As ARROW hits the halfway mark of the TV season, fans and critics alike say it keeps getting better. We go backstage with the creators and cast to find out how they got this far, and what lies ahead for new characters including one played by fan favorite John Barrowman. Plus How about Captain Kirk, Ron Burgundy or Spock doing your voice mail message? It can happen if you hurry.
It’s a Christmas tradition at a lot of holiday parties. You might call it “Secret Santa” or “White Elephant” but now it’s getting super-sized and coming to NBC for five consecutive nights. Howie Mandel joins us to talk about what TAKE IT ALL will mean to the landscape of primetime television, plus Neil Gaiman hits radio and WALKING DEAD fans can keep the fear going with a new iOS game.
SONS OF ANARCHY will be wrapping this season on a particularly bloody note, which has been the tone for the last few months. We talked with series creator Kurt Sutter about his plans to keep the tension and betrayal coming. Plus everyone is waiting for the 2nd part of the direct-to-DVD DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Bruce Timm & Andrea Romano join us to talk about what we will and won’t be seeing in the next part set to hit stores in 2013.
The November TV Ratings Sweeps are over and for the first time in a while, NBC climbed to the top. Critics are saying that the win was due to several of the network’s new shows, including the comedy GO ON. We talk to the creators and cast about just how a show about death became so funny, plus Chevy Chase finally bolts from COMMUNITY and David Tennant back on DOCTOR WHO??
The second season of NBC’sGRIMM has turned the characters upside down, especially “Juliette” played by Bitsi Tulloch. She fills us in on how it all happened – and what’s coming up on the show when it returns in 2013. Plus CBS’PERSON OF INTEREST is a Top 5 rated show which has been a surprise to a lot of folks including stars Michael Emerson & Jim Caviezel who talk about putting the show together. Meanwhile, STAR WARS gets two more writers and WOLVERINE gets a Marvel NOW launch.
Despite the massive mainstream success of comic-to-screen adaptations like Marvel’s [[[The Avengers]]] and DC’s [[[The Dark Knight Rises]]], there hasn’t been much serious scholarship or long-form journalism around the superhero comic book industry in the last few decades. Any time a newspaper or magazine takes a crack at it, the stories tend to be ego-inflating looks at how a chosen few grizzled visionaries (usually Stan Lee and only Stan Lee) created an entire industry out of whole cloth and had the time of their life doing it, while publisher-sponsored histories tend to focus on the characters, rather than the creators.
And it’s the creators who are key to the new book Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, wherein author Sean Howe mercifully forgoes the breathless “Excelsiors” and “Face Fronts” of the officially-sanctioned or poorly-conceived histories of years past for an extremely thorough and immensely accessible look at the comic publishing titan’s history, from the early days of Timely and Atlas all the way through the company’s purchase by Disney in 2009.
What Howe demonstrates, knowingly or otherwise, is that much of the dialogue around superhero comics today is nothing we haven’t gone through before. Marvel Comics: The Untold Story characterizes the House of Ideas as being stuck in something of a loop: Creators wrest creative control from editorial one way or another, until Marvel’s skittish owner (from Martin Goodman to New World Pictures to Ike Perlmutter and others, depending on the year) pressures editorial to exert more control in an effort to protect the licensing viability of the company’s stable of intellectual property.
To that end, while Howe rightfully devotes plenty of the story to Jack Kirby, his chronic mistreatment and marginalization by Marvel editorial and corporate, his legal struggles against Marvel, and his increasingly strained relationship with Stan Lee and odd reconciliation later in life, he also spends plenty of time on Howard the Duck creator Steve Gerber and his disillusioned self-imposed exile to independent comics. Howe’s reporting and narrative paints Gerber as the poster child for the creator’s rights movement, abused by a callous corporate comics publisher and denied the copyright to his own creation.
