It is time to check out the December 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.
You can head over to ICv2 and check out the Top 50 for December 2023 for free or opt for a pro membership and get the Top 200 for December 2023 over on ICv2 and then come back here for a detailed analysis of the December 2023 sales rankings!
December 2023 Top 200 Single Issue Comic Rankings
The Battle for the Top 10
Marvel Comics had five comics in the Top 10. Month-over-month sales were down from the six comics that Marvel Comics had in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics also had five comics in the Top 10 in December 2022. Numbers were down compared to two years ago as Marvel Comics had eight comics in the Top 10 in December 2021.
Moon Knight #30 scored the number 7 spot. This title continues to show no signs of slowing down. It will be interesting to see what happens with this title once the mantle swap occurs. Given Jed MacKay’s sales success on this title, it is going to be tough to bet against him despite the high failure rate of mantle swap titles.
DC Comics had four comics in the Top 10. Month-over-month sales were up from the two comics that DC Comics had in the Top 10 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had four comics in the Top 10 in December 2022. Numbers were up from two years ago as DC Comics had one comic in the Top 10 in December 2021.
This is a positive sign for DC Comics to see how much better they are doing in the Top 10 than they were two years ago. However, the downside is that DC Comics’ success is all due to Bruce Wayne. Three of the four DC Comics issues in the Top 10 star Bruce Wayne. The fourth DC Comics is an issue starring licensed properties in Godzilla and King Kong. So, when looking through that lens, DC Comics increased Top 10 sales success has nothing to do with them being able to grow any of their properties outside of Bruce Wayne.
Image Comics had one comic in the Top 10. Month-over-month sales were flat as Image Comics had one comic in the Top 10 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Image Comics had zero comics in the Top 10 in December 2022. Numbers were also up from two years ago as Image Comics had zero comics in the Top 10 in December 2021.
Transformers #3 ticked up from the number 4 spot to the number 3 spot. That is phenomenally impressive. To climb up a spot in the Top 10 with the third issue highlights the strong appeal that this newest incarnation of Transformers is having with readers.
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 placed fifteen comics in the Top 25. Month-over-month sales were flat as Marvel Comics also had fifteen comics in the Top 25 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as Marvel Comics had sixteen comics in the Top 25 in December 2022.
Numbers were also down from two years ago as Marvel Comics had seventeen comics in the Top 25 in December 2021. It certainly is not positive news to see Marvel Comics trending downward in the Top 25 over the past two years.
Daredevil #4 climbed from the number 14 spot to the number 11 spot. This is the second straight month that Saladin Ahmed’s title has climbed up in the rankings. Daredevil #4 starred the popular Daredevil villain Bullseye so I am not surprised that there was a sales bump this month.
Fantastic Four #14 rose from the number 35 spot to the number 25 spot. This is what we have come to expect from this title. It seems to constantly bob in and out of the Top 25 each month.
DC Comics had eight comics in the Top 25. Month-over-month sales were up over the five comics that DC Comics had in the Top 25 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up slightly over the seven comics that DC Comics had in the Top 25 in December 2022. Numbers were also slightly up from two years ago as DC Comics had seven comics in the Top 25 in December 2021.
What is alarming is that DC Comics is still relying on the Batman franchise to power their Top 25 success. Five of DC Comics’ eight comics were from the Batman franchise. Having said that, it is an improvement over two years ago when all of DC Comics’ seven comics in the Top 25 in December 2021 were from the Batman franchise. Baby steps.
Image Comics had two comics in the Top 25. Both of Image Comics’ issues in the Top 25 were Hasbro-licensed comics. Year-over-year numbers were up as Image Comics had zero comics in the Top 25 in December 2022. Numbers were up from two years ago as Image Comics had zero comics in the Top 25 in December 2021.
Duke #1 had a strong debut slotting in at the number 16 spot. This debut issue was powered by two open-order covers, five incentive covers, five retailer-exclusive covers, and two event-exclusive covers. So, keep that in mind when we see how well the second issue of this five-issue mini-series performs next month.
Having said that, this is still an impressive debut number given that Duke #1 shipped in the final week of December. Again, shipping in the final week of a month is not an automatic death sentence for a title.
Joshua Williamson is the writer for Duke and it is nice to see Williamson continuing his sales success streak for a publisher outside of DC Comics. This five-issue mini-series looks to be another sales hit for Image Comics and their new Hasbro license. It is fun to see readers flocking to these classic Hasbro toy franchises.
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 twenty-eight comics in the Top 50. Month-over-month sales were way down from the thirty-two comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 50 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were slightly up from the twenty-seven comics that Marvel Comics had in December 2022. Numbers were flat from two years ago as Marvel Comics also had twenty-eight comics in the Top 50 in December 2021.
G.O.D.S. #3 dropped from the number 15 spot down to the number 28 spot. There is no way that Marvel Comics was expecting a title written by Jonathan Hickman would be selling outside of the Top 25 by just the third issue.
Doctor Strange #10 clicked up from the number 55 spot to the number 50 spot. The good doctor seems to have found his happy place in the sales rankings as he continues to dip in and out of the Top 50 each month.
DC Comics placed eighteen comics in the Top 50. Month-over-month sales were up over the twelve issues that DC Comics had in the Top 50 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up slightly from the seventeen comics that DC Comics had in the Top 50 in December 2022. Numbers were also up from two years ago as DC Comics had sixteen comics in the Top 50 in December 2021.
Twelve of DC Comics’ eighteen comics were from the Batman franchise. This is better than two years ago when fourteen of DC Comics’ sixteen issues were from the Batman franchise. Again, baby steps for DC Comics.
Image Comics placed three comics in the Top 50. Two of the three Image Comics’ issues were from the Hasbro license. Month-over-month sales were down from the five comics that Image Comics had in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up from the one comic that Image Comics had in the Top 50 in December 2022. Numbers were down from two years ago as Image Comics had four comics in the Top 50 in December 2021.
W0rldtr33 #6 was the first non-Hasbro title from Image Comics to appear in the sales rankings as it came in at the number 33 spot.
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 placed forty comics in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were way down from the forty-six issues that Marvel Comics had in the Top 75 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also way down as Marvel Comics had forty-two issues in the Top 75 in December 2022.
Numbers were also down by a wide margin from two years ago as Marvel Comics had forty-six comics in the Top 75 in December 2021. Marvel Comics lost market share to both DC Comics and Image Comics.
DC Comics placed twenty-six comics in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were up by a wide margin from the nineteen issues that DC Comics had in the Top 75 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up over the twenty-three issues that DC Comics had in the Top 75 in December 2022. Numbers were also up from two years ago as DC Comics had twenty-two comics in the Top 75 in December 2021.
Fifteen of DC Comics’ twenty-six issues were from the Batman franchise. Back in December 2021, eighteen of DC Comics’ twenty-two issues were from the Batman franchise. I know I slam on DC Comics frequently and rightly so. They are largely incompetently run. But, this is a big improvement by DC Comics to not be so reliant on the Batman franchise to power their Top 75 success.
It is also positive that DC Comics is performing better in the Top 75 than they were two years ago. Still, I know that DC Comics was expecting their Dawn of DC initiative to result in more than just four more issues being sold in the Top 75.
Image Comics placed seven issues in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were down from the eight issues that Image Comics had in the Top 75 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up over the five issues that Image Comics had in the Top 75 in December 2022. Numbers were up from two years ago as Image Comics had five comics in the Top 75 in December 2021.
Five of Image Comics’ seven issues came from the Hasbro license and Spawn franchise. Image Comics is lucky to have those titles otherwise their Top 75 sales performance would be dreadful.
GI Joe A Real American Hero #302 fell from the number 18 spot out of the Top 50 and down to the number 58 spot. This GI Joe title did not enjoy the same sustained sales success as Image Comics’ Transformers title. This is not surprising. Image Comics chose to fully reboot the Transformers franchise. On the other hand, GI Joe is a continuation of the old IDW comic book. The full reboot of the Transformers franchise presents a far more attractive option for new readers than the approach that Image Comics took with GI Joe.
King Spawn #28 climbed up from the number 77 spot to the number 62 spot. Spawn #348 shot up from the number 84 spot to the number 74 spot. This was a nice rebound month for the Spawn franchise titles.
Deviant #2 plummeted from the number 19 spot out of the Top 50 and down to the number 59 spot.
BOOM! Studios put one issue in the Top 75.
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 placed forty-nine comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month sales were way down from the fifty-seven issues that Marvel Comics had in the Top 100 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down sharply from the fifty-six issues in the Top 100 in December 2022.
