It is time to check out the July 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.
ICv2 has respectfully asked that we not publish their sales rankings here on our website. So, you can check out the Top 50 for July 2023 for free or opt for a pro membership and get the Top 200 for July 2023 over on ICv2 and then come back here for a detailed analysis of the July 2023 sales rankings!
July 2023 Top 200 Single Issue Comic Rankings
The Battle for the Top 10
Marvel Comics grabbed first place with seven comics in the Top 10. Month-over-month sales were flat as Marvel Comics also had seven comics in the Top 10 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down from the eight comics that Marvel had in the Top 10 in July 2022.
Moon Knight #25 rocketed up the sales rankings from the number 27 spot up to the number 6 spot. I am not surprised. I had confidence that this perennial strong-selling title. I know I have been saying this for two years now, but I remain so impressed with how Marvel Comics has been able to transform a low-level character into such a sales beast. Of course, it helps that Marvel Comics put real writing talent on this title with Jed MacKay.
DC Comics took a distant second place with three comics in the Top 10. Month-over-month sales were up from the two comics that DC Comics had in the Top 10 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up as DC Comics had three comics in the Top 10 in July 2022.
July 2023 brought us the comic book version of “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!” as Bruce Wayne knocked Peter Parker out of the number 1 spot in the sales rankings with Knight Terrors: Batman #1 taking the number 1 spot. This was a big win for DC Comics as Amazing Spider-Man has been an absolute juggernaut in the sales rankings.
All three DC Comics titles were Knight Terrors titles. All three titles also starred or co-starred Bruce Wayne. Unfortunately, DC Comics’ Top 10 performance was largely the same bad news that DC Comics has been getting for over a year now. It has to be alarming for DC Comics that both the Dawn of DC and the Knight Terrors big event have failed to increase their Top 10 sales compared to a year ago. This does not surprise me as DC Comics is still making the same dumb editorial mistakes now as they have been over the past several years.
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 dominated everyone with sixteen comics in the Top 25. Month-over-month sales were down from the seventeen comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 25 in June 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were up over the fifteen comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 25 in July 2022.
Daredevil #13 dipped from the number 10 spot to the number 11 spot. This is a negligible difference as the Daredevil franchise remains white hot.
DC Comics took second place with eight comics in the Top 25. Month-over-month sales were up over the six comics that DC Comics had in the Top 25 in June 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had eight comics in the Top 25 in July 2022.
Again, the fact that DC Comics Top 25 sales are flat from a year ago even with the Dawn of DC initiative and the Knight Terrors big event is incredibly worrisome.
Boom! Studios came in third place with one comic in the Top 25. Month-over-month sales were up as Boom! Studios had zero comics in the Top 25 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up as Boom! Studios had zero comics in the Top 25 in July 2022.
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 sailed to an easy first-place finish with thirty-one comics in the Top 50. Month-over-month sales were down from the thirty-three comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 50 in June 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were up over the twenty-nine comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 50 in July 2022.
Fallen Friend #1 took the number 37 spot. I am thrilled that this cheap cash grab based around an uncreative “death” that we all knew would immediately be undone was not rewarded with a Top 25 ranking. However, I am disappointed that Fallen Friend #1 did not do worse. Nobody should be encouraging Marvel Comics to deliver such lame stunts like this by purchasing these types of issues.
Doctor Strange #5 slightly slipped from the number 41 spot to the number 44 spot. This is probably due to the deluge of Knight Terror titles hitting the market rather than anything having to do with the Doctor Strange title itself.
DC Comics came in second place with fifteen comics in the Top 50. Again, month-over-month sales were up as DC Comics had eleven comics in the Top 50 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up from the fourteen titles that DC Comics had in the Top 50 in July 2022.
This is where we begin to see the real impact of the Knight Terrors titles. DC Comics is finally able to increase its year-over-year sales numbers.
Image Comics took third place with two comics in the Top 50. Month-over-month sales were down as Image Comics had four comics in the Top 50 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down as Image Comics had in the Top 50 in July 2022.
Void Rivals #2 dropped from the number 2 spot down to the number 27 spot. Yes, Void Rivals dropped out of the Top 25. But, this is not a huge drop that we see hit other titles. I am looking at you, Black Panther. Honestly, I expected Void Rivals to suffer a much larger drop. Image Comics titles normally do not dominate the sales rankings like Marvel Comics and DC Comics do on a monthly basis.
Image Comics should actually be happy that Void Rivals #2 was able to come in at the number 27 spot. When was the last time a Transformers comic sold this well over a two-month period? This certainly indicates that there is real interest in the Transformers franchise that was largely killed off by IDW Publishing’s terrible handling of the franchise.
Boom! Studios and IDW Publishing tied for fourth place with one comic apiece. Month-over-month sales for Boom! Studios were up over the zero comics that Boom! Studios had in June 2023. However, year-over-year sales were down as Boom! Studios had three comics in the Top 50 in July 2022.
Month-over-month numbers were down for IDW Publishing as they had two comics in the Top 50 in June 2023. However, Year-over-year numbers were up as IDW Publishing had zero comics in the Top 50 in July 2022.
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 scored first place with thirty-eight comics in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were down by a wide margin as Marvel Comics had forty-eight comics in the Top 75 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down by a large margin as Marvel Comics had forty-six comics in the Top 75 in July 2022.
DC Comics stayed in second place with twenty-five comics in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were up over the nineteen comics that DC Comics had in the Top 75 in June 2022. Year-over-year numbers were also up over the nineteen titles that DC Comics had in the Top 75 in July 2022.
Image Comics came in a distant third place with six comics in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were flat as Image Comics also had six comics in the Top 75 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as Image Comics had seven comics in the Top 75 in July 2022.
The resolicitation for Void Rivals #1 took the number 58 spot. This is another impressive sales ranking! It is always an impressive feat when a resolicitation for a comic almost cracks the Top 50. It is going to be fun to see how these Transformers titles perform under Image Comics’ guiding hand.
IDW Publishing had three comics in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were down as Image Comics had six comics in the top 75 in June 2023. Year-over-year sales were also down as Image Comics had seven comics in the Top 75 in July 2022.
Boom! Studios had two comics in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were up as Boom! Studios had zero comics in the Top 75 in June 2023. However, year-over-year sales were down as Boom! Studios had three comics in the Top 75 in July 2022.
Titan Comics had one comic apiece 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 lorded over all other publishers for a first-place finish with fifty-four comics in the Top 100. However, month-over-month sales were down as Marvel Comics had fifty-eight comics in the Top 100 in June 2023. Year-over-year sales were also down as Marvel Comics had fifty-eight comics in the Top 100 in July 2022.
DC Comics continued its futility as it finished in second with thirty comics in the Top 100. However, month-over-month sales were up over the twenty-five comics that DC Comics had in the Top 100 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up over the twenty-seven comics that DC Comics had in the Top 100 in July 2022.
