The rollout of the new X-Men franchise titles continues. I am unimpressed with the underwhelming selection of writers that Marvel Comics has recruited for this latest X-Men franchise relaunch. Right now, the writing staff consists of Jed MacKay and a bunch of writers who never had sales success.
At any rate, we now know that Marvel Comics will be rolling out a brand new Phoenix ongoing title slated to ship on July 17, 2024. The creative team is Stephanie Phillips and Alessandro Miracolo. This is what Marvel Comics said about this new Phoenix comic book.
During the final moments of Krakoa, currently being told in RISE OF THE POWERS OF X and X-MEN: FOREVER, Jean Grey finds herself at the epicenter of creation and rebirth known as the White Hot Room. What shocking metamorphosis occurs that leads to her adopting a new costume and taking to the stars as the Phoenix? And with her deadly reputation preceding her, will the galaxy kneel or cower before her greatness?
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This is what Stephanie Phillips had to say about this new Phoenix comic book.
“Jean is one of the most powerful characters I’ve ever written,” Phillips explained. “The beauty and challenge to Jean is that she is imbued with a cosmic force alongside the morals, shortcomings, and empathy of a human being. The dichotomy between those two is something incredibly special about Jean, and means that she is constantly doing a dance between humanity and absolute power. So, that dance is what we hope to have on full display in this story… a cosmic ballet that shows how beautiful the Phoenix Force can be when working in tandem with Jean Grey,”
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Rokk’s Excitement Level: 2 Night Girls out of 10, The creative team for Phoenix continues a trend where I am impressed by the artist and unimpressed by the writer. There is no doubt that Marvel Comics is suffering from a shortage of quality mainstream superhero writers. On the other hand, Marvel Comics is enjoying a deep roster of talented superhero comic artists.
Alessandro Miracolo is an excellent artist and another in a long line of Italian artists working for Marvel Comics. Mircacolo’s work for Marvel Comics has consisted of White Widow, Spider-Man 2099: Exodus, and a few issues of Star Wars: Yoda. However, it is Miracolo’s excellent work on various indie titles that caught my eye. Miracolo has delivered excellent artwork on Red Sonja, Deja Thoris versus John Carter, and several issues for Zenoscope. My favorite might be Captain Napoli published by Remer Comics.
Miracolo should be an excellent fit for a Phoenix comic book. I would expect Phoenix to be a wonderful-looking comic book every month.
However, the selection of Stephanie Phillips as the writer is disappointing. Phillips has not shown the ability to be a quality mainstream superhero writer in anything she has done up to this point. At this stage in her career, Phillips seems like a natural fit for niche indie comics rather than mainstream superhero titles. I am not expecting Phoenix to be a consistently well-written comic book.
Lastly, I will readily admit that I am not that optimistic about Jean Grey herself as a character capable of powering an ongoing solo comic. I do have to disclose that I found Jean to be far more compelling when she was dead than she ever has been while alive. Having said that, I do enjoy Jean’s character when in the context of a team title. However, I find Jean’s character less interesting when she is on her own.
Another problem with Jean’s character is that the Phoenix Force is just too overpowered for my liking. It is tough to make a character who is so insanely powerful a character that I can relate to in some form or fashion. Plus, I like it when a hero has to struggle and overpowered characters rarely have to deal with that challenge. But this is just me. I know that Phoenix is a popular character.
Marvel Comics would have had to place an excellent writer on Phoenix to entice me to purchase this new comic. However, my personal affinity for a character or writer does not factor into my prediction if a new title is going to enjoy sales success or not. For that, we have to turn to the historical data.
Rokk’s Prediction: Phillips does not have tons of work under her belt for Marvel Comics and DC Comics. To this point, Phillips has written just one ongoing title and five mini-series for the Big Two. None of the titles had any sales success.
Phillips’ sole ongoing title for either Marvel Comics or DC Comics was Harley Quinn Volume 4. Phillips penned issues #1 through #27. Phillips’ run on Harley Quinn ran from March 2021 to April 2023.
Harley Quinn #1 debuted at the number 21 spot. Harley Quinn #2 then dropped to the number 66 spot. From that point forward, sales were poor for Phillips’ Harley Quinn. Harley Quinn #2-27 averaged the number 95 spot until Wiliams left the title with Harley Quinn #27.
Phillips also wrote a mini-series for DC Comics. Wonder Woman Evolution was an eight-issue limited series that ran from January 2022 to September 2022. Wonder Woman Evolution #1 had an awful debut coming in at the number 157 spot. Wonder Woman Evolution #2 fell out of the Top 200 and was unranked. Wonder Woman Evolution #2-8 were all unranked.
Phillips’ work for Marvel Comics has not enjoyed much more success than her work at DC Comics.
Rogue and Gambit was a five-issue mini-series that debuted in March 2023. Rogue and Gambit #1 debuted at the number 12 spot. Rogue and Gambit #2 fell to the number 43 spot. Rogue and Gambit #2-5 averaged the number 95 spot. Rogue and Gambit #5 concluded the mini-series at the number 110 spot.
Cosmic Ghost Rider Volume 2 was a five-issue mini-series that debuted in March 2023. Cosmic Ghost Rider #1 debuted at the number 25 spot. Cosmic Ghost Rider #2 fell to the number 62 spot. Cosmic Ghost Rider #2-5 averaged the number 112 spot. Cosmic Ghost Rider #5 concluded the mini-series at the number 189 spot.
