It is that time of the month when we get to check out the latest 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.
June 2022 Top 200 Single Issue Comic Rankings
The Battle for the Top 10
- Fortnite X Marvel Zero War #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #3 (Marvel Comics)
- Thor #26 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman #124 (DC Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #4 (Marvel Comics
- Miles Morales Spider-Man #38 (Marvel Comics)
- Venom #8 (Marvel Comics)
- Poison Ivy #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Justice League Road To Dark Crisis #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
- Batman 2022 Annual #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
Marvel Comics won the Top 10 once again. Zero surprises. Marvel Comics swept the Top 3 titles. Marvel Comics placed four titles in the Top 5 and six titles in the Top 10. This is actually slightly down from the seven titles that Marvel Comics placed in the Top 10 in May 2022.
The smart team-up with a more popular franchise in Fornite helped to boost Marvel Comics to the number one overall spot. This has been a great marketing move by Marvel Comics. Intelligent cross-marketing like the one with Fornite is something that Marvel Comics should continue to pursue in order to boost their comics.
Marvel Comics’ success in the Top 10 was largely due to the Spider-Man and Thor franchises. Thor continues to be a consistent Top 10 title. It is impressive how well the Thor franchise has done in recent years.
Venom is another Spider-Man title that is a sales beast. Overall, Marvel Comics continues to be more and more reliant on the Spider-Man franchise to power its Top 10 sales now that the X-Men franchise is beginning to crumble.
DC Comics took second place with four titles in the Top 10. Of course, three of DC Comics’ four titles are from the Batman franchise. Two of them star Bruce Wayne. This was actually an improvement over the two titles that DC Comics put in the Top 10 in May 2022.
DC Comics has to be happy with Poison Ivy #1 taking the number 8 spot. This is an incredible sales ranking for this six-issue miniseries. I found the story to be rather meh. However, the artwork in Poison Ivy #1 was fantastic. Poison Ivy is a popular character so it will be interesting to see how well this miniseries does. This is a high start so there is a chance that this mini-series has some legs.
Justice League Road To Dark Crisis #1 taking the number 9 spot is a pretty good result for this one-shot. Often, these one-shot lead-in issues do not get huge sales numbers. This is a nice lead-in to Dark Crisis and certainly bodes well for DC Comics. I am sure everyone at DC Comics is expecting Dark Crisis to take the number 1 spot next month.
The Battle for the Top 25
- Ghost Rider #3 (Marvel Comics)
- Star Wars Darth Vader #23 (Marvel Comics)
- Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- X-Men #12 (Marvel Comics)
- Moon Knight #12 (Marvel Comics)
- New Fantastic Four #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Flashpoint Beyond #2 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Captain America Sentinel of Liberty #1 (Marvel Comics)
- DC Pride 2022 #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
- Closet #1 (Of 3) (Image Comics)
- Dark Knights of Steel #7 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #2 (Marvel Comics)
- Shadow War Omega #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
- Batman Superman Worlds Finest #4 (DC Comics)
- Strange #3 (Marvel Comics)
Marvel Comics took first place with fifteen titles in the Top 25. This is slightly up from May 2022 when Marvel Comics put thirteen titles in the Top 25.
Marvel Comics continues to enjoy Top 25 success on the backs of a wide selection of franchises. What caught my eye was Ghost Rider #3 taking the number 11 spot! Wow! Now, Ghost Rider #1 did debut at the number 2 spot which was absolutely stunning. However, Ghost Rider #2 plummeted down to the number 45 spot. I thought this meant my favorite Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, was headed for the bottom of the Top 75 by the third issue. Well, I should have known better than to doubt my man Johnny. Ghost Rider #3 had a massive rebound as it took the number 11 spot. That is incredible. I would have never expected Ghost Rider to sell this well. Of course, I am happy that Johnny Blaze is enjoying this success and I hope it continues. We shall see.
Moon Knight continues to amaze as Moon Knight #12 took the number 15 spot. I guess it is time for me to accept the fact that Moon Knight is now a consistently strong seller for Marvel Comics. It is great to see Marvel Comics having such success with Moon Knight’s character.
What is impressive is that we got the resolicitation of Amazing Spider-Man #2 coming in at the number 22 spot! That is impressive.
DC Comics took second place with nine titles in the Top 25. This is actually an increase over the seven titles that DC Comics put in the Top 25 in May 2022. Seven of DC Comics’ nine titles were from the Batman franchise. Five of those seven Batman titles starred or co-starred Bruce Wayne. DC Comics continues to cling to the Batman franchise like a shipwreck survivor to a life preserver.
Image Comics took third place with one title in the Top 25. This was down from the three titles that Image Comics placed in the Top 25 in May 2022.
The Battle for the Top 50
- Wolverine #22 (Marvel Comics)
- Black Adam #1 (DC Comics)
- Immortal X-Men #3 (Marvel Comics)
- Star Wars #24 (Marvel Comics)
- Moon Knight Black White Blood #2 (Of 4) (Marvel Comics)
- Nice House On The Lake #9 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- X-Men Red #3 (Marvel Comics)
- Carnage #3 (Marvel Comics)
- Grim #2 (BOOM! Studios)
- Spawn #330 (Image Comics)
- Spawn Scorched #6 (Image Comics)
- Hulk #7 (Marvel Comics)
- Twig #2 (Of 5) (Image Comics)
- Something Is Killing The Children #24 (BOOM! Studios)
- BRZRKR (Of 12) (BOOM! Studios)
- Spider-Gwen Gwenverse #3 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Star Wars Crimson Reign #5 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Spider-Man 2099 Exodus #2 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman Beyond The White Knight #4 (Of 8) (DC Comics)
- Batman Killing Time #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- What If Miles Morales #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Nightwing #93 (DC Comics)
- DC Vs Vampires Killers #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
- Fantastic Four #44 (Marvel Comics)
- Avengers Forever #6 (Marvel Comics)
Marvel Comics took first place by placing twenty-eight titles in the Top 50. This was slightly down from the twenty-nine titles that Marvel Comics put in the Top 50 in May 2022. As usual, Marvel Comics benefits from a strong diverse selection of franchises to power its Top 50 success.