But to Howe’s credit, he did a staggering amount of research for this history, and the book reflects it: For every controversial event or personality, Howe presents the other side the story. While the legendary Todd McFarlane-led uprising of superstar Marvel artists against editorial that would lead to the formation of Image Comics is well-represented, Howe’s interviews with Fabian Nicieza and Tom DeFalco tend to paint the Image founders as spoiled, self-entitled children. It’s a fine line to walk between presenting these views and endorsing either of them, but Howe walks it admirably. The sole exception here may be Howe’s representation of creators like Jim Shooter and Steve Ditko, but neither of them sat down with Howe for this book, and if Howe couldn’t find anybody at Marvel past or present willing to say much in the way of kind words about them, that’s hardly the author’s fault – but the sections devoted to the two legends tend to come off as extremely uncharitable as a result.
And while on the subject of Howe’s research, it’s clear that he didn’t take half-measures, and it’s a testament to his skill as a biographer that his frequent digressions into anecdotes about former editor-in-chief Marc Gruenwald’s office pranks, the secret revealed after John Verpoorten’s untimely death, Morrie Kuramoto’s friendly rivalry with fellow proofreader Danny Crespi, and other Marvel staffers don’t break up the narrative.
You may have noticed that I haven’t mentioned Stan Lee much, and that’s for a very simple reason. Possibly one of the more subtle, but daring, choices Howe makes is to downplay Marvel’s founding editor, painting him as an often-absentee boss who gave up on comics early in the company’s history and tried to parlay his status as the public face of a medium into a career in Hollywood and beyond. He’s a constant presence in Howe’s telling of the Marvel story, but often only in the background, making more of an impact as a showman and mascot than he ever did as an editor or writer. He’s not unkind to Lee, exactly, but he comes off as almost dismissive, choosing instead to focus on the struggles between the Marvel creators and editors actually publishing the books, and the company’s ownership – a struggle Lee hardly figures in to after leaving Fantastic Four, the odd lawsuit aside.
Howe’s documentarian writing style can sometimes come off as a little dry, and he only discusses specific characters and storylines in the context of Marvel’s business at that point in time and what it meant for the company. The infamous “Heroes Reborn” event, for example, is cross-examined in terms of Marvel’s relationship with Image and its demoralizing force in the Marvel bullpen, rather than the issues themselves.
In short, Marvel Comics: The Untold Story is thought-provoking stuff that has a lot to teach comic book fans new and old. But it’s definitely more Ken Burns than Morgan Spurlock.
Y’know what goes great with easy fundraising? Pie!
On September 1, Ralphs grocery stores wipes the slate clean on their “Community Contribution” program, and we need to build back from Square One!
The Ralphs Rewards card is your standard grocery store “club card” that gets you discounts and whatnot. But you can ALSO register it with a Ralphs-approved charity, and EVERY time you shop and use the card, Ralphs will kick in a small percentage to the charity of your choice. It costs you, the consumer, NOTHING. It’s just Ralphs kicking in a couple bucks to good causes.
And yes, The Hero Initiative is one of those Ralphs-approved charities, and yes, we need YOU to re-register your card for Hero, which is easy as pie (tho’ not quite as tasty):
1) Sign in to Ralphs.com with your email and password
1a) If you have not created an account, create one now! Takes about 60 seconds!
2) Click on “Ralphs Rewards” in the upper right corner
3) Click on “Community Contribution.” It’s in the left-side menu under “My Ralphs”
3a) Hit “enroll” at the bottom.
4) Now enroll! When signing up, our NPO # (non-profit organization #) is: 80680, and we’re under our corporate name, “A Commitment To Our Roots.” Don’t let it throw ya!
4a) Click “Save Changes” at bottom
5) Now go get a pie.
Seriously, folks, if you do this once, we get a few nickels every time you shop, and multiplied by a San Diego Comic-Con full of people, it’s the best, easiest way we’ve found to raise funds. Totally painless. And hot dammit, you need bologna and Q-Tips anyway!
This applies to Ralphs, Foods Co. and Food 4 Less stores in Southern California, Nevada, Illinois, and Indiana. So if you’re in those necks of those woods, hop to it. I thank you kindly.
AND if you’re in Los Angeles, check out Golden Apple Comics on Wednesday, Sep. 26 from 6-9 PM! We’ll be signing people up for Ralphs on the spot, and if you sign up your card, you’ll get a FREE limited edition Happy! print autographed by BOTH Grant Morrison and Darick Robertson as Darick is in attendance for the release of Image Comics’ Happy #1!