Numbers were also down by a large margin from two years ago as Marvel Comics had fifty-six issues in the Top 100 in December 2021. Marvel Comics lost a fair bit of market share to its competitors.
Guardians of the Galaxy #9 popped up from the number 91 spot to the number 80 spot. This title continues to linger at the bottom of the Top 100.
DC Comics placed thirty-five comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month sales were up sharply from the twenty-five issues that DC Comics had in the Top 100 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up from the twenty-seven issues that DC Comics had in the Top 100 in December 2022. Numbers were also up from two years ago as DC Comics had thirty-one comics in the Top 100 in December 2021.
Eighteen of DC Comics’ thirty-five issues were from the Batman franchise. This is an improvement over December 2021, when twenty-two of DC Comics’ thirty-one issues were from the Batman franchise.
Danger Street #12 concludes its twelve-issue limited series by coming in at the number 96 spot. This Tom King limited series was another sales failure for DC Comics.
Image Comics placed eleven comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month sales were down slightly from the twelve comics that Image Comics had in the Top 100 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Image Comics also had eleven comics in the Top 100 in December 2022. Numbers were also flat from two years ago as Image Comics had eleven comics in the Top 100 in December 2021.
Eight of Image Comics’ eleven issues were from a licensed property or the Spawn franchise.
Creepshow Holiday Special 2023 debuted at the number 76 spot.
The resolicitation for Transformers #2 came in at the number 81 spot. This underscores how popular this newly rebooted Transformers franchise is with readers.
Geiger Ground Zero #2 fell from the number 76 spot down to the number 101 spot.
Spawn Scorched #24 dipped slightly from the number 89 spot to the number 91 spot. This title seems to have found its happy place in the sales rankings.
BOOM! Studios had three comics in the Top 100.
Vault Comics had one comic in the Top 100.
The Joshua Williamson Award For The Writer With The Most Titles In The Top 50
Three writers had two issues of the same title in the Top 50 in December 2023.
Zeb Wells had two issues with Amazing Spider-Man #39 at the number 1 spot and Amazing Spider-Man #40 at the number 4 spot.
Brian Buccellato had two issues with Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong #3 at the number 9 spot and Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong #1 at the number 31 spot.
Jeff Parker had two issues with Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight #1 at the number 10 spot and Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight #2 at the number 48 spot.
Al Ewing had two issues with Immortal Thor #5 at the number 12 spot and X-Men Red #18 at the number 34 spot.
Four writers had two issues from different titles in the Top 50.
Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly had two issues with Thunderbolts #1 at the number 26 spot and Timeless #1 at the number 32 spot. This success will be shortlived as Timeless was a one-shot issue and Thunderbolts will certainly drop out of the Top 50 with the second issue.
Dan Slott had two issues with Spider-Boy #2 at the number 29 spot and Superior Spider-Man #2 at the number 41 spot.
Phillip Kennedy Johnson had two issues with Incredible Hulk #7 at the number 20 spot and Action Comics #1060 at the number 45 spot. Of the writers who had two issues from different titles, Johnson was the only one to do it for more than one publisher.
Four writers had three issues from different titles in the Top 50.
Benjamin Percy had three issues with Predator Vs. Wolverine #4 at the number 14 spot, Wolverine #40 at the number 23 spot, and Predator Vs. Wolverine #3 at the number 43 spot.
Gerry Duggan had three issues with X-Men #29 at the number 5 spot, Invincible Iron Man #13 at the number 37 spot, and Uncanny Avengers #5 at the number 42 spot.
Jed MacKay had three issues with Moon Knight #30 at the number 7 spot, Avengers #8 at the number 17 spot, and Doctor Strange #10 at the number 50 spot.
Joshua Williamson had three issues with Duke #1 at the number 16 spot, Superman #9 at the number 24 spot, and Batman and Robin #4 at the number 35 spot.
Damn! We have a four-way tie for first place! So, we have to go to the first tie-breaker. Writers with an ongoing title beat writers with a mini-series. Since Predator vs Wolverine is a mini-series that means that the reigning champ Benjamin Percy gets knocked out. This ends Percy’s legendary three-month winning streak!
The next tiebreaker is the average sales ranking of the three issues of each writer. Gerry Duggan’s averaged the number 28 spot. So, that eliminates Duggan. MacKay and Williamson both averaged the number 25 spot with their respective issues!
What a crazy month! We know have to go to a third tie-breaker! The writer who has issues in the Top 50 from different publishers wins. All of MacKay’s issues are from Marvel Comics. On the other hand, Williamson has two issues from DC Comics and one issue from Image Comics.
Therefore, the winner of the Joshua Williamson Award for December 2023 is…Joshua Williamson! Williamson closes out 2023 by claiming the award named after him!
Battle of the Franchises
The Batman franchise took first place with three titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and thirteen titles in the Top 50.
The Spider-Man franchise took second place with three titles in the Top 10, five titles in the Top 25, and eight titles in the Top 50.
The X-Men franchise took third place with one title in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50.
The Avengers franchise took fourth place with zero titles in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50.
The Justice League franchise took fifth place with one title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50.
Marvel Comics and DC Comics Debut Issues
8 Spider-Gwen Smash #1 (Marvel Comics)
10 Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight #1 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
22 Original X-Men #1 (Marvel Comics)
26 Thunderbolts #1 (Marvel Comics)
32 Timeless #1 (2023) (Marvel Comics)
53 Daredevil: Gang War #1 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
55 Sentry #1 (Marvel Comics)
66 Star Wars: Revelations #1 (2023) (Marvel Comics)
97 Joker Harley Quinn Uncovered #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
125 Titans Beast World Waller Rising #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
130 Titans Beast World Tour Metropolis #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
140 Titans Beast World Tour Gotham #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
149 DC’s ‘Twas the Mite Before Christmas #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
154 Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #1 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
172 Birds of Prey Uncovered #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
173 Titans Beast World Tour Central City #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
Unranked: Marvel’s Voices: Avengers #1
As usual, we will address most of these debut issues in their franchise sections below.
Big Events
Gang War
1 Amazing Spider-Man #39 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
4 Amazing Spider-Man #40 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
15 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #13 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
53 Daredevil: Gang War #1 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
69 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #14 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
73 Amazing Spider-Man Gang War First Strike #1 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
79 Spider-Woman #2 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
84 Amazing Spider-Man #38 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
92 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #12 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
119 Luke Cage: Gang War #2 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
138 Amazing Spider-Man #37 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
154 Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #1 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
158 Spider-Woman #1 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
Gang War had two comics in the Top 10, three in the Top 25, and three in the Top 50. Gang War succeeded in pulling Miles Morales back up in the rankings. But, outside of that, the sales impact of Gang War has been muted.
Fall of the X-Men
27 Uncanny Spider-Man #5 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
42 Uncanny Avengers #5 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
49 Dark X-Men #5 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
52 Immortal X-Men #18 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
57 Alpha Flight #5 (Fall of X) (Marvel Comics)
77 X-Force #47 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
122 Astonishing Iceman #5 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
179 Wolverine #39 (Fall of X) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
Fall of the X-Men had zero comics in the Top 10, zero comics in the Top 25, and three in the Top 50. Fall of the X-Men is coming to an end and its impact on the sales rankings is finally ebbing.
Dark Droids
36 Star Wars #41 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
63 Star Wars: Darth Vader #41 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
78 Star Wars: Dark Droids – D-Squad #4 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
103 Star Wars Dark Droids #5 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
105 Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #41 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
134 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #39 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
Dark Droids had zero comics in the Top 10, zero in the Top 25, and one in the Top 50. Dark Droids has been a sales dud and has done little to generate more interest in the Star Wars titles.
Beast World
38 Nightwing #109 (Titans Beast World) (DC Comics)
45 Action Comics #1060 (Titans Beast World) (DC Comics)
51 Titans Beast World #2 (Of 6) (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
61 Titans #6 (DC Comics)
94 Titans Beast World #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
109 Titans Beast World #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
125 Titans Beast World Waller Rising #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
130 Titans Beast World Tour Metropolis #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
140 Titans Beast World Tour Gotham #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
173 Titans Beast World Tour Central City #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
Beast World had zero comics in the Top 10, zero in the Top 25, and two in the Top 50. The Beast World one-shots that flooded the market in December 2023 were all sales busts.