It is worth noting that Moon Knight Black White Blood #2 dropped like a rock. The first issue debuted at the number 5 spot. However, issue #2 fell all the way down to the number 30 spot.
DC Comics took second place with fifteen titles in the Top 50. This is better than the ten titles that DC Comics put in the Top 50 in May 2022. Ten of DC Comics’ fifteen titles were from the Batman franchise. Seven of them starred or co-starred Bruce Wayne.
Image Comics put four titles in the Top 50. This is down from the six titles that Image Comics put in the Top 50 in May 2022. Twig #1 surprised with a debut at the number 4 spot in May 2022. However, Twig #2 plummeted like a shot bird all the way down to the number 38 spot.
Boom Studios cam in at fourth place with three titles. This is down slightly from the four titles that Boom Studios put into the Top 50 in May 2022.
The Battle for the Top 75
- Alien #12 (Marvel Comics)
- Iron Cat #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Savage Avengers #2 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman Catwoman #12 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- We Have Demons #3 (Of 3) (Dark Horse Comics)
- Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi #2 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Miles Morales Spider-Man #39 (Marvel Comics)
- Saga #59 (Image Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Marvel Comics)
- King Spawn #11 (Image Comics)
- Gunslinger Spawn #9 (Image Comics)
- Moon Knight #1 Facsimile Edition (Marvel Comics)
- Knights of X #2 (Marvel Comics)
- She-Hulk #4 (Marvel Comics)
- X-Men Red #4 (Marvel Comics)
- Marauders #3 (Marvel Comics)
- Dark Crisis Young Justice #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Legion of X #2 (Marvel Comics)
- Moon Knight #11 (Marvel Comics)
- Grim #1 (BOOM! Studios)
- Star Wars Bounty Hunters #23 (Marvel Comics)
- Punisher War Journal Blitz #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Black Panther #6 (Marvel Comics)
- Jurassic League #2 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Knights of X #3 (Marvel Comics)
Marvel Comics dominated the Top 75 with forty-five titles. This is a big jump up from the thirty-seven titles that Marvel Comics had in the Top 75 in May 2022. This stopped the bleeding of two straight months of declining sales numbers for Marvel Comics in the Top 75.
DC Comics took a very distant second place with just eighteen titles in the Top 75. This was up slightly from the seventeen titles that DC Comics put in the Top 75 in May 2022. Of course, eleven of DC Comics’ eighteen titles came from the Batman franchise. Eight of those eleven titles starred or co-starred Bruce Wayne.
Image Comics grabbed third place with seven titles in the Top 75. This was down considerably from the thirteen titles that Image Comics had in the Top 75 in May 2022.
Boom Studios had four titles in the Top 75. This was down slightly from the five titles that Boom Studios had in the Top 75 in May 2022. Dark Horse Comics came in last place with one title in the Top 75. This was an improvement over their zero titles in May 2022.
The Battle for the Top 100
- New Mutants #26 (Marvel Comics)
- Spider-Man 2099 Exodus #3 (Marvel Comics)
- X-Men ’92 House of XCII #2 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Superman Son of Kal-El #12 (DC Comics)
- Do A Powerbomb #1 (Of 7) (Image Comics)
- Star Wars Darth Vader #24 (Marvel Comics)
- Silver Surfer Rebirth #5 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Iron Man #20 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman Beyond Neo-Year #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Star Wars Bounty Hunters #24 (Marvel Comics)
- Spawn #1 30th Anniversary Blank Sketch Cover (Image Comics)
- Venom Lethal Protector #3 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- The Flash #783 (Dark Crisis) (DC Comics)
- Krrsantan Star Wars Tales #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman Beyond The White Knight #3 (Of 8) (DC Comics)
- Avengers #57 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman The Knight #6 (Of 10) (DC Comics)
- Detective Comics #1061 (DC Comics)
- Variants #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Action Comics 2022 Annual #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
- Thor #25 (Marvel Comics)
- Nocterra #11 (Image Comics)
- Ben Reilly Spider-Man #5 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Catwoman #44 (DC Comics)
- Multiversity Teen Justice #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
Marvel Comics sailed to an effortless victory with fifty-eight titles in the Top 100. This was a big improvement over the forty-six titles that Marvel Comics put in the Top 100 in May 2022. This also stemmed the tide after a two-month slide in sales numbers in the Top 100.
DC Comics meekly took second place with twenty-seven titles. This was actually worse than the twenty-nine titles that DC Comics had in the Top 100 in May 2022. Sixteen of DC Comics’ twenty-seven titles came from the Batman franchise. This means that 60% of the DC Comics in the Top 100 came from the Batman franchise. That is too unbalanced.
Image Comics took third place with ten titles. This was down from the fifteen titles in the Top 100 in May 2022. Boom Studios grabbed fourth place with four titles in the Top 100. This was down from the seven titles that Boom Studios had in May 2022. Dark Horse Comics took fifth place with one title. Again, this was an improvement over the zero titles Dark Horse Comics had in May 2022.
