It is time to check out the September 2023 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, that the Top 200 single-issue comic sales charts are based on orders tracked by the ComicHub system at local comic book shops selling American comics. This includes over 3,000 stores selling American comics worldwide. 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.
ICv2 has respectfully asked that we not publish their sales rankings here on our website. So, you can check out the Top 50 for September 2023 for free or opt for a pro membership and get the Top 200 for September 2023 over on ICv2 and then come back here for a detailed analysis of the September 2023 sales rankings!
The Battle For The Top 10
The Battle For The Top 25
The Battle For The Top 50
The Battle For The Top 75
The Battle For The Top 100
Battle of the Franchises
Debut Issues
Big Events
Star Wars Franchise
Spider-Man Franchise
X-Men Franchise
Avengers Franchise
Batman Franchise
Superman Franchise
Justice League Franchise
Mantle Swap Titles
Legacy Character Titles
Female Lead Titles
Minority Lead Titles
Dead Titles Walking
September 2023 Top 200 Single Issue Comic Rankings
The Battle for the Top 10
Marvel Comics placed six comics in the Top 10. Month-over-month sales were down from the eight comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 10 in August 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics also had six comics in the Top 10 in September 2022. Year-over-year-over-year numbers were down as Marvel Comics had seven comics in the Top 10 in September 2021.
Marvel Comics continues to have Top 10 success from a diverse array of franchises including Spider-Man, X-Men, and Daredevil. However, what was really stunning about the Top 10 in September 2023 was the title that won the number 1 spot in the rankings.
This is the first time in a long while that a comic other than Amazing Spider-Man or Batman took the top spot in the rankings. It was Predator Vs. Wolverine #1 scoring the number 1 spot in the rankings. I love seeing a title other than Amazing Spider-Man or Batman taking the top spot. I am not that surprised as the combination of Predator and Wolverine is irresistible!
DC Comics had four comics in the Top 10. Month-over-month sales were up over the one comic that DC Comics had in the Top 10 in August 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had four comics in the Top 10 in September 2022. Year-over-year-over-year numbers were up from the two comics that DC Comics placed in the Top 10 in September 2021.
Three of DC Comics’ four titles were Batman titles starring Bruce Wayne. The overreliance on Bruce Wayne continues to be a problem for DC Comics.
The Battle for the Top 25
Based on historical numbers from the Comichron as well as projections through April 2022, the titles in the numbers 11-25 range typically sell in the 65,000 to 50,000 unit range.
Marvel Comics put sixteen comics in the Top 25. Month-over-month sales were down from the eighteen comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 25 in August 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics also had sixteen comics in the Top 25 in September 2022. Year-over-year-over-year numbers were down from the seventeen comics that Marvel Comics placed in the Top 25 in September 2021.
Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Omega #1 scored the number 24 spot in the rankings. This pairing of Ghost Rider and Wolverine has proved to be quite popular over the past two months. Personally, I dig both characters so I love this team-up.
Moon Knight #27 dropped from the number 22 spot to the number 25 spot. This is a far cry from the number 6 spot that Moon Knight had in July 2023. However, it is a positive sign that the drop in the rankings slowed down significantly. I would imagine that Moon Knight will continue to be a steady Top 25 title. Next month will be pivotal in predicting the future trajectory of this title.
DC Comics had nine comics in the Top 25. Month-over-month sales were way up from the four comics that DC Comics had in the Top 25 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up over the seven comics that DC Comics had in the Top 25 in September 2022. Year-over-year-over-year numbers were way up from the three comics that DC Comics had in the Top 25 in September 2021.
Six of DC Comics’ nine comics were from the Batman franchise. Even this far into Dawn of DC, DC Comics cannot escape using the Batman franchise as a crutch to power their Top 25 success. On the other hand, DC Comics should be encouraged in how their year-over-year numbers have improved in the Top 25. That really is a striking difference in just one year.
Image Comics had zero comics in the Top 25. Month-over-month sales were down from the one comic that Image Comics had in the Top 25 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down from the one comic that Image Comics had in the Top 25 in September 2022.
The Battle for the Top 50
Based on historical numbers from the Comichron as well as projections through April 2022, the titles in the numbers 26-50 range typically sell in the 49,000 to 30,000 unit range.
Marvel Comics placed thirty-one comics in the Top 50. Month-over-month sales were down from the thirty-four comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 50 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down from the thirty-two comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 50 in September 2022. Year-over-year-over-year numbers were up slightly over the thirty comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 50 in September 2021.
Fantastic Four #11 dropped from the number 30 spot down to the number 42 spot. Hopefully, this title will manage to steady itself and remain a consistent Top 50 seller.
DC Comics had seventeen comics in the Top 50. Month-over-month sales were up over the thirteen comics that DC Comics had in the Top 50 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up from the thirteen comics that DC Comics had in the Top 50 in September 2022. Year-over-year-over-year numbers were also up over the ten comics that DC Comics had in the Top 50 in September 2021.
Nine of DC Comics’ seventeen comics came from the Batman franchise. Again, DC Comics should be buoyed by the year-over-year numbers which should give DC Comics some hope going forward. It is interesting to note that DC Comics’ year-over-year gains in the Top 50 came at the expense of the myriad of small pub;ishers like Image and BOOM! rather than coming at the expense of their main rival Marvel Comics.
Image Comics and BOOM! Studios were tied with one comic apiece in the Top 50. Month-over-month sales were flat for Image Comics as they also had one comic in August 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were down from the three comics that Image Comics had in September 2022.
The Battle for the Top 75
Based on historical numbers from the Comichron as well as projections through April 2022, the titles in the numbers 51-75 range typically sell in the 29,000 to 25,000 unit range.
Marvel Comics had forty-six comics in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were up over the forty-four comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 75 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up over the forty-three comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 75 in September 2022.
Doctor Strange #7 fell once again from the number 49 spot to the number 52 spot. Back in July 2023, Doctor Strange came in at the number 44 spot. While I am sure Marvel Comcis is not thrilled to see this title outside of the Top 50, at least the fall in the rankings the past few months has been by rather small increments.
Ghost Rider #18 suffered a large drop from the number 36 spot down to the number 61 spot. As a Ghost Rider fan, I am not thrilled to see this title crash out of the Top 50. However, I am not panicking just yet as this title might rebound next month.
DC Comics placed twenty-four comics in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were flat as DC Comics also had twenty-four comics in the Top 75 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up over the twenty-one comics that DC Comics had in the Top 75 in September 2022.
Twelve of DC Comics’ twenty-four comics came from the Batman franchise. Again, we see that the year-over-year numbers are still up which is a positive for DC Comics and all of their efforts to revive their titles. It is also interesting to see that DC Comics’ improvement in the Top 75 also came at the expense of smaller publishers like Image Comics and BOOM! Studios rather than eating into Marvel Comics’ market share.
Shazam #3 dropped from the number 42 in June 2023 spot down to the number 62 spot. It looks like the two-month break for Knight Terrors did nothing to help this young title. That is really unfortunate.
Image Comics had four comics in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were flat as Image Comics also had four comics in the Top 75 in August 2023. However, Year-over-year numbers were way down from the eight comics that Image Comics had in the Top 75 in September 2022.
BOOM! Studios had one comic in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were flat as BOOM! Studios also had one comic in the Top 75. However, year-over-year numbers were down from the three comics that BOOM! Studios placed in the Top 75 in September 2022.
The Battle for the Top 100
Based on historical numbers from the Comichron as well as projections through April 2022, the titles in the numbers 76-100 range typically sell in the 24,000 to 18,000 unit range.
Marvel Comics put fifty-seven comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month sales were up slightly from the fifty-six comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 100 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up slightly over the fifty-six comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 100 in September 2022. Year-over-year-over-year numbers were up over the forty-nine comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 100 in September 2021.