Star Wars Franchise
36 Star Wars #41 (Dark Droids)
63 Star Wars: Darth Vader #41 (Dark Droids)
66 Star Wars: Revelations #1 (2023)
78 Star Wars: Dark Droids – D-Squad #4 (Dark Droids)
83 Star Wars: The High Republic #2 (Phase III)
88 Star Wars: The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight #3
103 Star Wars Dark Droids #5 (Dark Droids)
105 Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #41 (Dark Droids)
134 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #39 (Dark Droids)
151 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #7
The Star Wars franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50. This was worse than November 2023 when the Star Wars franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50.
Year-over-year numbers were also down as the Star Wars franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50 in December 2022.
Numbers were down from two years ago as the Star Wars Franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50 in December 2021. The Star Wars franchise has suffered over the past two years and is a shadow of what it used to be in the sales rankings.
Star Wars: Revelations #1 had an unimpressive debut failing to even make the Top 50 and coming in at the number 66 spot. This one-shot issue did not attract a big audience.
Star Wars #41 ticked up from the number 39 spot to the number 36 spot. This is the second straight month that this title has climbed up the sales rankings. Star Wars written by Charles Soule and starring all of the original trilogy characters continues to be the cream of the crop in the Star Wars franchise.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #41 fell from the number 48 spot to the number 63 spot. This is the second straight month this title has fallen in the rankings.
Star Wars: Dark Droids – D-Squad #4 bounced up from the number 146 spot to the number 78 spot. That means that Charles Soule’s four-issue mini-series managed to conclude in the Top 100.
Star Wars Dark Droids #5 slipped from the number 75 spot to the number 103 spot. Therefore, this five-issue mini-series concludes outside of the Top 100.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #41 bounced up from the number 151 spot to the number 105 spot.
The High Republic continues to disappoint. Star Wars: The High Republic #2 fell from the number 60 spot down to the number 83 spot. This is despite shipping with two open-order variant covers and two incentive covers. Given the bad debut number, this title was lucky to not fall out of the Top 100 with this second issue.
Star Wars: The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight #3 ticked up from the number 94 spot to the number 88 spot. This four-issue mini-series appears that it might have a shot of concluding in the Top 100.
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #39 ticked up from the number 136 spot to the number 134 spot. This title consistently sells poorly.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #7 fell from the number 111 spot down to the number 151 spot. This issue did ship in the final week of December 2023. But, it also had two open order covers, one incentive cover, and two retailer exclusive covers to help boost it. It looks like this eight-issue mini-series will conclude outside of the Top 100. The stunt hiring of a Hollywood non-comic book writer fails again.
Spider-Man Franchise
1 Amazing Spider-Man #39 (Gang War)
4 Amazing Spider-Man #40 (Gang War)
8 Spider-Gwen Smash #1
13 Venom #28
15 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #13 (Gang War)
27 Uncanny Spider-Man #5 (Fall of the X-Men)
29 Spider-Boy #2
41 Superior Spider-Man #2
69 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #14 (Gang War)
73 Amazing Spider-Man Gang War First Strike #1 (Gang War) (Resolicitation)
79 Spider-Woman #2 (Gang War)
84 Amazing Spider-Man #38 (Gang War) (Resolicitation)
92 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #12 (Gang War) (Resolicitation)
108 Spider-Boy #1 (Resolicitation)
117 Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #3
120 Carnage #2
138 Amazing Spider-Man #37 (Gang War) (Resolicitation)
158 Spider-Woman #1 (Gang War) (Resolicitation)
183 Carnage #1 (Resolicitation)
The Spider-Man franchise had three titles in the Top 10, five titles in the Top 25, and eight titles in the Top 50. This was worse than November 2023 when the Spider-Man franchise had four titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and nine titles in the Top 50.
Year-over-year numbers were largely flat as the Spider-Man franchise had three titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and eight titles in the Top 50 in December 2022.
Numbers were largely flat from two years ago as the Spider-Man Franchise had three titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50 in December 2021.
Peter Parker remains the god of the comic book world as Amazing Spider-Man #39 scored the number 1 spot and Amazing Spider-Man #40 took the number 4 spot. Two issues in the Top 4. That is insane. There is nobody in comics hotter than old Petey.
Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #3 fell from the number 102 spot to the number 117 spot. This is a far cry from the number 38 spot that Saladin Admed’s title scored with its debut issue. It looks like this four-issue mini-series will conclude outside of the Top 100.
Okay, let’s take a look at the knock-off Spider-Men.
Uncanny Spider-Man #5 slipped from the number 24 spot to the number 27 spot. That is pretty steady. It appears that this five-issue mini-series is a lock to finish in the Top 50.
Spider-Boy #2 flew too close to the sun and fell from the number 1 spot out of the Top 25 and down to the number 29 spot. That is a bigger drop than I expected for a title that scored the number 1 spot last month. It is still early so we shall see if Dan Slott can steady the ship next month.
Superior Spider-Man #2 crashed down from the number 9 spot to the number 41 spot. Ouch. Slott’s other new title had a rough second month, too. After scoring two Top 10 debuts, Slott appears to have not impressed enough readers to stick around for more. Again, it is early, so maybe Slott can rebound next month.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #13 rocketed up the rankings from the number 92 spot up to the number 15 spot. Damn! That is a hell of a climb up the rankings! Maybe Gang War succeeded in bringing a ton of additional eyeballs to this title.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #14 slipped from the number 15 spot down to the number 69 spot. To be fair, this issue did ship in the final week of December 2023. Also, most titles not named Amazing Spider-Man have a tough time posting strong sales numbers for the second issue released in the same month. That Parker magic is a unique occurrence in the sales rankings.
Let’s check out how all of the Spider-Ladies performed.
Spider-Gwen Smash #1 had a strong debut scoring the number 8 spot. Of course, this issue was powered by four open-order variant covers, two incentive covers, and six retailer-exclusive covers. That is a ton of variant covers! Given how Spider-Boy and Superior Spider-Man fell with their second issues, I am a bit cautious in saying that this four-issue mini-series is a surefire hit.
Spider-Woman #2 bounced up from the number 101 spot to the number 79 spot. This issue had four open-order variant covers and one retailer incentive cover. Side note, the David Nakayama cover is phenomenal! At any rate, yeah, this is still an unimpressive sales number. But, to climb up in the sales rankings with the second issue is uncommon. We shall see if this rebound in the rankings can be sustained next month.
Let’s finish up with the Venomverse.
Venom #28 ticked up from the number 19 spot to the number 13 spot. Venom shows no signs of slowing down and remains a lock for the Top 25 every month.
Carnage #2 crashed and burned as it fell from the number 26 spot out of the Top 100 and down to the number 120 spot. That is brutal. It appears that readers were not impressed with what Torunn Gronbekk offered in the debut issue. This issue did ship in the final week of December 2023. But, that is a massive almost 100-spot fall between the debut issue and the second issue. Maybe Carnage can rebound next month. We shall see.
X-Men Franchise
5 X-Men #29 (Fall of X)
14 Predator Vs. Wolverine #4
22 Original X-Men #1
23 Wolverine #40 (Fall of the X-Men)
34 X-Men Red #18 (Fall of the X-Men)
42 Uncanny Avengers #5 (Fall of the X-Men)
49 Dark X-Men #5 (Fall of the X-Men)
52 Immortal X-Men #18 (Fall of the X-Men)
57 Alpha Flight #5 (Fall of X)
77 X-Force #47 (Fall of the X-Men)
118 Wolverine by Claremont & Miller #1 Facsimile Edition (2023 Printing)
122 Astonishing Iceman #5 (Fall of the X-Men)
124 X-Men Blue Origins #1 (Resolicitation)
179 Wolverine #39 (Fall of X) (Resolicitation)
187 Immortal X-Men #17 (Fall of X) (Resolicitation)
198 Ms. Marvel The New Mutant #4 (Resolicitation)
The X-Men franchise had one title in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50. This was flat in the Top 10, better in the Top 25 but worse in the Top 50 than November 2023 when the X-Men franchise had one title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and ten titles in the Top 50.
Year-over-year numbers were up in the Top 10 and flat in the Top 25 and Top 50 as the X-Men franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50 in December 2022.
Numbers were up from two years ago as the X-Men Franchise had one title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and six titles in the Top 50 in December 2021.
X-Men #29 held steady at the number 5 spot which is the same as last month. This title is just so damn consistent. It is impressive.
Original X-Men #1 debuted at the number 22 spot. This issue was powered by two open order covers, two incentive covers, and two retailer-exclusive covers. This is a solid number for this one-shot issue.
X-Men Red #18 dropped from the number 31 spot to the number 34 spot. With this issue, X-Men Red has concluded. X-Men Red was always a solid seller for Marvel Comics.