Debut Issues
1 Fortnite X Marvel Zero War #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
8 Poison Ivy #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
13 Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
16 New Fantastic Four #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
18 Captain America Sentinel of Liberty #1 (Marvel Comics)
19 DC Pride 2022 #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
20 Closet #1 (Of 3) (Image Comics)
27 Black Adam #1 (DC Comics)
52 Iron Cat #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
67 Dark Crisis Young Justice #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
72 Punisher War Journal Blitz #1 (Marvel Comics)
80 Do A Powerbomb #1 (Of 7) (Image Comics)
89 Krrsantan Star Wars Tales #1 (Marvel Comics)
94 Variants #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
100 Multiversity Teen Justice #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
101 Miles Morales & Moon Girl #1 (Marvel Comics)
104 Aquaman Andromeda #1 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
111 Marvels Voices Pride #1 (Marvel Comics)
117 DC Pride Tim Drake Special #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
130 Nubia Queen of The Amazons #1 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
138 A Calculated Man #1 (Aftershock Comics)
146 Public Domain #1 (Image Comics)
152 Seven Sons #1 (Of 7) (Image Comics)
175 New Fantastic Four Marvel Tales #1 (Marvel Comics)
176 Eight Billion Genies #1 (Of 8) (Image Comics)
199 Samurai Sonja # 1 (Dynamite Ent.)
Captain America Sentinel of Liberty #1 had a nice debut number at the number 18 spot. This is largely in line with Sam Wilson’s number 15 debut number in May 2022. The big question is if Steve Roger’s new title suffers a death spiral with the second issue like Sam Wilson’s title did in June 2022.
New Fantastic Four #1 had a strong debut coming in at the number 16 spot. This is a nice start for this mini-series that is an ode to the 1990s. I have always had a soft spot in my heart for the Wolverine, Spider-Man, Ghost Rider, and Hulk line-up that we got in Fantastic Four #347 back in 1911. Fun times.
Black Adam #1 debuting outside of the Top 25 is a bad sign for this title. Despite the Rock being attached to the upcoming Black Adam movie, DC Comics failed to generate much buzz with Black Adam #1. I have a bad feeling about this title. I think the bait and switch approach of putting Black Adam on the cover only to reveal in the issue that Black Adam is dying and will be replaced with some unknown young black guy is going to turn off many Black Adam fans. Mantle swaps usually fail. I would expect Black Adam #2 to drop out of the Top 50.
Iron Cat #1 had an awful debut coming in outside of the Top 50 at the number 52 spot. This means that Iron Cat is Dead on Arrival with the first issue. If Marvel Comics is surprised by this then they really need All New All Different editors. Everyone should have seen this coming. Iron Cat looks like a typical half-baked and lame idea that Marvel Comics has been known for ever since the All-New All-Different initiative. Wow, how creative. Someone took Iron Man’s gimmick and Black Cat’s gimmick and smashed the two together. The horror of remix culture. Look, Marvel is known as the House of Ideas. Nobody claimed Marvel Comics was the House of creative and original ideas.
Marvel Comics keeps cranking out these uncreative and uninteresting ideas and they continually crash and burn in the sales charts. How some of the editors at Marvel Comics are able to keep their jobs is beyond me.
Miles Morales and Moon Girl #1 had a disastrous debut number coming in at the number 101 spot. This title is also Dead on Arrival. I mean, honestly, this cannot be a surprise to anyone, right?’
Marvel Pride Voices #1 failed to crack the Top 100. The Marvel Voices titles continue to be duds in the sales charts. What is interesting to note is that DC Comics had incredible success with their DC Pride 2022 #1 issue that slotted in at the number 19 spot. I am not sure why there is such a massive disparity between the two issues. It is possible that DC Comics has a far more generous return policy for unsold issues at local comic shops. But, at any rate, it is obvious that more readers were interested in what DC Comics was offering than Marvel Comics.
On the other hand, DC Pride Tim Drake Special #1 had a terrible sales ranking coming in at number 117. It is tough to figure out the gap between the Tim Drake title and the DC Pride 2022 #1 title. It is possible that enough readers were turned off by the retconning of Tim Drake’s character and that is what caused Tim Drake’s title to sell so poorly compared with DC Pride 2022 #1.
Big Events
9 Justice League Road To Dark Crisis #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
23 Shadow War Omega #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
67 Dark Crisis Young Justice #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
88 The Flash #783 (Dark Crisis) (DC Comics)
188 Shadow War Zone #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
It is a bit of a mixed bag with the two big events that DC Comics has going on at the moment. Shadow War is doing okay with its one-shot taking the number 23 spot. Dark Crisis had three tie-in issues. One of them got a top 10 finish. However, the other two Dark Crisis tie-in issues finished well outside of the Top 50.
Star Wars Franchise
12 Star Wars Darth Vader #23
29 Star Wars #24
42 Star Wars Crimson Reign #5 (Of 5)
56 Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi #2 (Of 5)
71 Star Wars Bounty Hunters #23
81 Star Wars Darth Vader #24
85 Star Wars Bounty Hunters #24
89 Krrsantan Star Wars Tales #1
107 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #21
128 Star Wars Han Solo Chewbacca #3
166 Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi #1 (Of 5) (Resolicitation)
183 Star Wars Han Solo Chewbacca #2 (Resolicitation)
Star Wars only had one title in the Top 25 and just three titles in the Top 50. This was slightly up from May 2022 when Star Wars had one title in the Top 25 and two titles in the Top 50.
Krrsantan Star Wars Tale #1 had a terrible debut number at the number 89 spot. This title should be outside of the Top 100 by its second issue.
Star Wars Doctor Aphra is normally the worst-selling Star Wars title. Star Wars Doctor Aphra #21 dropped out of the Top 100 and came in at the number 107 spot. However, Star Wars Han Solo Chewbacca took the dubious honor of being the lowest-selling Star Wars title in June 2022.
Star Wars Han Solo Chewbacca continues to trend in the wrong direction. Star Wars Han Solo Chewbacca #2 took the number 59 spot. However, Star Wars Han Solo Chewbacca #3 plummeted down to the number 128 spot. This young title looks to be in serious trouble.