Image Comics finished in third place with eight comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month sales were down by a large margin from the twelve comics that Image Comics had in the Top 100 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down from the nine comics that Image Comics had in the Top 100 in July 2022.
IDW Publishing had three comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month sales were flat as IDW Publishing had three comics in the Top 100 in June 2023. However, year-over-year sales were up as IDW Publishing had one comic in the Top 100 in July 2022.
Boom! Studios and Dynamite Ent. had two comics apiece in the Top 100. Titan Comics had one comic in the Top 100.
The Tom Taylor Award For The Writer With The Most Titles In The Top 50
Several writers boasted two issues in the Top 50 in July 2023.
Cody Ziglar had two issues in Miles Morales: Spider-Man #8 at the number 16 spot and Extreme Venomverse #5 at the number 43 spot.
G. Willow Wilson had two issues in Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1 at the number 18 spot and the one-shot issue Fallen Friend #1 at the number 37 spot.
Kieron Gillen had two issues in Immortal X-Men #13 at the number 17 spot and X-Men Before the Fall Sinister Four #1 at the number 29 spot.
Mark Waid had two issues in World’s Finest Teen Titans #1 at the number 19 spot and Batman Superman Worlds Finest #17 at the number 47 spot.
Jed MacKay had two issues in Moon Knight #25 at the number 6 spot and Doctor Strange #5 at the number 44 spot.
Chip Zdarsky had two issues in Daredevil #13 at the number 11 spot and Harley Quinn Black White Redder #1 at the number 49 spot.
Gerry Duggan had two issues in X-Men #24 at the number 5 spot and X-Men Hellfire Gala #1 at the number 10 spot.
One writer did even better with three issues in the Top 50. That would be Zeb Wells who had Amazing Spider-Man #29 at the number 2 spot, Amazing Spider-Man #30 at the number 13 spot, and Amazing Spider-Man #28 at the number 42 spot.
However, there was one writer in July 2023 who completely Godzilla-stomped everyone! That would be Joshua Williamson who had a mind-shattering FIVE issues in the Top 35! This is absolutely insane. Knight Terrors was very very good to Mr. Williamson!
Joshua Williamson had five issues in Knight Terrors: Batman #1 at the number 1 spot, Knight Terrors First Blood #1 at the number 3 spot, Knight Terrors #1 at the number 4 spot, Knight Terrors: Superman #1 at the number 25 spot, and Knight Terrors #2 at the number 35 spot.
Therefore, the winner of the Tom Taylor Award for July 2023 is…Joshua Williamson! This is a historic moment because this is the first time that Tom Taylor did not win the Tom Taylor Award!
Battle of the Franchises
The Spider-Man franchise took first place with two titles in the Top 10, seven titles in the Top 25, and ten titles in the Top 50.
The Batman franchise took second place with one title in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50.
The X-Men franchise took third place with two titles in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50. I know the X-Men franchise had one less title in the Top 50 than the Avengers franchise, but I give more points for Top 10 titles and Top 25 titles and the X-Men blew away the Avengers in those two categories.
The Avengers franchise took fourth place with one title in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and six titles in the Top 50.
The Justice League franchise took fifth place with one title in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50. What a shocker! We have never seen the Justice League franchise in the Battle of the Franchise rankings! This is partly due to Knight Terrors boosting the Justice League characters and partly due to the Star Wars franchise completely collapsing.
Marvel Comics and DC Comics Debut Issues
1 Knight Terrors: Batman #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
3 Knight Terrors First Blood #1 (One Shot) (DC Comics)
4 Knight Terrors #1 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
9 Blade #1 (Marvel Comics)
10 X-Men Hellfire Gala #1 (2023) (Marvel Comics)
12 Moon Knight: City of the Dead #1 (Marvel Comics)
18 Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
19 World’s Finest Teen Titans #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
21 Knight Terrors: Nightwing #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
24 Knight Terrors: The Joker #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
25 Knight Terrors: Superman #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
26 X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #1 (Marvel Comics)
29 X-Men Before the Fall Sinister Four #1 (Marvel Comics)
30 Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
31 Knight Terrors: Zatanna #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
32 Thor Annual #1 (2023) (Marvel Comics)
37 Fallen Friend #1 (Marvel Comics)
38 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #1 (Marvel Comics)
41 Knight Terrors: The Flash #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
46 Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
49 Harley Quinn Black White Redder #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
51 Knight Terrors: Robin #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
55 Knight Terrors: Shazam #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
56 Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
59 Knight Terrors: Catwoman #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
60 Tales of the Titans #1 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
62 Knight Terrors: Action Comics #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
63 Knight Terrors: Punchline #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
65 Web of Carnage #1 (Marvel Comics)
67 Knight Terrors: Titans #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
69 Knight Terrors: Ravager #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
77 Hawkgirl #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
79 Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
85 What If…? Dark Spider-Gwen #1 (Marvel Comics)
86 Knight Terrors: Black Adam #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
93 Star Wars Return of the Jedi The Rebellion #1 (Marvel Comics)
109 Superman The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
112 Knight Terrors: Angel Breaker #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
120 What If…? Dark Loki #1 (Marvel Comics)
123 Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #1 (DC Comics)
128 X-Men Before The Fall Heralds of Apocalypse #1 (Marvel Comics)
149 Blue Beetle #1 Special Edition (DC Comics)
151 Carnage Reigns Omega #1 (Marvel Comics)
168 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #1 (Marvel Comics)
176 Poison Ivy Uncovered #1 (One Shot) (DC Comics)
Thanks to the Knight Terrors event July 2023 was overloaded with number 1 issues! We will address these different debut issues in the various franchise sections below.
Big Events
1 Knight Terrors: Batman #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
3 Knight Terrors First Blood #1 (One Shot) (DC Comics)
4 Knight Terrors #1 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
10 X-Men Hellfire Gala #1 (2023) (Marvel Comics)
18 Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
21 Knight Terrors: Nightwing #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
23 Ultimate Invasion #2 (Marvel Comics)
24 Knight Terrors: The Joker #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
25 Knight Terrors: Superman #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
26 X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #1 (Marvel Comics)
29 X-Men Before the Fall Sinister Four #1 (Marvel Comics)
30 Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
31 Knight Terrors: Zatanna #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
35 Knight Terrors #2 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
41 Knight Terrors: The Flash #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
46 Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
51 Knight Terrors: Robin #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
55 Knight Terrors: Shazam #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
56 Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
59 Knight Terrors: Catwoman #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
62 Knight Terrors: Action Comics #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
63 Knight Terrors: Punchline #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
67 Knight Terrors: Titans #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
69 Knight Terrors: Ravager #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
79 Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
86 Knight Terrors: Black Adam #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
95 Ultimate Invasion #1 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
112 Knight Terrors: Angel Breaker #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
128 X-Men Before The Fall Heralds of Apocalypse #1 (Marvel Comics)
Ultimate Invasion #2 dropped from the number 4 spot down to the number 23 spot. That is a huge drop and much larger than Marvel Comics would like to see. Normally, Marvel Comics is going to expect their big event comics to sell in the Top 5 and certainly, at the very least, in the Top 10. The fact that Ultimate Invasion #2 barely stayed in the Top 25 is an alarming sight. Having said that, Ultimate Invasion #2 did ship in the final week of July 2023. So, there is a good chance that Ultimate Invasion #3 will post a nice rebound sales ranking next month and climb back into the Top 10.
