It is time to check out the October 2023 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 October 2023 for free or opt for a pro membership and get the Top 200 for October 2023 over on ICv2 and then come back here for a detailed analysis of the October 2023 comic book sales rankings!
October 2023 Top 200 Single Issue Comic Rankings
The Battle for the Top 10
Marvel Comics placed five comics in the Top 10. Month-over-month sales were down from six comics in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also down from the seven comics Marvel Comics had in the Top 10 in October 2022.
It is not the best news for Marvel Comics to see everything trending downward. But, they are still performing better in the Top 10 than DC Comics. Two of Marvel Comics’ five comics were from the Spider-Man franchise and two of the five comics were from the X-Men franchise. The fifth Top 10 title was Marvel’s newest big event in G.O.D.S. #1.
DC Comics placed four comics in the Top 10. Month-over-month sales were flat as DC Comics had four comics in the Top 10 in September 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were up over the three comics that DC Comics had in the Top 10 in October 2022.
The Dawn of DC initiative has not been the sales success that DC Comics had been hoping it would be. Having said that, at least the year-over-year numbers were up even if by just one comic. It is also positive that DC Comics’ Top 10 comics came from a wide range of franchises rather than just being powered by the Batman franchise.
Two of DC Comics’ four Top 10 comics were from the Batman franchise and both starred Bruce Wayne. One of the four Top 10 comics was from the Superman franchise. The other Top 10 comic was from the Justice League franchise.
Image Comics slotted one comic in the Top 10. Month-over-month sales were up as Image Comics had zero comics in the Top 10 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up from the zero comics that Image Comics had in the Top 10 in October 2022.
What was that one Image comic? The Transformers #1! What was even more impressive? The Transformers #1 nabbed the number one spot beating Peter Parker and Bruce Wayne. This is beyond impressive! I am fascinated by this sudden resurgence of interest in the Transformers franchise now that it has been pried away from the incompetent and clueless hands of IDW Publishing. I am curious to see what kind of long-term sales success the Transformers will enjoy going forward. I hope our beloved 1980s toy line continues to have great success.
The Transformers also gives Image Comics a property that is mainstream and popular. The only other property that Image Comics has that is sort of mainstream would be Spawn. The rest of what Image Comics delivers is niche at best.
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 had fifteen comics in the Top 25. Month-over-month sales were down from the sixteen comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 25 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down sharply from the twenty comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 25 in October 2022.
Daredevil #2 dropped from the number 5 spot out of the Top 10 and down to the number 17 spot. While that is not a massive drop, it is a bit alarming given the recent sales history of Daredevil. The last volume of Daredevil ran for 14 issues and averaged the number 9 spot in the sales rankings. The lowest-ranked issue was the final issue of the run, Daredevil #14, which came in at the number 17 spot.
So, in light of the performance of the last volume of Daredevil, it is certainly not encouraging to see Saladin’s Daredevil match the lowest sales ranking of the prior volume with just the second issue. It is still incredibly early in this run and Saladin may just turn things around so it is too early to assume anything about the future sales success of Daredevil.
Fantastic Four #12 rebounded from the number 42 spot and rose to the number 24 spot. My love for this title is well known and I am glad to see that Fantastic Four seems to have found its happy space between the number 24-45 spots in the sales rankings every month. Marvel Comics will gladly take this type of sustained sales success for the Fantastic Four franchise.
DC Comics had nine comics in the Top 25. Month-over-month sales were flat as DC Comics also had nine comics in the Top 25 in September 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were up from the five comics that DC Comics had in the Top 25 in October 2022.
It is in the Top 25 where we finally begin to see any positive impact of the Dawn of DC initiative. This was a substantial increase in the year-over-year numbers. I am sure this is what DC Comics was also hoping to see in the Top 50. On the downside, we see less diversity in the franchises powering the Top 25 sales numbers. Six of the nine comics were from the Batman franchise. Four of the six Batman franchise comics starred Bruce Wayne. Same old same old.
Image Comics had one comic in the Top 25. Month-over-month sales were up over the zero comics that Image Comics had in the Top 25 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up as Image Comics had zero comics in the Top 25 in October 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 had thirty-two comics in the Top 50. Month-over-month sales were up over the thirty-one comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 50 in September 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were down from the thirty-four comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Moon Knight #28 dropped for the second consecutive month as it fell from the number 25 spot down to the number 29 spot. Back in August 2023, Moon Knight #26 came in at the number 22 spot. So, we are not talking about large consecutive month drops.
DC Comics had fourteen comics in the Top 50. Month-over-month sales were down from the seventeen comics in the Top 50 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had fourteen comics in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Here we see the failure of the Dawn of DC initiative. Month-over-month numbers dropping by such an amount shows that these new Dawn of DC titles are dropping quickly. But, it is the fact that the year-over-year numbers are flat that is so damning of the failed Dawn of DC initiative. This has to be disheartening for DC Comics. Only a DC Comics editor would be surprised by this as I think most readers saw this coming.
Also not surprising is that the Batman franchise powered the Top 50 sales numbers. Eight of DC Comics’ fourteen Top 50 comics were from the Batman franchise.
Image Comics had four comics in the Top 50. Two of the four comics were from the Transformers franchise. One was from the Spawn franchise. One is a licensed property. Month-over-month sales were up from the one comic that Image Comics had in the Top 50 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up over the zero comics that Image Comics had in the Top 50 in October 2022.
King Spawn #26 cracked the Top 50 by taking the number 44 spot. Void Rivals #5 took the number 45 spot. It is impressive that Void Rivals is still selling in the Top 50 by the fifth issue. This is better than I was expecting.
Universal Monsters Dracula #1 debuted at the number 50 spot. This is not an impressive debut number for a Marvel or DC comic, but it is impressive for Image Comics. This four-issue limited series stars the popular Universal Monsters characters and should get solid sales numbers.
Image Comics’ Top 50 success is powered by the Spawn franchise and licensed properties. This is a smart playbook for Image Comics to have more sustained sales success rather than just rolling out an endless number of niche comics.
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 had forty-five comics in the Top 75. Month-over-month sales were down from the forty-six comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 75 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down sharply from the fifty-one comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 75 in October 2022.
Guardians of the Galaxy #7 bounced up from the number 76 spot to the number 57 spot. This title continues to be a comic that yo-yo’s in and out of the Top 75. I do not see that changing anytime soon.
Moon Knight: City of the Dead #4 rocketed up from the number 105 spot to the number 60 spot. It looks like this five-issue mini-series has a shot of concluding in the Top 75.
Ghost Rider #19 dipped slightly from the number 61 spot to the number 63 spot. It looks like ol’ flamehead has found his new equilibrium.
DC Comics had twenty-four comics in the Top 75. Twelve of the twenty-four comics were from the Batman franchise. Month-over-month sales were flat as DC Comics also had twenty-four comics in the Top 75 in September 2023. On the other hand, year-over-year numbers were up over the eighteen comics that DC Comics had in the Top 75 in October 2022.
Shazam #4 popped up from the number 62 spot to the number 52 spot. This is such a fun title and I hope it can manage to claw its way back into the Top 50.
Image Comics had five comics in the Top 75. Spawn Scorched #22 came in at the number 68 spot. Spawn and the Transformers appear to be Image Comics’ best shot at having sustained Top 75 sales success.
Two comics were from the Transformers franchise. Two comics were from the Spawn franchise. One was from a licensed property. Month-over-month sales were up from the four comics that Image Comics had in the Top 75 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up from the four comics that Image Comics had in the Top 75 in October 2022.
Boom! Studios had one comic 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 had fifty-seven comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month sales were flat as Marvel Comics also had fifty-seven comics in the Top 100 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down by a good margin from the sixty-two comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 100 in October 2022.
DC Comics had thirty comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month sales were down from the thirty-one comics that DC Comics had in the Top 100 in September 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were up slightly from the twenty-eight comics that DC Comics had in the Top 100 in October 2022.
