It is time to check out the September 2022 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.
September 2022 Top 200 Single-Issue Comic Rankings
The Battle for the Top 10
- Batman #127 (DC Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #9 (Marvel Comics)
- Dark Crisis #4 (Of 7) (DC Comics)
- A.X.E. Judgment Day #4 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman Vs Robin #1 (Of 5) (DC Comics)
- A.X.E. Judgment Day #5 (Marvel Comics)
- Daredevil #3 (Marvel Comics)
- Edge of Spider-Verse #3 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
- Fortnite X Marvel Zero War #5 (Marvel Comics)
The battle for the Top 10 was tighter than usual! DC Comics actually attempted to put up a fight in September 2022. Of course, DC Comics still lost, but it was a better attempt than usual.
Marvel Comics won the battle by placing six titles in the Top 10. This was down from the seven titles in the Top 10 in August 2022. It is also the second straight month that Marvel Comics has had declining numbers in the Top 10. Year-over-year, were also down as Marvel Comics had seven titles in the Top 10 in September 2021.
Marvel Comics’ success continues to come on the back of Peter Parker. There is no character in the Marvel Universe that is more popular than Petey. Marvel Comics also continues to enjoy great success with the new Daredevil title. Look, I may hate the concept of stripping Electra of her own agency and unique character name and look. But, the numbers do not lie. Most of you guys out there love this new Daredevil title.
DC Comics placed four titles in the Top 10. Of course, Bruce Wayne is the best-selling character for DC Comics. No surprise. Also, three of the four titles are from the Batman franchise. Again, no surprise.
This showing by DC Comics is slightly up from the three titles they placed in the Top 10 in August 2022. Year-over-year, DC Comics was up from the two titles in the Top 10 in September 2021. It is not great, but at least it is an upward trend.
DC Comics can take some pride in the fact that their big event in Dark Crisis beat Marvel Comics’ big event A.X.E. This does not surprise me that much. I have always thought that DC Comics delivers better big events than Marvel Comics.
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.
- Midnight Suns #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Immortal X-Men #6 (Marvel Comics)
- BRZRKR #10 (Of 12) (Mature) (Boom! Studios)
- Alien #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Flashpoint Beyond #5 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Vanish #1 (Image Comics)
- Edge Of Spider-Verse #4 (Marvel Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #10 (Marvel Comics)
- Moon Knight #15 (Marvel Comics)
- Wolverine #24 (Marvel Comics)
- X-Men Red #6 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman One Bad Day Two-Face #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
- Venom #10 (Marvel Comics)
- Poison Ivy #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- All-Out Avengers #1 (Marvel Comics)
Marvel Comics dominated DC Comics by placing sixteen titles. However, this was actually down from the eighteen titles Marvel had in the Top 25 in August 2022. Year-over-year was also down slightly as Marvel Comics had seventeen titles in the Top 25 in September 2021.
Marvel Comics continues to enjoy a great diversity of franchises in their Top 25 titles. This is something that DC Comics is surely envious of. Marvel Comics’ Top 25 success comes from Spider-Man, Daredevil, Moon Knight, Wolverine, X-Men, Aliens, and Midnight Suns. That is a wide variety of different franchises.
DC Comics slumped into second place with just seven titles in the Top 25. This was the same as DC Comics did in August 2022. However, year-over-year numbers were actually up from the three titles that DC Comics put in the Top 25 in September 2021. Good job, DC! Of course, six of DC Comics’ seven titles were from the Batman franchise. This continues to be an alarming trend.
Image Comics and Boom Studios tied for third place with one title apiece in the Top 25.
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.
- Predator #2 (Marvel Comics)
- X-Terminators #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Ghost Rider #6 (Marvel Comics)
- DCeased War of The Undead Gods #2 (Of 8) (DC Comics)
- Star Wars The Mandalorian #3 (Marvel Comics)
- Star Wars #27 (Marvel Comics)
- Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi #5 (Marvel Comics)
- Fortnite X Marvel Zero War #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- A.X.E. Death to the Mutants #2 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman Superman Worlds Finest #7 (DC Comics)
- Thor #27 (Marvel Comics)
- She-Hulk #6 (Marvel Comics)
- Nightwing #96 (DC Comics)
- Fantastic Four #47 (Marvel Comics)
- Star Wars Darth Vader #27 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman Beyond The White Knight #5 (Of 8) (DC Comics)
- Avengers #60 (Marvel Comics)
- Punisher #6 (Marvel Comics)
- Spider-Man 2099 Exodus Omega #1 (Marvel Comics)
- X-Men #15 (Marvel Comics)
- Twig #5 (Of 5) (Image Comics)
- Detective Comics #1064 (DC Comics)
- Spawn #333 (1992) (Image Comics)
- Dark Knights of Steel Tales From The Three Kingdoms #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
- Stuff of Nightmares #1 (Of 4) (Boom! Studios)
Marvel Comics crushes everyone by putting thirty-two titles in the Top 50. This is tied with what Marvel Comics did in the Top 50 in August 2022. Year-over-year numbers were up over the thirty titles Marvel Comics had in the Top 50 in September 2021.