In 1972, Wonder Woman famously graced the cover of the inaugural issue of Ms. magazine. The iconic image, with the proclamation “Wonder Woman for President” going across the top, instantly became popular both with fans of the character and the new publication. Now, in celebration of its 40th anniversary, Ms. has once again chosen to have Wonder Woman be featured on its cover, with an image created by Mike and Laura Allred. Check out the full image, along with the previous three Ms. covers to feature the Amazonian princess, after the cut. (more…)
If you weren’t following our Twitter feed or our Facebook page in real time on Saturday night (and good heavens, why weren’t you?) the 2012 Harvey Awards were given out at the Baltimore Comic-Con. [[[Daredevil]]] was the big winner of the night with four wins for Best Series, Best New Series, Best Inker and Best Writer. [[[Hark! A Vagrant]]]‘s Kate Beaton won three with Best Online Comics Work, the Special Award for Humor, and Best Cartoonist. [[[Jim Henson’s Tale Of Sand]]] by Ramon Perez won two for Best Original Graphic Album and Best Story, tying [[[Walt Simonson’s The Mighty Thor: Artist’s Edition]]] with wins for Best Domestic Reprint Project and the Special Award for Excellence in Presentation, and J.H. Williams on [[[Batwoman]]] snagging Best Artist and Best Cover Artist.
The Dick Giordano Humanitarian Award from the Hero Initiative was given posthumously to Joe Kubert, while the Lifetime Achievement Award was handed to John Romita Jr. by his father and Stan Lee, much to JR JR’s shock and surprise.
Phil LaMarr did an excellent job as Master of Ceremonies, speaking from the heart as a true fanboy who’s made good as the voice of Green Lantern and Samurai Jack, as well as (and I didn’t know this until after the ceremony) playing future Mr. Terrific writer Eric Wallace in Free Enterprise. It didn’t really matter that he was a first-time host since, as he commented, the Harvey Awards were starting over and renumbering from #1. The keynote speech was delivered by Ross Richie, Big Kahuna at BOOM! And for our part, ComicMix was proud to be one of the many sponsors of the Harvey Awards this year.
The nominees are below, with winners in boldface.
1. Best Writer
Joshua Hale Fialkov, ECHOES, Top Cow
Laura Lee Gulledge, PAGE BY PAIGE, Amulet Books
Jeff Lemire, ANIMAL MAN, DC Comics
Jason Shiga, EMPIRE STATE: A LOVE STORY (OR NOT), Abrams ComicArts Mark Waid, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
2. Best Artist
Paolo Rivera, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
Chris Samnee, CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BUCKY, Marvel Comics
Jason Shiga, EMPIRE STATE: A LOVE STORY (OR NOT), Abrams ComicArts
Craig Thompson, HABIBI, Pantheon Books J.H. Williams, BATWOMAN, DC Comics
3. Best Cartoonist
Kate Beaton, HARK! A VAGRANT, harkavagrant.com; print edition by Drawn and Quarterly
Jeremy Haun, PILOT SEASON: THE BEAUTY #1, Image Comics
Jeff Kinney, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER, Amulet Books
Roger Langridge, SNARKED, kaboom!