Spider-Man Franchise
2 Amazing Spider-Man #3
5 Amazing Spider-Man #4
6 Miles Morales Spider-Man #38
7 Venom #8
22 Amazing Spider-Man #2 (Resolicitation)
33 Carnage #3
41 Spider-Gwen Gwenverse #3 (Of 5)
43 Spider-Man 2099 Exodus #2
57 Miles Morales Spider-Man #39
59 Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Resolicitation)
77 Spider-Man 2099 Exodus #3
87 Venom Lethal Protector #3 (Of 5)
98 Ben Reilly Spider-Man #5 (Of 5)
101 Miles Morales & Moon Girl #1
123 Savage Spider-Man #4 (Of 5)
136 Spider-Man 2099 Exodus #1 (Resolicitation)
179 Venom Lethal Protector #2 (Of 5) (Resolicitation)
189 Spider-Punk #2 (Of 5) (Resolicitation)
Peter Parker’s title continues to be a sales beast by placing two issues of Amazing Spider-Man in the top 5! That is insane! Look, I think this new direction for Amazing Spider-Man sucks. But, obviously, I am in the minority and this new direction seems to be rather popular with many readers.
Amazing Spider-Man #2 finished in the Top 25 as a resolicitated issue! Amazing Spider-Man #1 finished in the number 59 spot as a resolicitated issue. That means Amazing Spider-Man #1 which debuted back in April 2022 came within two spots of beating the newest issue of Miles Morales. Right now, Amazing Spider-Man is enjoying sales success like no other title on the market.
Miles Morales made a stunning appearance in the Top 10! Wow! How about that? Miles Morales is usually found outside of the Top 50. I do not read this title, but there must have been something special about Miles Morales Spider-Man #38 that brought in an unusual amount of readers.
I say this because Miles Morales Spider-Man #39 dropped all the way outside of the Top 50 and down to the number 57 spot. This is where we normally see Miles Morales.
Carnage #3 took the number 33 spot. I am curious to see if Carnage manages to stabilize itself or if it slides out of the Top 50. Spider-Gwen Gwenverse #3 took the number 41 spot. That is not bad, but it is not great, either. It is possible that readers are beginning to tire of the endless Gwenverse titles.
Sadly, Spider-Man 2099 Exodus slid out of the Top 75 with its third issue. This title seems destined to drop out of the Top 100 in the next couple of issues. That is too bad. Evidently, I must be one of the few Spider-Man 2099 fans around these days.
Ben Reilly Spider-Man ended with a thud as it barely kept from dropping out of the Top 100 with its last issue. At some point, there is going to be reader fatigue with all the various versions of Spider-Man that Marvel Comics is flooding the market with these days.
X-Men Franchise
14 X-Men #12
26 Wolverine #22
28 Immortal X-Men #3
32 X-Men Red #3
63 Knights of X #2
65 X-Men Red #4
66 Marauders #3
68 Legion of X #2
75 Knights of X #3
76 New Mutants #26
78 X-Men ’92 House of XCII #2 (Of 5)
108 Sabretooth #4 (Of 5)
110 X-Force #29
124 Legion of X #1 (Resolicitation)
126 Wolverine Patch #3 (Of 5)
153 Immortal X-Men #2 (Resolicitation)
163 Wolverine #21 (Resolicitation)
178 X-Men #11 (Resolicitation)
192 X-Men Red #2 (Resolicitation)
There were no X-Men titles in the Top 10. There is only one X-Men title in the Top 25. There were only four X-Men titles in the Top 50. Things are not looking good for the X-Men franchise at the moment. I have always been concerned about the X-Men’s sustainability once Jonathan Hickman decided to leave the franchise. Marvel Comics has a burgeoning problem on its hands with the X-Men franchise at the moment.
Wolverine appears to have found its natural home bobbing up and down the 20-29 spots in the cart. Immortal X-Men continues to plummet down the rankings. Issue #2 took the number 14 spot. However, Immortal X-Men #3 fell out of the Top 25 and down to the number 28 spot. I have a feeling that Immortal X-Men may be destined to fall out of the Top 50 by its sixth issue. The next few months are going to be critical.
X-Men Red continues to plummet in the rankings at an alarming rate. Issue #2 took the number 28 spot. X-Men Red #3 came in at the number 32 spot. X-Men Red #4 dropped out of the Top 50 and down to the number 65 spot. There is a good chance that X-Men Red drops out of the Top 75 with the next issue.
Marauders continues to drop like a dead duck in the rankings. Issue #2 came in at the number 38 spot. Marauders #3 plummeted out of the Top 50 and down to the number 66 spot. This is no surprise as Marauders is an awful title. I would fully expect Marauders to continue its slide all the way out of the Top 75 by the next issue and possibly out of the Top 100 by the sixth issue.
Knights of X is an atrocious title so I am not shocked that this title has cratered in the ratings. In fact, Marvel Comics has announced that Knights of X is no longer being solicited as an ongoing title and will be canceled with the fifth issue. Zero surprises. I said this title was Dead on Arrival in April 2022 when Knights of X #1 debuted outside of the Top 50 at the number 51 spot. Issue #2 fell to the number 63 spot and issue #3 fell further to the number 75 spot.
This should not have surprised Marvel Comics at all. Tini Howard’s Excalibur was a sales failure. Knights of X was just a reboot of that Excalibur title. And Tini Howard was a sales failure. Again. How Howard continues to get work from Marvel Comics is utterly beyond me. She must be a really nice person or something in order to keep getting work from Marvel Comics despite never producing any sales successes.