Dark X-Men #5 slipped from the number 47 spot to the number 49 spot. The past three issues took the numbers 48, 47, and 49 spots. That is as steady as you are going to see in the rankings! With this issue, Dark X-Men has also concluded. This five-issue mini-series was a rock-solid seller.
Immortal X-Men #18 dropped from the number 28 spot to the number 52 spot. With this issue, Immortal X-Men has concluded. Immortal X-Men was another strong seller for Marvel Comics.
X-Force #47 fell from the number 44 spot to the number 77 spot. This is the second straight month that X-Force has fallen in the sales rankings. Of course, this issue did ship in the final week of December 2023. So, next month will be instructive as to whether this is a larger trend or a momentary hiccup.
Alpha Flight #5 shot up from the number 98 spot to the number 57 spot. This is the second straight month that Alpha Flight has climbed up the sales rankings. This is phenomenal considering that Alpha Flight #3 came in at the number 112 spot. What an impressive finish for this five-issue mini-series.
All right, let’s check out the solo titles.
Predator vs. Wolverine #4 bounced up from the number 27 spot to the number 14 spot. This is even though this issue shipped in the final week of December 2023. Impressive indeed. With this issue, this four-issue mini-series concludes. Predator vs. Wolverine was a smashing sales success for Marvel Comics.
Wolverine #40 climbed up from the number 36 spot to the number 23 spot. Wolverine continues to bob in and out of the Top 25 monthly.
Astonishing Iceman #5 ticked up from the number 127 spot to the number 122 spot. With this issue, Astonishing Iceaman concludes in the Dead Titles Walking category. This title was a total sales failure for Marvel Comics.
Avengers Franchise
12 Immortal Thor #5
17 Avengers #8
20 Incredible Hulk #7
26 Thunderbolts #1
37 Invincible Iron Man #13
42 Uncanny Avengers #5 (Fall of the X-Men)
44 Captain America #4
55 Sentry #1
86 Sensational She-Hulk #3
112 White Widow #2
119 Luke Cage: Gang War #2 (Gang War)
155 Incredible Hulk #6 (Resolicitation)
162 Captain America #3 (Resolicitation)
165 Avengers Inc. #4 L
168 Capwolf & the Howling Commandos #3
169 Captain Marvel #3
174 Black Panther #7
Unranked: Marvel’s Voices: Avengers #1
The Avengers franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50. This was worse in the Top 25 and better in the Top 50 than in November 2023 when the Avengers franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50.
Year-over-year numbers were down in the Top 10 but up in the Top 25 and Top 50 as the Avengers franchise had one title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50 in December 2022.
Numbers were down in the Top 10, flat in the Top 25, and up in the Top 50 from two years ago as the Avengers franchise had three titles in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50 in December 2021.
Avengers #8 inched up from the number 20 spot to the number 17 spot. This title has been very consistent as it has taken the numbers 18, 20, and 17 spots in the rankings in the past three months. Marvel Comics has to be happy to see the Avengers remain a consistent Top 25 seller each month.
Thunderbolts #1 failed to debut in the Top 25 and came in at the number 26 spot. This is an average debut. I am not bullish on this title. Jackson Lanzing and Colin Kelly are the writers. These guys have become the modern version of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning except without the talent. Thunderbolts #1 felt more like the MCU than the 616 Universe. So, while that is a turnoff for me that may be an appealing quality to other readers.
Uncanny Avengers #5 fell from the number 30 spot to the number 42 spot. This title concludes with this issue. This five-issue mini-series was a Top 50 title every month and a strong seller for Marvel Comics.
Avengers Inc. #4 fell from the number 150 spot to the number 165 spot. It looks like Avengers Inc. is going to struggle to conclude next month in the Top 175.
Marvel’s Voices: Avengers #1 was unranked. This is no surprise as these Voices one-shots never sell well.
All right, let’s look at the solo titles.
Immortal Thor #5 ticked up from the number 16 spot to the number 14 spot. Al Ewing continues to have great success with this young title. I am confident that Immortal Thor will remain a Top 25 title for the foreseeable future.
Incredible Hulk #7 dipped from the number 13 spot to the number 20 spot. Philip Kennedy Johnson has been solid on this title. I would expect Incredible Hulk to remain in the Top 25 in the first quarter of 2024.
Invincible Iron Man #13 bounced back up from the number 63 spot to the number 37 spot. Mr. Emma Frost’s title has been an odd duck in the rankings. It keeps wildly fluctuating in and out of the Top 50. This makes forecasting this title into the first half of 2024 rather difficult.
Captain America #4 shot back up from the number 104 spot to the number 44 spot. This issue was powered by three open-order variant covers and two incentive covers. It looks like JMS is not dead yet. It will be interesting to see if Captain America can manage to work itself into being a consistent Top 50 seller.
Capwolf & the Howling Commandos #3 ticked down from the number 167 spot to the number 168 spot. Stephanie Phillips continues her trend of delivering terrible sales numbers. It looks like this four-issue mini-series is going to struggle to finish in the Top 175.
Sentry #1 had an awful debut failing to make the Top 50 and coming in at the number 55 spot. This is another mantle swap title as it appears the new Sentry will be a handicapped black woman. This issue was written by Jason Loo. Loo is a cartoonist who is known for his The Pitiful Human-Lizard comic.
I am not bullish on this four-issue mini-series at all. This new Sentry comic seems to be an answer to a question nobody was asking. This seems to be the type of random title Marvel Comics kicks out because it entertains the Marvel editors and nobody else.
Black Panther #7 plummetted from the number 137 spot down to the number 174 spot. This issue did ship in the final week of December 2023. But, this is such an awful ranking that Black Panther would be doomed to be in the Dead Walking Titles category no matter what. Only Marvel Comics’ editorial staff thought a sociology professor was a perfect match as the writer for a mainstream superhero comic book. At some point, Marvel Comics is going to have to get serious and address this failing new title.
Luke Cage: Gang War #2 bounced up from the number 173 spot to the number 119 spot. Rising in the rankings is always good, but this title seems doomed to remain in the Dead Walking Titles category. This four-issue mini-series is a lock to finish outside of the Top 100. The stung hiring of a Hollywood writer/producer to write a mainstream superhero comic failed again. This is unfortunate. Luke Cage is a great character and deserved better than this.
Okay, let’s take a look at the ladies of the Avengers franchise.
Sensational She-Hulk #3 dropped from the number 68 spot down to the number 86 spot. What a dramatic fall from grace as Sensational She-Hulk #1 debuted at the number 11 spot. With just the third issue, Sensational She-Hulk is almost at the same place in the rankings as the final issue of the last volume when She-Hulk #15 took the number 91 spot.
Now, Sensational She-Hulk #3 did ship in the final week of December 2023. So, perhaps She-Hulk will score a rebound next month.
White Widow #2 crashed and burned in spectacular fashion falling from the number 22 spot out of the Top 100 and down to the number 112 spot. This four-issue limited series seems a lock to finish in the Dead Titles Walking category. This is no surprise at all. Marvel Comics hired a complete rando who is a non-fiction writer to write a mainstream superhero comic book. This continues to be a failing formula every time. The only people who do not know this are Marvel Comics’ editorial staff.
Captain Marvel #3 continued its rapid death spiral as it fell from the number 114 spot to the number 169 spot. Yes, this issue did ship in the final week of December 2023. But, this is such a low ranking that it is a lock that Captain Marvel would be in the dead titles walking category no matter what.
I predicted that Alyssa Wong would be a complete sales failure on Captain Marvel. However, even as unimpressed as I was I still did not predict this dramatic a sales failure. Marvel Comics might need to pull their favorite play from their playbook and restart Captain Marvel will a new #1 issue and a new creative team sooner than they anticipated.