Capwolf & The Howling Commandos was a four-issue mini-series that debuted in October 2023. Capwolf & The Howling Commandos #1 debuted at the number 66 spot. Capwolf & The Howling Commandos #2 fell to the number 167 spot. Capwolf & The Howling Commandos #2-5 averaged the number 163 spot in the sales rankings. Capwolf & The Howling Commandos #4 concluded the mini-series at the number 155 spot.
Black Widow & Hawkeye is a four-issue mini-series that debuted in March 2024. Black Widow & Hawkeye debuted at the number 66 spot. Black Widow & Hawkeye #2 crashed and burned falling to the number 100 spot. This title is a lock to be in the Dead Titles Walking category by the third issue.
Phillips’ four mini-series that have concluded all finished in the Dead Titles Walking category and one of them finished unranked. This means that 100% of Phillip’s mini-series finish in the Dead Titles Walking category. Throw in Phillips’ one ongoing title where Harley Quinn averaged the number 95 spot and this means that 80% of Phillips’ titles for the Big Two concluded in the Dead Titles Walking category.
Based on these numbers, the odds are overwhelmingly in favor of Phillips’ Phoenix comic ending up in the Dead Titles Walking category. Even when paired up with popular characters with mainstream audiences like Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Rogue, Phillips still fails to have any sales success. Also, based on the data, the odds are that Phillips will not be able to make Phoenix a consistent Top 75 seller.
All right, let’s now take a look at Phoenix’s sales performance through the years. The Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix was a four-issue mini-series that debuted in May 1994. The Further Adventures of Cyclops & Phoenix was a four-issue mini-series that debuted in June 1996. I cannot get good numbers for these two mini-series.
X-Men: Phoenix was a three-issue mini-series that debuted in October 1999. X-Men: Phoenix #1 debuted at the number 27 spot and sold 50,024 units. X-Men: Phoenix #2 fell to the number 41 spot and sold 42,484 units. X-Men: Phoenix #3 concluded the mini-series by taking the number 32 spot and selling 43,734 units.
X-Men: Phoenix – Endsong was a five-issue mini-series that debuted in March 2005. X-Men: Phoenix – Endsong #1 debuted at the number 3 spot and sold 108,248 units. X-Men: Phoenix – Endsong #2 fell to the number 7 spot and sold 98,383 units. X-Men: Phoenix – Endsong #2-5 averaged the number 15 spot in the sales rankings and sold an average of 82,467 units per issue.
X-Men: Phoenix – Warsong was a five-issue mini-series that debuted in November 2006. X-Men: Phoenix – Warsong #1 debuted at the number 22 spot and sold 71,717 units. X-Men: Phoenix – Warsong #2 fell to the number 29 spot and sold 54,702 units. X-Men: Phoenix – Warsong #2-5 averaged the number 40 spot in the sales rankings and sold an average of 49,107 units per issue.
X-Men Origins: Jean Grey was a one-shot issue that debuted in August 2008 at the number 85 spot and sold 28,596 units.
Jean Grey was an ongoing monthly title that lasted for eleven issues before it got canceled. This title debuted in May 2017. Jean Grey #1 debuted at the number 13 spot and sold 70,702 units. Jean Grey #2 fell to the number 84 spot and sold 29,349 units. Jean Grey #2-11 averaged the number 102 spot in the sales rankings and sold an average of 23,616 units per issue. Jean Grey #11 concluded the volume and came in at the number 98 spot and sold just 22,815 units.
Generations: Phoenix & Jean Grey #1 was a one-shot that debuted in August 2017 at the number 16 spot and sold 55,972 units.
Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey was a five-issue mini-series that debuted in February 2018. Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #1 debuted at the number 3 spot and sold 145,057 issues. Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #2 fell to the number 17 spot and sold 51,318 units. Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #2-5 averaged the number 21 spot in the sales ranking and sold an average of 48,446 units per issue.
Of the four Phoenix mini-series for which we have sales data, all were Top 50 performers. The one ongoing Phoenix title was a Dead Title Walking averaging the number 102 spot in the rankings.
The data indicates that Phoenix does well in a mini-series format and is a strong performer in the sales charts. However, the data also indicates that Phoenix does not have any sustained sales success when delivered as an ongoing comic. This meshes with my view of Phoenix’s character. Jean is a great choice for a mini-series but lacks the qualities inherent in a lead character to power an ongoing solo comic. I think Marvel Comics should have rolled out Phoenix as a mini-series first and if sales were fantastic then they could have converted it into an ongoing comic.
The question is can Phoenix’s obvious popularity with mainstream readers offset Phillips’ unpopularity and inability to have any sales success? Phillips’ Rogue & Gambit may offer some insight into that question. Both Rogue and Gambit are popular characters. However, even those two characters could not pull Phillips out of the Dead Titles Walking category by the conclusion of the mini-series.
Conclusion: I am not expecting much from this new Phoenix comic. I do not think this title has much of a chance of being a consistent Top 50 seller. I think Phoenix will post an impressive debut number with the first issue. Then I believe we will see this title rapidly fall out of the Top 50. The big question is if Phillips can avoid having Phoenix fall into the Dead Titles Walking category in the first year. I believe that the most realistic best-case scenario for Phillips’ Phoenix is that it ends up inhabiting the 75-99 range in the sales rankings.