I just want to take a moment to point out that Johnny Blaze Ghost Rider is at the number 28 spot. Amazing! I am pleasantly surprised that this title is still selling this well by the sixth issue. I am sure Marvel Comics was not expecting this to happen.
DC Comics took second place with just thirteen titles in the Top 50. This is even worse than the fifteen titles that DC Comics had in the Top 50 in August 2022. Year-over-year numbers were actually up as DC Comics only had ten titles in the Top 50 in September 2021.
Of course, eleven of DC Comics’ thirteen titles come from the Batman franchise. This overreliance on the Batman franchise looks to be a constant feature of DC Comics.
Image Comics took third place with three titles. Boom Studios came in fourth place with two titles.
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.
- Action Comics #1 Facsimile Edition (2022) (DC Comics)
- Marauders #6 (Marvel Comics)
- Creepshow #1 (Of 5) (Image Comics)
- New Fantastic Four #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Bone Orchard Black Feathers #1 (Image Comics)
- Amazing Fantasy #1000 (Marvel Comics)
- King Spawn #14 (Image Comics)
- New Mutants #29 (Marvel Comics)
- Gunslinger Spawn #12 (Image Comics)
- DC Horror Presents Sgt Rock Vs The Army of The Dead #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- X-Men #14 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman Dear Detective #1 (One- Shot) (DC Comics)
- New Mutants #30 (Marvel Comics)
- A.X.E. Avengers #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Captain America Sentinel of Liberty #4 (Marvel Comics)
- The Flash #786 (Dark Crisis) (DC Comics)
- Strange #6 (Marvel Comics)
- Carnage #6 (Marvel Comics)
- Nice House On The Lake #10 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- Black Panther #9 (Marvel Comics)
- Superman Son of Kal-El #15 (DC Comics)
- DC Vs Vampires All-Out War #3 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Eight Billion Genies #5 (Of 8) (Image Comics)
- Batman The Knight #9 (Of 10) (DC Comics)
- Briar #1 (Of 4) (Boom! Studios)
Marvel Comics cruised to first place by placing forty-three titles in the Top 75. This was the same as the forty-three titles that Marvel Comics put in the Top 75 in August 2022.
DC Comics took a distant second place with twenty-one titles in the Top 75. This was down from the twenty-four titles that DC Comics put in the Top 75 in August 2022. Thirteen of DC Comics’ twenty-one titles come from the Batman franchise.
Image Comics came in third place with eight titles. Boom Studios took fourth place with three titles.
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.
- Star Wars Bounty Hunters #27 (Marvel Comics)
- Dark Crisis Worlds Without A Justice League Wonder Woman #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
- Iron Man #23 (Marvel Comics)
- Batman Beyond Neo-Year #6 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Godzilla Vs Power Rangers #5 (IDW Publishing)
- Ms. Marvel & Venom #1 (Marvel Comics)
- Amazing Spider-Man #8 (Marvel Comics)
- DC Vs Vampires #9 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- Spider-Punk #5 (Marvel Comics)
- Grim #5 (Boom! Studios)
- Titans United Bloodpact #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Legion Of X #5 (Marvel Comics)
- Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi #4 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
- Jurassic League #5 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Avengers Forever #9 (Marvel Comics)
- Dark Crisis Young Justice #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
- Tim Drake Robin #1 (DC Comics)
- Harley Quinn #22 (DC Comics)
- Savage Avengers #5 (Marvel Comics)
- X-Men Legends #2 (Marvel Comics)
- Action Comics #1047 (DC Comics)
- Human Target #7 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
- Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #4 (Marvel Comics)
- Miles Morales Spider-Man #42 (Marvel Comics)
- A.X.E. Judgment Day #3 (Of 6) (Marvel Comics)
Marvel Comics took first place with fifty-six titles. This was down from the fifty-eight titles that Marvel Comics put in the Top 100 in August 2022. However, year-over-year numbers were up from the forty-nine titles that Marvel Comics had in the Top 100 in September 2021.
DC Comics took second place with thirty-one titles. This was down slightly from the thirty-two titles that DC Comics had in the Top 100 in August 2022. Year-over-year numbers were flat as DC Comics also had thirty-one titles in the Top 100 in September 2021. Sixteen of DC Comics’ thirty-one titles were from the Batman franchise.