Guardians of the Galaxy #6 dropped down from the number 66 spot to the number 76 spot. Oddly, Guardians of the Galaxy was also at the number 76 spot in July 2023. At this point, it looks like this title is going to yo-yo back and forth in and out of the Top 75. We shall see if this trend continues next month.
DC Comics had thirty-one comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month sales remained flat as DC Comics also had thirty-one comics in the Top 100 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also flat as DC Comics had thirty-one comics in the Top 100 in September 2022. Year-over-year-over-year numbers were also flat as DC Comics had thirty-one comics in the Top 100 in September 2021.
The year-over-year numbers have to be discouraging for DC Comics. With all of their efforts in the Dawn of DC initiative, it is disappointing to still see DC Comics performing the same in the Top 100 that they were a year ago. Meanwhile, Marvel Comics has actually seen their year-over-year numbers increase by a wide margin without any massive shake-up like Dawn of DC.
Danger Street #9 clawed back into the Top 100 climbing from the number 111 spot to the number 95 spot. This 12-issue limited series has been a sales dud and more proof that Tom King’s name itself does not sell comics. This is partly why I am not bullish that his name alone will be able to power Wonder Woman to long-term monthly sales success.
Peacemaker Tries Hard #5 also climbed back into the Top 100 by rising up from the number 127 spot to the number 99 spot. Regardless, this six-issue limited series has been a sales bust, too.
Image Comics had eight comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month sales were up as Image Comics had six comics in the Top 100 in August 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were flat as Image Comics also had eight comics in the Top 100 in September 2022.
BOOM! Studios had two comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were down from the three comics that BOOM! Studios had in the Top 100. Year-over-year numbers were also down from the four comics that BOOM! Studios placed in the Top 100 in September 2022.
Titan Comics and Sumerian Comics had one comic apiece in the Top 100.
The Joshua Williamson Award For The Writer With The Most Titles In The Top 50
Several writers scored two comics in the Top 20. Zeb Wells had two comics in the Top 50 with Amazing Spider-Man #33 at the number 3 spot and and Amazing Spider-Man #34 at the number 10 spot.
Charles Soule had two comics in the Top 50 with Star Wars #38 at the number 23 spot and Star Wars: Dark Droids #2 at the number 40 spot.
Jed MacKay also had two comics in the Top 50 with Moon Knight #27 at the number 25 spot and Avengers #5 at the number 44 spot.
Tom Taylor slotted two comics in the Top 50 with Titans #3 at the number 39 spot and Nightwing #106 at the number 47 spot.
Joshua Williamson also had two comics in the Top 50 with Batman And Robin #1 at the number 7 spot and Superman #6 at the number 16 spot.
Lastly, Simon Spurrier scored two comics in the Top 50 with Uncanny Spider-Man #1 at the number 9 spot and Flash #1 at the number 22 spot.
There was one writer who had three comics in the Top 50. That would be Gerry Duggan who had X-Men #26 at the number 6 spot, Uncanny Avengers #2 at the number 17 spot, and Invincible Iron Man #10 at the number 41 spot.
But, there were two writers who did even better with four comics in the Top 50! Al Ewing had four comics with Venom #25 at the number 11 spot, Avengers Inc. #1 at the number 29 spot, X-Men Red #15 at the number 35 spot, and Immortal Thor #2 at the number 46 spot. 30
Benjamin Percy also had four comics in the Top 50 with Predator Vs. Wolverine #1 at the number 1 spot, Wolverine #37 at the number 19 spot, Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Omega #1 at the number 24 spot, and X-Force #44 at the number 50 spot.
So, now we have to go to tie-breakers! Both Ewing and Percy had all of their Top 50 titles with the same publisher, so they are equal there, too. Let’s now go to the next tie-breaker. Ewing’s comics averaged the number 30 sales ranking. Meanwhile, Percy’s comics averaged the number 23 sales ranking.
Therefore, the winner of the Joshua Williamson Award for September 2023 is…Benjamin Percy! That is very cool! Percy has never won this award. Percy has been slowly building more success in the sales rankings this year. I see you, Percy!
Battle of the Franchises
The X-Men franchise took first place with three titles in the Top 10, eight in the Top 25, and ten in the Top 50. This is the best the X-Men franchise has performed in a while.
The Batman franchise took second place with three titles in the Top 10, six in the Top 25, and nine in the Top 50.
The Spider-Man franchise took third place with three titles in the Top 10, four in the Top 25, and seven in the Top 50. This is the worst that the Spider-Man franchise has performed in a long while.
The Avengers franchise took fourth place with zero titles in the Top 10, three in the Top 25, and seven in the Top 50.
The Justice League franchise took fifth place with one title in the Top 10, two in the Top 25, and four in the Top 50.
Marvel Comics and DC Comics Debut Issues
1 Predator Vs. Wolverine #1 (Marvel Comics)
4 Batman Gargoyle of Gotham #1 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
5 Daredevil #1 (Marvel Comics)
7 Batman And Robin #1 (DC Comics)
8 Wonder Woman #1 (DC Comics)
9 Uncanny Spider-Man #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
12 Birds of Prey #1 (DC Comics)
13 Captain America #1 (Marvel Comics)
22 Flash #1 (DC Comics)
24 Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Omega #1 (Marvel Comics)
27 Werewolf by Night #1 (Marvel Comics)
29 Avengers Inc. #1 (Marvel Comics)
34 Spider-Gwen Annual #1 (Chaos) (Marvel Comics)
36 Power Girl #1 (DC Comics)
45 Venom Annual #1 (Chaos) (Marvel Comics)
49 Blue Beetle #1 (DC Comics)
51 Silver Surfer Rebirth: Legacy #1 (Marvel Comics)
53 X-Men Annual #1 (Chaos) (Marvel Comics)
56 Alligator Loki #1 (Marvel Comics)
57 Fire & Ice Welcome To Smallville #1 (DC Comics)
58 Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
59 Green Lantern War Journal #1 (DC Comics)
66 Star Wars: Dark Droids – D-Squad #1 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
72 Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #0 (Marvel Comics)
77 Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Red Hood #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
79 Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi #1 (Marvel Comics)
96 Avengers Annual #1 (Chaos) (Marvel Comics)
102 Strange Academy Moon Knight #1 (Marvel Comics)
107 What If…? Dark Carnage #1 (Marvel Comics)
116 Knight Terrors Nights End #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
As usual, we will address most of these various debut issues in their franchise sections below. However, there are a few debut issues that I want to touch on now.
Daredevil #1 debuted at the number 5 spot. That is an excellent debut. The last volume of Daredevil concluded with Daredevil #14 which took the number 17 spot. Daredevil is also a title that has been consistently in the Top 10 for a long time. So, it is not like Daredevil was not selling well already.
I am fascinated to see how this title performs under the guidance of Saladin Ahmed. Ahmed has never had any real sales success to this point. This is a huge opportunity for Ahmed to prove his ability to generate good sales numbers and to establish his worth to Marvel Comics. The last volume of Daredevil averaged the number 12 spot in the rankings during its 14-issue run. It is a lot of pressure to take over a title that has sold that well!
Werewolf by Night #1 debuted at the number 27 spot. That is much better than I anticipated from this one-shot issue! It is cool to see readers hopping aboard for some Halloween fun.
Strange Academy Moon Knight #1 had a terrible debut coming in at the number 102 spot. These Strange Academy issues have struggled in the sales rankings.