Image Comics had nine comics in the Top 100. Three comics from the Transformers franchise. Two comics from the Spawn franchise. One from a licensed property. Month-over-month sales were up over the eight comics that Image Comics had in the Top 100 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also up over the six comics that Image Comics had in the Top 100 in October 2022.
The resolicitation of Void Rivals #4 cracked the Top 100 and took the number 90 spot. This is quite impressive. The Transformers are as popular as they have been in a long time.
Boom! Studios had two comics in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Boom! Studios also had two comics in the Top 100 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up over the one comic that Boom! Studios had in the Top 100 in October 2022.
Dynamite Ent. and IDW Publishing had one comic apiece in the Top 100.
The Joshua Williamson Award For The Writer With The Most Titles In The Top 50
The competition was fierce in October 2023 for the coveted Joshua Williamson Award! We had multiple writers who slotted two comics in the Top 50.
Zeb Wells had two comics with Amazing Spider-Man #35 at the number 2 spot and Amazing Spider-Man #36 at the number 13 spot.
Saladin Ahmed had two comics with Daredevil #2 at the number 17 spot and Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #1 at the number 38 spot.
Tom Taylor had two comics with Nightwing #107 at the number 22 spot and Titans #4 at the number 25 spot.
Al Ewing had two comics with X-Men Red #16 at the number 23 spot and Immortal Thor #3 at the number 41 spot.
Joshua Williamson had two comics with Batman And Robin #2 at the number 9 spot and Superman #7 at the number 10 spot. Slotting two titles in the Top 10 is damn impressive! Williamson deserves to get some love for this incredible feat.
We then had several writers dial in three comics in the Top 50 in October 2023.
Charles Soule had three comics with Star Wars: The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight #1 at the number 31 spot, Star Wars: Dark Droids #3 at the number 35 spot, and Star Wars #39 at the number 49 spot.
Jed MacKay had three comics with Avengers #6 at the number 18 spot, Moon Knight #28 at the number 29 spot, and Doctor Strange #8 at the number 40 spot.
Gerry Duggan had three comics with X-Men #27 at the number 4 spot, Invincible Iron Man #11 at the number 30 spot, and Uncanny Avengers #3 at the number 37 spot.
But, one writer was ready to build off of his close win in September 2023. And that man was Benjamin Percy! However, this month, Percy broke out the tombstone piledriver and completely obliterated the opposition. It was not even close!
Percy placed a stunning five comics in the Top 50 with Wolverine #38 at the number 12 spot, Predator vs. Wolverine #2 at the number 20 spot, X-Force #45 at the number 33 spot, Predator vs. Wolverine #1 at the number 46 spot, and Ghost Rider Annual #1 at the number 47 spot.
Therefore, the winner of the Joshua Williamson Award for October 2023 is…Benjamin Percy! This makes it two months in a row! Right now it is Percy’s world and we are just living in it.
Battle of the Franchises
The X-Men franchise took first place and it was not even remotely close this month. The X-Men franchise had two titles in the Top 10, five titles in the Top 25, and eleven titles in the Top 50.
The Batman franchise came in a distant second place with two titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and eight titles in the Top 50.
The Spider-Man franchise took third place with two titles in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50.
The Avengers franchise came in fourth place with zero titles in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and six titles in the Top 50.
The Star Wars franchise came in fifth place with zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50.
Marvel Comics and DC Comics Debut Issues
5 G.O.D.S. #1 (Marvel Comics)
6 Justice League vs Godzilla Vs Kong #1 (Of 6) ((DC Comics))
8 Superior Spider-Man Returns #1 (Marvel Comics)
11 Sensational She-Hulk #1 (Marvel Comics)
21 Batman City of Madness #1 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
31 Star Wars: The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight #1 (Marvel Comics)
36 Marvel Zombies Black, White & Blood #1 (Marvel Comics)
38 Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #1 (Marvel Comics)
43 Wesley Dodds The Sandman #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
46 Predator Vs. Wolverine #1 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
47 Ghost Rider Annual #1 (Marvel Comics)
51 Wonder Woman #1 (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
56 Crypt of Shadows #1 (Marvel Comics)
58 Captain Marvel #1 (Marvel Comics)
65 Alien Annual #1 (Marvel Comics)
66 Capwolf & the Howling Commandos #1 (Marvel Comics)
70 Jay Garrick The Flash #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
76 The Flash #1 (DC Comics)
80 Alan Scott The Green Lantern #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
81 Strange Academy: Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Marvel Comics)
124 Hallows’ Eve The Big Night #1 (Marvel Comics)
136 DC’s Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
167 Amazons Attack #1 (DC Comics)
185 Captain Marvel: Assault On Eden #1 (Marvel Comics)
As usual, we will address most of these debut issues in their franchise sections below. However, there are a few I want to discuss now.
Marvel Zombies Black, White & Blood #1 debuted outside of the Top 25 and down at the number 36 spot. Now, to be fair, this issue did ship in the last week of October. On the other hand, this issue did ship with seven different covers. So, in the end, this is not an impressive debut number.
I have never found the Marvel Zombie titles to be even remotely interesting. I just find zombies to be so boring. But, I realize I am in the minority and this has been a hot franchise. We shall see if the steam is running out of the Marvel Zombies gimmick over the course of this four-issue mini-series.
Big Events
Gotham War
3 Batman #138
34 Catwoman #58
92 Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Red Hood #2 (Of 2)
133 Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Red Hood #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
145 Batman #137 (Resolicitation)
193 Catwoman #57 (Resolicitation)
Gotham War had one comic in the Top 10, one comic in the Top 25, and two comics in the Top 50. That is the same as this big event did in September 2023.
Ultimate Invasion
94 Ultimate Invasion #4 (Resolicitation)
Contest of Chaos
189 Avengers Annual #1 (Resolicitation)
G.O.D.S.
5 G.O.D.S. #1
Fall of the X-Men
4 X-Men #27
7 Immortal X-Men #16
12 Wolverine #38
23 X-Men Red #16
30 Invincible Iron Man #11
33 X-Force #45
37 Uncanny Avengers #3
39 Uncanny Spider-Man #2
48 Dark X-Men #3 L
73 Children of the Vault #3
77 Jean Grey #3 L
79 Invincible Iron Man #10 (Resolicitation)
97 Astonishing Iceman #3
118 Uncanny Spider-Man #1 (Resolicitation)
122 Wolverine #37 (Resolicitation)
125 Realm of X #3
135 Jean Grey #2 (Resolicitation)
187 Wolverine #36 (Resolicitation)
Fall of the X-Men had two comics in the Top 10, four comics in the Top 25, and nine comics in the Top 50. This was the same in the Top 10 and Top 50 as in September 2023.
Star Wars Franchise
27 Star Wars: Darth Vader #39 (Dark Droids)
31 Star Wars: The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight #1
35 Star Wars: Dark Droids #3 (Dark Droids)
49 Star Wars #39 (Dark Droids)
53 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #5
59 Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #39 (Dark Droids)
127 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #37 (Dark Droids)
131 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #36 (Dark Droids) (Resolicitation)
146 Star Wars Dark Droids – D-Squad #2 (Dark Droids)
154 Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi #2
172 Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #4 (Resolicitation)
The Star Wars franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were flat in the Top 10, down in the Top 25, and up in the Top 50 when the Star Wars franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were down sharply as the Star Wars franchise had two titles in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Star Wars: Darth Vader #39 shot up the rankings for the second consecutive month by climbing from the number 37 spot to the number 27 spot. This is no surprise. It is hard to keep one of the best villains of all time down for that long!
Star Wars: The High Republic – Shadows of Starlight #1 debuted outside of the Top 25 by taking the number 31 spot. This is despite boasting Charles Soule at the writer position and having six variant covers. This unimpressive debut did not surprise me. The High Republic initiative has been a sales disappointment from the very start.
Star Wars: Dark Droids #3 popped up from the number 40 spot to the number 35 spot. This is a good sign for this five-issue mini-series. We shall see if it can conclude inside of the Top 50.