Legion of X #2 nearly dropped out of the Top 75 by coming in at the number 68 spot. This title is also in deep trouble with just its second issue. I would expect Legion of X to slide out of the Top 100 by its fifth issue.
New Mutants continues its freefall. Issue #25 came in at the number 40 spot. New Mutants #26 fell all the way out of the Top 75 and down to the number 76 spot. New Mutants is another X-Men title that seems destined to drop out of the Top 100 in a few months.
Hulk Franchise
37 Hulk #7 (Resolicitation)
64 She-Hulk #4
109 Maestro World War M #4 (Of 5)
121 Hulk vs Thor Banner War Alpha #1 (Resolicitation)
It has to make Marvel Comics happy to see a resolicited Hulk #7 at the number 37 spot. This franchise is doing great. However, not the same can be said for my girl She-Hulk. She-Hulk has been a strong seller over the first three issues taking the numbers 1, 22, and 17 spots. However, She-Hulk #4 crashed all the way down to the number 64 spot. Personally, I think that is just a blip due to scheduling. I feel bullish that She-Hulk #5 will give us a rebound number. Having said that, despite my love for She-Hulk, even I have to admit that the last issue was a tad slow and dull.
Maestro World War M continues its slide down the sales chart as it heads to its end. It is sad to see this title dropping out of the Top 100.
Avengers Franchise
3 Thor #26
13 Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #1 (Of 5)
18 Captain America Sentinel of Liberty #1
50 Avengers Forever #6
73 Black Panther #6
83 Iron Man #20
91 Avengers #57
96 Thor #25 (Resolicitation)
114 Captain Marvel #38
116 Iron Man Hellcat Annual #1
122 Captain America Symbol of Truth #2
154 Avengers #56 (Resolicitation)
168 Savage Avengers #1 (Resolicitation)
181 Captain Carter #3 (Of 5)
If it was not for the Thor franchise there would be nothing but bad news for the Avengers. The highest selling Avengers title was Avengers Forever #6 at the number 50 spot. Avengers #57 barely made the Top 100 by clinging to the number 91 spot. This is awful. Marvel Comics needs to take a critical eye to their premier flagship team title and try and fix whatever has gone wrong. There is no reason for the Avengers to be this poorly selling.
We already discussed Captain America Sentinel of Liberty #1 which gave us the debut of Steve Rogers’ new title. How about Sam Wilson? Oh, man. It is hideous. Captain America Symbol of Truth #2 plummeted to its death all the way down to the number 122 spot. Keep in mind that the first issue debuted at the number 15 spot in May 2022. I am not surprised. I have no confidence in anything connected to All New All Different MarvelNOW. This includes Captain Falcon.
Oh, and Marvel Comics knew this was coming. We know this because in just the second issue of Sam’s new title Marvel Comics had Deadpool make an appearance in order to try and goose sales numbers. It didn’t work.
It will be interesting to see how Steve Rogers’ title fares in the upcoming months. I have a feeling that we are going to see a drop in the rankings for Steve Rogers, as well. The idea of running two different Captain Americas at the same time is beyond weird. It is idiotic.
Captain Marvel continues to sell outside of the Top 100. Nobody will ever care about this title no matter how hard Marvel Comics tries to shove this gimmick down readers’ throats.
Captain Carter #3 had an awful sales number coming in at the number 181 spot. This mini-series seems destined to conclude outside of the Top 200. Again, is anyone surprised? I never saw where there was any demand for this title.
Batman Franchise
4 Batman #124
8 Poison Ivy #1 (Of 6)
10 Batman 2022 Annual #1
17 Flashpoint Beyond #2 (Of 6)
21 Dark Knights of Steel #7 (Of 12)
23 Shadow War Omega #1
24 Batman Superman Worlds Finest #4
44 Batman Beyond The White Knight #4 (Of 8)
45 Batman Killing Time #4 (Of 6)
47 Nightwing #93
54 Batman Catwoman #12 (Of 12)
84 Batman Beyond Neo-Year #3 (Of 6)
90 Batman Beyond The White Knight #3 (Of 8) (Resolicitation)
92 Batman The Knight #6 (Of 10)
93 Detective Comics #1061
99 Catwoman #44
115 Robin #15
117 DC Pride Tim Drake Special #1
135 Batgirls #7
137 Harley Quinn #16
140 Detective Comics #1060 (Resolicitation)
141 Batman Urban Legends #16
147 Robin #14 (Shadow War) (Resolicitation)
149 I Am Batman #10
160 Nightwing #92 (Resolicitation)
162 Batman Fortress #2 (Of 8)
172 Task Force Z #9 (Of 12)
186 Batman Superman Worlds Finest #3 (Resolicitation)
187 Batman Fortress #1 (Of 8) (Resolicitation)
188 Shadow War Zone #1
190 Future State Gotham #14
193 Batman #123 (Shadow War) (Resolicitation)
200 Harley Quinn #15 (Resolicitation)
The Batman franchise continues to be all about Bruce Wayne. However, it must be noted that Batman Beyond the White Knight which stars Terry McGinnis and old man Bruce Wayne continues to be a solid seller. Issue #4 took the number 44 spot and the resolicitation for issue #3 cracked the Top 100 by taking the number 90 spot.
Nightwing continues to be the third best-selling Batman family character. Nightwing #93 took the number 47 spot. This is down from the number 27 spot that Nightwing #92 grabbed in May 2022. However, Nightwing #92 resolicitation did manage to take the number 160 spot. None of this is amazing, but it definitely is very solid. Nightwing continues to be a title that DC Comics can expect to consistently land in the Top 50.
Batgirls continues to slide down the rankings. Batgirls #7 tumbled out of the Top 100 and landed at the number 135 spot. I think this title is doomed to be out of the Top 150 with the next issue.