Big Events
Knight Terrors
116 Knight Terrors Nights End #1 (One-Shot) (Resolicitation)
156 Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #2 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
177 Knight Terrors #4 (Of 4) (Resolicitation)
Gotham War
2 Batman #137 (The Gotham War)
30 Catwoman #57 (The Gotham War)
58 Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One-Shot) (Resolicitation)
77 Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Red Hood #1 (Of 2)
Gotham War had one comic in the Top 10, one comic in the Top 25, and two comics in the Top 50. Other than Bruce Wayne’s title which always sells in the Top 5, the rest of Gotham War was rather unimpressive.
Ultimate Invasion
32 Ultimate Invasion #4
98 Ultimate Invasion #3 (Resolicitation)
Ultimate Invasion concluded outside of the Top 25. What an incredibly disappointing big event for Marvel Comics. To be fair, this issue did ship in the final week in September. Still, a Jonathan Hickman big event should do so much better than this.
Fall of the X-Men
6 X-Men #26 (Fall of the X-Men)
9 Uncanny Spider-Man #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
14 Immortal X-Men #15 (Fall of the X-Men)
17 Uncanny Avengers #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
19 Wolverine #37 (Fall of the X-Men)
21 Dark X-Men #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
35 X-Men Red #15 (Fall of the X-Men)
41 Invincible Iron Man #10 (Fall of the X-Men)
50 X-Force #44 (Fall of the X-Men)
63 Children of the Vault #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
69 Alpha Flight #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
71 Jean Grey #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
73 Astonishing Iceman #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
78 Wolverine #36 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
162 Uncanny Avengers #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
167 Dark X-Men #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
182 X-Men #25 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
195 Jean Grey #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
Fall of the X-Men had two comics in the Top 10, six comics in the Top 25, and nine comics in the Top 50. There is no doubt that Fall of X-Men has been beneficial for Marvel Comics.
Contest of Chaos
34 Spider-Gwen Annual #1 (Chaos)
45 Venom Annual #1 (Chaos)
53 X-Men Annual #1 (Chaos)
67 Amazing Spider-Man #32 (Gods) (Resolicitation)
96 Avengers Annual #1 (Chaos)
119 Immortal Thor #1 (Gods) (Resolicitation)
148 Moon Knight Annual #1 (Chaos) (Resolicitation)
163 Venom #24 (Gods) (Resolicitation)
Contest of Chaos had two comics in the Top 50. There is not much going on here.
Star Wars Franchise
23 Star Wars #38 (Dark Droids)
37 Star Wars: Darth Vader #38 (Dark Droids)
40 Star Wars: Dark Droids #2 (Dark Droids)
66 Star Wars: Dark Droids – D-Squad #1 (Dark Droids)
74 Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #38 (Dark Droids)
79 Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi #1
101 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #36 (Dark Droids)
134 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #4
143 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #3 (Resolicitation)
145 Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #37 (Dark Droids) (Resolicitation)
The Star Wars franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50. This was better than August 2023 when the Star Wars franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were down as the Star Wars franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero in the Top 25, and four in the Top 50 in September 2022.
Star Wars #38 climbed up from the number 54 spot to the number 23 spot. Charles Soule continues to do a good job on this tile.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #38 climbed up from the number 55 spot to the number 37 spot. You can’t keep the Dark Lord of the Sith down for long.
Star Wars: Dark Droids #2 suffered a large drop falling from the number 14 spot down to the number 40 spot. This is a bit steeper than I was anticipating.
Star Wars: Dark Droids – D-Squad #1 had a poor debut failing to make the Top 50 and coming in at the number 66 spot. I thought this title had a pretty neat concept with a title starring just droids. Evidently, I was in the minority with my view on this new title.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #38 enjoyed a great bump flying up from the number 137 spot to the number 74 spot. It will be interesting to see if this title can regain some consistency on a month-to-month basis.
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi #1 had a hideous debut failing even to make the Top 75 as it came in at the number 79 spot. This is no surprise. This comic tells the story of the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series and is written by Jody Houser. Houser has never had any sales success with Marvel Comics or DC Comics before and I was not expecting this title to break that trend. On the positive side, Houser is a fellow alumnus of the University of Miami! Go Canes!
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #36 took the number 101 spot which is exactly the same ranking it had in August 2023. So, at least it gets marks for being consistent in how poorly it sells?
Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #4 fell from the number 121 spot to the number 134 spot. Ouch. You know you are a terrible Star Wars title when you sell less than Doctor Aphra. Rodney Barnes is finding no love for his story. Remember when the Mandalorian was white hot? Yeah, those were the days.
My big takeaway from the Star Wars franchise is that there are two keys to success. First, make sure the title stars characters from the original trilogy. Second, have Charles Soule write the title.
Spider-Man Franchise
3 Amazing Spider-Man #33
9 Uncanny Spider-Man #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
10 Amazing Spider-Man #34
11 Venom #25
31 Death of the Venomverse #4 (Marvel Comics)
34 Spider-Gwen Annual #1 (Chaos)
38 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #10
45 Venom Annual #1 (Chaos)
64 Death of the Venomverse #5
67 Amazing Spider-Man #32 (Gods) (Resolicitation)
72 Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #0
81 Amazing Spider-Man #31 (Resolicitation)
107 What If…? Dark Carnage #1
111 Death of the Venomverse #3 (Resolicitation)
112 Silk #5
121 Amazing Spider-Man #300 Facsimile Edition (Resolicitation)
124 Red Goblin #8
140 Cult of Carnage: Misery #5
163 Venom #24 (Gods) (Resolicitation)
178 Death of the Venomverse #2 (Resolicitation)
Unranked: Spider-Man: India #4
The Spider-Man franchise had three titles in the Top 10, four in the Top 25, and seven in the Top 50. This was worse than August 2023 when the Spider-Man franchise had three titles in the Top 10, five in the Top 25, and eight in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as the Spider-Man franchise had two titles in the Top 10, five in the Top 25, and six in the Top 50 in September 2022.
Peter Parker is the straw that stirs the drink for the Spider-Man franchise. Amazing Spider-Man #33 took the number 3 spot and Amazing Spider-Man #34 took the number 10 spot. Two issues in the same month finishing in the Top 10. Wow.
What is just as impressive is that the resolicitation for Amazing Spider-Man #32 cracked the Top 75 by taking the number 67 spot and the resolicitation for Amazing Spider-Man #31 took the number 81 spot. It is insane how hot Amazing Spider-Man is these days.
Uncanny Spider-Man #1 had an excellent debut cracking the Top 10 and taking the number 9 spot. The concept of Nightcrawler posing as a Spider-Man character clearly piqued the interest of many readers. It will be interesting to see how many readers Simon Spurrier is able to retain.
Venom #25 rose up from the number 48 spot to the number 11 spot. Ewing continues to have great success with this title. Also, it really helps sales when Venom only ships one issue a month versus two as it did in August 2023.
Death of the Venomverse #4 rose up from the number 85 spot to the number 31 spot. Death of the Venomverse #5 then fell to the number 64 spot. Cullen Bunn has enjoyed some solid success on this title. It is incredibly hard for a title to roll out multiple issues in the same month and hit high sales numbers for every issue. This title managed to crank out a ridiculous five issues in just two months. It would have been interesting to see how this title would have performed if it had just shipped one issue a month.
Spider-Gwen Annual #1 failed to make the Top 25 and came in at the number 34 spot. To be fair, annuals rarely set the world afire in terms of sales.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #10 fell for the second straight month as it dropped from the number 27 spot down to the number 38 spot. It looks like Miles Morales: Spider-Man may be cooling off and returning to its normal place in the rankings prior to this latest title restart.
The final issue of the last volume of Miles Morales: Spider-Man was Miles Morales Spider-Man #42 which took the number 99 spot. I will openly admit that the first eight issues of this title have sold much better than I anticipated. However, the next few months are going to be interesting to see if this title starts to revert back to the norm in the sales rankings.
Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #0 had an awful debut barely making the Top 75 by taking the number 72 spot. This is not really a surprise. This was a $10 issue that collected Saladin Ahmed’s Infinity Comics series from the Marvel Unlimited app.
What If…? Dark Carnage #1 had a terrible debut failing to make the Top 100 and coming in at the number 107 spot. These What If…? titles are hard to predict. They are all over the place.
Silk #5 concluded this mini-series by coming in at the number 112 spot. This mini-series was a complete sales failure as it was relegated to the Dead Titles Walking category by just the second issue.
Red Goblin #8 rose up from the number 138 spot to the number 124 spot. This title is definitely beginning to struggle to stay out of the Dead Titles Walking category.
Cult of Carnage: Misery #5 pulled itself back into the Top 200 rankings by coming in at the number 140 spot. That is still a terrible ranking, but it definitely beats being unranked!
Spider-Man: India #4 continues to be unranked like it has been ever since the second issue.
X-Men Franchise
1 Predator Vs. Wolverine #1
6 X-Men #26 (Fall of the X-Men)
9 Uncanny Spider-Man #1 (Fall of the X-Men)
14 Immortal X-Men #15 (Fall of the X-Men)
17 Uncanny Avengers #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
19 Wolverine #37 (Fall of the X-Men)
21 Dark X-Men #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
24 Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Omega #1
35 X-Men Red #15 (Fall of the X-Men)
50 X-Force #44 (Fall of the X-Men)
53 X-Men Annual #1 (Chaos)
63 Children of the Vault #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
69 Alpha Flight #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
71 Jean Grey #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
73 Astonishing Iceman #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
78 Wolverine #36 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
84 Magneto #2
86 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #2
94 Deadpool: Badder Blood #4
97 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1 (Resolicitation)
108 X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #3
117 Realm of X #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
162 Uncanny Avengers #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
167 Dark X-Men #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
169 Storm #5
182 X-Men #25 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
186 Giant-Size X-Men #1 Facsimile Edition (2023 Printing)
188 Deadpool: Badder Blood #3 (Resolicitation)
195 Jean Grey #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
The X-Men franchise had three titles in the Top 10, eight in the Top 25, and ten in the Top 50. This was better than August 2023 when the X-Men franchise had four titles in the Top 10, four in the Top 25, and five in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up/down as the X-Men franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50 in September 2022.
Predator Vs. Wolverine #1 shows that Logan and a Predator are like peanut butter and chocolate. A combination that most readers just cannot resist. I was surprised that this title scored the number 1 spot. I thought that this comic would sell well, but I was not expecting to see a number 1 finish.
Wolverine #37 sailed up the rankings from the number 51 spot to the number 19 spot. This title continues to fluctuate up and down the Top 50.
Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Omega #1 debuted at the number 24 spot. At the same time, this is not as high as the number 8 spot scored by Ghost Rider/Wolverine: Weapons of Vengeance Alpha #1 last month. But snagging a Top 25 ranking is still quite an accomplishment. Marvel Comics should be happy with the sales results of this superstar duo.
X-Men #26 dropped from the number 3 spot to the number 6 spot. This title continues to be a consistent Top 10 seller each month.
Immortal X-Men #15 climbed back up from the number 20 spot to the number 14 spot. This title continues to be a strong seller as it vacillates up and down the Top 25.
Dark X-Men #2 dropped from the number 7 spot to the number 21 spot. I am sure Marvel Comics was hoping this title would not drop this much. But, this is not a terrible drop and there is still a good chance that Dark X-Men might be able to stick in the Top 25 or at least remain a consistent Top 50 seller.
X-Men Red #15 climbed up from the number 43 spot to the number 35 spot. X-Men Red remains the lowest performing of the “X-Men” titled comics beneath X-Men, Immortal X-Men, and Dark X-Men. Having said that, X-Men Red has proven to be a lock to make the Top 50 every month.
Uncanny Spider-Man #1 debuted at the number 9 spot. That is a fantastic debut for this new title. It will be interesting to see how this mash-up of the Spider-Man and X-Men franchise fairs next month. I won’t discount this title remaining in the Top 25 with the second issue.
Uncanny Avengers #2 dropped from the number 5 spot to the number 17 spot. That is not that bad of a drop between the first and second issues of a new title. Next month will be interesting to see if Uncanny Avengers can steady itself and remain a consistent Top 25 selling title.
X-Force #44 shot up from the number 78 spot to the number 50 spot. This was an excellent rebound month for this title that struggles to remain in the Top 50 on a monthly basis.
Children of the Vault #2 dropped from the number 50 spot down to the number 63 spot. This is not that much of a surprise since this title had a poor debut number. Having said that, Children of the Vault #2 avoided a large drop between the first and second issues. A 13-spot drop really is not that bad at all. I am interested to see if Children of the Vault can rapidly find its natural spot in the rankings and remain in the Top 75.
Alpha Flight #2 fell from the number 41 spot out of the Top 50 and down to the number 69 spot. This title is definitely falling out of the Top 75 next month. The question is if Alpha Flight can slow its descent and remain in the Top 100.
Jean Grey #2 fell like a dead duck from the number 26 spot all the way down to the number 71 spot. To be fair, this issue did ship in the final week of September. However, this is still a large fall. I am not that surprised. I know that Louise Jones Simonson has some cache with older readers, but I was unsure if Simonson’s name would draw in younger readers. I’m also not bullish on Jean Grey’s character. I’ve never viewed her as a character that can carry a title.
Astonishing Iceman #2 crashed and burned plummeting from the number 28 spot all the way down to the number 73 spot. This is no surprise at all given that Iceman has become a divisive character. Also, Steve Orlando often struggles in the sales charts. I would expect Astonishing Iceman to drop out of the Top 100 next month.
Magneto #2 dropped from the number 56 spot to the number 84 spot. I have a feeling that this title will be out of the Top 100 by the next issue. I really love the creative team of J.M. DeMatteis and Todd Nauck, but the numbers do not lie. This title appears to have gained little traction with the consumer.
Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #2 completely cratered falling from the number 37 spot and out of the Top 50 and the Top 75 and landing down at the number 86 spot. That is a breathtaking fall. I thought this title would fall out of the Top 50, but I was not expecting it to crash out of the Top 75 by just the second issue.
None of this is surprising given that Ms. Marvel has never sold well. Also, Sabir Prizada is another example of a non-comic book writer dabbling in comics and finding little sales success. Now, this issue did ship in the final week of September. Still, this was a massive drop in the rankings. But, there is a chance that Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant can remain in the Top 100 next month.
Deadpool: Badder Blood #4 bounced from the number 135 spot back up to the number 94 spot. This was a nice rebound month for Rob Liefeld’s title.
X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #3 dropped from the number 90 spot down to the number 108 spot. This issue did ship in the last week of September, but I have a feeling that this four-issue limited series is going to finish outside of the Top 100.
Realm of X #2 plummeted from the number 82 spot out of the Top 100 and down to the number 117 spot. I know this issue shipped in the last week of September, but being a Dead Walking Title by just the second issue is rare and never a good sign. Torunn Grømbekk has been a sales failure since joining Marvel Comics. At some point, I wonder if Marvel Comics decides to move on from her.
Storm #5 ticked up one spot from the number 170 spot to the number 169 spot. This five-issue mini-series was barely able to conclude in the Top 175. It is a real shame to see this mini-series being such a complete sales failure.
Storm has not had a history of getting strong sales numbers, but I still expected far better than this. I did think that the artwork was a disappointment. But, I loved the retro vibe of Ann Nocenti’s story.