Batman Franchise
2 Batman #140
6 Batman Gargoyle of Gotham #2 (Of 4)
10 Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight #1 (Of 4)
18 Batman #428 Facsimile Edition (Robin Lives)
21 Detective Comics #1079
30 Batman Superman World’s Finest #22
35 Batman and Robin #4
38 Nightwing #109 (Titans Beast World)
39 Poison Ivy #17
46 Batman City of Madness #2 (Of 3)
47 Birds of Prey #4
48 Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight #2 (Of 4)
60 Detective Comics #1080
64 Batman Off-World #2 (Of 6)
68 Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight #3 (Of 4)
87 Harley Quinn Black White Redder #6 (Of 6)
97 Joker Harley Quinn Uncovered #1 (One-Shot)
100 Detective Comics #1078 (Resolicitation)
111 Catwoman #60
113 Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight #4 (Of 4)
121 Batman #5 Facsimile Edition
133 Batman #404 Facsimile Edition
139 Batman #139 (Resolicitation)
142 Outsiders #2 (Of 12)
149 DC’s ‘Twas the Mite Before Christmas #1 (One-Shot)
150 Harley Quinn #35
159 Penguin #5
170 Harley Quinn #34 (Resolicitation)
172 Birds of Prey Uncovered #1 (One-Shot)
177 Batman the Brave and the Bold #8
181 Nightwing #108 (Resolicitation)
186 Batman Gargoyle of Gotham #1 (Of 4) (Resolicitation)
192 Batman Superman World’s Finest #21 (Resolicitation)
196 Batman Off-World #1 (Of 6) (Resolicitation)
199 Batman #405 Facsimile Edition
Unranked: Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #6
Unranked: Batman & The Joker: The Deadly Duo – Unplugged #1
The Batman franchise had three titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and thirteen titles in the Top 50. This was better than November 2023 when the Batman franchise had two titles in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and seven 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 the Batman franchise had three titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and eleven titles in the Top 50 in December 2022.
Numbers were up in the Top 10 but down in the Top 25 and Top 50 from two years ago as the Batman franchise had one title in the Top 10, seven titles in the Top 25, and fourteen titles in the Top 50 in December 2021.
Let’s start with the Bruce Wayne titles.
Batman #140 ticked up from the number 3 spot to the number 2 spot. Bruce Wayne continues to be the only character capable of going head-to-head with Peter Parker.
Batman Gargoyle of Gotham #2 dipped slightly from the number 4 spot to the number 6 spot. This is incredible, especially given the one-month shipping gap between the first two issues. This is as rock solid as you can get from a title. It will be amazing if this four-issue mini-series can remain in the Top 10 for its entire run.
Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight #1 debuted at the number 10 spot. Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight #2 slipped to the number 48 spot. Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight #3 dipped again to the number 68 spot. Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight #4 fell to the number 113 spot. With that, this four-issue mini-series concluded. Those are not bad sales rankings for a mini-series that shipped all four issues in the same month. Most titles struggle to retain consistent sales success when rolling out issues every week.
Batman Superman World’s Finest #22 climbed up from the number 34 spot to the number 30 spot. This is the second straight month that this title has failed to make the Top 25. Perhaps this is a trend of things to come where Batman Superman World’s Finest becomes a solid Top 50 seller rather than a solid Top 25 seller. We shall see over the next few months.
Batman and Robin #4 ticked up from the number 38 spot to the number 35 spot. This is a great sign that Batman and Robin will be able to remain a consistent Top 50 seller.
Batman City of Madness #2 dropped from the number 21 spot to the number 46 spot. That is not an awful drop given that there was a one-month shipping gap between the first and second issues. It looks like this three-issue mini-series has a shot of concluding inside of the Top 50.
Batman Off-World #2 fell from the number 37 spot down to the number 64 spot. The poor performance of this six-issue mini-series is a bit of a surprise. I thought that Jason Aaron might bring more eyeballs to this title than what we have seen. DC Comics has to be surprised and disappointed with these sales numbers.
Batman the Brave and the Bold #8 climbed up from the number 196 spot to the number 177 spot. This title has been a sales dud. But, that is to be expected as anthology titles rarely sell well.
Detective Comics #1079 took the number 21 spot which was about the same spot that Detective Comics #1076 took last month when it slotted in at the number 23 spot.
Detective Comics #1080 took the number 60 spot which is smack in between where Detective Comics #1077 (33rd spot) and Detective Comics #1078 (82 spot) performed in November 2023. Detective Comics is a consistent seller and is doing fine for a title that ships multiple issues in the same month.
Okay, let’s check out Batman’s old sidekick. Nightwing #109 popped up from the number 56 spot to the number 38. This is a solid rebound and puts Nightwing back in the Top 50 where we expect to see this title.
Next are the teams from the Batman franchise.
Birds of Prey #4 managed to climb back up in the rankings going from the number 59 spot to the number 47 spot. This issue was powered by three open-order variant covers and two incentive covers. Wonder Woman also made an appearance in Birds of Prey #4. The next couple of months are going to be critical to see if Birds of Prey has what it takes to be a consistent Top 50 title or if it begins to fade in the rankings.
Outsiders #2 crashed in the rankings falling from the number 79 spot down to the number 142 spot. This is no surprise at all. Outsiders scored such a terrible debut number that a drop in the rankings was predictable. Also, Lanzing and Kelly are the writers and they have never managed any sales success.
Let’s now take a look at the ladies of the Batman franchise.
Poison Ivy #17 bounced back up from the number 53 spot to the number 39 spot. I think last month was just an anomaly and Poison Ivy will resume being a consistent Top 50 title.
Harley Quinn Black White Redder #6 bounced back up from the number 147 spot to the number 87 spot. With this issue, this six-issue mini-series has concluded. This mini-series was a sales bust for DC Comics.
Catwoman #60 ticked up from the number 129 spot to the number 111 spot. It looks like now that Gotham War is firmly in the rearview mirror Catwoman will continue living life in the dead titles walking category like it usually does each month.
Harley Quinn #35 slipped from the number 147 spot to the number 150 spot. This is the third straight month that Harley Quinn has slid down the sales rankings. This title is doomed to be trapped in the dead walking titles category until DC Comics finally replaces Tini Howard as the writer.
Let’s wrap up with a couple of miscellaneous titles.
Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #6 was unranked for the second straight month. With this issue, Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic has concluded. This mini-series was a total sales failure. I am not at all surprised given that Lanzing and Kelly were the writing duo on this title.
Penguin #5 bounced up from the number 188 spot to the number 159 spot. There is no doubt that this Tom King six-issue mini-series is going to conclude firmly in the dead titles walking category.
Superman Franchise
24 Superman #9
30 Batman Superman World’s Finest #22
45 Action Comics #1060 (Titans Beast World)
85 Superman Lost #9 (Of 10)
102 Action Comics 2023 Annual #1
146 Superman ’78 The Metal Curtain #2 (Of 6)
148 Power Girl #4
157 Action Comics #1059 (Resolicitation)
192 Batman Superman World’s Finest #21 (Resolicitation)
The Superman franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50. This was largely the same as in November 2023 when the Superman franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50.
Year-over-year numbers were up in the Top 25 and flat in the Top 50 as the Superman franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50 in December 2022.
Numbers were up from two years ago as the Superman franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and zero titles in the Top 50 in December 2021. The Dawn of DC initiative of replacing Jon Kent with Clark Kent has led to a big increase in the Superman titles starring Clark Kent. This has been the only successful aspect of DC Comics’ handling of the Superman franchise in the past two years. All of the other Dawn of DC Superman franchise titles were sales busts.
It will be interesting to see how the newly refocused Action Comics performs once Jason Aaron takes the helm of that title. While DC Comics failed with Jon Kent, Conner Kent, Steelworks, and Power Girl over the past year, at least they have succeeded in getting Clark Kent to be a much better seller.
Superman #9 bounced up from the number 45 spot to the number 24 spot. This is what DC Comics wants to see. Sure, Superman being a consistent Top 50 title is a big success compared to the past several years. But, the goal should be for Superman to be a consistent Top 25 seller.
Action Comics #1060 shot up from the number 112 spot to the number 45 spot. This issue was powered by three open-order variant covers, two incentive covers, and one retailer-exclusive cover. Side note, the Supergirl variant retailer-exclusive cover is gorgeous. Action Comics is a wildly erratic title that seems to come in all over the sales ranking each month.
Superman Lost #9 rose from the number 103 spot to the number 85 spot. This ten-issue limited series has a shot of concluding next month in the Top 100.
Superman ’78 The Metal Curtain #2 dropped from the number 139 spot to the number 146 spot. This six-issue limited series looks dead. It is tough to sell a nostalgia title when you have run off many of the readers whom the title is aimed at.
Power Girl #4 climbed from the number 168 spot to the number 148 spot. This title is a sales bust and is going to remain in the dead titles walking category. Power Girl is a phenomenal character and deserves to have a real mainstream superhero writer at the helm.