Star Wars #39 dropped from the number 23 spot to the number 49 spot. This title continues to bounce back and forth between the number 25 spot and the number 55 spot. At least it has been able to remain a consistent Top 50 seller.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #5 blasted up the sales rankings from the number 134 spot to the number 53 spot! Damn! It shall be interesting to see how the final three issues of this eight-issue mini-series perform over the next few months.
Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #39 enjoyed its second consecutive rise in the sales rankings by climbing from the number 74 spot to the number 59 spot. Congrats to Ethan Sacks for rebounding from the number 137 spot just a couple of months ago!
Star Wars Doctor Aphra #37 dropped from the number 101 spot down to the number 127 spot. Of course, this issue did ship in the last week of October. On the other hand, this issue also had four variant covers. It does not matter when this title ships as it always shows up in the Dead Titles Walking category.
Star Wars Dark Droids – D-Squad #2 dropped from the number 66 spot out of the Top 100 and down to the number 146 spot. This issue did ship in the last week of October and only had two variant covers. However, given the terrible debut number this title was a lock to fall out of the Top 100 no matter what week it shipped in October.
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi #2 plummeted from the number 79 spot and out of the Top 150 down to the number 154 spot. Again, the awful debut of this title meant that this second issue was going to be firmly in the Dead Walking Titles category. None of this is a surprise. Obi-Wan was a disappointing show and Jody Houser has never had any sales success writing mainstream Marvel or DC comic books.
Spider-Man Franchise
2 Amazing Spider-Man #35
8 Superior Spider-Man Returns #1
13 Amazing Spider-Man #36
15 Venom #26
38 Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #1
39 Uncanny Spider-Man #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
42 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #11
81 Strange Academy: Amazing Spider-Man #1
87 Amazing Spider-Man #34 (Resolicitation)
111 Death of the Venomverse #5 (Resolicitation)
118 Uncanny Spider-Man #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
123 Red Goblin #9
124 Hallows’ Eve The Big Night #1
144 Spider-Man: India #5
165 Amazing Spider-Man #33 (Resolicitation)
200 Death of the Venomverse #4 (Resolicitation)
The Spider-Man franchise had two titles in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50. This was worse in the Top 10 and flat in the Top 25 and Top 50 than in September 2023 when the Spider-Man franchise had three titles in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50. However, year-over-year numbers were down as the Spider-Man franchise had three titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and nine titles in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Amazing Spider-Man #35 ticked up from the number 3 spot to the number 2 spot. Amazing Spider-Man #36 grabbed the number 13 spot. Yes, last month the second issue of Amazing Spider-Man scored the number 10 spot. But, Amazing Spider-Man #36 shipped in the final week of October so that is what caused the tiny slip in the rankings. Also, this shows that shipping in the last week of a month is not an automatic death sentence.
Venom #26 dipped slightly from the number 11 spot to the number 15 spot. Venom is still a sales powerhouse and has been a lock for the Top 25 most months.
Superior Spider-Man Returns #1 had an impressive debut by taking the number 8 spot. If you desire more Dan Slott stories about Dok Ock as Spider-Man then this title is for you! Despite the amazing Mark Bagley doing the artwork, this title does not do much for me. However, I think many fans will be excited and I expect this new ongoing Spider-Man franchise title to enjoy some solid sales success.
Spine-Tingling Spider-Man #1 had a disappointing debut failing to make the Top 25 and coming in at the number 38 spot. When you roll out a new comic book with “Spider-Man” in the title and can’t nail a Top 25 debut then that is a major fail. We shall see if Saladin Ahmed can attract more readers to this four-issue mini-series.
Uncanny Spider-Man #2 suffered a big drop falling from the number 9 spot out of the Top 25 and down to the number 39 spot. That was a steeper drop than I was expecting. Of course, Uncanny Spider-Man #2 did ship in the final week of October. But, it did ship with four variant covers. So, I think it would be smart not to panic about this five-issue mini-series. Let’s see if this title enjoys a rebound in the next month.
Miles Morales: Spider-Man #11 dropped in the rankings for the third consecutive month as it fell from the number 38 spot to the number 42 spot. This title was selling far better than its historical numbers with the first eight issues. However, there has been a cooling off with this title and it appears this title is destined to be out of the Top 50 in the next two months.
Strange Academy: Amazing Spider-Man #1 had a terrible debut coming in at the number 81 spot. None of these Strange Academy titles have enjoyed much sales success.
Red Goblin #9 ticked up from the number 124 spot to the number 123 spot. This title seems locked into this general area of the sales rankings.
Hallows’ Eve The Big Night #1 had a terrible debut despite having five variant covers. This issue came in at the number 124 spot. This was predictable given that Erica Schultz is the writer and she never gets good sales numbers for Marvel Comics.
Spider-Man: India #5 bounced up to the number 144 spot. This is the first time since the debut issue that this title has been in the Top 200 rankings. This may be a terrible sales ranking, but it sure beats being unranked!
X-Men Franchise
4 X-Men #27 (Fall of the X-Men)
7 Immortal X-Men #16 (Fall of the X-Men)
12 Wolverine #38 (Fall of the X-Men)
20 Predator Vs. Wolverine #2
23 X-Men Red #16 (Fall of the X-Men)
30 Invincible Iron Man #11 (Fall of the X-Men)
33 X-Force #45 (Fall of the X-Men)
37 Uncanny Avengers #3 (Fall of the X-Men)
39 Uncanny Spider-Man #2 (Fall of the X-Men)
46 Predator Vs. Wolverine #1 (Resolicitation)
48 Dark X-Men #3 (Fall of the X-Men)
73 Children of the Vault #3 (Fall of the X-Men)
77 Jean Grey #3 (Fall of the X-Men)
79 Invincible Iron Man #10 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
83 Deadpool: Badder Blood #5
84 Ms. Marvel The New Mutant #3
91 Magneto #3
97 Astonishing Iceman #3 (Fall of the X-Men)
112 Alpha Flight #3 (Fall of the X-Men)
119 X-Men Days Of Future Past – Doomsday #4
122 Wolverine #37 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
125 Realm of X #3 (Fall of the X-Men)
135 Jean Grey #2 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
158 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #2 (Resolicitation)
The X-Men franchise had two titles in the Top 10, five titles in the Top 25, and eleven titles in the Top 50. This was worse in the Top 10 and Top 25 but better in the Top 50 than in September 2023 when the X-Men franchise had three titles in the Top 10, eight titles in the Top 25, and ten titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as the X-Men franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and six titles in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Looking at all of the X-Men franchise sales rankings for October 2023, it is clear that the Fall of the X-Men has had a positive impact on the core X-Men team titles.
X-Men #27 ticked up from the number 6 spot to the number 4 spot. X-Men continues to be a sales beast that racks up Top 10 finishes every month.
Immortal X-Men #16 climbed up the rankings for the second straight month going from the number 14 spot to the number 7 spot. Immortal X-Men has been a Top 25 seller every month. I am not surprised that it managed to force itself back into the Top 10.
X-Men Red #16 also enjoyed a second consecutive month of climbing up in the sales rankings. X-Men Red #16 popped up from the number 35 spot to the number 23 spot.
X-Force #45 climbed up the rankings for the second straight month. X-Force #45 bounced up from the number 50 spot to the number 33 spot. Benjamin Percy has been able to attract more readers to this title.
Now we shift to the X-Men franchise titles that are not performing that well despite the Fall of the X-Men.
Dark X-Men dropped in the sales rankings for the second straight month. Dark X-Men #3 fell from the number 21 spot down to the number 48 spot. This is a far cry from the number 7 debut two months ago. On one hand, this issue did ship in the last week of October. However, it also shipped with five variant covers. By the way, the David Nakayam variant cover for Dark X-Men #3? Perfection! Chef’s kiss!
I am not that surprised that this title has dropped this quickly in the rankings. The roster for Dark X-Men is not that impressive. Still, I am going to withhold judgment on this title until we see how it does throughout the next couple of months. It is early and Dark X-Men might rebound.
