DCU gets remade - all books are #1s, Geoff Johns and Jim Lee on Justice League, more

Full cover.

Looks sick. With the images of pre-DCnU in the back ground I wonder how this will tie in with the end of Superdoom.

Confirmation there are infinite universes within DC's multiverse:
http://i.imgur.com/NkLXxsg.jpg

The Klarion issue was stellar, btw. 👆

^Thank god, couldn't stand the whole "52 universes" nonsense.

Wonder why the focus on the 52 then?

This page also suggests the multiverse is infinite:
http://i.imgur.com/jqUHGsd.jpg

Originally posted by Golgo13
Just for that month, right? The last few months, the units and dollars were down across the board, IIRC.

For the industry as a whole, it does seem a bit up and down month-to-month.

We had the odd slow months. This August was dead even with August of last year, and Augusts aren't usually good months. June... well, June was a good sized downslide compared to June of last month, so yea, that was a weak one.

July, on the flip side, was a positive-record breaker, well over the prior July.

Between July and September, we've actually got the best quarterly performance in decades.

Comic individuals is slightly down compared to last year (just -2%), but TPB is up, so overall the industry is at +3% over last year, and last year was a very solid year itself, so the industry is doing well.

Harder to tell company to company, though, I don't know if DC specifically is up or down.

Originally posted by krisblaze
^Thank god, couldn't stand the whole "52 universes" nonsense.

Having a limited number of universes, each important and distinct, *could* work. I mean, pre-crisis, there were universes that were revisited occasionally and clearly mattered. Earths 1 and 2 were both important, as was Earth S, and so on.

But 52 was never internalized as a limit, all the other worlds in it were treated like tissue paper until the recent Earth-2 books, and even then that was only one that mattered, the rest were expendable.

Especially once they introduced, 'if you blow one up, it's replaced!'.

Both companies are down. Here is the list from CBR forums.

September update:

DC Sales - Top 300 (Jan-Sep) 2014 - 19,651,345 estimated units.
DC Sales - Top 300 (Jan-Sep) 2013 - 21,302,646 estimated units.

And here are the figures for 1997-2012:
2013 - 28,184,085 estimated units
2012 - 29,602,125 estimated units
2011 - 26,522,201 estimated units
2010 - 23,528,000 estimated units
2009 - 24,126,336 estimated units
2008 - 25,760,378 estimated units
2007 - 29,597,217 estimated units
2006 - 30,243,575 estimated units
2005 - 26,995,698 estimated units
2004 - 23,895,322 estimated units
2003 - 22,344,120 estimated units
2002 - 20,687,488 estimated units - Dan Didio joins DC as VP of Editorial.
2001 - 21,220,332 estimated units
2000 - 23,243,656 estimated units
1999 - 25,141,760 estimated units
1998 - 22,869,060 estimated units
1997 - 26,323,968 estimated units

And, out of interest, here's the Marvel numbers:

Marvel Sales - Top 300 (Jan- Sep) 2014 - 22,649,224 estimated units.
Marvel Sales - Top 300 (Jan- Sep) 2013 - 24,095,731 estimated units.

And here are the figures for 1997-2012:
2013 - 31,243,347 estimated units
2012 - 30,278,745 estimated units.
2011 - 29,522,809 estimated units
2010 - 29,998,200 estimated units
2009 - 34,167,744 estimated units
2008 - 37,269,988 estimated units
2007 - 38,132,744 estimated units
2006 - 34,647,105 estimated units
2005 - 32,461,832 estimated units
2004 - 32,021,066 estimated units
2003 - 28,974,336 estimated units
2002 - 28,473,404 estimated units
2001 - 25,349,296 estimated units
2000 - 21,948,494 estimated units - Joe Quesada becomes EIC.
1999 - 24,111,104 estimated units
1998 - 27,015,555 estimated units
1997 - 32,664,192 estimated units

http://community.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?2355-DC-Sales-amp-Estimates-Discussion/page13

Hm, interesting. Long term they're doing pretty well, but yea, something of a dip year despite the very good quarter.