Comfort Love & Adam Withers, RAINBOW IN THE DARK, uniquescomic.com/rainbowinthedark
Craig Thompson, HABIBI, Pantheon Books
4. Best Letterer
Chris Eliopoulos, FEAR ITSELF, Marvel Comics
Laura Lee Gulledge, PAGE BY PAIGE, Amulet Books
Todd Klein, S.H.I.E.L.D.: ARCHITECTS OF FOREVER, Marvel Comics
David Lanphear, SECRET AVENGERS, Marvel Comics
Jason Shiga, EMPIRE STATE: A LOVE STORY (OR NOT), Abrams ComicArts
5. Best Inker
Laura Lee Gulledge, PAGE BY PAIGE, Amulet Books
Mark Morales, THOR, Marvel Comics
Sal Regla, THE MAGDALENA, Top Cow Joe Rivera, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
Jason Shiga, EMPIRE STATE: A LOVE STORY (OR NOT), Abrams ComicArts
6. Best Colorist
Elizabeth Breitweiser, CAPTAIN AMERICA AND BUCKY, Marvel Comics
Francesco Francavilla, BLACK PANTHER: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR, Marvel Comics
Sunny Gho, ARTIFACTS, Top Cow
Dave McCaig, THE MAGDALENA, Top Cow Dave Stewart, HELLBOY: THE FURY, Dark Horse
7. Best Cover Artist
John Tyler Christopher, ARTIFACTS, Top Cow
Marcos Martin, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
Paolo Rivera, DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
Mark Simpson (Jock), DETECTIVE COMICS, DC Comics J.H. Williams, BATWOMAN, DC Comics
8. Most Promising New Talent
Nick Bradshaw, ASTONISHING X-MEN, Marvel Comics
Nathan Edmondson, WHO IS JAKE ELLIS?, Image Comics
Laura Lee Gulledge, PAGE BY PAIGE, Amulet Books
Justin Jordan, THE STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE, Image Comics Sara Pichelli, ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN, Marvel Comics
9. Best New Series
ANGEL & FAITH, Dark Horse
ANIMAL MAN, DC Comics DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
LAST MORTAL, Top Cow
OZMA OF OZ, Marvel Comics
RACHEL RISING, Abstract Studio
10. Best Continuing or Limited Series
ATOMIC ROBO AND THE GHOST OF STATION X, Red 5 Comics DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER, Amulet Books
ECHOES, Top Cow
RACHEL RISING, Abstract Studio
11. Best Syndicated Strip or Panel
BIZARRO, Dan Piraro, syndicated by King Features Syndicate CUL DE SAC, Richard Thompson, syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate
DOONESBURY, Garry Trudeau, syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate
MUTTS, Patrick McDonnell, syndicated by King Features Syndicate
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE, Stephen Pastis, syndicated by United Feature Syndicate
12. Best Anthology
DARK HORSE PRESENTS, edited by various, Dark Horse
FLIGHT #8, edited by Kazu Kibuishi, Villard Books
JIM HENSON’S THE STORYTELLER, edited by Nate Cosby, Archaia Entertainment
SHAME ITSELF, edited by Tom Brennan, Marvel Comics
SOMEDAY FUNNIES, edited by Michael Choquette, Abrams ComicArts
13. Best Graphic Album – Original
[[[EMPIRE STATE: A LOVE STORY (OR NOT)]]], Abrams ComicArts
[[[HABIBI]]], Pantheon Books
[[[INFINITE KUNG FU]]], Top Shelf Productions [[[JIM HENSON’S TALE OF SAND]]], Archaia Entertainment
[[[ONE SOUL]]], Oni Press
[[[PAGE BY PAIGE]]], Amulet Books
14. Best Graphic Album – Previously Published
[[[BIG QUESTIONS]]], Drawn & Quarterly
[[[DARK TOWER OMNIBUS]]], Marvel Comics [[[THE DEATH RAY]]], Drawn & Quarterly
[[[ECHOES]]], Top Cow
[[[PS MAGAZINE: THE BEST OF PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE MONTHLY]]], Abrams ComicArts
[[[S.H.I.E.L.D.: ARCHITECTS OF FOREVER]]], Marvel Comics
15. Best Single Issue or Story
DAREDEVIL #7, Marvel Comics
ECHOES #5, Top Cow