Children of the Vault dropped for a second straight month. Children of the Vault #3 fell from the number 63 spot down to the number 73 spot. This title should be headed out of the Top 75 next month. I am not that surprised that this title is not performing that well. I love Cable and Bishop, but the rest of the characters are D-list at best.
Alpha Flight continues its freefall in the sales rankings. Alpha Flight #3 fell from the number 69 spot out of the Top 100 and down to the number 112 spot. Yes, this issue shipped in the last week of October and only had one variant cover, but I don’t think shipping earlier in the month would have helped this title all that much. I am an old-school fan of the beloved John Byrne Alpha Flight. So, it is a bummer to see this title performing so poorly.
X-Men Days Of Future Past – Doomsday #4 concludes this mini-series by coming in at the number 119 spot. This mini-series was a sales bust for Marvel Comics.
Realm of X #3 dropped from the number 117 spot down to the number 125 spot. To be fair, this issue did ship in the final week of October. But, the sales were already awful with the second issue, so I do not think shipping earlier in the month would have made much of a difference. Torunn Grønbekk has struggled to have sales success with Marvel Comics. Being given this weak all-female roster of C-list and D-list characters is not doing her any favors.
All right, how are the solo X-Men franchise titles performing? Well, it is just Wolverine having success while everyone else is struggling.
Wolverine climbed up in the rankings for the second straight month. Wolverine #38 ticked up from the number 19 spot to the number 12 spot. Benjamin Percy is kick ass on this title. This issue also treated readers to a cool Logan and Steve Rogers team-up.
Predator Vs. Wolverine #2 dropped from the number 1 spot to the number 20 spot. Of course, this issue did ship in the last week of October. However, it did come with five variant covers. This issue is more proof that shipping in the final week of the month does not always doom a title.
The resolicitation for Predator Vs. Wolverine #1 cracked the Top 50 by taking the number 46 spot. That is so impressive. This four-issue mini-series is proving to be a smashing sales success for Marvel Comics.
Jean Grey #3 ticked down from the number 71 spot to the number 77 spot. That is very stable given that this issue shipped in the final week of October. The fact that this title has slowed its descent in the sales rankings may indicate that it might be able to stay in the Top 100 going forward.
Deadpool: Badder Blood #5 climbed up in the rankings for the second straight month. Deadpool: Badder Blood #5 rose from the number 94 spot to the number 83 spot. That is quite the improvement over the number 135 sales ranking that Deadpool: Badder Blood #3 had in August 2023. Rob Liefeld is hard to kill!
Ms. Marvel The New Mutant #3 ticked up slightly from the number 86 spot to the number 84 spot. This issue did ship in the final week of October, but it also had four variant covers. It looks like this four-issue mini-series has a shot of concluding in the Top 100 next month.
Magneto #3 dropped from the number 84 spot down to the number 91 spot. This four-issue mini-series has the hope of concluding in the Top 100.
Astonishing Iceman continues to plummet in the sales rankings quickly. Astonishing Iceman #3 fell from the number 73 spot down to the number 97 spot. This is no surprise at all. Iceman has struggled to have any sales success since the controversial retconning of his character. And I did not think that adding the gay train hobo version of Captain America to the mix was going to lead to a sales boost. Steve Orlando’s writing is in full cringe mode on this title. Having said that, this is a niche title and nobody should have expected that it would generate much interest from the mainstream audience.
Avengers Franchise
11 Sensational She-Hulk #1
16 Incredible Hulk #5
18 Avengers #6
30 Invincible Iron Man #11 (Fall of the X-Men)
37 Uncanny Avengers #3 (Fall of the X-Men)
41 Immortal Thor #3
54 Scarlet Witch #9
58 Captain Marvel #1
66 Capwolf & the Howling Commandos #1
71 Captain America #2
78 Black Panther #5
79 Invincible Iron Man #10 (Fall of the X-Men) (Resolicitation)
89 Avengers Inc. #2
98 Immortal Thor #2 (Resolicitation)
102 Avengers #5 (Resolicitation)
152 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #4
160 Captain America #1 (Resolicitation)
185 Captain Marvel: Assault On Eden #1
189 Avengers Annual #1 (Chaos) (Resolicitation)
The Avengers franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and six titles in the Top 50. This was flat in the Top 10 and Top 25 and worse in the Top 50 than in September 2023 when the Avengers franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, three titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were down in the Top 10 but up in the Top 25 and Top 50 as the Avengers franchise had one title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Avengers #6 rebounded from the number 44 spot to the number 18 spot which was the same spot in the sales rankings that Avengers #4 had in August 2023. September 2023 was a bit of an aberration as Avengers shipped in the last week of the month in September.
Uncanny Avengers #3 fell from the number 17 spot to the number 37 spot. This issue did ship in the final week of October, but it also had a whopping seven variant covers to boost its sales numbers. It is still way too early in this title to make any long-term predictions. Let’s see if this title enjoys a rebound with the next issue.
Avengers Inc. #2 crashed and burned plummeting from the number 29 spot out of the Top 75 and down to the number 89 spot. This cannot surprise anyone at all other than a Marvel editor. There was just no way that a title starring Janet Van Dyne as a superhero private detective was ever going to translate into big sales numbers. This title should be in the Dead Titles Walking category by next month.
The Gamma cousins lead the pack when it comes to the solo titles. Sensational She-Hulk #1 had an excellent debut coming in at the number 11 spot. That is a strong debut. However, the last volume of She-Hulk had an impressive debut and then fell off a cliff as a few months passed. So, I am going to reserve judgment until we see what She-Hulk does over the next few months.
I mock Marvel Comics for constantly canceling titles and then restarting them with a brand new #1 issue. But, the fact is that this is a sales gimmick that works. Yeah, for most titles this is just a temporary sales bump that lasts for a month or two. But, it is an easy cash grab. I know why Marvel Comics likes to do this.
Incredible Hulk #5 remained rock solid in the sales rankings as it only dipped from the number 15 spot to the number 16 spot. That is some impressive consistency. This title had a turbulent moment with Hulk #3 crashing down to the number 53 spot, but it appears that Phillip Kennedy Johnson may have finally found his footing.
Invincible Iron Man #11 rose in the sales rankings for the second straight month. Invincible Iron Man #11 bobbed up from the number 41 spot to the number 30 spot. There is no doubt that The Fall of X-Men has helped Mr. Emma Frost in a dramatic fashion in the sales charts. I am a long-time Iron Man fan, but I just have no interest in Duggan’s version of Mr. Emma Frost. However, many readers feel differently! Behold the sales power of a popular X-Men big event storyline.
Immortal Thor #3 rose from the number 46 spot to the number 41 spot. This issue shipped in the final week of October, but it also was boosted by four variant covers. I will be interested to see how Immortal Thor performs in a month when it does not ship in the last week of the month.
Scarlet Witch #9 held steady at the number 54 spot which is the same spot in the rankings that this title was in September 2023. It looks like Steve Orlando is not going to get this title back into the Top 50 before it gets canceled with the next issue. Don’t worry, dear readers! This is Marvel Comics we are talking about! Scarlet Witch is going to get restarted with a brand new #1 issue in 2024. But, of course.
Captain Marvel #1 completely flopped right out of the gate with an embarrassing debut failing to even make it in the Top 50 as it came in at the number 58 spot. Yes, this issue did ship in the last week of October. However, this issue was also bolstered by an eye-watering ELEVEN variant covers!
Nobody other than a Marvel editor is surprised by Captain Marvel #1 bombing in its debut. Carol Danvers remains far more popular with Marvel editors than she has ever been with the consumer as Captain Marvel does not sell well. Add to that the fact that Alyssa Wong is the writer and Wong has never had any sales success on a mainstream superhero comic book. This title was doomed from the start. Maybe Captain Marvel will enjoy a nice rebound next month and turn into a strong seller. Grab your popcorn and we shall see how this title performs over the next several months.
It does not get any better for Carol as we look at the other Captain Marvel titles that were published in October 2023. Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #4 fell from the number 139 spot to the number 152 spot. I predicted that this five-issue mini-series was going to finish outside of the Top 150. That seems certain at this point.