Knight Terrors #1 had a strong debut taking the number 4 spot. DC Comics should be very happy with this debut number. Knight Terrors #2 did slip down to the number 35 spot. Now, it is normal when a title ships two issues in the same month for the second issue to come in lower in the sales rankings. However, I would imagine that DC Comics was hoping that Knight Terrors #2 would still manage to crack the Top 25. This sales ranking for Knight Terrors #2 is a bit disappointing.
Knight Terrors: Shazam #1 debuted at the number 55 spot. This is about where I expected this title to land. The Shazam family usually has a tough time in the sales rankings. So, the fact that Shazam outperformed some of the other Knight Terrors titles like Wonder Woman, Titans, Harley Quinn, Catwoman, and Action Comics is impressive.
The worst-selling Knight Terrors title was Knight Terrors: Angel Breaker #1 which failed to make the Top 100 and debuted at the number 112 spot. This is no surprise given that Angeal Breaker is a new character who just debuted in Shadow War: Alpha #1 in May 2022. Personally, I think Angel Breaker is a character with an excellent character design. I enjoyed the manga-style art in this issue. Evidently, I am in the clear minority!
Star Wars Franchise
36 Star Wars #36
39 Star Wars: Darth Vader #36
68 Star Wars: Yoda #9
73 Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #36
90 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #34
93 Star Wars Return of the Jedi The Rebellion #1
100 Star Wars Darth Vader – Black, White & Red #4
129 Star Wars: Darth Vader – Black, White & Red #3 (Resolicitation)
148 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #2
168 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #1 (Resolicitation)
180 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #33 (Resolicitation)
The Star Wars franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. This was worse than June 2023 when the Star Wars franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up/down as the Star Wars franchise had one title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50 in July 2022.
The state of the Star Wars franchise should be alarming for Marvel Comics. However, given the general cluelessness of the editorial staff, I would imagine that Marvel Comics might not even think there is a problem with the Star Wars franchise. However, there is no doubt that Marvel Comics has been losing readers as of late.
Star Wars #36 dropped from the number 14 spot and out of the Top 25 and down to the number 36 spot. Despite this drop, the classic trilogy comic remains the Cadillac of the Star Wars franchise.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #36 remains frighteningly consistent as it took the number 29 spot for the second consecutive month.
Star Wars: Yoda #9 fell from the number 45 spot and out of the Top 50 and down to the number 68 spot.
Star Wars Bounty Hunters #36 remained rock solid as it took the number 73 spot for the second consecutive month.
Star Wars Doctor Aphra #34 bobbed up slightly from the number 99 spot to the number 90 spot.
Star Wars Return of the Jedi The Rebellion #1 had a horrendous debut as it barely made the Top 100 coming in at the number 93 spot. This is brutal and it seems this title is doomed to be a Dead Title Walking with just the second issue. I guess readers were not that interested in reading about an adventure starring Poe Dameron’s parents. Shocker.
Star Wars Darth Vader – Black, White & Red #4 plummeted from the number 68 spot down to the number 100 spot. Of course, it should be noted that this issue did get released in the final week of July 2023. So, there is a good chance that this title will bounce back up in the rankings in August 2023.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #2 crashed and burned in spectacular fashion as it dropped from the number 38 spot all the way out of the Top 100 and down to the number 148 spot. Now, I understand that this issue shipped in the final week of July 2023, but c’mon, this is such a hideous drop in the sales rankings that coming out earlier in the month was not going to help all that much. Disney really ruined the Mandalorian franchise with the past season of the Mandalorian and it seems to have killed a lot of reader interest in this title.
Also, this title is written by Rodney Barnes. Barnes is an accomplished TV producer and writer who has also been a columnist for the Huffington Post. However, Barnes is not a mainstream comic book writer. As usual, I am never bullish on a title written by someone who is not a comic book writer by trade. It rarely translates into sales success. But Marvel editors are gonna be Marvel editors.
Again, it is the titles starring characters from the original trilogy that are keeping the Star Wars franchise alive. The top four Star Wars titles all feature the original trilogy characters.
Spider-Man Franchise
2 Amazing Spider-Man #29
7 Venom #23
13 Amazing Spider-Man #30
14 Extreme Venomverse #4
15 Spider-Man #10
16 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #8
20 Venom #22
28 Edge Of Spider-Verse #4
42 Amazing Spider-Man #28 (Resolicitation)
43 Extreme Venomverse #5
65 Web of Carnage #1
80 Venom: Lethal Protector II #5
82 Red Goblin #6
85 What If…? Dark Spider-Gwen #1
97 Spider-Gwen: Shadow Clones #5
119 Amazing Spider-Man #27 (Resolicitation)
131 Amazing Spider-Man #26 (Resolicitation)
141 Spider-Man #7 (Resolicitation)
151 Carnage Reigns Omega #1 (Resolicitation)
155 Hallows’ Eve #5
161 Edge of Spider-Verse #3 (Resolicitation)
164 Amazing Spider-Man #122 Facsimile Edition
170 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #7 (Resolicitation)
181 Cult of Carnage Misery #3
195 Silk #2 (Resolicitation)
196 Spider-Man: India #2
The Spider-Man franchise had two titles in the Top 10, seven titles in the Top 25, and ten titles in the Top 50. This was flat in the Top 10, better in the Top 25, but worse in the Top 50 than in June 2023 when the Spider-Man franchise had two titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and eleven titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as the Spider-Man franchise had two titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50 in July 2022.
Nobody dominates the sales rankings like Peter Parker. Petey is easily the most popular character right now and it is not even remotely close. Amazing Spider-Man #29 grabbed the number 2 spot. Amazing Spider-Man #30 took the number 13 spot. That is an incredibly high ranking for a second issue of a title in the same month.
What is equally impressive is that the resolicitation for Amazing Spider-Man #28 cracked the Top 50 by taking the number 42 spot. This is insane. Normally, resolicitations for issues are found in the bottom half of the Top 200. Readers cannot get enough of Peter these days.
Spider-Man #10 popped up from the number 22 spot to the number 15 spot. It is impressive that Peter Parker’s secondary title is still able to finish in the Top 15.
Edge Of Spider-Verse #4 dropped from the number 7 spot out of the Top 25 and down to the number 28 spot. This is the lowest in the sales rankings that we have seen Edge of Spider-Verse. This could certainly be a temporary blip for this young title. Let’s see if this title can rebound next month before jumping to conclusions.