GANGES #4, Fantagraphics
THE HOMELAND DIRECTIVE, Top Shelf Productions JIM HENSON’S TALE OF SAND, Archaia Entertainment
OPTIC NERVE #12, Drawn & Quarterly
ZORRO RIDES AGAIN #1, Dynamite Comics
16. Best Domestic Reprint Project
[[[BLACKJACKED AND PISTOL WHIPPED: A CRIME DOES NOT PAY PRIMER]]], Dark Horse
[[[THE COMICS: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION]]], Abrams ComicArts
[[[DEFINITIVE FLASH GORDON AND JUNGLE JIM]]], IDW
[[[WALT DISNEY’S MICKEY MOUSE (THE FLOYD GOTTFREDSON LIBRARY)]]], Fantagraphics [[[WALT SIMONSON’S THE MIGHTY THOR ARTIST’S EDITION]]], IDW
17. Best American Edition of Foreign Material
[[[ADVENTURES OF HERGE]]], Drawn & Quarterly
[[[THE KILLER VOL. 3: MODUS VIVENDI!]]], Archaia Entertainment [[[THE MANARA LIBRARY VOL. 1: INDIAN SUMMER AND OTHER STORIES]]], Dark Horse
[[[ONWARD TOWARD OUR NOBLE DEATHS]]], Drawn & Quarterly
[[[SINGLE MATCH]]], Drawn & Quarterly
18. Best Online Comics Work
BATTLEPUG, Mike Norton
BUCKO, Erika Moen and Jeff Parker
DELILAH DIRK AND THE TURKISH LIEUTENANT, Tony Cliff
GRONK, Katie Cook HARK! A VAGRANT, Kate Beaton
19. Special Award for Humor in Comics
Kate Beaton, [[[HARK! A VAGRANT]]], harkavagrant.com; print edition by Drawn and Quarterly
Evan Dorkin, [[[MILK AND CHEESE: DAIRY PRODUCTS GONE BAD]]], Dark Horse
Jeff Kinney, [[[DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER]]], Amulet Books
Roger Langridge, [[[SNARKED]]], kaboom!
Lela Lee, [[[FAIRY TALES FOR ANGRY LITTLE GIRLS]]], Abrams ComicArts
20. Special Award for Excellence in Presentation
JIM HENSON’S TALE OF SAND, designed by Eric Skillman, Archaia Entertainment
PS MAGAZINE: THE BEST OF PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE MONTHLY, selected by Eddie Campbell, Abrams ComicArts
RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: THE MARTINI EDITION, designed by Darwyn Cooke, IDW
SOMEDAY FUNNIES, edited by Michael Choquette, Abrams ComicArts WALT SIMONSON’S THE MIGHTY THOR ARTIST’S EDITION, designed by Randall Dahlk & edited by Scott Dunbier, IDW
21. Best Biographical, Historical, or Journalistic Presentation
ALAN MOORE: STORYTELLER, Universe Books
THE COMICS JOURNAL, Fantagraphics GENIUS ISOLATED: THE LIFE AND ART OF ALEX TOTH, IDW
GOVERNMENT ISSUE: COMICS FOR THE PEOPLE, 1940s-2000s, Abrams ComicArts
PS MAGAZINE: THE BEST OF PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE MONTHLY, Abrams ComicArts
22. Best Original Graphic Publication for Younger Readers
ANYA’S GHOST, First Second
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER, Amulet Books
FRAGGLE ROCK, Archaia Entertainment
MYSTIC, Marvel Comics
OZMA OF OZ, Marvel Comics
SNARKED, kaboom!
Avengers Vs. X-Men #9 from Marvel Comics, the best-selling comic book to specialty retailers in August 2012, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.
DC Entertainment was August’s leading publisher in Retail Dollars, leading Marvel Comics 33.32% to 32.42%. Meanwhile, Marvel Comics edged DC Entertainment on the Unit Market Share for the month, 37.18% to 37.12%.
For the second month in a row, Geoff Johns and Gary Franks’ [[[Batman: Earth One]]], the original graphic novel that reimagines the early days of Batman, was the best-selling graphic novel to retailers.
Based on Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s best-selling Batman: Arkham Asylum video game, Square-Enix’s Batman: Arkham Asylum Play Arts ~Kai~: Harley Quinn Action Figure was the best-selling toy product to comic book specialty retailers in August.