To go industry wide:

TOP 300 COMICS UNIT SALES
September 2014: 7.89 million copies
Versus 1 year ago this month: -3%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +12%
Versus 10 years ago this month: +13%
Versus 15 years ago this month: +12%
Q3 2014: 22.37 million copies, +2% vs. Q3 2013
YEAR TO DATE: 60.76 million copies, -4% vs. 2013, +8% vs. 2009, +9% vs. 2004, +4 vs. 1999

ALL COMICS UNIT SALES
September 2014 versus one year ago this month: -0.12%
Q3 2014 vs. Q3 2013: +6.15%
YEAR TO DATE: -2.04%

TOP 300 COMICS DOLLAR SALES
September 2014: $31.18 million
Versus 1 year ago this month: +4%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +27%
Versus 10 years ago this month: +56%
Versus 15 years ago this month: +69%
Q3 2014: $85.67 million copies, +7% vs. Q3 2013
YEAR TO DATE: $230.44 million, unchanged vs. 2013, +20% vs. 2009, +45% vs. 2004, +53% vs. 1999

ALL COMICS DOLLAR SALES
September 2014 versus one year ago this month: +4.58%
Q3 2014 vs. Q3 2013: +10.3%
YEAR TO DATE: +2.69%

OVERALL DIAMOND SALES (including all comics, trades, and magazines)
September 2014: approximately $50.78 million (subject to revision)
Versus 1 year ago this month: +6% Versus 5 years ago this month: +24%
Versus 10 years ago this month: +65%
Q3 2014: $145.56 million copies, +9% vs. Q3 2013
YEAR TO DATE: $395.1 million, +3% vs. 2013

(From Comichron)

So from that, and the comics as a whole, I'd take it that the Indy comics are eating into both to an extent. Which is not too big a surprise, really- while there's often been a "Big 2 + a few with some market share, plus the very minor players after another big gap.", there is an increase in number of companies that have noticeable higher-than-a-percent market share.

Also I like it that we go to different sites that track slightly different things, so we can compare and contrast. The big two having a dip year at the same time the industry is growing a little means good things for the non-big two.

The only reason the numbers are inflated is because of monthly events and relaunches and these current relaunches aren't doing as good as they once were, which is what CBR's article pointed out.

Originally posted by Golgo13
The only reason the numbers are inflated is because of monthly events and relaunches and these current relaunches aren't doing as good as they once were, which is what CBR's article pointed out.

Yea. 3d covers don't work as well the second time around, and so on.... which allows the indies to gain ground!

That's a good thing for the industry, but some of the indie companies have lost some ground.

There's always more movement in the lower ranks, where positions are less secure.

Image, IDW, Boom, Avatar, I think they're all gaining.

Dark Horse is going to lose some with the loss of Star Wars.

I love DC digital books. They're kicking butt. Can't wait for the new Mortal Kombat.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=56219

WW '77 is an interesting comic too.

I think the people at the Digital department know what they're doing, they're pretty good at coming up with a variety of books that'll interest different people.

Originally posted by Galan007
Well, the start of Godhead was pretty f*cking awesome. 👆

👆

So far all the issues for Act 1 has been excellent. Can't wait for Red Lantern issue.. Part 5 of act 1 I believe.

Oh and Orion >>> GL's.. muahahahaha... In fact New Gods >>> Lanterns and blue dwarves.

Is Mark Millar coming back to DC?

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2014/10/what-big-project-is-mark-millar-teasing/

The many wars/invasions that are coming.

http://www.newsarama.com/22465-dc-comics-war-journal-just-how-many-wars-and-invasions-are-coming.html

Originally posted by Golgo13
Is Mark Millar coming back to DC?

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2014/10/what-big-project-is-mark-millar-teasing/

Originally posted by Golgo13
The many wars/invasions that are coming.

http://www.newsarama.com/22465-dc-comics-war-journal-just-how-many-wars-and-invasions-are-coming.html

Pretty interesting! While having huge wars in the DCU is nothing new, that many of them in a short time is kinda new.
👆