Venom #22 bounced up from the number 47 spot to the number 20 spot. Then Venom #23 climbed even higher up to the number 7 spot! That is incredible! When a title has two issues released in the same month, it is rare for the second issue to outperform the first issue. Venom #22 shipped in the first week of July and Venom #23 shipped in the last week of July.
On top of that, Venom #23 is proof that if a title is popular it can certainly crack the Top 10 even shipping in the final week of a month. That excuse can be a flimsy crutch to defend certain titles. At any rate, Venom’s performance in July 2023 was incredible!
Venom’s secondary title did well as 14 Extreme Venomverse #4 climbed from the number 29 spot to the number 14 spot. Extreme Venomverse #5 came in at the number 43 spot. This is what I am used to seeing.
Of course, not everything Venom is white hot right now. Venom: Lethal Protector II #5 fell from the number 61 spot down to the number 80 spot.
Carnage is not performing nearly as well as Venom. 65 Web of Carnage #1 had a terrible debut coming in at the number 65 spot. The writers for this title are Christos Gage and Ram V. These guys seem to have their work cut out for them.
Cult of Carnage Misery #3 plummeted like a dead duck dropping from the number 83 spot all the way out of the Top 100 and then out of the Top 150 and down to the number 181 spot. That is a spectacular fall in the rankings. Yes, this title shipped in the final week of July 2023, but coming out earlier would not have made that much of a difference. It looks like this title is doomed to be a sales failure.
What If…? Dark Spider-Gwen #1 had an awful debut failing to even make the Top 75 and coming in at the number 85 spot.
Spider-Gwen: Shadow Clones #5 fell from the number 60 spot all the way down to the number 97 spot. Spider-Gwen continues to feel like a character who has begun to overstay their welcome with readers.
Emily Kim’s other Marvel Comics title continues to shed readers in a quick fashion. Silk #3 dropped from the number 113 spot down to the number 140 spot.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #8 stayed steady and took the number 16 spot which is the exact same spot in the sales rankings as it had in June 2023. Marvel Comics has to be happy with this type of consistency. Miles continues to enjoy nice sales success with the latest reboot of his title.
Red Goblin #6 dropped from the number 54 spot down to the number 82 spot.
Hallows’ Eve #5 dropped from the number 101 spot out of the Top 150 and down to the number 155 spot. Erica Shultz had a tough time retaining readers on this five-issue mini-series. It is stunning that Hallows’ Eve is a title that debuted at the number 3 spot and now concludes outside of the Top 150. This mini-series was a sales failure for Marvel Comics. This is a theme that we will see in the later categories below.
Spider-Man: India #2 crashed and burned as it fell from the number 35 spot and nearly out of the Top 200 altogether as it came in at the number 196 spot. That is a breathtaking collapse that I have never seen between a debut issue and the second issue of a title. It appears that readers were not impressed with a comic that literally just imagined what if Peter Parker was Indian and lived in India. It is not terribly original.
X-Men Franchise
5 X-Men #24
10 X-Men Hellfire Gala #1
17 Immortal X-Men #13
26 X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #1
29 X-Men Before the Fall Sinister Four #1
52 X-Men Red #13
57 X-Force #42
72 Wolverine #35
87 Deadpool: Badder Blood #2
94 Rogue & Gambit #5
114 X-Men #101 Facsimile Edition
116 Deadpool #9
117 X-23: Deadly Regenesis #5
128 X-Men Before The Fall Heralds of Apocalypse #1 (Resolicitation)
146 New Mutants Lethal Legion #5
163 Storm #3
173 Deadpool #8 (Resolicitation)
Unranked: The X-Cellent #5
The X-Men franchise had two titles in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50. This was worse than June 2023 when the X-Men franchise had one title in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and six titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up in the Top 10 but down in the Top 25 and Top 50 as the X-Men franchise had one title in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and six titles in the Top 50 in July 2022.
The X-Men franchise continues to cool off as is seen in the month-to-month numbers and the year-to-year numbers. It is going to be interesting to see how the X-Men franchise performs over the remainder of 2023.
X-Men #24 bobbed up from the number 9 spot to the number 5 spot. This title continues to be red hot and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
Immortal X-Men #13 climbed up from the number 19 spot to the number 17 spot. This title continues to be a consistent performer each month.
X-Men Red #13 fell from the number 40 spot down to the number 52 spot. X-Men Red continues to be a bit of an underperformer as it continues to bob in and out of the Top 50.
X-Men Hellfire Gala #1 had a nice debut taking the number 10 spot. Readers cannot resist big event-style stories in the X-Men franchise.
X-Men: Days of Future Past – Doomsday #1 debuted at the number 26 spot. This is not anything impressive, but it is certainly a solid number.
X-Men Before the Fall Sinister Four #1 is another solid but not spectacular debut coming in at the number 29 spot.
X-Force #42 popped back up from the number 62 spot to the number 57 spot. X-Force is a steady seller that has carved out its place in the sales rankings. X-Force was in the number 57 spot just two months ago. While X-Force is not a Top 50 seller, I am sure that Marvel Comics is fine with it being so dependable in always coming in somewhere between 50-65 spots in the rankings.
Wolverine #35 fell like a shot duck dropping from the number 32 spot all the way out of the Top 50 and down to the number 72 spot. This is an unusual ranking for this title. Now, this issue did ship in the final week of July 2023 so that might have impacted its ranking in addition to the flood of Knight Terrors titles.
Deadpool: Badder Blood #2 crashed down from the number 17 spot all the way to the number 87 spot. Perhaps readers were reminded why we stopped reading Rob Liefeld comics all those years ago.
Deadpool #9 dropped from the number 98 spot down to the number 119 spot. This title continues to struggle to crack the Top 100. This is about what I expected from an Alyssa Wong-written title.
Rogue & Gambit #5 fell once again from the number 75 spot down to the number 94 spot. It is a miracle that this Stephanie Phillips mini-series managed to conclude in the Top 100. This min-series was a sales failure considering that it debuted at the number 12 spot and then readers left in droves.
X-23: Deadly Regenesis #5 fell from the number 95 spot down to the number 117 spot. I am not surprised that this Erica Shultz-penned mini-series concluded outside of the Top 100. This is another mini-series that was a sales bust for Marvel Comics.
New Mutants Lethal Legion #5 fell from the number 126 spot down to the number 146 spot. I predicted that this mini-series was going to conclude outside of the Top 150. I just barely missed with that prediction!
This is yet another mini-series that was a total sales failure for Marvel Comics. Again, nobody outside of a Marvel Comics editor would be surprised that this title failed. Hiring completely random people with no skill or history of writing mainstream superhero comic books never results in any sales success at all.
Storm continues its freefall in the sales rankings as Storm #3 dropped from the number 129 spot down to the number 163 spot. This mini-series is looking like a sales bust.