Avengers Franchise
13 Captain America #1
15 Incredible Hulk #4
17 Uncanny Avengers #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
29 Avengers Inc. #1
41 Invincible Iron Man #10 (Fall of the X-Men)
44 Avengers #5
46 Immortal Thor #2
54 Scarlet Witch #8
56 Alligator Loki #1
96 Avengers Annual #1 (Chaos)
104 Black Panther #4
119 Immortal Thor #1 (Gods) (Resolicitation)
133 Loki #4
139 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #3
162 Uncanny Avengers #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
The Avengers franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, three in the Top 25, and seven in the Top 50. This was worse than August 2023 in the Top 10 when the Avengers franchise had two titles in the Top 10, flat in the Top 25 when the Avengers franchise had three titles in the Top 25, and better in the Top 50 when the Avengers had four titles. Year-over-year numbers were up as the Avengers franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50 in September 2022.
Captain America #1 debuted at the number 13 spot. That is a great debut for Steve Rogers. No doubt. But, I am still not bullish on this title because JMS is the writer. JMS has a tendency to be plodding and preachy and usually bores me to death in a quick fashion. It will be interesting to see if JMS is able to win over readers with this new Captain America title.
Incredible Hulk #4 rocketed up from the number 53 spot to the number 15 spot. Wow! I was worried that this title was going to suffer a premature death. It looks like Phillip Kennedy Johnson has been able to attract more readers to this young title. Hulk has been a strong seller for several years now so the pressure is on Johnson to keep that trend going.
Avengers Inc. #1 debuted outside of the Top 25 and came in at the number 29 spot. Not even the power of a regular cover plus a stunning seven variant covers could get this title into the Top 25.
I dunno. This title just looks like a total miss to me. Janet Van Dyne as a superhero private detective? This title just has “sales bomb” written all over it.
Invincible Iron Man #10 climbed up from the number 76 spot into the Top 50 and up to the number 41 spot. Mr. Emma Frost managed to pull this off even though this issue shipped in the last week of September! That is impressive. However, there is also the fact that Invincible Iron Man #10 shipped with an astounding thirteen variant covers! So, the question remains what powered this big jump in sales? Was it the insane amount of variant covers? Or is this proof that being involved with the popular Fall of the X-Men storyline has helped boost Mr. Emma Frost’s popularity? We will find out next month.
Avengers #5 plummeted from the number 18 spot down to the number 44 spot. it looks like having six variant covers could not keep Avengers in the Top 25. To be fair, this issue did ship in the last week of September so we will see if this title can creep back into the Top 25 next month.
Immortal Thor #2 crashed from the number 6 spot all the way down to the number 46 spot. That is despite shipping with five variant covers. Of course, this title did ship in the last week of September. So, let’s hold off judgment on such a new title and see if it can rebound next month and become a steady Top 25 seller.
Scarlet Witch #8 dropped from the number 46 spot and out of the Top 50 to the number 54 spot. Shipping with a regular cover and two variant covers did not help save this issue. We already know that this title will be canceled as of Scarlet Witch #10. We shall see what type of Scarlet Witch title replaces this one.
Alligator Loki #1. had an awful debut. Not even a regular cover plus three variant covers could help this debut issue as Alligator Loki #1 failed to make the Top 50 and debuted at the number 56 spot. This title was originally an Infinity Comic series that launched on March 11, 2022. I expect this title to quickly drop out of the Top 100.
Black Panther #4 bumped up from the number 144 spot to the number 103 spot. This issue was released in the first week of September and having a regular cover and two variant covers still could not pull this young title out of the Dead Titles Walking category.
Black Panther has been a massive failure as it now has been relegated to the Dead Titles Walking category after just two issues. I do not see any future sales success for this title at all. Black Panther deserves so much better than this. Marvel Comics needs to fix its obvious mistake and put a writer worthy of such a classic Jack Kirby character.
Loki #4 fell for the third straight month dropping from the number 122 spot down to the number 133 spot. Loki’s Disney+ streaming show may be popular, but the comic book is not.
Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #3 fell from the number 117 spot out of the Top 125 and down to the number 139 spot. This five-issue mini-series is almost a lock to finish outside of the Top 150.
Batman Franchise
2 Batman #137 (The Gotham War)
4 Batman Gargoyle of Gotham #1 (Of 4)
7 Batman And Robin #1
12 Birds of Prey #1
18 Batman #1 Facsimile Edition
20 Batman Superman Worlds Finest #19
26 Poison Ivy #14
30 Catwoman #57 (The Gotham War)
47 Nightwing #106
58 Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Battle Lines #1 (One-Shot) (Resolicitation)
60 Detective Comics #1074
75 Batman White Knight Presents Generation Joker #5 (Of 6)
77 Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Red Hood #1 (Of 2)
82 Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #10
106 Batman #608 (Resolicitation)
118 Penguin #2
120 Batman The Brave And The Bold #5
123 Harley Quinn #32
128 Harley Quinn Black White Redder #3 (Of 6)
153 Batman Incorporated #12
158 Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #3
160 Detective Comics #58 Facsimile Edition
183 Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #12
190 Riddler Year One #6 (Of 6) (Resolicitation)
191 Dark Knights of Steel #12 (Of 12) (Resolicitation)
The Batman franchise had three titles in the Top 10, six in the Top 25, and nine in the Top 50. This was better than August 2023 when the Batman franchise had one title in the Top 10, two in the Top 25, and seven in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were flat in the Top 10 and Top 25 and down in the Top 50 as the Batman franchise had three titles in the Top 10, six in the Top 25, and eleven in the Top 50 in September 2022.
Batman #137 snagged the number 2 spot. Not even the Night Terrors event interrupting this title for two months could slow this title down.
Batman Gargoyle of Gotham #1 had an amazing debut coming in at the number 4 spot. This debut issue did come with nine variant covers. Still, there is a reason why DC Comics leans so heavily on Bruce Wayne. The dude is a sales machine.
Batman And Robin #1 also had a wonderful debut coming in at the number 7 spot. This is incredible. Now, this issue did ship with seven variant covers. Having said that, Bruce Wayne claimed three issues in the Top 7 of the sales chart. That is a rarity to see the same character have three different comics placing in the Top 7. Side note, the best variant cover was the one from Stanley Artgerm. And, sorry, it was not even close!
Batman Superman Worlds Finest #19 climbed up in the sales rankings for the second straight month as it climbed from the number 24 spot to the number 20 spot. Bruce Wayne just continues to win. I love seeing this title having such sales success in its second year. This is a gem of a read.
Detective Comics #1074 failed to make the Top 50 as it came in at the number 60 spot despite having six variant covers. On the other hand, this issue did ship in the final week of September. Ram V continues to struggle to make Detective Comics a dependable Top 50 title.
Batman The Brave And The Bold #5 fell from the number 103 spot to the number 120 spot. This young title continues to struggle to break back into the Top 100.
Batman Incorporated #12 rebounded from being unranked and out of the Top 200 to climbing up to the number 153 spot. It will be interesting to see if Ed Brisson can keep this title ranked in the Top 200.
Nightwing #106 squeaked into the Top 50 by taking the number 47 spot. This title continues to be a lock to be in the Top 50 each month. Dick Grayson remains one of the only two Batman family characters outside of Bruce Wayne who can consistently sell in the Top 50.
Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Red Hood #1 had an awful debut failing to even make the Top 75 by taking the number 77 spot. To be fair, this issue did ship in the final week of September and only came with a modest two variant covers. It will be interesting to see if this title can increase its sales ranking with the second issue of this two-part story.
Batman White Knight Presents Generation Joker #5 climbed up from the number 88 spot to the number 75 spot. It looks like this six-issue limited series has a chance of concluding in the Top 75 next month.