Image Comics took third place with eight titles. Boom Studios came in fourth place with four titles. IDW Publishing took fifth place with one title.
Debut Issues
5 Batman Vs Robin #1 (Of 5) (DC Comics)
9 Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
11 Midnight Suns #1 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
14 Alien #1 (Marvel Comics)
22 Batman One Bad Day Two-Face #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
25 All-Out Avengers #1 (Marvel Comics)
27 X-Terminators #1 (Marvel Comics)
44 Spider-Man 2099 Exodus Omega #1 (Marvel Comics)
49 Dark Knights of Steel Tales From The Three Kingdoms #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
60 DC Horror Presents Sgt Rock Vs The Army of The Dead #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
62 Batman Dear Detective #1 (One- Shot) (DC Comics)
64 A.X.E. Avengers #1 (Marvel Comics)
77 Dark Crisis Worlds Without A Justice League Wonder Woman #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
81 Ms. Marvel & Venom #1 (Marvel Comics)
86 Titans United Bloodpact #1 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
92 Tim Drake Robin #1 (DC Comics)
123 The Flash The Fastest Man Alive #1 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
139 X-Men & Moon Girl #1 (Marvel Comics)
163 Marvel’s Voices Community #1 (Marvel Comics)
175 Superman Warworld Apocalypse #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
181 Batman Knightwatch #1 (Of 5) (DC Comics)
As usual, this article will address most of these debut issues in their respective franchise sections below. However, we should point out a few of the debut issues at this moment.
I was surprised by Midnight Suns #1 debuting at the number 11 spot! Wow, I did not see that coming at all. The Midnight Suns video game was released on December 2, 2022, so I’m unsure if September sales were impacted by a video game that had not been released yet. At any rate, it will be interesting to see if there is enough reader support to keep Midnight Suns from dropping like a rock over the next few issues.
Alien #1 had a nice debut at the number 14 spot. The Alien franchise is popular so this is no surprise. Of course, it should be pointed out that in the ever-lasting rivalry between Predator and Aliens, Predator wins again. In August 2022, Predator #1 debuted at the number 3 spot. That is significantly higher than Aliens #1’s debut.
DC Horror Presents Sgt Rock Vs The Army of The Dead #1 debuted at the number 60 spot. Now, I now debuting out of the Top 50 is normally viewed as a bad sign. However, I am actually surprised that a niche title like this even debuted as high as the number 60 spot! It will be interesting to see how this mini-series does over the next few issues.
Titans United Bloodpact #1 had a disastrous debut coming in at the number 86 spot. This is depressing to see. I love these characters and they really do deserve better than this.
Marvel Voices Community #1 debuted at the number 163 spot. That is embarrassing. These Marvel Voices continue to perform worse and worse. I guess I have to give Marvel Comics credit for continuing on with these titles despite the fact that there is no readership demand for them.
Big Events
3 Dark Crisis #4 (Of 7) (DC Comics)
4 A.X.E. Judgment Day #4 (Marvel Comics)
6 A.X.E. Judgment Day #5 (Marvel Comics)
34 A.X.E. Death to the Mutants #2 (Marvel Comics)
64 A.X.E. Avengers #1 (Marvel Comics)
77 Dark Crisis Worlds Without A Justice League Wonder Woman #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
91 Dark Crisis Young Justice #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
197 Dark Crisis #3 (Of 7) (DC Comics)
While DC Comics can take pride that the Dark Crisis main title beat the A.X.E. main title, the battle of the tie-in issues was a different tale. The A.X.E. tie-in issues pummeled to death the Dark Crisis tie-in issues. This is no surprise. Dark Crisis Young Justice continues to be a horrendous read. How Meghan Fitzmartin continues to get work from DC Comics is beyond me.
Star Wars Franchise
30 Star Wars The Mandalorian #3
31 Star Wars #27
32 Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi #5
40 Star Wars Darth Vader #27
76 Star Wars Bounty Hunters #27
88 Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi #4 (Of 5) (Resolicitation)
101 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #24
103 Star Wars The Mandalorian #1 (Resolicitation)
108 Star Wars Han Solo & Chewbacca #6
114 Star Wars The Mandalorian #2 (Resolicitation)
140 Star Wars Darth Vader #26 (Resolicitation)
150 Star Wars #26 (Resolicitation)
180 Star Wars Hyperspace Stories #2 (Of 12) (Dark Horse Comics)
Star Wars had zero titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50. This was worse than in August 2022, when Star Wars had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and three titles in the Top 50.