Captain Marvel: Assault On Eden #1 had a hideous debut barely even making the Top 200 by coming in at the number 185 spot. This one-shot special issue was designed to promote the upcoming MCU movie The Marvels. This is no surprise. I do not know anyone excited for The Marvels so I am not shocked that a comic book related to The Marvels tanked in the sales rankings.
Despite having five variant covers, Capwolf & the Howling Commandos #1 had a terrible debut failing to make the Top 50 and coming in at the number 66 spot. This four-issue mini-series is already a sales failure. This is no surprise. Stephanie Phillips is the writer and she has a history of failing in the sales charts with her prior mainstream superhero comics. I have no idea why the Marvel Comics editorial thought she would be a smart hire.
Normally, I would have been all over a title like this! I love the Howling Commandos. Plus, the real Nick Fury is in this story and I love his character. But, Phillips as the writer immediately made me pass on Capwolf & The Howling Commandos. I have been burned too many times before.
Captain America #2 crashed and burned falling from the number 13 spot out of the Top 50 and down to the number 71 spot. To be fair, this issue did ship in the final week of October. On the other hand, this issue was bolstered by five variant covers. Despite my love for Steve Rogers’ character, I had to pass on this new Captain America. I just cannot stomach another slow and ponderous JMS-penned story. It looks like many readers were not convinced by what JMS had to offer with the first issue.
Having said that, it is still very early on this new Captain America title. Let’s see if this title can enjoy a nice rebound in the next month and perhaps muscle its way into being a consistent Top 50 title each month.
Bolstered by three variant covers, Black Panther #5 climbed up to the number 78 spot. This title finally claws itself out of the Dead Titles Walking category where it had languished for the past two months. Black Panther is still selling way too low given the popularity of this character and this new title is still a sales disappointment. I have no faith in this title being able to crack back into the Top 75. Let’s see if this title can simply remain in the bottom quarter of the Top 100 over the next several months.
Batman Franchise
3 Batman #138 (Batman Catwoman (The Gotham War)
9 Batman And Robin #2
14 Batman Superman World’s Finest #20
19 Birds of Prey #2
21 Batman City of Madness #1 (Of 3)
22 Nightwing #107
28 Poison Ivy #15
34 Catwoman #58 (Batman Catwoman The Gotham War)
55 Detective Comics #1075
67 Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #11
74 Batman White Knight Presents Generation Joker #6 (Of 6)
75 Detective Comics #140 Facsimile Edition
92 Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Red Hood #2 (Of 2)
99 Harley Quinn #33
101 Detective Comics #1074 (Resolicitation)
128 Penguin #3
130 Batman Gargoyle of Gotham #1 (Of 4) (Resolicitation)
133 Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Red Hood #1 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
141 Harley Quinn Black White Redder #4 (Of 6)
142 Batman The Brave And The Bold #6
145 Batman #137 (The Gotham War) (Resolicitation)
155 Batman The Adventures Continue Season Three #8 (Of 8)
168 Batman And Robin #1 (Resolicitation)
176 Harley Quinn #32 (Resolicitation)
184 Batman Superman Worlds Finest #19 (Resolicitation)
191 Nightwing #106 (Resolicitation)
198 Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #4
Unranked: Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Three #8
The Batman franchise had two titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and eight titles in the Top 50. This was worse than September 2023 when the Batman franchise had three titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and nine titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were flat in the Top 10, up in the Top 25, but down in the Top 50 than in October 2022 when the Batman franchise had two titles in the Top 10, four titles in the Top 25, and eleven titles in the Top 50.
Let’s start with the big man himself: Bruce Wayne. These titles usually are the top performers.
Batman #138, and its six variant covers, ticked down from the number 2 spot to the number 3 spot. Bruce Wayne continues to be a cash machine.
Backed up by seven variant covers, Batman And Robin #2 only dipped from the number 7 spot to the number 9 spot. That is insanely impressive! Joshua Williams is working some real magic with this young title.
Batman Superman World’s Finest #20, with its six variant covers, climbed up in the rankings for a third straight month as it went from the number 20 spot to the number 14 spot. I love seeing this title increase in sales each month! Batman Superman World’s Finest is pure superhero goodness and deserves its success.
Batman City of Madness #1 with a mere three variant covers debuted at the number 21 spot. This is a solid debut for this offbeat three-issue mini-series.
Detective Comics #1075 ticked up from the number 60 spot to the number 55 spot. This issue did ship in the final week of October, but it also had four variant covers to help bolster it. Ram V continues to struggle to get Detective Comics into the Top 50 which is where this title should be every month.
Batman The Brave And The Bold #6 fell again dropping from the number 120 spot to the number 142 spot. Yes, this issue did ship in the final week of October and only had three variant covers. But, this title has never had good sales numbers and I am not expecting this to change anytime soon.
All right, let’s check out the ex-Robins and see how they performed in October 2023.
Nightwing #107 shot up from the number 47 spot to the number 22 spot. It is great to see Dick Grayson back in the Top 25! This is what DC Comcis needs to happen regularly.
Batman Catwoman The Gotham War Red Hood #2 concluded this two-issue mini-series by dropping from the number 77 spot to the number 92 spot. This issue did ship in the final week of October and only had two variant covers. So, the difference in the sales ranking is probably due to the shipping schedule.
All right, how about the villains? In October, we got comics for the Joker and the Penguin.
Joker The Man Who Stopped Laughing #11 climbed up from the number 80 spot to the number 67 spot. This issue only had three variant covers. It looks like this twelve-issue limited series has a good shot of concluding in the Top 75.
Batman White Knight Presents Generation Joker #6 concluded by ticking up from the number 75 spot to the number 74 spot. This mini-series ended up being a mid-performer in the sales charts for DC Comics. I am sure they were hoping for better sales than what they got.
Penguin #3 dropped from the number 118 spot to the number 128 spot. This issue did ship in the last week of October, but it also had four variant covers. This title was in the Dead Walking Title category with just the second issue. So, I am not expecting much of a rebound for this title in the next month.
All right, last up are the ladies of the Batman franchise!
Boosted by five variant covers, Birds of Prey #2 only dropped from the number 12 spot to the number 19 spot. That is fantastic and much better than I anticipated! Wow. DC Comics has to be excited about this. I am still not confident that this title can remain a consistent Top 50 seller. But, see Poison Ivy because anything can happen!
Despite being powered by five variant covers Poison Ivy #15 dipped for the second straight month as it fell from the number 26 spot to the number 28 spot. That is not much of a drop at all and shows that Poison Ivy is getting pretty consistent sales numbers. Poison Ivy has done well in the sales rankings so I am done betting against this title! Until proven otherwise, I will expect to see Poison Ivy remain a Top 50 title every month.
Despite being powered by a whopping eight variant covers Catwoman #58 dropped from the number 30 spot to the number 34 spot. While The Gotham War has done nothing for Bruce Wayne’s Batman title, it has helped boost Catwoman every month. Behold the power of Bruce Wayne.
I know this may surprise people but I do always check out Catwoman despite Tini Howard’s terrible writing. The reason is Nico Leon. Oh. My. God. Nobody, and I mean nobody, draws a better-looking Catwoman than Leon! Seriously, Leon is a brilliant artist and he makes Catowman one of the best-looking comic books on the market. I cannot wait for the day when Leon gets paired up with some real writing talent because that is going to be insane!
Harley Quinn #33 barely managed to claw back into the Top 100 by rising from the number 123 spot to the number 99 spot. This issue did ship in the final week of October, but it also had a stunning nine variant covers to boost sales. This title continues to be a dumpster fire. I am stunned that DC Comics appears to be in no hurry to try and revitalize one of their best female characters.
With only two variant covers Harley Quinn Black White Redder #4 fell from the number 128 spot down to the number 141 spot. There is just no good news for Harley in the sales rankings. This six-issue mini-series seems to be a lock for finishing outside of the Top 150.
