel Comics and DC Comics titles that are dead titles walking.
Marvel Comics
105 Marvels Voices Legacy #1
109 Shang-Chi #8
113 The Thing #4 (Of 6)
119 Black Widow #14
120 Captain Marvel #36
128 King Conan #3 (Of 6)
131 The Marvels #8
137 Devil’s Reign Villains For Hire #2
139 Shang-Chi #9
189 Phoenix Song Echo #5 (Of 5)
191 Avengers Tech-On #6 (Of 6)
Marvel Comics only had ten dead titles walking in the 101-200 range. That is an improvement over January 2022, where Marvel Comics had twelve dead titles walking.
The Marvel Comics in this category are the usual suspects that we have regularly see each month. The only new entrants into this category would be Shang-Chi, Black Widow, and Captain Marvel.
It is worth noting the writers who dwell in this category. There is Christopher Cantwell on Iron Man, Gene Yang on Shang-Chi, and Rebecca Roanhorse on Phoenix Song Echo. It may be time for a writer switch on Iron Man and Shang-Chi.
Roanhorse is done since her mini-series has concluded. I am not sure Roanhorse did anything to warrant Marvel Comics ever hiring her again.
We have Walter Mosley on the Thing. Hey, maybe it is kind of important that Marvel Comics hire actual comic book writers instead of random crimson fiction novelists.
We then have Kelly Thompson who has the honor of being the only writer with TWO dead titles walking! Thompson writes both Black Widow and Captain Marvel. Honestly, I have no idea why Marvel Comics continues to give Thompson work. Both Black Widow and Captain Marvel need new writers.
We do have two big-name writers in this category. Kurt Busiek with The Marvels and Jason Aaron with King Conan. I am not surprised with Aaron. Despite being a big name, Aaron has shown a tendency to be erratic with his sales numbers. I am sad to see Busiek in this category. But, at age 61 it is safe to say that this legend’s best days are behind him.
DC Comics
101 Suicide Squad Blaze #1 (Of 3)
102 Green Lantern #11
103 Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow #8 (Of 8)
107 Batman Urban Legends #12
114 Titans United #6 (Of 7)
115 Arkham City The Order of The World #5 (Of 6)
122 Catwoman #40
123 Wonder Woman #784
124 Suicide Squad #12
125 Harley Quinn #12
126 Aquamen #1
127 Task Force Z #5
130 DC Vs Vampires #4 (Of 12)
134 Future State Gotham #10
135 Teen Titans Academy #12
150 Nubia And The Amazons #5 (Of 6)
151 Deathstroke Inc #6
156 Strange Love Adventures #1 (One-Shot)
159 Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #11 (Of 12)
174 Human Target #4 (Of 12)
175 One-Star Squadron #3 (Of 6)
184 Peacemaker Disturbing The Peace #1 (One-Shot)
187 Blue & Gold #6 (Of 8)
193 DC Horror Presents Soul Plumber #5 (Of 6)
194 Suicide Squad King Shark #6 (Of 6)
198 Batman Vs Bigby A Wolf In Gotham #6 (Of 6)
Hey! We finally have a category in which DC Comics totally kicks Marvel Comics’ ass! DC Comics had a whopping twenty-six dead titles walking in the 101-200 range. That dwarfs Marvel Comics’ measly ten titles. Congrats, DC Comics! Victory!
Joking aside, this is actually an improvement over January 2022, when DC Comics had thirty-one titles in this category. So, progress?
The list of DC Comics dead titles walking consists of all the same usual suspects that we see each and every month.
Let’s take a look at the writers on the ongoing titles that are dead titles walking. There is Tim Sheridan on Teen Titans Academy. Sheridan is a writer that needs to be replaced at this point.
You have Joshua Williamson on Deathstroke Inc. #6. Yup. The same guy who will be heading up DC Comics’ new big event in Dark Crisis. Personally, I like a lot by Williamson. But, Williamson is still a writer who is capable of turning in some pedestrian reads at times. Plus, Williamson is still not a writer who can pop big sales numbers just with his name.
We have Tini Howard on Catwoman. We talked about her earlier, but Howard cannot sell a comic and is not that good of a comic book writer. There needs to be a new writer on Catwoman soon.
We then get two writers who have the honor of having not just one but TWO dead titles walking! Vita Ayala on Wonder Woman and Nubia And The Amazons as well as Stephanie Phillips on Harley Quinn and Nubia And The Amazons. Look, Ayala and Phillips have no business writing comic books for Marvel or DC. Neither of them are talented comic book writers and neither of them have ever had any success. It is a mystery to me why DC Comics keeps giving Ayala and Phillips any work. Both of them need to be replaced.
Then you have Michael Conrad and Becky Cloonan on Wonder Woman, too. Like I said before, they both need to go.
All right, that is it for February 2022. Will Marvel Comics continue its domination of the Top 200 in March 2022? We will find out!
To comment on this article and other Comic Book Revolution content, visit our Facebook page, our Twitter feed, and our Instagram feed. Also, catch up with all of Rokk’s other musings about comics, anime, TV shows, movies and more over on his Twitter page.