Robin continues its downward trend. In May 2022, Robin #14 took the number 64 spot. However, Robin #15 fell out of the Top 100 and down to the number 115 spot. This title is struggling mightily to connect with a large audience.
Harley Quinn remains stuck in the mud. Harley Quinn #16 took the number 137 spot. This is largely the same as where it was in May 2022. This title is going nowhere. Harley Quinn is a shell of the character that she used to be. It is time for DC Comics to fire Stephanie Phillips and then take a long hard look at how they can rehabilitate Harley’s character to her former glory.
The news never gets better for my boy Jason Todd. What is wrong with you people?! All kidding aside, Task Force Z plummeted down the rankings as issue #9 landed at the number 172 spot. We see that DC Comics is no longer listing Task Force Z as an ongoing. It is now a mini-series set to end at issue #12. I like this subtle and classy way that DC Comics and Marvel Comics are now killing their poor-selling ongoing titles. They aren’t canceled. They just get converted to being a mini-series and are given a final issue number. So considerate.
I am Batman continues to be a bad idea that nobody is interested in buying. I am Batman #10 almost fell out of the Top 150 by barely clinging on to the number 149 spot. This title performs worse with each month. I would expect it to be out of the Top 175 in an issue or two. I wonder when DC Comics will magically convert this ongoing into a mini-series.
Speaking of bad ideas that nobody wants to read, how about Future State Gotham? What a mess. DC Comics is determined to ride this car off a cliff Thelma and Louise style. Future State Gotham #14 dropped all the way to the number 190 spot. I think we can say adios to Future State Gotham with the next month as it will more than likely fail to make it into the Top 200 sales chart.
All in all, DC Comics is flooding the market with Batman franchise titles. There are only so many titles that Batman readers can financially support. DC Comics would be wise to trim the fat off the list of Batman franchise titles that they crank out every month.
Superman Franchise
24 Batman Superman Worlds Finest #4
79 Superman Son of Kal-El #12
95 Action Comics 2022 Annual #1 (One-Shot)
131 Action Comics #1044
186 Batman Superman Worlds Finest #3 (Resolicitation)
It is so sad to see the horrendous mess that is the Superman franchise. Look, I have never been a big Superman fan. I have always been Team Batman. But, I respect the Big Red S for being the most iconic superhero of all time. And I know that Superman fans are large in numbers.
The Superman franchise should be one of DC Comics’ marquee brands. No doubt about it. Instead, the Superman franchise is in ruins. The flagship Superman title cannot even make it into the Top 75. That is pathetic. Superman Son of Kal-El #12 only managed to get the number 79 spot. This should be utterly unacceptable for DC Comics.
Of course, the best-selling comic book starring Superman is Batman Superman Worlds Finest #4 which took the number 24 spot. This is not surprising since this title is treating readers to the classic Superman that we all know and love. And this classic Superman is actually, you know, doing superhero stuff rather than just engaging in boring messaging.
There is nothing good to be found anywhere here. Action Comics is selling outside of the Top 100. This should never happen. This is Action Comics we are talking about! Obviously, there is little appetite for the Superman version of Hulk living on planet Sakaar.
DC Comics needs to correct course immediately on this title. There is only one Superman. Clark Kent. Get him back in Metropolis and focus on telling classic superhero stories designed to entertain the reader.
Wonder Woman Franchise
130 Nubia Queen of The Amazons #1 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
142 Wonder Woman #788 (DC Comics)
The only thing that rivals the sorry state of the Superman franchise is the wretched state of the Wonder Woman franchise. It is shameful that DC Comics has allowed the premiere female superhero franchise to fall into shambles. Michael Conrad, Becky Cloonan, and Stephanie Williams have driven the Wonder Woman franchise straight into a wall like a drunk teenager behind the wheel of their Dad’s Corvette. It completely stuns me how utterly inept and willfully obtuse DC editorial has been with the Wonder Woman franchise.
I know DC Comics desperately wants Nubia to be a thing with how they keep giving her title after title despite the fact that she fails each and every time. At some point, reality has to set in and DC Comics editorial needs to be able to pivot rather than continually bash their head against the wall and constantly wonder why the wall is not falling. Nubia Queen of the Amazons #1 barely made the Top 150 by debuting at the number 130 spot. This title is already Dead on Arrival with its very first issue. At some point, DC Comics needs to simply listen to the consumer.
Wonder Woman herself is a hot mess. It is painfully obvious that nothing is working on this title. DC Comics needs a full reboot of the Wonder Woman franchise complete with a brand new editor and new creative team. The new talent needs to take a hard look at why the Wonder Woman franchise has been a total failure and then construct a path forward that will actually be popular and appealing to a wide range of readers.
Justice League Franchise
9 Justice League Road To Dark Crisis #1 (One-Shot)
27 Black Adam #1
67 Dark Crisis Young Justice #1 (Of 6)
74 Jurassic League #2 (Of 6)
88 The Flash #783 (Dark Crisis)
100 Multiversity Teen Justice #1 (Of 6)
104 Aquaman Andromeda #1 (Of 3)
167 Justice League #75 (Resolicitation)
170 Jurassic League #1 (Of 6) (Resolicitation)
Here is another dead franchise. It really is stunning how DC Comics has allowed so many of their top-tier franchises completely wither and die on the vine. If it is not Batman, DC Comics really doesn’t give a crap.
We already touched on Black Adam #1. It is a bad sign when the debut issue of a new title fails to crack the Top 25. Again, I fully expect DC Comics unnecessarily engaging in silly mantle swapping will make this an unpopular title. To be sure, Black Adam will drop like a rock in the sales rankings.
Dark Crisis Young Justice #1 had a terrible debut number. It failed to even crack the Top 50. The number 67 debut ranking all but seals this title as Dead on Arrival. This sucks because I love the Young Justice franchise. What can you do? I am used to liking titles that nobody else likes!