Justice League Franchise
9 Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong #3 (Of 7)
19 Wonder Woman #4
31 Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong #1 (Of 6) (Resolicitation)
40 Green Lantern #6
89 The Flash #4
96 Danger Street #12 (Of 12)
99 Green Arrow #7 (Of 12)
116 Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong #2 (Of 7) (Resolicitation)
137 Green Lantern War Journal #4
156 Wonder Woman #3 (Resolicitation)
171 Fire & Ice Welcome To Smallville #4 (Of 6)
175 The Flash #3 (Resolicitation)
188 Hawkgirl #6 (Of 6)
190 Green Arrow #6 (Of 6) (Resolicitation)
Unranked: Amazons Attack #3
The Justice League franchise had one title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50. This was better than November 2023 when the Justice League franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and two titles 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 December 2022.
Numbers were up from two years ago as the Justice League franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50 in December 2021. Two years later, it has been Godzilla, Wonder Woman, and Hal Jordan to the rescue for the Justice League franchise. DC Comics still has a long road to go to fully revitalize the Justice League franchise. But, at least the arrow is currently pointed up.
Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong #3 ticked up from the number 12 spot to the number 9 spot. This title has been a sales beast! The resolicitation of Justice League Vs Godzilla vs Kong #1 from two months ago took the number 31 spot! That is insane! DC Comics has to be over the moon with the success of this seven-issue limited series. Behold the power of Godzilla! I love to see this kind of sales success for the Big G! Look, I am a lifelong die-hard Godzilla fan. But, I just did not see this title being such an unstoppable sales monster. I hope this means we get more Kaiju-licensed comics from DC Comics in the future.
Green Lantern #6 bounced back up from the number 57 spot to the number 40 spot. This is a positive sign for this title. DC Comics needs Green Lantern to remain a consistent Top 50 seller if they hope to remain competitive with Marvel Comics.
Unfortunately, the news is not as good for the other Green Lantern franchise title. Green Lantern War Journal #4 bounced up from the number 160 spot to the number 137 spot. I do not see this title being able to escape the dead titles walking category. This is a title that may not make it to the end of 2024.
The Flash #4 rose from the number 126 spot to the number 89 spot. This is good news for DC Comics. They cannot have the Flash selling in the dead titles walking category. While this is a positive sign, the Flash needs to be a consistent Top 50 seller for DC Comics to be a healthy competitor to Marvel Comics.
Danger Street #12 just scraped back into the Top 100 by taking the number 96 spot. With this issue, Danger Street concludes. This Tom King limited series was a sales failure for DC Comics.
Green Arrow #7 bounced from the number 134 spot to the number 99 spot. The emerald archer just barely clawed his way out of the dead titles walking category. It is disappointing to see Green Arrow selling this poorly. This is another title that was a big Dawn of DC title that DC Comics was surely hoping would get good sales numbers. We shall see if this twelve-issue limited series can keep the upward trend going over the next few months.
Wonder Woman #4 ticked up from the number 21 spot to the number 19 spot. This is the second straight month that Wonder Woman climbed up in the sales rankings. This is excellent news for DC Comics. It is imperative for the overall health of DC Comics that Wonder Woman turns into a consistent Top 25 seller.
Amazons Attack #3 was unranked for the second straight month. This six-issue mini-series has been an abject sales failure. I have no idea why any editor would ever have thought this creative team and this story was something anyone was asking for.
Fire & Ice Welcome To Smallville #4 ticked up from the number 185 spot to the number 171 spot. This six-issue mini-series has been another spectacular sales failure for DC Comics. This is another comic that makes me think that the DC editorial staff must drink out of lead glasses.
Hawkgirl #6 managed to claw back into the Top 200 and take the number 188 spot. This six-issue mini-series mercifully comes to an end. This was a huge sales failure for DC Comics. Again, hiring some unqualified rando to write a mainstream superhero comic blew up in DC Comics’ face. Again. At this point, the DC Comics editorial staff is like Wile E. Coyote and falling for the same trick over and over again.
Justice Society of America Franchise
75 Justice Society of America #8 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
98 Wesley Dodds the Sandman #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
143 Jay Garrick The Flash #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
166 Alan Scott the Green Lantern #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
The Justice Society franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and zero titles in the Top 50. This was the same as November 2023 when the Justice Society franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and zero titles in the Top 50.
Justice Society of America #8 ticked down from the number 73 spot to the number 75 spot. At least the fall in the rankings has seemed to stabilize. I am not confident that this twelve-issue limited series is going to be able to finish in the Top 75.
Wesley Dodds the Sandman #3 bounced back up from the number 119 spot to the number 98 spot. Mr. Dodds is easily the best-selling of the three JSA solo mini-series. I am still not confident that this title can conclude in the Top 100.
Jay Garrick The Flash #3 climbed from the number 158 spot to the number 143 spot. This title is going to struggle to finish in the Top 150.
Alan Scott the Green Lantern #3 rose from the number 183 spot to the number 166 spot. This six-issue mini-series has been a sales disaster as DC Comics seems intent on butchering this Golden Age icon beyond all recognition.
Mantle Swap Titles
15 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #13 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
27 Uncanny Spider-Man #5 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
41 Superior Spider-Man #2 (Marvel Comics)
53 Daredevil: Gang War #1 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
55 Sentry #1 (Marvel Comics)
65 Punisher #2 (Marvel Comics)
69 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #14 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
92 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #12 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
163 Blue Beetle #4 (DC Comics)
169 Captain Marvel #3 (Marvel Comics)
194 Superior Spider-Man #1 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
198 Ms. Marvel The New Mutant #4 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
Unranked: Speed Force #2 (DC Comics)
There were zero mantle swap titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50. This was worse in the Top 10 and Top 25 but better in the Top 50 than in November 2023 when there was one mantle swap title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50.
Year-over-year numbers were down as there were two mantle swap titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50 in December 2022.
Daredevil: Gang War #1 had a horrendous debut failing to make the Top 50 and coming in at the number 53 spot. Electra is a cool character when she is allowed to have her own identity and allowed to be her own woman independent of Daredevil. But, as another unoriginal mantle swap character? Not so great. I am not bullish at all on this four-issue mini-series given this bad debut.
Punisher #2 plummeted from the number 11 spot to the number 65 spot. Hilarious. Marvel Comics is getting what they deserve after they acted so weird about Frank Castle. Karma is a bitch and I will enjoy watching this lame mantle swap crash and burn.
Blue Beetle #4 ticked up from the number 170 spot to the number 163 spot. We have one more month before this dead title walking comes to an end.
Speed Force #2 fell from the number 193 spot and out of the Top 200 and ended up unranked. Wow. This mini-series had an epically awful debut so I am not surprised that Speed Force was unranked with the second issue. I am not sure what DC Comics was thinking with this title.
Legacy Character Titles
8 Spider-Gwen Smash #1 (Marvel Comics)
29 Spider-Boy #2 (Marvel Comics)
47 Birds of Prey #4 (DC Comics)
51 Titans Beast World #2 (Of 6) (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
61 Titans #6 (DC Comics)
71 Worlds Finest Teen Titans #6 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
89 The Flash #4 (DC Comics)
94 Titans Beast World #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
108 Spider-Boy #1 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
109 Titans Beast World #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
112 White Widow #2 (Marvel Comics)
125 Titans Beast World Waller Rising #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
130 Titans Beast World Tour Metropolis #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
140 Titans Beast World Tour Gotham #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
142 Outsiders #2 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
148 Power Girl #4 (DC Comics)
172 Birds of Prey Uncovered #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
173 Titans Beast World Tour Central City #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
175 The Flash #3 (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
185 New Teen Titans #1 Facsimile Edition (DC Comics)
Unranked: Amazons Attack #3 (DC Comics)
Unranked: Cyborg #6 (DC Comics)
There was one legacy character title in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50. This was worse than November 2023 when there was one legacy character title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50.
Year-over-year numbers were up as there were zero legacy character titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50 in December 2022. The Spider-Man franchise and the Titans franchise have the most success in this category.
Titans Beast World #2 climbed from the number 78 spot to the number 51 spot. It is certainly positive that this six-issue big event bounced back up in the rankings from its terrible debut number. But, I am sure that DC Comics was expecting Beast World to be a Top 50 event.
Titans Beast World #3 fell from the number 51 spot down to the number 94 spot. This is not too alarming given that this was the second issue shipped in the same month and it was released in the final week of December 2023.
DC released a slew of Titans Beast World one-shots. All of them were sales failures. This has to be a huge disappointment for DC Comics.
Titans #6 fell from the number 46 spot to the number 61 spot. This is the second straight month Titans has fallen in the sales rankings. Now, this issue did ship in the final week of December 2023. So, we shall see if Titans can reverse this trend next month. There is no doubt that DC Comics needs Titans to remain a consistent Top 50 seller.
World’s Finest Teen Titans #6 concluded its six-issue story by taking the number 71 spot. This is lower than I was expecting for this title.