Penguin #2 dropped like a rock falling from the number 72 spot out of the Top 100 and down to the number 118 spot. This issue had three variant covers but did ship in the final week of September. However, when a title is firmly in the Dead Titles Walking category I am unsure if shipping in an earlier week would have helped much. Penguin is yet another comic from Tom King that is not seeing any sales success. King continues to be a “big” name writer who has not found much sales success when not paired up with the cash machine known as Bruce Wayne.
Birds of Prey #1 had an excellent debut coming in at the number 12 spot. This debut issue was boosted by nine variant covers. I discussed this new title and predicted it would debut in the Top 10. I just barely missed this prediction! I also predicted this title would drop quickly in the next few months. We shall see how that goes over the remained of 2023.
Poison Ivy #14 dropped out of the Top 25 and took the number 26 spot. Poison Ivy is the other character along with Nightwing as the only two Batman family characters outside of Bruce Wayne who consistently make the Top 50. I do not see Poison Ivy cooling off anytime soon.
Catwoman #57 got a huge boost from Bruce Wayne and five variant covers to help shoot it up the rankings to the number 30 spot. This is no surprise at all. Bruce Wayne always leads to a sales boost. It will be interesting to see how well this title continues to sell over the next several months.
Harley Quinn #32 slumped its way to the number 123 spot. This title seems destined to remain in the Dead Walking Titles category until DC Comics pulls the trigger on swapping out the writer.
Harley Quinn Black White Redder #3 came in the number 128 spot. This six-issue mini-series is going to struggle to conclude in the Top 150.
Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #3 dropped from the number 157 spot to the number 158 spot. That is incredibly consistent on a month-to-month basis. It looks like this title has found its happy place in the sales rankings.
Superman Franchise
16 Superman #6
20 Batman Superman Worlds Finest #19
36 Power Girl #1
80 Action Comics #1057
85 Superman Lost #6 (Of 10)
144 Action Comics Presents Doomsday Special #1 (One-Shot) (Resolicitation)
154 Steelworks #4 (Of 6)
The Superman franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, two in the Top 25, and three in the Top 50. This was flat in the Top 10 and Top 50 but up in the Top 25 than August 2023 when the Superman franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as the Superman franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50 in September 2022.
Superman #6 barely missed the Top 15 by coming in at the number 16 spot. Still, DC Comics has to be happy that Superman has remained a solid Top 25 title. This is what has to happen for DC Comics to pull themselves out of the sales quagmire they have been stuck in for so long.
Action Comics #1057 failed to make the Top 75 and came in at the number 80 spot. That is despite shipping with seven variant covers. On the other hand, this issue did ship in the final week of September 2023. At any rate, the approach of making Action Comics an anthology comic has been a sales miss to this point. I am not surprised as anthology comics have always struggled in the U.S. comic market.
Superman Lost #6 stayed steady dropping from the number 83 spot to just the number 85 spot. It looks like this title has found its proper spot in the sales rankings. There is a good chance that this ten-issue limited series can conclude its story in the Top 100.
Power Girl #1 had a terrible debut failing to make the Top 25 and coming in at the number 36 spot. Now, this issue did ship in the final week of September 2023. However, this issue also shipped with a jaw-dropping fifteen variant covers! So, these two factors probably offset each other.
At any rate, such a poor debut indicates that Power Girl will likely drop out of the Top 50 with the next issue. This does not surprise me at all. This issue is penned by Leah Williams who has never had any success with mainstream superhero titles.
I found the story to be rather dumb and poorly constructed so despite my love for all things Power Girl I won’t be coming back for more. It also seems that the editor in charge and Williams are utterly confused about which version of Power Girl we are getting as we get a mixed presentation of Power Girl. Power Girl is an awesome character and deserves a better writer. Power Girl also deserved to not be relegated to being a supporting member of the Superman family.
Steelworks #4 bounced up from the number 171 spot to the number 154 spot. It looks like this six-issue limited series is likely to finish outside of the Top 175. Steelworks has been an unmitigated sales disaster. Hopefully, DC Comics will give John Irons another title not written by a celebrity Hollywood actor.
DC Comics should be thrilled with the sales success of Superman. However, the Superman Franchise remains in ruins. None of the other comics are selling well at all. The idea to try and replicate the Batman Family with a Superman Family has been a complete sales failure up to this point.
Justice League Franchise
8 Wonder Woman #1
22 Flash #1
33 Green Lantern #3
48 Justice Society of America #6 (Of 12)
59 Green Lantern War Journal #1
83 Green Arrow #4 (Of 6)
116 Knight Terrors Nights End #1 (One-Shot) (Resolicitation)
131 Hawkgirl #3 (Of 6)
The Justice League franchise had one title in the Top 10, two in the Top 25, and four in the Top 50. This was better than August 2023 when the Justice League franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero in the Top 25, and two in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as the Justice League franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and zero titles in the Top 50 in September 2022.
Wonder Woman #1 had a fantastic debut coming in at the number 8 spot. Of course, this issue did ship with a mind-numbing sixteen variant covers. I am not bullish on this title. I am unsure that Tom King is the right fit for Wonder Woman. The next few months are going to be fascinating to watch. There is no doubt that DC Comics desperately needs Wonder Woman to become a consistent Top 50 seller each and every month.
Flash #1 had a serviceable but not spectacular debut coming in at the number 22 spot. Now, on one hand, this issue did ship in the final week of September 2023. On the other hand, this issue also shipped with eight variant covers. I think Flash will drop out of the Top 25 next month but remain in the Top 50. I am also unsure if Wally West has what it takes to carry this title instead of choosing to use Barry Allen. Regardless, this will be fun to watch over the next few months.
Green Lantern #3 came in at the number 33 spot. Along with Wonder Woman, Green Lantern is another title that DC Comics really needs to become a consistent Top 50 seller every month.
Green Lantern War Journal #1 had an awful debut failing to make the Top 50 and coming in at the number 59 spot. This is a terrible sign for this new John Stewart title and indicates that it may end up being a Dead Walking Title by the third issue.
DC Comics continues to struggle to have any sales success with a Green Lantern title not starring Hal Jordan. I did a deep dive into the Green Lantern franchise’s sales history last year. The past attempts with Jo Mullien failed miserably in the sales rankings. Green Lantern titles starring Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz also failed to have any sales success. Even further in the past, attempts with Kyle Rayner were met with muted sales success.
Here we are with DC Comics still striking out with a Green Lantern title that does not star Hal Jordan. The Green Lantern franchise is a wonderful franchise, but DC Comics still seems to not have the proper roadmap to fully revive this franchise. Guy Gardner did have some success back in 2010 and 2011 so perhaps it is time to give Guy another try at a solo title.
Justice Society of America #6 climbed up from the number 62 spot back into the Top 50 by taking the number 48 spot. This is a nice rebound month for the Justice Society of America. I know that DC Comics expected a Geoff Johns JSA title to be a Top 50 seller for them. It will be interesting to see if this title can remain a Top 50 comic for the final six issues of this limited series.
Green Arrow #4 dropped out of the Top 75 by falling from the number 64 spot to the number 83 spot. This issue did ship in the final week of September 2023, so there is still a good chance that this six-issue limited series will be able to conclude inside of the Top 100.
Hawkgirl #3 ticked up slightly from the number 139 spot to the number 131 spot. This mini-series has been doomed to be a Dead Walking Title since the second issue and I do not see that changing before it concludes.
Mantle Swap Titles
38 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #10 (Marvel Comics)
49 Blue Beetle #1 (DC Comics)
86 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #2 (Marvel Comics)
97 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
139 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #3 (Marvel Comics)
Spider-Man: India #4
There were zero mantle swap titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. This was the same as in August 2023 when there were zero mantle swap titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as there were zero mantle swap titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and zero titles in the Top 50 in September 2022.