Now, there are two reasons why the debut issue of this title did so poorly. Either, there simply is little demand for the Young Justice brand. Or, there is muted demand for Dark Crisis titles. DC Comics had better pray that it is not the latter.
Multiversity Teen Justice #1 had a brutal debut number by coming in at the number 100 spot. This is another title that is Dead on Arrival with the first issue. This title has a good chance of completely dropping out of the Top 200 before its sixth and final issue. I am not surprised given that this issue was not that good of a read.
Aquaman Andromeda #1 did awful and failed to even make the Top 100 as it debuted at the number 104 spot. Having said that, this is a Black Label title which makes it more of a niche title. Plus, it is being written by Ram V. who is a niche writer who never gets big sales numbers. And even though Aquaman Andromeda stars the real Aquaman, Arthur Curry, he is barely in the issue. So, all of that may contribute to the lower sales debut number.
Still, compared to Jackson Hyde’s Aquaman: The Becoming and Aquamen, Aquaman Andrmoda is a smashing success. After all, Aquaman: The Becoming and Aquamen both ended up falling totally out of the Top 200 and ending unranked. So, way to go DC!
The Flash #783 continues to find its equilibrium by staying steady in the 85-100 range. However, this is way too low of a sales ranking for The Flash. This should definitely be a Top 50 title each and every month. It appears that DC Comics’ decision to put Wally West in as the main Flash has completely failed. Again, I like Wally, but I think it might be time to switch back to Barry Allen and see if that would juice the sales rankings.
It should also be noted that The Flash #783 was a Dark Crisis tie-in issue. Again, the low sales ranking could just be because Wally has not been that popular since taking over the title. Or, it could be a less than enthusiastic response to anything connected to Dark Crisis.
Jurassic League crashed and burned. The first issue took the number 18 spot which legitimately stunned me. I did not see it coming at all. However, Jurassic League #2 plummeted down to the number 74 spot. That is more like what I was expecting. I would imagine that this title will slide out of the Top 100 in the next issue or two.
The Top Female Lead Titles
- 8 Poison Ivy #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- 25 Strange #3 (Marvel Comics)
- 41 Spider-Gwen Gwenverse #3 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- 52 Iron Cat #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- 64 She-Hulk #4 (Marvel Comics)
- 94 Variants #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- 99 Catwoman #44 (DC Comics)
- 107 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #21 (Marvel Comics)
- 114 Captain Marvel #38 (Marvel Comics)
- 130 Nubia Queen of The Amazons #1 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
- 135 Batgirls #7 (DC Comics)
- 137 Harley Quinn #16 (DC Comics)
- 142 Wonder Woman #788 (DC Comics)
- 181 Captain Carter #3 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- 199 Samurai Sonja # 1 (Dynamite Ent.)
- 200 Harley Quinn #15 (Resolicitation)
- Unranked Naomi: Season 2 #4 (DC Comics)
The ladies of Marvel Comics and DC Comics made a big comeback in June 2022! In May 2022, there were zero female lead titles in the Top 50. However, in June 2022, there were three female lead titles in the Top 50. Now, this is still down from a high of four female lead titles in the Top 50 in April 2022, but still, at least things rebounded a bit for June 2022.
There were five female lead titles in the Top 75. This was better than the two female lead titles in the Top 75 in May 2022. However, it was still down from the eight female lead titles in April 2022.
There were seven female lead titles in the Top 100. This was exactly the same as the seven female lead titles in the Top 100 in May 2022. It was also considerably down from the whopping fourteen female lead titles in April 2022.
The biggest reason for the huge gap between April 2022 and June 2022 is that several new female lead titles came onto the market in February and March 2022 and then crashed and burned in the sales rankings over the next few months.
We have already touched on many of these titles already in this article so I will not repeat them here in this section.
The mantle swapping in Strange continues to have mixed results. Strange #3 dropped down to the number 25 spot. This is way down from the debut ranking of number one overall in April 2022. But, the falling has begun to slow down. There is no doubt that this title will drop out of the Top 25 next month. What will be interesting to watch is if Strange can become a consistent Top 50 seller or not.
Catwoman #44 almost fell out of the Top 100 by clinging to the number 99 spot. This is way down from the number 71 ranking that Catwoman #43 had in May 2022. It is inexcusable that Catwoman is not higher up on this list. DC Comics needs to really focus on what has not been working on this title.
Variants #1 had a terrible debut coming in at the number 94 spot. This title is already Dead on Arrival and is sure to be out of the Top 150 by the next issue or two. This title stars Jessica Jones encountering different versions of herself in the Multiverse. Jessica is not a popular character and I am unsure why Marvel Comics thought this was a title that needed to be published.
DC Comics has to be completely embarrassed by Naomi’s performance, or lack thereof, in the sales rankings. DC Comics has desperately shoved this character down readers’ throats as Vince McMahon did with Roman Reigns as a babyface. Seriously, DC Comics has pulled out all of the stops to artificially boost Naomi as an incredibly important character in the DCU that readers must like. The reaction has been brutal. Naomi has completely flamed in spectacular fashion. Naomi: Season 2 #4 dropped completely out of the Top 200 rankings. At this point, Naomi is a dead character. DC Comics needs to realize that and either move on to another character or drastically change how they are packaging and selling Naomi to readers.
While the sales rankings did improve over May 2022, they are still not good. If Marvel Comics and DC Comics are serious about having profitable female lead titles then they really must reexamine who they hire for the creative teams, the stories they deliver, and the type of directions they want for these characters.