Cyborg #6 was unranked for the fourth straight month. With this issue, this mini-series has concluded. What an embarrassing debacle this title was for DC Comics. Cyborg is a fantastic character who has a high profile in the world of comics, TV cartoons, and live-action movies. There is no excuse for a Cyborg title to be unranked ever since the second issue. This unmitigated disaster falls squarely on the editors and the writer for this title. Cyborg deserved much better than this.
Female Lead Titles
8 Spider-Gwen Smash #1 (Marvel Comics)
39 Poison Ivy #17 (DC Comics)
47 Birds of Prey #4 (DC Comics)
53 Daredevil: Gang War #1 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
79 Spider-Woman #2 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
86 Sensational She-Hulk #3 (Marvel Comics)
87 Harley Quinn Black White Redder #6 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
111 Catwoman #60 (DC Comics)
112 White Widow #2 (Marvel Comics)
134 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #39 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
148 Power Girl #4 (DC Comics)
150 Harley Quinn #35 (DC Comics)
156 Wonder Woman #3 (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
158 Spider-Woman #1 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
169 Captain Marvel #3 (Marvel Comics)
170 Harley Quinn #34 (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
172 Birds of Prey Uncovered #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
188 Hawkgirl #6 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
198 Ms. Marvel The New Mutant #4 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
Unranked: Amazons Attack #3 (DC Comics)
Unranked: Waller vs. Wildstorm #4 (DC Comics)
There was one female lead title in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50. This was better in the Top 10, worse in the Top 25, and flat in the Top 50 than November 2023 when there were zero female lead titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50.
Year-over-year numbers were up in the Top 10, down in the Top 25, and flat in the Top 50 as there were zero female lead titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50 in December 2022.
Numbers were flat in the Top 10 and Top 25 and up in the Top 50 from two years ago as there were zero female lead titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and two titles in December 2021. It is discouraging that over two years there still has not been any progress in this category.
Marvel placed one female lead title in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had one female lead title in the Top 25 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also flat as Marvel Comics had one female lead title in the Top 25 in December 2022. Numbers were up in the Top 25 from two years ago as there were zero female lead titles in the Top 25 in December 2021.
DC Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were down as DC Comics had one female lead title in the Top 25 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down as DC Comics had one female lead title in the Top 25 in December 2022. Numbers were down in the Top 25 from two years ago as there was one female lead title in the Top 25 in December 2021.
Marvel placed one female lead title in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had one female lead title in the Top 50 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had one female lead title in the Top 50 in December 2022. Numbers were up in the Top 50 from two years ago as there were zero female lead titles in the Top 50 in December 2021.
DC Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were flat as DC Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 50 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had two female lead titles in the Top 50 in December 2022. Numbers were flat in the Top 50 from two years ago as there were two female lead titles in the Top 50 in December 2021.
Marvel placed two female lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were down as Marvel Comics had five female lead titles in the Top 75 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had four female lead titles in the Top 75 in December 2022. Numbers were flat in the Top 75 from two years ago as there were two female lead titles in the Top 75 in December 2021.
DC Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were down as DC Comics had four female lead titles in the Top 75 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as DC Comics also had three female lead titles in the Top 75 in December 2022. Numbers were down in the Top 75 from two years ago as there were three female lead titles in the Top 75 in December 2021.
Marvel placed four female lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were down as Marvel Comics had five female lead titles in the Top 100 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as Marvel Comics had seven female lead titles in the Top 100 in December 2022. Numbers were up in the Top 100 from two years ago as there were three female lead titles in the Top 100 in December 2021.
DC Comics had three female lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were down as DC Comics had five female lead titles in the Top 100 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as DC Comics also had five female lead titles in the Top 100 in December 2022. Numbers were down in the Top 100 from two years ago as there were five female lead titles in the Top 100 in December 2021.
Marvel Comics just edged out DC Comics for a 4-3 win in the Top 100. To be fair, DC Comics did win the battle for the Top 50 2-1. At any rate, neither publisher is performing well in this category and little progress has been made over two years.
Waller vs. Wildstorm #4 concluded its mini-series by being unranked. This mini-series was another sales failure for DC Comics.
Minority Lead Titles
15 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #13 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
55 Sentry #1 (Marvel Comics)
69 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #14 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
70 Blade #6 (Marvel Comics)
92 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #12 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
119 Luke Cage: Gang War #2 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
134 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #39 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
137 Green Lantern War Journal #4 (DC Comics)
154 Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #1 (Gang War) (Marvel Comics)
163 Blue Beetle #4 (DC Comics)
174 Black Panther #7 (Marvel Comics)
188 Hawkgirl #6 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
198 Ms. Marvel The New Mutant #4 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
Unranked: Speed Force #2 (DC Comics)
Unranked: Cyborg #6 (DC Comics)
Unranked: Waller vs. Wildstorm #4 (DC Comics)
There was one minority lead title in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50. This was better than November 2023 when there were zero minority lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and zero titles in the Top 50.
Year-over-year numbers were flat as there was one minority lead title in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50 in December 2022.
Numbers were up in the Top 10 and Top 25 and flat in the Top 50 from two years ago as there were zero minority lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and one title in December 2021.
Marvel placed one minority lead title in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were down as Marvel Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 25 in December 2022. Numbers were up in the Top 25 from two years ago as there were zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in December 2021.
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 November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in December 2022. Numbers were flat in the Top 25 from two years ago as there were zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in December 2021.
Marvel placed one minority lead title in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were down as Marvel Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 50 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 50 in December 2022. Numbers were flat in the Top 50 from two years ago as there was one minority lead title in the Top 50 in December 2021.
DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were flat as DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 50 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 50 in December 2022. Numbers were flat in the Top 50 from two years ago as there were zero minority lead titles in the Top 50 in December 2021.
Marvel placed four minority lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 75 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had two minority lead titles in the Top 75 in December 2022. Numbers were up in the Top 75 from two years ago as there were three minority lead titles in the Top 75 in December 2021.
DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were flat as DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 75 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 75 in December 2022. Numbers were down in the Top 75 from two years ago as there was one minority lead title in the Top 75 in December 2021.
Marvel placed five minority lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were up as Marvel Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 100 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had five minority lead titles in the Top 100 in December 2022. Numbers were up in the Top 100 from two years ago as there were four minority lead titles in the Top 100 in December 2021.
DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were flat as DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 100 in November 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 100 in December 2022. Numbers were down in the Top 100 from two years ago as there were two minority lead titles in the Top 100 in December 2021.
Marvel Comics crushed DC Comics by a score of 5-0. Look, Marvel Comics is not exactly burning up the charts in this category as Marvel Comics had just one minority lead comic in the Top 50. But, good lord! DC Comics is flat-out embarrassing themselves in this category. There is no excuse for DC Comics to have zero titles in the Top 100 in this category. DC Comics has gotten worse over the past two years. And DC Comics was doing terribly two years ago. The entire approach to this category needs to be reexamined because it just is not working.
Blade #6 bounced back up from the number 122 spot to the number 70 spot. This title has established a pattern of wild swings in the sales rankings as it continues to bounce back and forth from the 70s to the 120s with each issue. This is a pattern I have not seen on many titles before.
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #1 had a brutal debut failing to even make the Top 150 and coming in at the number 154 spot. Yes, this issue shipped in the final week of December 2023. Marvel Comics even pulled in the big guns by having Peter Parker appear in this issue. This three-issue mini-series was doomed to debut in the dead titles walking category no matter what. I do not have any expectations for this mini-series.
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
103 Star Wars Dark Droids #5 (Dark Droids)
104 Ghost Rider #21
105 Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #41 (Dark Droids)
112 White Widow #2
117 Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #3
119 Luke Cage: Gang War #2 (Gang War)
120 Carnage #2
122 Astonishing Iceman #5 (Fall of the X-Men)
123 Silver Surfer Rebirth: Legacy #4
127 Alien #2
134 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #39 (Dark Droids)
136 Daredevil: Black Armor #2
151 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #7
154 Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #1 (Gang War)
165 Avengers Inc. #4
168 Capwolf & the Howling Commandos #3
169 Captain Marvel #3
174 Black Panther #7
Unranked: Marvel’s Voices: Avengers #1
Marvel Comics had nineteen dead titles walking out of their sixty-four new titles in December 2023. This means that 30% of Marvel Comics’ new titles in December 2023 were dead titles walking.
This was down from the twenty-four dead titles walking that Marvel Comics had in November 2023. However, the percentage remained the same as 30% of Marvel Comics’ new titles in November 2023 were dead titles walking.