Blue Beetle #1 had a terrible debut barely making the Top 50 by coming in at the number 49 spot. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. DC Comics has kept trying to make Jamie Reyes a thing despite the fact that every title starring Reyes crashes and burns.
Even worse, DC Comics already tried a Blue Beetle title written by Josh Trujillo (Blue Beetle Graduation Day) that failed so badly that it ended up being unranked and outside of the Top 200. This highlights how clueless the editorial staff is at DC Comics as they just keep rolling out the same losing formula and expect a different result.
Legacy Character Titles
22 Flash #1 (DC Comics)
34 Spider-Gwen Annual #1 (Chaos) (Marvel Comics)
36 Power Girl #1 (DC Comics)
39 Titans #3 (DC Comics)
47 Nightwing #106 (DC Comics)
70 World’s Finest Teen Titans #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
112 Silk #5 (Marvel Comics)
124 Red Goblin #8 (Marvel Comics)
140 Cult of Carnage: Misery #5 (Marvel Comics)
141 Tales of the Titans #3 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
154 Steelworks #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
Unranked: Cyborg #3
There were zero legacy character titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50. This was better than August 2023 when there were zero legacy character titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50.
Titans #3 dropped for the second straight month as it fell from the number 15 spot down to the number 39 spot. I know that DC Comics would love to have the Titans franchise become a consistent Top 50 seller. This would go a long way to turning around DC Comcis’ chronic sales problem.
World’s Finest Teen Titans #3 stayed steady by ticking down from the number 69 spot to the number 70 spot. It appears that this title has found its natural place in the sales rankings. If this title can continue to stay steady then there is a chance that this six-issue limited series might finish in the Top 75.
Tales of the Titans #3 fell for the second straight month dropping from the number 105 spot to the number 141 spot. This four-issue mini-series has been a bust and appears to be doomed to conclude outside of the Top 150.
Cyborg #3 continues its spectacular fall in the sales rankings. Cyborg #3 plummeted from the number 168 spot right out of the Top 200 and ended up being unraked in September 2023. This is an unmitigated sales failure to have Cyborg being unranked by just the third issue.
This should not have happened. Cyborg is a wonderful character who has enjoyed more mainstream exposure thanks to being featured in DC’s films. It is clear that Morgan Hampton was a disastrous choice as the writer for this title. Cyborg deserves better and I would like to see DC Comics giving Vic another title with a more talented mainstream superhero comic writer at the helm. The complete failure of Cyborg is yet another blow to the flailing Dawn of DC initiative.
Female Lead Titles
8 Wonder Woman #1 (DC Comics)
12 Birds of Prey #1 (DC Comics)
26 Poison Ivy #14 (DC Comics)
30 Catwoman #57 (The Gotham War) (DC Comics)
34 Spider-Gwen Annual #1 (Chaos) (Marvel Comics)
36 Power Girl #1 (DC Comics)
54 Scarlet Witch #8 (Marvel Comics)
71 Jean Grey #2 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
86 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #2 (Marvel Comics)
97 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
101 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #36 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
112 Silk #5 (Marvel Comics)
123 Harley Quinn #32 (DC Comics)
128 Harley Quinn Black White Redder #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
131 Hawkgirl #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
139 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #3 (Marvel Comics)
140 Cult of Carnage: Misery #5 (Marvel Comics)
169 Storm #5 (Marvel Comics)
195 Jean Grey #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
There was one female lead title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and six titles in the Top 50. This was better than August 2023 when there were zero female lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were flat in the Top 10 and Top 25 but up in the Top 50 as there was one female lead title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50 in September 2022.
Marvel placed zero female lead titles in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 25 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 25 in September 2022.
DC Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were up as DC Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 25 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had two female lead titles in the Top 25 in September 2022.
Marvel placed one female lead title in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were down as Marvel Comics had three female lead titles in the Top 50 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had one female lead title in the Top 50 in September 2022.
DC Comics had five female lead titles in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were way up as DC Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 50 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up as DC Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 50 in September 2022.
Marvel placed three female lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics also had three female lead titles in the Top 75 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 75 in September 2022.
DC Comics had five female lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were up as DC Comics had three female lead titles in the Top 75 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as DC Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 75 in September 2022.
Marvel placed five female lead comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were up as Marvel Comics had three female lead titles in the Top 100 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had four female lead titles in the Top 100 in September 2022.
DC Comics had five female lead comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were up as DC Comics had four female lead titles in the Top 100 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up as DC Comics had four female lead titles in the Top 100 in September 2022.
DC Comics and Marvel Comics fought to a draw in the Top 100 by a score of 5-5. However, DC Comics absolutely decimated Marvel Comics 5-1 in the Top 50. To be fair, one of DC Comics’ female lead titles was buoyed by the power of Batman with the Gotham War event. Also, DC Comics rolled out three brand new #1 issues in this category. We will see if this Top 50 success evaporates with next month as those debut issues suffer the customary drop in sales with the second issue.
Minority Lead Titles
38 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #10 (Marvel Comics)
49 Blue Beetle #1 (DC Comics)
59 Green Lantern War Journal #1 (DC Comics)
86 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #2 (Marvel Comics)
97 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #1 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
101 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #36 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
104 Black Panther #4 (Marvel Comics)
112 Silk #5 (Marvel Comics)
122 Blade #3 (Marvel Comics)
131 Hawkgirl #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
154 Steelworks #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
164 Blade #2 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
166 City Boy #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
169 Storm #5 (Marvel Comics)
199 Vigil #5 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
Unranked: Spider-Man: India #4 (Marvel Comics)
Unranked: Cyborg #3 (DC Comics)
Unranked Spirit World #5 (DC Comics)
There were zero minority lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. This was the same as in August 2023 when there were zero minority lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were flat in the Top 10 and Top 25 and up in the Top 50 as there were zero minority lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and zero titles in the Top 50 in September 2022.
Marvel placed zero minority lead titles in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in September 2022.
DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were flat as DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in September 2022.
Marvel placed one minority lead title in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were down as Marvel Comics had two minority lead titles in the Top 50 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 50 in September 2022.
DC Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were up as DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 50 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 50 in September 2022.
Marvel placed one minority lead title in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were down as Marvel Comics had two minority lead titles in the Top 75 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 75 in September 2022.
DC Comics had two minority lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were up as DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 75 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 75 in September 2022.
Marvel placed three minority lead comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had three minority lead titles in the Top 100 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had three minority lead titles in the Top 100 in September 2022.
DC Comics had two minority lead comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers increased as DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 100 in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up as DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 100 in September 2022.
Marvel Comics barely won the battle in the Top 100 by a score of 3-2. However, the fact remains that this category remains just as moribund as it was a year ago. The problem is not the characters. There are tons of great characters from both publishers in this category. The problem continues to lie at the feet of the editors and writers of these titles.
Blade #3 has steadied itself as it ticked up from the number 124 spot to the number 122 spot. However, it seems this title is doomed to remain in the Dead Titles Walking category.
City Boy #4 made a stunning rebound in September 2023! This is actually a rather fascinating occurrence. Both City Boy #2 and City Boy #3 were unranked. It is unusual to see a title go two straight months unranked and then have it break back into the Top 175. Yet, that is exactly what City Boy #4 did as it climbed all the way up to the number 166 spot. That is amazing!
This indicates that there must have been strong word-of-mouth buzz about City Boy that induced more readers to hop aboard and give this title a chance. Normally, I would not make a big deal about a title barely making it into the Top 175. But, when it is a title that has gone unranked for two straight months? Yeah, that is actually a big deal.