Superman Franchise
10 Superman #7 (#850)
14 Batman Superman World’s Finest #20
64 Action Comics #1058
82 Superman Lost #7 (Of 10)
116 Power Girl #2
120 Superboy The Man of Tomorrow #6 (Of 6)
140 Action Comics #1057 (Resolicitation)
188 Superman #6 (Resolicitation)
Unranked: Steelworks #5
The Superman franchise had one comic in the Top 10, two comics in the Top 25, and two comics in the Top 50. This was better in the Top 10, flat in the Top 25, and worse in the Top 50 than in September 2023 when the Superman franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as the Superman franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Boosted by nine variant covers Superman #7 bounced up from the number 16 spot to the number 10 spot. Joshua Williamson has spectacularly reinvigorated the Superman franchise. DC Comics has to be over the moon with happiness at seeing a Superman title in the Top 10 seven months into this new volume. I will admit that I did not expect to see Superman in the Top 10 seven months into this latest comic. Williamson deserves a ton of credit.
Action Comics #1058 bounced up from the number 80 spot to the number 64 spot. This issue did ship in the final week of October, but it also was boosted by five variant covers. Action Comics has consistently underperformed under the new Dawn of DC initiative. The fact is that anthology comics have never sold well in the United States. And a questionable collection of writers trying to force the Superman Family peg into the Batman Family hole was never a recipe for success. At this point, it is just wasting time until Jason Aaron arrives to try and make Action Comics into a consistent Top 50 seller every month.
With only two variant covers Superman Lost #7 still climbed up from the number 85 spot to the number 82 spot. This is the third month in a row that Superman Lost has come in between the number 82-85 spot. It looks like this title has found its natural place in the sales rankings. This makes it look more likely that this ten-issue mini-series can conclude in the Top 100.
With just two variant covers Superboy The Man of Tomorrow #6 concluded this mini-series at the number 120 spot. This mini-series was a massive sales disappointment and highlighted how badly DC Comics editorial handled the repackaging of the Superman franchise under the Dawn of DC initiative.
Power Girl #2 crashed and burned in a dramatic fashion plummeting from the number 36 spot out of the Top 100 and down to the number 116 spot. I predicted that Power Girl would drop out of the Top 50 with just the second issue. Even I was being too generous.
Yes, this issue did ship in the final week of October but it also had four variant covers to help boost it. Either way, such a monstrous drop indicates that shipping earlier in the month would not have been that much of a help.
Leah Williams’ story drove away a huge portion of the readership who picked up the first issue. That is no surprise. Williams’ writing was awful as she demonstrated no understanding of Power Girl’s continuity. On top of that, the story was boring and lacked any internal logic. Whichever DC Comics editor thought Leah Williams was a good idea for a Power Girl title should be fired. It has been failure after failure for Williams who has no business writing mainstream superhero comics.
Steelworks #5 dropped from the number 154 spot fell right out of the Top 200 and was unranked. Yes, this issue did ship in the final week of October and only had two variant covers. But, this title has been in the Dead Walking Titles category from the start. So, none of this is a surprise. It is going to be a struggle for this six-issue mini-series to conclude ranked in the Top 200.
Steelworks is another shining example of DC Comics’ editorial’s incompetence. This title is another patent sales failure in the Dawn of DC initiative’s reimagining of the Superman Family. My advice for next time? Do not hire a random TV actor to write your mainstream superhero comic book.
Justice League Franchise
6 Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong #1 (Of 6)
26 Wonder Woman #2
32 Green Lantern #4
51 Wonder Woman #1 (Resolicitation)
61 The Flash #2
76 The Flash #1
95 Green Arrow #5 (Of 6)
109 Green Lantern War Journal #2
134 Fire & Ice Welcome To Smallville #2 (Of 6)
162 Hawkgirl #4 (Of 6)
167 Amazons Attack #1
174 Green Arrow #4 (Of 6) (Resolicitation)
The Justice League franchise had one comic in the Top 10, one comic in the Top 25, and three comics in the Top 50. This was worse than September 2023 when the Justice League franchise had one title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as the Justice League franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and zero titles in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Boosted by a stunning ten variant covers, Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong #1 crushed it by debuting at the number 6 spot! Wow! That was better than I was expecting. I am thrilled to see this title getting this type of sales success. As a die-hard kaiju fan and a long-time superhero fan, this title is the Reese’s peanut butter cup of comic books! Justice League vs Godzilla vs Kong #1 was a blast and I hope people stick around for the remainder of this six-issue limited series.
With a relatively modest number of four variant covers Green Lantern #4 ticked up from the number 33 spot to the number 32 spot. That is a great sign that Green Lantern has found its happy place in the sales rankings. DC Comics would be thrilled to have Green Lantern be a consistent Top 50 seller each month. This is what DC Comics has to do with franchises outside of the Batman franchise to successfully compete with Marvel Comics.
Despite being powered by six variant covers Green Lantern War Journal #2 crashed and burned falling from the number 59 spot out of the Top 100 and down to the number 109 spot. This was predictable since this title failed to debut in the Top 50. For fans who wonder why DC Comics leans on Hal Jordan wonder no more. It’s not that complicated. The fact is that the other Green Lanterns continually fail in the sales charts.
The Flash #2 dropped from the number 22 spot out of the Top 50 and down to the number 61 spot. This issue did ship in the final week of October, but it also had five variant covers to help it out. Still, it is early in on this title and we have to see if The Flash will enjoy a rebound next month. It is not time for DC Comics to panic at this point.
Green Arrow #5 dropped again falling from the number 83 spot to the number 95 spot. To be fair, this issue did ship in the final week of October and only had two variant covers. So, I think there is a shot that this six-issue limited series concludes in the Top 100 next month.
All right, enough of the guys. How did the ladies of the Justice League franchise perform in October 2023?
Wonder Woman #2 dropped from the number 8 spot out of the Top 25 and down to the number 26 spot. On its face, that is an alarming drop. However, to be fair, this issue did ship in the final week of October, but it also had six variant covers to help boost it.
On the plus side, the resolicitation of Wonder Woman #1 almost cracked into the Top 50 by taking the 51 spot. That is a great number for a resolicitation of an issue.
It is just way too early to try and predict what type of long-term success Tom King’s Wonder Woman is going to have in the sales rankings. Let’s see if this comic can rebound next month before making any judgments.
Amazons Attack #1 had a hideous debut failing to even make the Top 150 as it came in at the number 167 spot. That is brutally awful. Now, this issue did ship in the final week of October, but it also had four variant covers to help boost it. Regardless, when an issue fails to debut in the Top 150 it does not matter what week of the month it shipped.
I saw this coming from a mile away. Only a DC editor would be surprised by Amazons Attack flopping out of the gate. Once again, DC Comics takes a page from their playbook on how to get their ass kicked by Marvel Comics when it came to hiring the writer. Josie Campbell is the writer of Amazons Attack. Campbell is a TV and film writer for various animation companies. She is also a joke writer for various comedians. Campbell has had no sales success at all writing mainstream superhero comic books. I have no idea what is DC Comics’ obsession with hiring people who are not mainstream superhero comic book writers. It is bizarre and defies common sense. The results are predictable and always the same.
Given this embarrassing debut number, it is going to be a struggle for Amazons Attack to conclude this six-issue story in the Top 200.
Fire & Ice Welcome To Smallville #2 flamed out plummeting from the number 57 spot out of the Top 100 and down to the number 134 spot. This is no surprise since the debut issue failed to make the Top 50. Again, DC Comics’ editors pull out a writer from nowhere with no qualifications to write a mainstream superhero comic in Joanne Starer and the results are predictable. Fire and Ice are such cool characters and they deserve to get a real mainstream superhero comic writer who can do them justice. At this point, it will be a struggle for this six-issue mini-series to conclude in the Top 175.
Hawkgirl #4 crashed from the number 131 spot out of the Top 150 and down to the number 162 spot. Again, nobody other than a DC editor should be surprised by this. DC Comics hired a complete rando to write this title. The result is a terrible story. I have no idea what are the requirements to get a job as a writer for DC Comics these days. Simply have a pulse? At any rate, this six-issue limited series will struggle to conclude in the Top 175 at this point. Hawkgirl is another excellent character getting saddled with a bad writer. This is a theme for DC Comics these days.