Avengers Franchise
8 Incredible Hulk #181 Facsimile Edition
32 Thor Annual #1 (2023)
34 Incredible Hulk #2
38 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #1
45 Captain America #750
48 Scarlet Witch #6
54 Avengers #3
81 Invincible Iron Man #8
88 Incredible Hulk #1 (Resolicitation)
89 Incredible Hulk #180 Facsimile Edition (2023 Printing)
91 She-Hulk #15
99 Black Panther #2
102 Loki #2
103 Thor #35 (Resolicitation)
120 What If…? Dark Loki #1
158 She-Hulk #14 (Resolicitation)
174 Avengers #2 (Resolicitation)
184 Avengers: Beyond #5
200 Black Panther #1 (Resolicitation)
The Avengers franchise had one title in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and six titles in the Top 50. This was worse in the Top 10 and Top 25, but better in the Top 50 than June 2023 when the Avengers franchise had two titles in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as the Avengers franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50 in July 2022.
It must be embarrassing for Marvel Comics that the best-selling issue for the Avengers franchise is an issue starring Wovlerine’s debut in Incredible Hulk from 1968. But, that is the case as the Incredible Hulk #181 Facsimile Edition grabbed the number 8 spot.
Unfortunately, the news was not as good for the current Incredible Hulk title as Incredible Hulk #2 plummeted from the number 5 spot all the way out of the Top 25 and down to the number 34 spot. That is awful. Of course, this issue did ship in the final week of July 2023, so there is a chance that it is able to climb back up in the rankings next month.
Avengers #3 dropped from the number 21 spot and out of the Top 50 and down to the number 54 spot. Avengers has crashed and burned as just two months ago Avengers #1 took the number 3 spot! I am not that surprised given that this version of the Avengers has failed to impress me.
Avengers: Beyond #5 sunk from the number 158 spot down to the number 184 spot. This issue did ship in the final week of July 2023, but I don’t think that shipping earlier in the month would have made much of a difference. This is the conclusion of this five-issue mini-series. Avengers Beyond is yet another Marvel Comics mini-series that was a total sales dud.
It looks like the popularity of Thor did not rub off on Loki as both Loki titles were disappointing in July 2023. Loki had a truly epic fall in the sales rankings which is a real rarity in the comic rankings! The only other title to suffer this type of drop is Black Panther. Oddly, both happened in the same month. Loki crumbled in stunning fashion as Loki #2 fell from the number 8 spot all the way out of the Top 100 and down to the number 102 spot. Holy crap! Clearly, Dan Watters’ story did not connect with readers at all.
What If…? Dark Loki #1 had an awful debut failing to make the Top 100 and coming in at the number 120 spot. This is too bad. This issue was written by iconic Thor writer Walt Simonson.
Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #1 failed to crack the Top 25 as it debuted in the number 38 spot. This is a rather mid debut for this mini-series.
Captain America #750 was a big milestone issue that sported Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson. The result is that this title managed to barely crack the Top 50 by taking the number 45 spot.
Scarlet Witch had another tough month as Scarlet Witch #6 fell from the number 37 spot down to the number 48 spot. This is the second straight month that Scarlet Witch has had big drops in the sales rankings. It was just two months ago that Scarlet Witch #4 took the number 8 spot. It looks like this title is cooling off in a rapid fashion. Next month will be huge to see if this title can remain a Top 50 seller or if it continues to fade in the sales rankings.
Invincible Iron Man #8 dropped from the number 50 spot down to the number 81 spot. This is the lowest spot in the sales rankings for this young title. Next month will be important to see if Mr. Emma Frost can rebound or if this title begins to find its new equilibrium in this part of the sales rankings.
She-Hulk #15 slid down from the number 78 spot all the way to the number 91 spot. This is the lowest sales ranking that She-Hulk has had since this title debuted. This is also the third straight month that She-Hulk has seen large drops in the sales rankings as She-Hulk #12 was at the number 24 spot. I have a feeling that She-Hulk may have finally lost all of its steam and may not be able to rebound in the sales rankings.
Black Panther #2 crashed and burned in the most spectacular fashion ever as it hurdled down the sales rankings from the number 11 spot and almost out of the Top 100 as it landed at the number 99 spot! What. The. Hell. That is insane! I cannot remember another comic book that debuted so high in the rankings and fell so dramatically with just the second issue.
I hate to say I told you so…no, that is a lie. I always enjoy it when I nail a prediction correctly! Again, I predicted this when we discussed the new Black Panther creative team. This sudden fall in the sales rankings should not surprise anyone other than a Marvel Comics editor. Hiring a sociology professor to write a mainstream superhero title never made any sense to me at all. Once again, we see that bringing in non-mainstream comic book writers immediately translates into sales failure.
Batman Franchise
1 Knight Terrors: Batman #1 (Of 2)
18 Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1 (Of 2)
21 Knight Terrors: Nightwing #1 (Of 2)
24 Knight Terrors: The Joker #1 (Of 2)
46 Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #1 (Of 2)
47 Batman Superman World’s Finest #17
49 Harley Quinn Black White Redder #1 (Of 6)
51 Knight Terrors: Robin #1 (Of 2)
59 Knight Terrors: Catwoman #1 (Of 2)
63 Knight Terrors: Punchline #1 (Of 2)
78 Batman White Knight Presents Generation Joker #3 (Of 6)
79 Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1 (Of 2)
104 Detective Comics #1073 (Resolicitation)
115 Batman The Brave And The Bold #3
123 Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #1
136 Multiversity Harley Screws Up the DCU #5 (Of 6)
145 Batman The Brave And The Bold #2 (Resolicitation)
154 Batman #136 (Resolicitation)
172 Nightwing #105 (Resolicitation)
176 Poison Ivy Uncovered #1 (One Shot)
192 Harley Quinn #31 (Resolicitation)
Unranked: Batman: The Audio Adventures #7
Unranked: The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #10
The Batman franchise had one title in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50. This was better than June 2023 when the Batman franchise had one title in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50. However, year-over-year numbers were down as the Batman franchise had one title in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and nine titles in the Top 50 in July 2022.
Knight Terrors: Batman #1 scored the number 1 spot in the sales rankings. Bruce Wayne continues to be the only character capable of going mano y mano against Peter Parker.
Knight Terrors: Detective Comics #1 debuted at the number 46 spot. This is roughly where we see Detective Comics appear in the sales rankings in a regular month. It is nice to see that shipping in the last week of July 2023 did not really impact this title that much.
Batman Superman World’s Finest #17 dropped from the number 37 spot down to the number 47 spot. I adore everything about this title so I am always going to be rooting for it to do well in the sales rankings.
Batman The Brave And The Bold #3 dropped from the number 74 spot and out of the Top 100 and down to the number 115 spot. What a brutal fall this title has experienced since its debut. Yes, this issue did ship in the final week of July 2023, but I am not sure shipping earlier in the month would have helped all that much. I am not surprised that this title has been a sales failure. It is a rarity to see anthology comic books have much success with American readers.
Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #1 had a horrendous debut failing to make the Top 100 and coming in at the number 123 spot. That is even with this issue having four different variant covers. I am a huge fan of Terry McGinnis, but Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly are the writers for this title so my expectations were immediately lowered. It looks like many readers decided to skip this six-issue mini-series.
Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1 had an excellent debut snagging the number 18 spot. This is not a surprise as the regular Poison Ivy title has managed to stay in the Top 50.
On the other hand, Poison Ivy Uncovered #1 had an awful debut coming in at the number 176 spot. This is not that surprising as it was written by an assistant editor at DC Comics rather than a regular writer.
Knight Terrors: Nightwing #1 had a nice debut taking the number 21 spot. This is no surprise as Dick Grayson continues to be a popular character who sells well.
Knight Terrors: Robin #1 had a disappointing debut failing to make the Top 50 as it came in at the number 51 spot. However, when you compare Knight Terrors: Robin’s sales ranking to the disastrous Tim Drake Robin title then this is a huge success.
Knight Terrors: The Joker #1 had a nice debut coming in at the number 24 spot.
Batman White Knight Presents Generation Joker #3 dropped from the number 55 spot down to the number 78 spot. This is the second straight month that this title has dropped in the rankings since Batman White Knight Presents Generation Joker #1 debuted at the number 32 spot. It looks like this six-issue mini-series has a chance of concluding outside of the Top 100.
Harley Quinn Black White Redder #1 had a pedestrian debut taking the number 49 spot. I was excited about this issue just because I love Kevin Maguire’s artwork!
Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1 had a bad debut coming in at the number 79 spot. This is no surprise since the regular Harley Quinn title does not sell that well.
Multiversity Harley Screws Up the DCU #5 bobbed up from the number 144 spot to the number 136 spot.
Knight Terrors: Punchline #1 had an unimpressive debut coming in at the number 63 spot.
Knight Terrors: Catwoman #1 also had an unimpressive debut coming in at the number 59 spot. On the positive side, this is higher in the sales rankings than where we usually see Catwoman.
Superman Franchise
25 Knight Terrors: Superman #1 (Of 2)
47 Batman Superman Worlds Finest #17
61 Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #5 (Of 6)
62 Knight Terrors: Action Comics #1 (Of 2)
83 Superman Lost #5 (Of 10)
109 Superman The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1 (Of 3)
132 Superboy The Man of Tomorrow #4 (Of 6)
135 Action Comics #1056 (Resolicitation)
147 Steelworks #2 (Of 6)
The Superman franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. This was flat in the Top 10, better in the Top 25, and worse in the Top 50 than in June 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 flat in the Top 10, 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 two titles in the Top 50 in July 2022.
DC Comics officially has a problem with the Superman franchise just six months after fully relaunching this franchise. The fact that the year-over-year numbers are identical has to be devastating for DC Comics. I still remain skeptical that DC Comics can revive their moribund franchises without wholesale changes in leadership and the editorial ranks.
Knight Terrors: Superman #1 debuted at the number 25 spot which is fine enough for a Superman title.
Knight Terrors: Action Comics #1 debuted in the final week of July 2023 and took the number 62 spot. This is about the same spot in the sales rankings as Action Comics usually does each month.
Superman Lost #5 fell from the number 67 spot down to the number 83 spot. It appears that this ten-issue limited series will drop out of the Top 100 with the next issue.
Superman The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1 had an awful debut failing to even make the Top 100 and coming in at the number 109 spot. This title boasts a big-name creative team in Mark Waid and Bryan Hitch. We will have to see if shipping in the final week of July 2023 impacted this title at all or if this three-issue mini-series is doomed to sell poorly.
Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #5 dropped out of the Top 50 as it fell from the number 48 spot down to the number 61 spot. It looks like this six-issue series will finish outside of the Top 50. The big question now is if this mini-series can conclude inside the Top 75 next month.
Superboy The Man of Tomorrow #4 fell once again dropping from the number 100 spot down to the number 132 spot. I love Conner Kent, but I hate how DC Comics is handling his character. So, I am not surprised that this title is failing to catch on with readers.
Steelworks #2 crashed and burned falling from the number 69 spot all the way out of the Top 100 and down to the number 147 spot. This is no surprise since DC Comics did what they often do and hired a person who is not a professional comic book writer to write this title. Once again, it just never works. The big question is if Steelworks can manage to finish its six-issue limited series ranked in the Top 200.
Justice League Franchise
3 Knight Terrors First Blood #1 (One Shot)
30 Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #1 (Of 2)
31 Knight Terrors: Zatanna #1 (Of 2)
41 Knight Terrors: The Flash #1 (Of 2)
56 Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #1 (Of 2)
77 Hawkgirl #1 (Of 6)
150 Wonder Woman #800 (Resolicitation)
160 Green Arrow #3 (Of 6) (Resolicitation)
Unranked: DC/RWBY #6
The Justice League franchise had one title in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50. This was worse in the Top 10 and Top 25 but better in the Top 50 than in June 2023 when the Justice League franchise had two 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 one title in the Top 50 in July 2022.
Knight Terrors First Blood #1 had an awesome debut taking the number 3 spot. The fact remains that there is still plenty of fan interest in any title starring Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent, and Wonder Woman. DC Comics just needs to find the correct writers and stories to handle these characters.
Knight Terrors: Green Lantern #1 had a solid debut coming in at the number 30 spot. Jeremy Adams is a good writer and normally delivers entertaining reads. I enjoyed this issue.
Knight Terrors: Zatanna #1 had a nice debut taking the number 31 spot. Yeah! Look at Zatanna outperforming every single female lead title other than Poison Ivy. Zatanna is a fantastic character and DC Comics needs to start shining the light on characters like Zatanna who can draw readers in good numbers.
Knight Terrors: The Flash #1 had a middling debut taking the number 41 spot. Of course, it should be noted that this sales ranking is better than what the regular Flash comic does on a monthly basis.
Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #1 had an unimpressive debut failing to make the Top 50 and coming in at the number 56 spot. This is not a surprise as this title is written by Josie Campbell who is a TV writer and not a professional mainstream comic book writer.
Hawkgirl #1 had a hideous debut failing to even make the Top 75 as it came in at the number 77 spot. This is definitely not a surprise at all. For some reason, DC Comics hired Jadzia Axelrod who is a puppeteer, costume maker, graphic designer, and illustrator. Axelrod is not a professional mainstream superhero comic book writer. I continue to be mystified why DC Comics hires complete randos to write some of their comic books.
Hawkgirl #1 read exactly like you would expect: bad fanfiction. This issue was a brutal slog to get through. I would expect Hawkgirl to drop out of the Top 100 by the second issue. I honestly have no idea why anyone who likes mainstream superhero comic books would find this title even remotely interesting.
DC/RWBY #6 was unranked again. Marguerite Bennett continues to fail to attract any readers to this title.
Mantle Swap Titles
16 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #8 (Marvel Comics)
38 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #1 (Marvel Comics)
61 Adventures of Superman Jon Kent #5 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
149 Blue Beetle #1 Special Edition (DC Comics)
170 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #7 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
189 Cosmic Ghost Rider #5 (Marvel Comics)
196 Spider-Man: India #2 (Marvel Comics)
There were zero mantle swap titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. This was worse than June 2023 when there was one mantle swap title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50.