Vigil #5 also made a rebound. Vigil #3 and Vigil #4 were both unranked. However, Vigil #5 managed to barely sneak back into the Top 200 by taking the number 199 spot. This is far less impressive than City Boy, but it is notable that Vigil managed to creep back into the Top 200 after going unranked for two straight months.
On the other hand, Spirit World #5 was out of the Top 200 and unranked. This is what I predicted would happen after Spirit World #4 fell to the number 195 spot. It appears that Spirit World had the opposite trajectory than City Boy. While positive buzz actually dramatically lifted City Boy in the rankings by its fourth issue, negative buzz caused Spirit World to continually plummet until it ended up unranked.
City Boy, Vigil, and Spirit World are all six-issue limited series. I think Spirit World will conclude its limit series next month unranked. Vigil? I don’t know. That is a tough call. It is a 50/50 chance that Vigil will end up somewhere at the very bottom of the Top 200 or unranked. City Boy? After this month, I am rather bullish on this title. I think City Boy has a good chance of remaining ranked in the Top 200 at its conclusion.
Rokk’s Spotlight
This is a new section to our sales ranking column where I get a chance to focus on some titles that I find intriguing and are not a part of any of the above categories. These titles may also come from any publisher while the categories above only focus on Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
Void Rivals #4 fell from the number 23 spot to the number 55 spot. However, Void Rivals has remained Image Comics’ best-selling title and has performed far better in the sales rankings than I remember. After all, IDW Publishing had driven the Transformers franchise into the ground as it rarely got good sales numbers.
I thought that the buzz over Image Comics getting the Transformers license would lead to an initial sales burst, I was unsure that we would actually see sustained sales since the Transformers have not had good sustained sales in forever. Well, it looks like Image Comics may have the recipe to the secret sauce to make the Transformers a strong seller on a consistent basis.
I am excited about the future of the Transformers franchise and I hope that Image Comics treats this franchise with the love and respect that it deserves.
Silver Surfer Rebirth: Legacy #1 debuted at the number 51 spot. This is a five-issue limited series from the classic creative team of Ron Marz and Ron Lim. This mini-series stars Silver Surfer and Genis Mar-Vell! Genis was easily my favorite version of Captain Marvel after Mar-Vell himself.
Now, a number 51 debut is nothing to write home about. But, it is higher than I expected for a title that is clearly aimed at nostalgia. I loved this issue and am excited for the remainder of this mini-series. I do not expect this title to get massive sales numbers. But, I do think it is nice to see Marvel Comics employing creators who legitimately love the superhero genre and want to treat the fans to something fun.
Rom #1 Facsimile Edition came in at the number 151 spot. Again, normally this is not a sales ranking that would ever get my attention. But, when it is a re-print of a #1 issue of a title from 1979 that stars a niche character? Yeah, that gets my attention! Keep in mind that the reprint of this issue from 1979 outsold seventeen new issues from Marvel Comics and DC Comics including comics starring characters like Steel, Cyborg, Storm, Batman Beyond, and Wildcats.
That is impressive and far better than I was expecting the reprint of Rom #1 to perform in the rankings. This makes me so happy. I love Rom. First, he was a cool toy. Second, Marvel Comics hired a superstar creative team in Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema to helm the Rom comic back in 1979. Mantlo and Buscema absolutely killed it with this licensed property and made Rom a cool character and a title worth reading every month.
As a die-hard Rom fan, I am always glad when his character gets a little love. Having said that, I am glad we are not getting a new Rom title. Current day Marvel Comics does not have the editorial staff or writers to properly handle this character.
The resolicitation of Conan the Barbarian #2 that shipped in August managed to break into the Top 100 and take the number 91 spot. Conan the Barbarian #3 shipped in the last week of September 2023 and took the number 125 spot. These are pretty good sales rankings for a small publisher like Titan Comics. This also shows that there is still a solid audience for Conan. As a long-time Conan fan, I hope this franchise has found a publisher who will do this classic character justice.
Heat Seeker Gun Honey Series #3 came in at the number 115 spot. This is another Titan Comics title. I have loved the Gun Honey comics and am glad to see that it is selling solidly for a small press title.
Masters of the Universe: Forge Of Destiny #1 debuted at the number 135 spot. I really enjoyed this issue. I am a long-time He-Man and the Masters of the Universe fan. Tim Seely does a good job with the classic Filmation He-Man and the Masters of the Universe characters. I wish this title sold better, but coming in at the number 135 spot is not bad for this franchise.
Dead Titles Walking
Based on historical numbers from the Comichron as well as projections through April 2022, titles outside of the Top 100 are usually selling under the 18,000 unit sales mark. These are the Marvel Comics and DC Comics titles that are dead titles walking.
Marvel Comics
100-200
101 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #36
102 Strange Academy Moon Knight #1
104 Black Panther #4
105 Moon Knight City of the Dead #3
107 What If…? Dark Carnage #1
108 X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #3
112 Silk #5
117 Realm of X #2
122 Blade #3
124 Red Goblin #8
133 Loki #4
134 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #4
139 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #3
140 Cult of Carnage: Misery #5
151 Rom #1 Facsimile Edition
157 Miracleman Silver Age #6
169 Storm #5
186 Giant-Size X-Men #1 Facsimile Edition (2023 Printing)
Unranked: Spider-Man: India #4
Unranked: Marvel Unleashed #2
Marvel Comics had twenty dead titles walking out of their seventy-seven new titles in September 2023. This means that 26% of Marvel Comics’ new titles in September 2023 were dead titles walking.
This was down from the twenty-six dead titles walking that Marvel Comics had in August 2023. The percentage of titles in the dead titles walking category was also down from 34% in August 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics only had fifteen dead titles walking in September 2022. The percentage of titles in the dead titles walking category was also up from 21% in September 2022.
DC Comics
100-200
118 Penguin #2
120 Batman The Brave And The Bold #5
123 Harley Quinn #32
128 Harley Quinn Black White Redder #3 (Of 6)
131 Hawkgirl #3 (Of 6)
137 Unstoppable Doom Patrol #6 (Of 7)
141 Tales of the Titans #3 (Of 4)
153 Batman Incorporated #12
154 Steelworks #4 (Of 6)
158 Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #3
159 Wildcats #11
160 Detective Comics #58 Facsimile Edition
166 City Boy #4 (Of 6)
183 Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #12
187 Waller vs. Wildstorm #3 (Of 4)
199 Vigil #5 (Of 6)
Unranked: Cyborg #3
Unranked Spirit World #5
Unranked: Looney Tunes #274
DC Comics had 19 dead titles walking out of DC Comics’ 50 new titles in September 2023. This means that 38% of the New DC Comics’ titles in September 2023 were dead titles walking.
This was down from the thirty dead titles walking that DC Comics had in August 2023 which comprised 51% of DC Comics’ new titles. Year-over-year numbers were also down as DC Comics had 25 dead titles walking in September 2022 which comprised 45% of DC Comics’ new titles.
The Tini Howard Award For The Writer With The Most Dead Titles Walking
There were several writers with two comics in the Dead Titles Walking category.
Ed Brisson had two issues in Batman The Brave And The Bold #5 at the number 120 spot and Batman Incorporated #12 at the number 153 spot.
Ann Nocenti also had two issues in Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #3 at the number 139 spot and Storm #5 at the number 169 spot.
Alyssa Wong also had two issues in Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #36 at the number 101 spot and Unranked Spirit World #5 which was unranked.
The tie-breaker goes to the writer who has an issue that is unranked. Therefore, the Tini Howard Award for September 2023 goes to…Alyssa Wong for the second consecutive month!
All right, that is it for September 2023 Will Marvel Comics continue its domination of the Top 200 in October 2023? We will find out. Until then, everyone stay safe and be good!
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