Year-over-year numbers were down as Marvel Comics had twenty-one dead titles walking in December 2022. This comprised 27% of Marvel Comics’ new titles in December 2022.
Numbers were down from two years ago as Marvel Comics had twenty-three dead titles walking in December 2021. This comprised 29% of Marvel Comics’ new titles in December 2021.
DC Comics
100-200
102 Action Comics 2023 Annual #1
111 Catwoman #60
113 Batman Santa Claus Silent Knight #4 (Of 4)
125 Titans Beast World Waller Rising #1 (One-Shot)
130 Titans Beast World Tour Metropolis #1 (One-Shot)
137 Green Lantern War Journal #4
140 Titans Beast World Tour Gotham #1 (One-Shot)
142 Outsiders #2 (Of 12)
143 Jay Garrick The Flash #3 (Of 6)
146 Superman ’78 The Metal Curtain #2 (Of 6)
148 Power Girl #4
149 DC’s ‘Twas the Mite Before Christmas #1 (One-Shot)
150 Harley Quinn #35
159 Penguin #5
163 Blue Beetle #4
166 Alan Scott the Green Lantern #3 (Of 6)
171 Fire & Ice Welcome To Smallville #4 (Of 6)
173 Titans Beast World Tour Central City #1 (One-Shot)
177 Batman the Brave and the Bold #8
188 Hawkgirl #6 (Of 6)
Unranked: Speed Force #2
Unranked: Cyborg #6
Unranked: Amazons Attack #3
Unranked: Waller vs. Wildstorm #4
Unranked: Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #6
Unranked: The Sandman Universe: Nightmare County – The Glass House #6
Unranked: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #125
DC Comics had twenty-seven dead titles walking out of DC Comics’ sixty-one new titles in December 2023. This means that 44% of the new DC Comics titles in December 2023 were dead titles walking. What is shocking is that Marvel Comics had just one title unranked while DC Comics had seven titles unranked. When DC Comics misses they epically whiff.
This was down from the thirty-two dead titles walking that DC Comics had in November 2023 which comprised 57% of DC Comics’ new titles.
However, year-over-year numbers were up as DC Comics had twenty-six dead titles walking in December 2022. This comprised 49% of DC Comics’ new titles in December 2022.
Numbers were also up from two years ago as DC Comics had twenty-three dead titles walking in December 2021. This comprised 54% of DC Comics’ new titles in December 2021.
Editors With The Most Dead Titles Walking
It is important to start shining the light on the editors who are running these failing titles. If Marvel Comics and DC Comics are going to begin to reverse the trend of the ever-shrinking North American comic market then changes will have to be made at the top. The first always rots from the head. Let’s first take a look at Marvel Comics.
Alanna Smith and Kaitlyn Lindtvedt both had two issues with White Widow #2 at the number 112 spot and Capwolf & the Howling Commandos #3 at the number 168 spot.
Ellie Pyle and Mr. Daniel both had two issues with Luke Cage: Gang War #2 at the number 119 spot and Carnage #2 at the number 120 spot.
Sarah Brunstad had two issues with Alien #2 at the number 127 spot and Captain Marvel #3 at the number 169 spot.
Mark Paniccia had three issues with Star Wars Dark Droids #5 at the number 103 spot, Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #41 at the number 105 spot, and Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #7 at the number 151 spot.
Danny Khazem, Mikey Basso, and Grace Orriss had four issues with Star Wars Dark Droids #5 at the number 103 spot, Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #41 at the number 105 spot, Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #7 at the number 151 spot, and Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #39 at the number 134 spot.
Darren Shan had four issues with Ghost Rider #21 at the number 104 spot, Silver Surfer Rebirth: Legacy #4 at the number 123 spot, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #1 at the number 154 spot, and Marvel’s Voices: Avengers #1 which was unranked.
All right, now let’s look at DC Comics.
Chris Conroy had two issues with Waller vs. Wildstorm #4 and The Sandman Universe: Nightmare County – The Glass House #6 which were both unranked.
Brittany Holzherr had two issues with Power Girl #4 at the number 148 spot and Amazons Attack #3 which was unranked.
Andrea Shea had two issues with Fire & Ice Welcome To Smallville #4 at the number 171 spot and The Sandman Universe: Nightmare County – The Glass House #6 which was unranked.
Ben Abernathy had two issues with Titans Beast World Tour Gotham #1 at the number 140 spot and Penguin #5 at the number 159 spot.
Arianna Turturro had three issues with Catwoman #60 at the number 111 spot, Titans Beast World Tour Gotham #1 at the number 140 spot, and Harley Quinn #35 at the number 150 spot.
James Reid had three issues with Catwoman #60 at the number 111 spot, Outsiders #2 at the number 142 spot, and Harley Quinn #35 at the number 150 spot.
Chris Rosa had three issues with Titans Beast World Waller Rising #1 at the number 125 spot, Speed Force #2 which was unranked, and Amazons Attack #3 which was unranked.
Andrew Marino had four issues with Jay Garrick The Flash #3 at the number 143 spot, Superman ’78 The Metal Curtain #2 at the number 146 spot, Blue Beetle #4 at the number 163 spot, and Alan Scott the Green Lantern #3 at the number 166 spot.
Marquis Draper had four issues with Jay Garrick The Flash #3 at the number 143 spot, Alan Scott the Green Lantern #3 at the number 166 spot, Cyborg #6 which was unranked, and Waller vs. Wildstorm #4 which was unranked.
Jillian Grant had four issues with Action Comics 2023 Annual #1 at the number 102 spot, Titans Beast World Tour Metropolis #1 at the number 130 spot, Green Lantern War Journal #4 at the number 137 spot, and Power Girl #4 at the number 148 spot.
Paul Kaminksi had five issues with Action Comics 2023 Annual #1 at the number 102 spot, Titans Beast World Waller Rising #1 at the number 125 spot, Titans Beast World Tour Metropolis #1 at the number 130 spot, Green Lantern War Journal #4 at the number 137 spot, and Speed Force #2 which was unranked.
The Tini Howard Award For The Writer With The Most Dead Titles Walking
Multiple writers had two issues in the dead titles walking category.
Ethan Sacks had two issues with Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #41 at the number 105 spot and DC’s ‘Twas the Mite Before Christmas #1 at the number 149 spot.
Josh Trujillo had two issues with DC’s ‘Twas the Mite Before Christmas #1 at the number 149 spot and Blue Beetle #4 at the number 163 spot.
Jarrett Williams had two issues with Titans Beast World Tour Central City #1 at the number 173 spot and Speed Force #2 which was unranked.
Phillip Kennedy Johnson had two issues with Action Comics 2023 Annual #1 at the number 102 spot and Green Lantern War Journal #4 at the number 137 spot.
Rodney Barnes had two issues with Luke Cage: Gang War #2 at the number 119 spot and Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #7 at the number 151 spot.
Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly had two issues with Outsiders #2 at the number 142 spot and Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic #6 which was unranked.
Steve Orlando had two issues with Astonishing Iceman #5 at the number 122 spot and Titans Beast World Tour Metropolis #1 at the number 130 spot. Orlando earns the distinction as the only writer with issues from both Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the dead titles walking category.
Tini Howard had two issues with Catwoman #60 at the number 111 spot and Harley Quinn #35 at the number 150 spot.
Alyssa Wong had two issues with Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #39 at the number 134 spot and Captain Marvel #3 at the number 169 spot.
With all ten writers tied for two issues apiece, we go to our first tiebreaker! Writers with issues in ongoing titles beat out writers with issues that are one-shots or part of a limited series.
Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly get eliminated since their two issues were from limited series titles. Steve Orlando is eliminated since one of his issues is a one-shot and the other is from a limited series.
Ethan Sacks, Josh Trujillo, and Jarrett Williams all get eliminated since they all had a one-shot issue as one of their issues. Phillip Kennedy Johnson is eliminated since one of his issues was an annual. Rodney Barnes gets eliminated since one of his issues was from a mini-series.
That leaves Tini Howard and Alyssa Wong as the only writers with two issues in the dead walking titles category that are both from ongoing titles. Time for the second tie-breaker! The writer with the lowest sales ranking average wins.
Tini Howard’s two titles averaged a 130.5 sales ranking. Alyssa Wong’s two titles averaged a 151.5 sales ranking.
Therefore, the Tini Howard Award for December 2023 goes to…Alyssa Wong!
All right, that is it for December 2023 Will Marvel Comics continue its domination of the Top 200 in January 2024? We will find out. Until then, everyone stay safe and be good!
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