Cosmic Ghost Rider #5 concluded this five-issue mini-series by barely making the Top 200 by coming in at the number 189 spot. Why was Cosmic Ghost Rider suddenly slid into the Mantle Swap section? Because Stephanie Phillips pulled off a mantle swap at the end of this issue that literally no one was asking for. And are we really at the point where Marvel Comics is going to be doing mantle swaps on characters that are only six years old?!
So, I am not at all surprised that Cosmic Ghost Rider barely avoided being unranked at the conclusion of this mini-series. Again, Marvel Comics has another mini-series that was a total sales failure.
Legacy Character Titles
19 World’s Finest Teen Titans #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
21 Knight Terrors: Nightwing #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
28 Edge Of Spider-Verse #4 (Marvel Comics)
41 Knight Terrors: The Flash #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
51 Knight Terrors: Robin #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
60 Tales of the Titans #1 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
63 Knight Terrors: Punchline #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
67 Knight Terrors: Titans #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
69 Knight Terrors: Ravager #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
82 Red Goblin #6 (Marvel Comics)
117 X-23: Deadly Regenesis #5 (Marvel Comics)
132 Superboy The Man of Tomorrow #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
140 Silk #3 (Marvel Comics)
146 New Mutants Lethal Legion #5 (Marvel Comics)
165 Titans #2 (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
172 Nightwing #105 (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
There were zero legacy character titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50. This was worse in the Top 10 and Top 25 and flat in the Top 50 than in June 2023 when there was one legacy character title in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50.
World’s Finest Teen Titans #1 scored a debut at the number 19 spot. This is a nice debut for a wonderful title. I loved this issue and I am glad to see that readers supported it. Hopefully, World’s Finest Teen Titans will retain a large percentage of the initial readership going forward.
The other new Teen Titans title did not fare as well as Tales of the Titans #1 had a poor debut failing to make the Top 50 and coming in at the number 60 spot. I am not that surprised. The issue was written by two writers, one is a YA novelist and the other has never written anything on his own. So, I had very low expectations for this title.
Knight Terrors: Titans #1 had a poor debut coming in at the number 67 spot. I found this issue to be just average. This issue did ship in the final week of July 2023 so maybe it might be able to climb up the rankings a little bit next month.
Knight Terrors: Ravager #1 had a bad debut coming in at the number 69 spot. I like Ravager, but I had a hard time getting into this issue. The art was not that great and I cannot get with Ravager’s awfully designed costume. The Lululemon leggings with high-top sneakers look is hideous.
Female Lead Titles
18 Knight Terrors: Poison Ivy #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
31 Knight Terrors: Zatanna #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
38 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #1 (Marvel Comics)
48 Scarlet Witch #6 (Marvel Comics)
49 Harley Quinn Black White Redder #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
56 Knight Terrors: Wonder Woman #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
59 Knight Terrors: Catwoman #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
63 Knight Terrors: Punchline #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
69 Knight Terrors: Ravager #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
77 Hawkgirl #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
79 Knight Terrors: Harley Quinn #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
85 What If…? Dark Spider-Gwen #1 (Marvel Comics)
90 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #34 (Marvel Comics)
91 She-Hulk #15 (Marvel Comics)
97 Spider-Gwen: Shadow Clones #5 (Marvel Comics)
112 Knight Terrors: Angel Breaker #1 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
117 X-23: Deadly Regenesis #5 (Marvel Comics)
136 Multiversity Harley Screws Up the DCU #5 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
140 Silk #3 (Marvel Comics)
150 Wonder Woman #800 (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
155 Hallows’ Eve #5 (Marvel Comics)
158 She-Hulk #14 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
163 Storm #3 (Marvel Comics)
176 Poison Ivy Uncovered #1 (One Shot) (DC Comics)
180 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #33 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
181 Cult of Carnage Misery #3 (Marvel Comics)
192 Harley Quinn #31 (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
195 Silk #2 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
Unranked: Hellcat #5
There were zero female lead titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50. This was worse in the Top 10 and flat in the Top 25, and better in the Top 50 than June 2023 when there was one female lead title in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were flat in the Top 10 and Top 25 but up in the Top 50 as there were zero female lead titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50 in July 2022.
Marvel placed zero female lead titles in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 25 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 25 in July 2022.
DC Comics had one female lead title in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were flat as DC Comics had one female lead title in the Top 25 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had one female lead title in the Top 25 in July 2022.
Marvel placed two female lead titles in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were up as Marvel Comics had one female lead title in the Top 50 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 50 in July 2022.
DC Comics had three female lead titles in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were up as DC Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 50 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up as DC Comics had one female lead title in the Top 50 in July 2022.
Marvel placed two female lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were down as Marvel Comics had three female lead titles in the Top 75 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down as Marvel Comics had three female lead titles in the Top 75 in July 2022.
DC Comics had seven female lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were up as DC Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 75 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up by a wide margin as DC Comics had one female lead title in the Top 75 in July 2022.
Marvel placed six female lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were down as Marvel Comics had seven female lead titles in the Top 100 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as Marvel Comics had eight female lead titles in the Top 100 in July 2022.
DC Comics had nine female lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were up as DC Comics had four female lead titles in the Top 100 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were dramatically up as DC Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 100 in July 2022.
DC Comics beat Marvel Comics 3-2 in the Top 50. DC Comics then crushed Marvel Comics 9-6 in the Top 100. What a surprising month we got in this category! Marvel Comics has been crushing DC Comics in this category for a long time. It is encouraging to see DC Comics finally scoring a win in this category.
I think DC Comics has a better stable of female superheroes than Marvel Comics. There is no excuse for DC Comics to not replicate their July 2023 win in the coming months. All it takes is putting the right writers on these female lead titles and focusing on delivering entertaining action stories. Basically, what people want from mainstream superhero comic books.
Daredevil & Echo #3 suffered another large drop falling from the number 119 spot down to the number 143 spot. Finishing outside of the Top 150 seems to be a lock for this six-issue mini-series. There is even a chance this title might struggle to conclude in the Top 200.
The lack of sales success is not surprising as Marvel Comics saddled Echo, who is not that popular, with a “celebrity” writer who is not an actual comic book writer. D-list characters really need high-quality writers at the helm in order to successfully grow the character in popularity with the consumer.