Earth’s most powerful heroes join the HeroClix campaign with the DC HeroClix: Justice League Expansion from WizKids/NECA, the best-selling games product to comic book specialty retailers in August.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHER
DOLLAR
SHARE
UNIT
SHARE
DC COMICS
33.32%
37.12%
MARVEL COMICS
32.42%
37.18%
IDW PUBLISHING
5.88%
4.64%
IMAGE COMICS
5.75%
5.37%
DARK HORSE COMICS
4.92%
3.89%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
3.19%
3.16%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD
1.83%
0.40%
BOOM! STUDIOS
1.52%
1.48%
VIZ MEDIA
0.96%
0.41%
ARCHIE COMICS
0.85%
0.82%
OTHER NON-TOP 10
9.35%
5.52%
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
DOLLARS
UNITS
AUGUST 2012 VS. JULY 2012
COMICS
6.49%
6.38%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
22.13%
19.48%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
11.23%
7.43%
AUGUST 2012 VS. AUGUST 2011
COMICS
19.27%
14.22%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
14.95%
24.74%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
17.80%
15.09%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2012 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2011
COMICS
20.51%
17.97%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
14.13%
12.78%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
18.41%
17.54%
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
AVENGERS VS X-MEN #9
$3.99
JUN120592-M
MAR
2
AVENGERS VS X-MEN #10
$3.99
JUN120599-M
MAR
3
BATMAN #12
$3.99
JUN120177-M
DC
4
JUSTICE LEAGUE #12
$3.99
JUN120142-M
DC
5
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #692
$5.99
JUN120622-M
MAR
6
BEFORE WATCHMEN: RORSCHACH #1 (MR) [*]
$3.99
JUN120129-M
DC
7
AVX VS #5
$3.99
JUN120590-M
MAR
8
BEFORE WATCHMEN: DR. MANHATTAN #1 (MR) [*]
$3.99
JUN120134-M
DC
9
GREEN LANTERN #12
$2.99
JUN120196-M
DC
10
DETECTIVE COMICS #12
$3.99
JUN120181-M
DC
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
BATMAN: EARTH ONE HC
$22.99
MAR120234
DC
2
THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 1: DAYS GONE BYE TP
$9.99
JUL068351
IMA
3
SWAMP THING VOL. 1: RAISE THEM BONES TP
$14.99
MAY120280
DC
4
SUPERMAN: ACTION COMICS VOL. 1: SUPERMAN MEN OF STEEL HC
$24.99
APR120245
DC
5
BATMAN VOL. 1: THE COURT OF OWLS HC
$24.99
JAN120300
DC
6
HULK SEASON ONE PREMIERE HC
$24.99
MAY120746
MAR
7
SCOTT PILGRIM VOLUME 1 COLOR HC
$24.99
MAY121234
ONI
8
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS: SITH HUNTERS TP
$7.99
APR120041
DAR
9
THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 2: MILES BEHIND US TP
$14.99
SEP088204
IMA
10
FEAR ITSELF TP
$29.99
JUN120721
MAR
TOP 10 TOYS
RANK
DESCRIPTION
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM PLAY ARTS KAI: HARLEY QUINN ACTION FIGURE
JAN128132
SQU
2
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM PLAY ARTS KAI: ARMORED BATMAN ACTION FIGURE
PATHFINDER BATTLES: RISE OF THE RUNELORDS BOOSTER BRICK
MAY128110
NEC
Data for Diamond’s sales charts — which include the monthly market shares and all top product charts — are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from a universe of over 3,500 comic book specialty shops located in North America and around the world. The account base includes brick-and-mortar comic book specialty shops, Internet merchants, and other specialty stores.
Unit and dollars sales are calculated based upon orders invoiced and shipped to Diamond accounts during any given month, which comprises initial pre-orders, advance reorders, and reorders, minus any copies that are received back from a title marked as returnable.
Please note that comics marked with an asterisk have had their reported quantities reduced due to retailer returnability, and thus may rank lower on the charts than their actual sales would reflect.
Despite the massive mainstream success of comic-to-screen adaptations like Marvel’s [[[The Avengers]]] and DC’s [[[The Dark Knight Rises]]], there hasn’t been much serious scholarship or long-form journalism around the superhero comic book industry in the last few decades. Any time a newspaper or magazine takes a crack at it, the stories tend to be ego-inflating looks at how a chosen few grizzled visionaries (usually Stan Lee and only Stan Lee) created an entire industry out of whole cloth and had the time of their life doing it, while publisher-sponsored histories tend to focus on the characters, rather than the creators.