Justice Society Franchise
43 Wesley Dodds The Sandman #1 (Of 6)
70 Jay Garrick The Flash #1 (Of 6)
80 Alan Scott The Green Lantern #1 (Of 6)
Unranked: Justice Society of America: Gold #1
Unranked: New Golden Age: Special Edition
The Justice Society franchise had zero comics in the Top 10, zero comics in the Top 25, and one comic in the Top 50.
As a long-time Justice Society of America fan, I am thrilled to see DC Comics rolling out not one, not two, but three JSA solo titles in October! How cool is that?!
With a modest three variant covers Wesley Dodds The Sandman #1 scored the best debut of the Justice Society franchise titles coming in at the number 43 spot. I would have never guessed that Wesley Dodds would beat out Jay Garrick or Alan Scott. But, this is a comic written by the superlative Robert Venditti so you know you are going to get a well-crafted story. I think just barely making the Top 50 with the debut issue means that Wesley Dodds The Sandman will have a tough time concluding its six-issue limited series in the Top 100.
Also with a mere three variant covers Jay Garrick The Flash #1 debuted outside of the Top 50 coming in at the number 70 spot. I like Jeremy Adams and I love Jay Garrick so I was hoping that this issue would perform much better than it did. Oh well. I know I have always been in the extreme minority when it comes to Jay Garrick’s character. It looks like this six-issue limited series will have to fight hard to finish in the Top 150.
Alan Scott The Green Lantern #1 had the worst debut of the bunch failing to even crack the Top 75 as it came in at the number 80 spot. To be fair, this issue did ship in the final week of October and only had three variant covers to boost its numbers.
Historically, Alan Scott has been a beloved character. However, the controversial retconning of his storied character turned off some readers. Add to that the fact that Tim Sheridan is the writer and he has never had any sales success as a mainstream superhero writer. So, I am not that surprised by this debut number. I have a feeling that Alan Scott The Green Lantern will conclude its six-issue limited series outside of the Top 150.
Justice Society of America: Gold #1 and New Golden Age: Special Edition were both unranked. However, that is no surprise since both issues are just reprints of older stories. Justice Society of America: Gold #1 reprints Justice Society of America #1-3. New Golden Age: Special Edition reprints The New Golden Age #1 plus previews of the three JSA solo titles that were released in October. These kinds of reprint/preview issues rarely sell well.
Mantle Swap Titles
8 Superior Spider-Man Returns #1 (Marvel Comics)
39 Uncanny Spider-Man #2 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
42 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #11 (Marvel Comics)
58 Captain Marvel #1 (Marvel Comics)
84 Ms. Marvel The New Mutant #3 (Marvel Comics)
117 Blue Beetle #2 (DC Comics)
118 Uncanny Spider-Man #1 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
144 Spider-Man: India #5 (Marvel Comics)
152 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #4 (Marvel Comics)
158 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #2 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
185 Captain Marvel: Assault On Eden #1 (Marvel Comics)
There was one mantle swap title in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50. This was better than September 2023 when there were zero mantle swap titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as there were zero mantle swap titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and zero titles in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Blue Beetle #2 bombed falling from the number 49 spot out of the Top 100 and down to the number 117 spot. Everyone saw this coming. DC Comics logic means smashing yourself in the forehead with a hammer and expecting a different result each time. Jamie Reyes has been packaged up and reserved over and over again to the consumer only to completely bomb in the sales charts every single time.
To make things even worse, DC Comics literally just finished serving up a Joshua Trujillo Blue Beetle comic in Blue Beetle Graduation Day that failed so horrendously that it ended up being unranked and out of the Top 200. I have no idea what genius at DC Comics thought rolling out the same creative team paired up with Jaime Reyes would lead to any different result other than sales failure. It is bizarre moves like this that make me feel like there is nobody competent at the controls in DC Comics.
Legacy Character Titles
22 Nightwing #107 (DC Comics)
25 Titans #4 (DC Comics)
61 The Flash #2 (DC Comics)
69 World’s Finest Teen Titans #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
76 The Flash #1 (DC Comics)
116 Power Girl #2 (DC Comics)
120 Superboy The Man of Tomorrow #6 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
123 Red Goblin #9 (Marvel Comics)
175 Tales of the Titans #4 (Of 4) (DC Comics) L
191 Nightwing #106 (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
198 Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #4 (DC Comics)
Unranked: Cyborg #4 (DC Comics)
There were zero legacy character titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. This was the same in the Top 10, better in the Top 25, but worse in the Top 50 than in September 2023 when there were zero legacy character titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50. Year-over-year numbers were up as there were zero legacy character titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Bolstered by seven variant covers Titans #4 popped up from the number 39 spot to the number 25 spot. It is fantastic to see Titans back in the Top 25! DC Comics has to be happy since they desperately need more franchises outside of the Batman franchise to turn into strong sellers for them.
World’s Finest Teen Titans #4 rose slightly from the number 70 spot to the number 69 spot. This title has been such a gem. I wish it was selling better. Still, it is nice to see that World’s Finest Teen Titans has steadied itself in the sales rankings. This six-issue limited series should finish in the Top 100.
Tales of the Titans #4 fell from the number 141 spot to the number 175 spot. With this issue, Tales of the Titans has concluded. I love the Titans, but this mini-series was a total sales failure.
Cyborg #4 was unranked for the second consecutive month. What a total embarrassment. DC Comics completely dropped the ball with this new Cyborg title. Vic is a fantastic character and deserved so much more than to be saddled with Morgan Hampton as the writer. I hope that DC Comics gives Vic another chance soon and pairs him up with a much a real mainstream superhero writer. There is no reason that Cyborg should not be a Top 75-selling title.
Once again, we have another Dawn of DC title failing. It is tough to believe that DC Comics was going to turn things around with Dawn of DC when it is the same DC editorial staff that ran the company into the ground still in control of everything.
Female Lead Titles
11 Sensational She-Hulk #1 (Marvel Comics)
19 Birds of Prey #2 (DC Comics)
26 Wonder Woman #2 (DC Comics)
28 Poison Ivy #15 (DC Comics)
34 Catwoman #58 (Batman Catwoman The Gotham War) (DC Comics)
51 Wonder Woman #1 (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
54 Scarlet Witch #9 (Marvel Comics)
58 Captain Marvel #1 (Marvel Comics)
77 Jean Grey #3 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics)
84 Ms. Marvel The New Mutant #3 (Marvel Comics)
99 Harley Quinn #33 (DC Comics)
108 Power Girl #1 (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
116 Power Girl #2 (DC Comics)
124 Hallows’ Eve The Big Night #1 (Marvel Comics)
127 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #37 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
131 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #36 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
134 Fire & Ice Welcome To Smallville #2 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
135 Jean Grey #2 (Fall of the X-Men) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
141 Harley Quinn Black White Redder #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
152 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #4 (Marvel Comics)
158 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #2 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
162 Hawkgirl #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
167 Amazons Attack #1 (DC Comics)
176 Harley Quinn #32 (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
185 Captain Marvel: Assault On Eden #1 (Marvel Comics)
193 Catwoman #57 (The Gotham War) (DC Comics) (Resolicitation)
There were zero female lead titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50. This was worse in the Top 10 and in the Top 50 than in September 2023 when there was one female lead title in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and six titles in the Top 50. However, year-over-year numbers were up as there were zero female lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Marvel placed one female lead title in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were up as Marvel Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 25 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics also had zero female lead titles in the Top 25 in October 2022.
DC Comics had one female lead title in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were down as DC Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 25 in September 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were up as DC Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 25 in October 2022.
Marvel placed one female lead title in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics also had one female lead title in the Top 50 in September 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 50 in October 2022.
DC Comics had four female lead titles in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were down as DC Comics had five female lead titles in the Top 50 in September 2023. On the other hand, year-over-year numbers were up as DC Comics had zero female lead titles in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Marvel placed three female lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics also had three female lead titles in the Top 75 in September 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had one female lead title in the Top 75 in October 2022.