Minority Lead Titles
9 Blade #1 (Marvel Comics)
16 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #8 (Marvel Comics)
77 Hawkgirl #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
90 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #34 (Marvel Comics)
99 Black Panther #2 (Marvel Comics)
140 Silk #3 (Marvel Comics)
143 Daredevil & Echo #3 (Marvel Comics)
147 Steelworks #2 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
149 Blue Beetle #1 Special Edition (DC Comics)
163 Storm #3 (Marvel Comics)
170 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #7 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
175 Spirit World #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
180 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #33 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
195 Silk #2 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
200 Black Panther #1 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
Unranked: The Vigil #3 (DC Comic)
There was one minority lead title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. This was better in the Top 10, flat in the Top 25, and worse in the Top 50 than in June 2023 when there were zero minority lead titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were flat in the Top 10, up in the Top 25, and flat in the Top 50 as there were zero minority lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50 in July 2022.
The overall performance of this category continues to be rather poor. Marvel Comics and DC Comics need to examine what makes their best-selling superhero comic books so popular and then try to replicate that approach with their minority lead titles.
The diversity of the minority lead titles is the most balanced we have seen in this category for a while. There were five black lead titles, four Asian lead titles, and three Hispanic lead titles. It is still odd that the largest minority group is the least represented. However, at this point, this is just something that I have come to expect and do not see changing anytime in the future.
Marvel placed two minority lead titles in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had two minority lead titles in the Top 25 in July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in June 2022.
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 July 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in June 2022.
Marvel placed two minority lead titles in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were up as Marvel Comics had three minority lead titles in the Top 50 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 50 in July 2022.
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 June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as DC Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 50 in July 2022.
Marvel placed two minority lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were down as Marvel Comics had three minority lead titles in the Top 75 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had six minority lead titles in the Top 75 in July 2022.
DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were down as DC Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 75 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down as DC Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 75 in July 2022.
Marvel placed four minority lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics also had four minority lead titles in the Top 100 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had six minority lead titles in the Top 100 in July 2022.
DC Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were flat as DC Comics had also had one minority lead title in the Top 100 in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had one minority lead title in the Top 100 in July 2022.
Marvel Comics beat DC Comics 2-0 in the Top 75. Marvel Comics beat DC Comics 4-1 in the Top 100. Both publishers suck in this category, but DC Comics is just ridiculous. It is like DC Comics is not even trying to have any success in this category. Both publishers need to examine the creative teams and the approaches taken with the titles in this category and figure out what changes need to be made to have more success.
Blade #1 had an excellent debut coming in at the number 9 spot. However, what really matters is how Blade does in August 2023. After all, Black Panther #1 scored a debut at the number 11 spot, and look where it is this month.
Blade #1 was a pretty solid issue. I did not think Blade needed a sidekick added to this story, but for the most part, the story was fun and action-packed. The art was solid. Marvel Comics really needs Blade to stay a Top 25 title rather than dying in the sales charts with just its second issue like Black Panther did this month.
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 Star Wars Darth Vader – Black, White & Red #4
102 Loki #2
108 Alien #4
110 Ghost Rider #16
116 Deadpool #9
117 X-23: Deadly Regenesis #5
120 What If…? Dark Loki #1
140 Silk #3
143 Daredevil & Echo #3
146 New Mutants Lethal Legion #5
148 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #2
152 Predator #5
153 Clobberin’ Time #5
155 Hallows’ Eve #5
157 Warlock: Rebirth #4
163 Storm #3
171 Planet of the Apes #4
181 Cult of Carnage Misery #3
182 Danny Ketch Ghost Rider #3
183 Groot #3
184 Avengers: Beyond #5
185 Marvel Zero
189 Cosmic Ghost Rider #5
196 Spider-Man: India #2
Unranked: Hellcat #5
Unranked: The X-Cellent #5
Marvel Comics had 26 dead titles walking out of their 78 new titles in July 2023. This means that 33% of Marvel Comics’ new titles in July 2023 were dead titles walking.
This was up substantially from the 20 dead titles walking that Marvel Comics had in June 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up by an alarming number as Marvel Comics had just 12 dead titles walking in July 2022 which comprised 17% of Marvel Comics’ new issues.
The Ghost Rider franchise has really imploded. For about a year, Ghost Rider was enjoying excellent sales rankings. However, we are seeing this franchise cool off in a dramatic fashion.
DC Comics
101 Unstoppable Doom Patrol #4 (Of 6)
109 Superman The Last Days of Lex Luthor #1 (Of 3)
111 Danger Street #7 (Of 12)
112 Knight Terrors: Angel Breaker #1 (Of 2)
115 Batman The Brave And The Bold #3
118 Peacemaker Tries Hard #3 (Of 6)
123 Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #1
132 Superboy The Man of Tomorrow #4 (Of 6)
136 Multiversity Harley Screws Up the DCU #5 (Of 6)
137 Wildcats #9
147 Steelworks #2 (Of 6)
149 Blue Beetle #1 Special Edition
175 Spirit World #3 (Of 6)
176 Poison Ivy Uncovered #1 (One Shot)
178 My Greatest Adventure #80 Facsimile Edition
179 Batman Incorporated #10
Unranked: The Vigil #3
Unranked: Batman: The Audio Adventures #7
Unranked: DC/RWBY #6
Unranked: The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries #10
Unranked: Looney Tunes #273
DC Comics had 21 dead titles walking out of DC Comics’ 51 new titles in July 2023. This means that 41% of the New DC Comics’ titles in July 2023 were dead titles walking.
This was down from the 23 dead titles walking that DC Comics had in June 2023 which comprised 50% of DC Comics’ new titles. Year-over-year numbers were down as DC Comics had 29 dead titles walking in July 2022 which comprised 52% of DC Comics’ new issues.
The Tini Howard Award For The Writer With The Most Dead Titles Walking
We have a four-way tie for the Tini Howard Award for July 2023! There were four writers that placed two issues apiece in the Dead Titles Walking category.
Erica Shultz had two issues in X-23: Deadly Regenesis #5 at the number 117 spot and Hallows’ Eve #5 at the number 155 spot.
Ed Brisson had two issues in Predator #5 at the number 152 spot and Batman Incorporated #10 at the number 179 spot.
Alyssa Wong had two issues in Deadpool #9 at the number 116 spot and Spirit World #3 at the number 175 spot.
Christopher Cantwell had two issues in Batman The Brave and The Bold #3 at the number 115 spot and Hellcat #5 which was unranked.
The first tie-breaker is the writer with issues from different titles wins. However, all four writers had two issues from different titles! So, we move on to the second tie-breaker. The writer with issues from both Marvel Comics and DC Comics wins. This knocks Erica Shultz out of the running since both of her issues were from Marvel Comics.
The tension ratchets up as we move to the third tie-breaker. The writer that has their issues come from an ongoing monthly title wins over a writer with issues coming from a mini-series. Therefore, this knocks out past Tini Award winner Alyssa Wong since one of Wong’s issues is from a mini-series.
The sweat is pouring down the brows of the remaining two contestants as we go into an unprecedented fourth tie-breaker! The writer who has the lowest-ranked issue wins. Therefore, the Tini Howard Award for April 2023 goes to Christopher Cantwell!
All right, that is it for July 2023 Will Marvel Comics continue its domination of the Top 200 in August 2023? We will find out. Until then, everyone stay safe and be good!
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