The Top Minority Lead Titles
- 6 Miles Morales Spider-Man #38 (Marvel Comics)
- 27 Black Adam #1 (DC Comics)
- 43 Spider-Man 2099 Exodus #2 (Marvel Comics)
- 46 What If Miles Morales #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- 57 Miles Morales Spider-Man #39 (Marvel Comics)
- 73 Black Panther #6 (Marvel Comics)
- 77 Spider-Man 2099 Exodus #3 (Marvel Comics)
- 101 Miles Morales & Moon Girl #1 (Marvel Comics)
- 107 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #21 (Marvel Comics)
- 113 Iron Fist #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- 122 Captain America Symbol of Truth #2 (Marvel Comics)
- 130 Nubia Queen of The Amazons #1 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
- 136 Spider-Man 2099 Exodus #1 (Resolicitation)
- 149 I Am Batman #10 (DC Comics)
- 174 Monkey Prince #5 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- Unranked Naomi: Season 2 #4 (DC Comics)
Only one minority lead title made the Top 25 in June 2022. This was the same as in May 2022 and in April 2022. This is the wrong kind of consistency that Marvel Comics and DC Comics want to have in this category.
Four minority lead titles made the Top 50 in June 2022. This was down from the five minority lead titles in May 2022. Six monitory lead titles made the Top 75 in June 2022 which was the same as it was in May 2022. Seven minority lead titles made the Top 100 in June 2022 which was down from the eight tiles in May 2022. Eight out of the fifteen minority lead titles finished outside of the Top 100 in June 2022.
Once again, Marvel Comics crushed DC Comics in the Top 10 minority lead titles. Marvel Comics placed a whopping nine titles in the Top 10. This was the same as in May 2022. DC Comics only had one minority lead title in the Top 10. That was also the same as in May 2022 and it is still awful.
To be fair, Marvel Comics makes more money than DC Comics and can afford to subsidize the printing of lower-performing titles. Still, DC Comics really has got to do a better job than one title in the Top 10.
We have already touched on many of these titles in the above categories, so we will not repeat those here. Iron Fist continues to drop in the rankings as it seems destined to finish its mini-series outside of the Top 125. This is no surprise at all. Marvel Comics engaged in an unnecessary mantle swap that literally none one was asking for. The result? Crap sales numbers. This just is not that hard to predict.
It looks like Monkey Prince is going to have to fight like hell just to stay in the Top 200 rankings. Monkey Prince is only on its fifth issue and is already at the number 174 spot. It seems to be a safe bet that Monkey Prince will spend the second half of its mini-series outside of the Top 200 rankings.
Overall, this category continues to get poor sales rankings. There is no reason for much of this. Take a title like Black Panther. How in the world can this title be selling outside of the Top 75 by just the sixth issue? Black Panther is such a cool character that now has broad recognition and popularity. This title should easily be a consistent Top 50 title each and every month.
Both Marvel Comics and DC Comics need to reevaluate who they hire to write these comics and who they hire as editors. Both publishers need to focus on hiring writers who are superhero comics fans and have writing skills that are properly suited for the genre. Then both publishers need to look at how their popular titles like Amazing Spider-Man and Thor are handled and try and do the same with their minority lead titles.
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
101 Miles Morales & Moon Girl #1
107 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #21
108 Sabretooth #4 (Of 5)
109 Maestro World War M #4 (Of 5)
110 X-Force #29
113 Iron Fist #4 (Of 5)
114 Captain Marvel #38
122 Captain America Symbol of Truth #2
123 Savage Spider-Man #4 (Of 5)
125 Deadpool Bad Blood #2
126 Wolverine Patch #3 (Of 5)
128 Star Wars Han Solo Chewbacca #3
132 King Conan #5 (Of 6)
151 Hulkling And Wiccan #1
181 Captain Carter #3 (Of 5)
184 The Marvels #11
Marvel Comics is trending in the wrong direction in this category. In April 2022, Marvel Comics only had three dead titles walking. In May 2022, Marvel Comics had seven dead titles walking. In June 2022, that number swelled to a stunning sixteen dead titles walking. Even more alarming is that seven of these titles are not even past their third issue.
22% of Marvel Comics’ titles are dead titles walking. That is a high percentage, but what is more alarming is that so many of these titles are early in on their runs. I continue to wonder if there is a disconnect between the comic book reading audience and what Marvel Comics thinks the market wants. Because this is a ton of dead walking titles for Marvel Comics. There are no real surprises here. These are all titles that I would have anticipated would be poor sellers upon hearing about them.
DC Comics
100 Multiversity Teen Justice #1 (Of 6)
104 Aquaman Andromeda #1 (Of 3)
112 Sandman Universe Nightmare Country #3
115 Robin #15
130 Nubia Queen of The Amazons #1 (Of 4)
131 Action Comics #1044
135 Batgirls #7
137 Harley Quinn #16
141 Batman Urban Legends #16
142 Wonder Woman #788
149 I Am Batman #10
161 Swamp Thing #14 (Of 16)
162 Batman Fortress #2 (Of 8)
172 Task Force Z #9 (Of 12)
174 Monkey Prince #5 (Of 12)
180 Deathstroke Inc #10
190 Future State Gotham #14
Unranked Naomi: Season 2 #4
DC Comics had seventeen dead titles walking in both April 2022 and May 2022. In June 2022, DC Comics had…wait for it…seventeen dead titles walking. You have to give DC Comics credit for their incredible consistency if nothing else.
A stunning 39% of DC Comics’ titles are dead titles walking. That is too high of a percentage. DC Comics continues to be utterly clueless in how to handle many of its titles. It is obvious that DC Comics remains out of touch with the audience. At this point, I am not sure DC Comics’ editorial staff even wants to fix the problems anymore.
All right, that is it for June 2022. Will Marvel Comics continue its domination of the Top 200 in July 2022? We will find out!
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