DC Comics had five female lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were flat as DC Comics also had five female lead titles in the Top 75 in September 2023. On the other hand, year-over-year numbers were up as DC Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 75 in October 2022.
Marvel placed five female lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics also had five female lead titles in the Top 100 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were slightly up as Marvel Comics had four female lead titles in the Top 100 in October 2022.
DC Comics had six female lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were up as DC Comics had five female lead titles in the Top 100 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were way up as DC Comics had two female lead titles in the Top 100 in October 2022.
DC Comics edged out Marvel Comics by a 6-5 margin in the Top 100. However, for a second straight month, DC Comics crushed Marvel Comics in the Top 50 by a score of 4-1. DC Comics was bolstered by the staying power of Birds of Prey and Wonder Woman who did not suffer big drops after their debut issues last month. The continued strong sales of Poison Ivy also helped boost DC Comics in their fight with Marvel Comics.
All Marvel Comics had was the debut issue of Sensational She-Hulk. Marvel Comics is praying that She-Hulk can have staying power with the second issue. Otherwise, next month’s Top 50 is going to be brutal for the House of the Mouse.
Minority Lead Titles
42 Miles Morales: Spider-Man #11 (Marvel Comics)
72 Blade #4 (Marvel Comics)
78 Black Panther #5 (Marvel Comics)
84 Ms. Marvel The New Mutant #3 (Marvel Comics)
109 Green Lantern War Journal #2 (DC Comics)
117 Blue Beetle #2 (DC Comics)
127 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #37 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics)
131 Star Wars: Doctor Aphra #36 (Dark Droids) (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
144 Spider-Man: India #5 (Marvel Comics)
158 Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant #2 (Marvel Comics) (Resolicitation)
162 Hawkgirl #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
Unranked: Steelworks #5 (DC Comics)
Unranked: Cyborg #4 (DC Comics)
Unranked: City Boy #5 (DC Comics)
There were zero minority lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and one title in the Top 50. This was worse than September 2023 when there were zero minority lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50. However, year-over-year numbers were up as there were zero minority lead titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and zero titles in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Marvel placed zero minority lead titles in the Top 25. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also flat as Marvel Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in October 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 September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were also flat as DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 25 in October 2022.
Marvel placed one minority lead title in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were flat as Marvel Comics also had one minority lead title in the Top 50 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 50 in October 2022.
DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 50. Month-over-month numbers were down as DC Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 50 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 50 in October 2022.
Marvel placed two minority lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were up as Marvel Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 75 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had one minority lead title in the Top 75 in October 2022.
DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 75. Month-over-month numbers were down as DC Comics had two minority lead titles in the Top 75 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 75 in October 2022.
Marvel placed four minority lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were up as Marvel Comics had three minority lead titles in the Top 100 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had three minority lead titles in the Top 100 in October 2022.
DC Comics had zero minority lead titles in the Top 100. Month-over-month numbers were down as DC Comics had two minority lead titles in the Top 100 in September 2023. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had zero minority lead titles in the Top 100 in October 2022.
Marvel Comics decimated DC Comics by a score of 4-0. Is DC Comics even trying in this category? Part of DC Comics’ problem is their refusal to put any talented mainstream superhero writers on their minority lead character titles. Something has to change for DC Comics because this is embarrassing.
Of course, both publishers are doing an atrocious job in this category. Between Marvel Comics and DC Comics, there was just one minority lead comic in the Top 50. Between both publishers, there were just two minority lead comics in the Top 75. That is inexcusable. There are too many excellent characters for both publishers for this to happen.
Blade #4 bounced up from the number 122 spot to the number 72 spot. This is the first issue since the debut issue that has not been in the Dead Titles Walking category! Can Blade build on this momentum going forward? I am not bullish on those chances, but you never know!
City Boy #5 dropped from the number 166 spot back out of the Top 200 and was unranked. This is the third issue of this mini-series that has been unranked. I started to get a bit bullish on the chances of this title concluding in the Top 200 after last month’s stunning surge in the rankings. However, it now appears that this six-issue mini-series will conclude unranked.
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
104 Silver Surfer Rebirth: Legacy #2
112 Alpha Flight #3 (Fall of the X-Men)
119 X-Men Days Of Future Past – Doomsday #4
123 Red Goblin #9
124 Hallows’ Eve The Big Night #1
125 Realm of X #3 (Fall of the X-Men)
127 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #37 (Dark Droids)
144 Spider-Man: India #5
146 Star Wars Dark Droids – D-Squad #2 (Dark Droids)
152 Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #4
154 Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi #2
185 Captain Marvel: Assault On Eden #1
199 Moon Knight Vs. Werewolf By Night: Marvel Tales #1
Unranked: Marvel Unleashed #3
Marvel Comics had fourteen dead titles walking out of their seventy-one new titles in October 2023. This means that 20% of Marvel Comics’ new titles in October 2023 were dead titles walking.
This was down from the twenty dead titles walking that Marvel Comics had in September 2023. However, year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics had twelve dead titles walking in October 2022.
DC Comics
107 Danger Street #10 (Of 12)
109 Green Lantern War Journal #2
110 Peacemaker Tries Hard #6 (Of 6)
116 Power Girl #2
117 Blue Beetle #2
120 Superboy The Man of Tomorrow #6 (Of 6)
128 Penguin #3
134 Fire & Ice Welcome To Smallville #2 (Of 6)
136 DC’s Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun #1 (One-Shot)
141 Harley Quinn Black White Redder #4 (Of 6)
142 Batman The Brave And The Bold #6
149 Unstoppable Doom Patrol #7 (Of 7)
155 Batman The Adventures Continue Season Three #8 (Of 8)
162 Hawkgirl #4 (Of 6)
167 Amazons Attack #1
174 Green Arrow #4 (Of 6)
175 Tales of the Titans #4 (Of 4)
183 Sandman Universe Nightmare Country The Glass House #5 (Of 6)
198 Batman Beyond Neo-Gothic #4
Unranked: Steelworks #5
Unranked: Cyborg #4
Unranked: City Boy #5
Unranked: Justice Society of America: Gold #1
Unranked: New Golden Age: Special Edition
Unranked: Batman: The Adventures Continue Season Three #8
Unranked: Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? #124
DC Comics had twenty-six dead titles walking out of DC Comics’ fifty-six new titles in October 2023. This means that 46% of the New DC Comics’ titles in October 2023 were dead titles walking.
This was way up from the nineteen dead titles walking that DC Comics had in September 2023 which comprised 38% of DC Comics’ new titles. However, year-over-year numbers were down as DC Comics had a stunning twenty-nine dead titles walking in October 2022.
The Tini Howard Award For The Writer With The Most Dead Titles Walking
It was a quiet month in the battle for the Tini Howard Award as very few writers slotted more than one comic in the Dead Titles Walking category. Only three writers had two comics in the Dead Titles Walking category. So, we are going to immediately go to tie-breakers for the award this month.
Marc Guggenheim had two comics in the Dead Titles Walking category with X-Men Days Of Future Past – Doomsday #4 at the number 119 spot and Star Wars Dark Droids – D-Squad #2 at the number 146 spot.
Kyle Starks had two comics in the Dead Titles Walking category with Peacemaker Tries Hard #6 at the number 110 spot and Marvel Unleashed #3 which was unranked.
Tom King had two comics in the Dead Titles Walking category with Danger Street #10 at the number 107 spot and Penguin #3 at the number 128 spot.
The first tie-breaker is a writer with an ongoing title wins over a writer who has just a mini-series. Both of Guggenheim’s comics are four-issue mini-series. Both of Kyle Starks’s comics are four-issue mini-series However, one of Tom King’s titles is an ongoing monthly comic. Therefore, the Tini Howard Award for October 2023 goes to…Tom King!
All right, that is it for October 2023 Will Marvel Comics continue its domination of the Top 200 in November 2023? We will find out. Until then, everyone stay safe and be good!
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