Marvel Comics has been busy releasing a horde of new X-Men franchise titles as a part of the big From the Ashes initiative. We have already looked at the new X-Men title, Exceptional X-Men, and the new Phoenix title, as well as the sales histories, to predict the future sales success for each new comic book. During the X-Men: From the Ashes Panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Marvel Comics announced a brand new ongoing Psylocke comic book. The creative team for Psylocke will be Alyssa Wong as the writer and Vincenzo Carratù as the artist.
Here is what Marvel Comics says about this new Psyclocke title.
After taking on the mantle of Psylocke, Kwannon became one of Krakoa’s breakout stars in titles like Hellions and Uncanny Avengers. Now, the telepathic and telekinetic ninja goes solo! Her upcoming adventures feature appearances by her lover Greycrow, shed light on her brutal upbringing with the Hand, and introduce a twisted super villain called the Taxonomist!
She was made for violence! Trained to be an assassin since birth, Kwannon chose to be an X-Man. But there are still some jobs too dirty for the X-Men. And some paths have to be walked alone.
When the mission is brutal, Psylocke unsheathes her blades to punish those who prey on mutants. Exploding out of the pages of X-MEN, join Psylocke into the underbelly of the Marvel Universe, carving out her own place in a world that would rather see her under control!
Rokk’s Excitement Level: 1 Night Girl out of 10. Vincenzo Carratù is a talented artist who has worked on DIE!NAMITE, Red Sonja, John Carter of Mars, Mary Jane & Black Cat, Dead X-Men, and multiple other Marvel Comics titles. It is great to see Carratù getting more work at Marvel Comics. There is no doubt that Carratù is going to deliver a quality-looking professional comic book. This is the good part of the news about the new Psylocke comic book.
However, Marvel Comics has tied a massive anchor to Psyclocke’s legs in the form of Alyssa Wong as the writer. This dooms Psylocke from the very start. This also is a sign that Marvel Comics is run by editors who have no clue what they are doing and are not serious about putting out quality comic books.
There is absolutely no chance that I am going to waste my money on this comic book. This is unfortunate because Psylocke is a cool character and Carratu is a good artist. Both deserve better than Wong as the writer.
Psylocke Sales History
To gauge the potential success of this new Psylocke comic book first we need to examine Psylocke’s past sales history. Psylocke and Archangel Crimson Dawn was a four-issue limited series published in 1997 by Ben Raab and Salvador Larroca. Psylocke and Archangel Crimson Dawn #1 debuted at the number 24 spot and sold 72,236 units. Psylocke and Archangel Crimson Dawn #2-3 averaged the number 37 spot in the sales rankings and averaged 59,707 units an issue. Psylocke and Archangel Crimson Dawn #4 concluded the mini-series by taking the number 30 spot in the sales rankings and selling 61,090 units.
X-Men: Psylocke was a four-issue limited series from Chris Yost and Harvey Talibao which was released in November 2009. X-Men: Psylocke #1 had a terrible debut taking the number 75 spot and selling 26,132. X-Men: Psylocke #2-3 averaged the number 80 spot in the sales rankings and averaged 22,998 units per issue. X-Men: Psylocke #4 concluded the mini-series by taking the number 86 spot and selling 21,678 units per issue.
It is tough to gauge present-day sales potential when we are reduced to using a title from 27 years ago and another title from 15 years ago. But, it is all we have so let’s run with it. Psylocke and Archangel Crimson Dawn was a solid but not spectacular seller. On the other hand, X-Men: Psylocke was a poor-selling comic. Neither title’s sales performance makes me bullish on the upcoming Psylocke comic book.
Alyssa Wong Sales History
Wong is a writer who has never had any mainstream sales success and has become the personification of failing upwards. All Wong does is get titles canceled at an unprecedented rate and then get rewarded with more work. I am unsure why Marvel Comics continues to saddle their lead female titles with such low-level writers. At any rate, let’s take a look at Wong’s sales history.
Wong wrote Spirit World a six-issue limited series released in May 2023 by DC Comics. Spirit World #1 had a horrendous debut coming in at the number 95 spot. Spirit World #2-4 averaged the number 159 spot. Spirit World #5 was out of the Top 200 and unranked. Spirit World #6 concluded the limited series by barely making the Top 200 by taking the number 200 spot.
Wong’s first comic for Marvel Comics was Aero a twelve-issue limited series that was released in 2019. Aero #1 debuted at the number 14 spot and sold 71,704 units. The title then crashed and burned as Aero #2-12 averaged the number 199 spot in the sales ranking and sold an average of 5,611 units per issue.
Wong also wrote an Iron Fist five-issue mini-series published in February 2022. Iron Fist #1 debuted at the number 23 spot. Iron Fist then cratered spectacularly as Iron Fist #2-4 averaged a number 116 spot in the sales rankings. Iron Fist #5 concluded the mini-series unranked and outside of the Top 200.
Wong wrote Star Wars Doctor Aphra. I cannot find good sales numbers for Doctor Aphra #1-9 due to the pandemic and DC Comics switching distributors during that period. However, we know that Star Wars Doctor Aphra #10-#40 averaged the number 110 spot in the sales rankings. Star Wars Doctor Aphra was canceled with Star Wars Doctor Aphra #140 which took the number 171 spot.
Marvel paired Wong with a popular big-name character in Deadpool. You know, the guy who is currently smashing every single box office record? The results were disastrous. Deadpool #1 debuted in November 2022 at the number 6 spot. Deadpool #2 dropped to the number 24 spot. Deadpool #2-10 averaged the number 71 spot with Deadpool #9 taking the number 116 spot and Deadpool #10 taking the number 99 spot in the rankings. This title got canceled with just the 10th issue. How one of the most popular Marvel characters gets his title canceled by just the tenth issue is utterly beyond me. That is a testament to Wong’s reverse Midas touch.
Marvel Comics then paired Wong with Carol Danvers. We all knew this was a sales disaster in the making. Captain Marvel #1 had a terrible debut coming in at the number 58 spot. Captain Marvel #2 fell to the number 114 spot. In just the second issue, Wong already made Captain Marvel a Dead Title Walking. Captain Marvel #2-9 averaged the number 148 spot. Captain Marvel got canceled with just issue #10. Captain Marvel #10 failed to even make the Top 200 and was unranked. What a fitting ending.
Rokk’s Prediction: Wong has now gotten back-to-back titles canceled by just the tenth issue. That is breathtaking. However, with Marvel Comics editors that is plenty of reason to get even more work with the publisher.
Wong has now written six titles for Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Five of Wong’s six titles have finished in the Dead Titles Walking category. One title, Deadpool, finished just one spot away from the Dead Titles Walking category.
Given Wong’s horrendous sales history, there is no reason at all why I would be bullish on this new Psylocke comic having any sales success at all. Based on the above sales data, I think that Psyclocke #1 will pop a good sales ranking. Psylocke is a popular character. It is certainly reasonable to expect Psylocke #1 to debut in the Top 10 or at least the Top 25.
However, I believe that Psylocke will quickly crash and burn in the sales rankings. Psylocke should be out of the Top 100 by the sixth issue. Marvel Comics has pledged to keep titles alive until at least their tenth issue. So, it would not surprise me if Psylocke gets canceled by the tenth issue.
Conclusion: It is discouraging to see Marvel Comics continually rolling out sub-par writers on their solo female titles. It makes it impossible to take Marvel Comics seriously. It also kills any excitement over these new solo female titles. At this point, all we can do is hope there is a shakeup in the editorial department at Marvel Comics and higher standards for getting hired as a writer are implemented.