The Mandalorian continues to be the crown jewel of the Star Wars franchise. Having said that, Star Wars The Mandalorian #3 fell from the number 15 spot down to the number 30 spot. This is a title that has now gone from the number 2 spot to the number 30 spot in just three issues.
The main Star Wars title and the Darth Vader title continue to hand tight in roughly the same spot in the Top 100. Obi-Wan got a nice bump up from the 78 spot to the 32 spot.
The constant cellar dweller in Doctor Aphra finally got some company as Han Solo & Chewbacca #6 fell from the number 70 spot down to the number 108 spot.
Spider-Man Franchise
2 Amazing Spider-Man #9
8 Edge of Spider-Verse #3 (Of 5)
17 Edge Of Spider-Verse #4
18 Amazing Spider-Man #10
23 Venom #10
44 Spider-Man 2099 Exodus Omega #1
56 Amazing Fantasy #1000 (Resolicitation)
68 Carnage #6
81 Ms. Marvel & Venom #1
82 Amazing Spider-Man #8 (Resolicitation)
84 Spider-Punk #5
99 Miles Morales Spider-Man #42
115 Edge of Spider-Verse #1 (Of 5)(Resolicitation)
136 Edge of Spider-Verse #2 (Of 5) (Resolicitation)
172 Amazing Spider-Man #7 (Resolicitation)
187 Spider-Gwen Gwenverse #5 (Resolicitation)
190 Miles Morales Spider-Man #41 (Resolicitation)
196 Carnage #5 (Resolicitation)
Nobody beats Peter Parker. It isn’t even close as Amazing Spider-Man took the number 2 and number 18 spots. The Spider-Man franchise placed two titles in the Top 10, five titles in the Top 25, and six titles in the Top 50. This was down from the three titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and seven titles in the Top 50 in August 2022.
Venom remains a solid seller in the Top 25. Carnage actually had a small bounce as that title went from the number 77 spot up to the number 68 spot. Spider-Punk and Miles Morales Spider-Man remain the two lowest-selling titles in the Spider-Man franchise. Spider-Punk dropped from the number 62 spot down to the number 84 spot. Miles Morales dropped from the number 91 spot down to the number 99 spot.
X-Men Franchise
12 Immortal X-Men #6
20 Wolverine #24
21 X-Men Red #6
27 X-Terminators #1
45 X-Men #15
52 Marauders #6
58 New Mutants #29
61 X-Men #14 (Resolicitation)
63 New Mutants #30
87 Legion Of X #5
95 X-Men Legends #2
105 Gambit #3 (Of 5)
106 X-Men ’92 House of XCII #5
127 X-Force #31
130 Gambit #2 (Of 5) (Resolicitation)
139 X-Men & Moon Girl #1
142 X-Men Unlimited X-Men Green #2 (Of 2)
156 X-Men #13 (Resolicitation)
185 Knights of X #5 (Resolicitation)
189 Gambit #1 (Of 5) (Resolicitation)
The X-Men franchise is starting to slip a bit in the sales rankings. The X-Men franchise placed zero titles in the Top 10, two titles in the Top 25, and five titles in the Top 50. The X-Men franchise is on a two-month decline as these rankings are worse than in August 2022 and July 2022.
Immortal X-Men, Wolverine, and X-Men Red all continue to be consistent sellers hitting in roughly the same range each month. X-Men had a drop from the number 34 spot to the number 45 spot. That could be because X-Men #15 came out in the final week of September 2022. We will have to keep an eye on X-Men over the next few months to see if it returns to the Top 15 rating it had with issue #13 in August 2022.
The X-Men franchise continues to be saddled with a fair amount of titles that cannot crack into the Top 50. Those would be New Mutants, Marauders, and Legion of X. I am not surprised about New Mutants or Marauders. Those titles just have not been good reads.
While Gambit continues to find itself out of the Top 100, this mini-series has at least stabilized itself as a comic that should end up finishing in the 100-120 range.
X-Force is the lowest-rated regular X-Men franchise title. This is a bit surprising to me since I do think it is a better product than either New Mutants or Marauders. But, I guess the average comic book consumer disagrees. I believe this is probably an outlier and we will see X-Force climb back up in the rankings in the next month.
Lastly, it looks like even pairing the popular X-Men franchise with Moon Girl is not enough to get anyone interested in Moon Girl as it had an awful debut at the number 139 spot. At this point, Marvel Comics may just want to realize that Moon Girl is not a concept that is going to make them any money in their comic books.
Avengers Franchise
25 All-Out Avengers #1
36 Thor #27
37 She-Hulk #6
42 Avengers #60
65 Captain America Sentinel of Liberty #4
70 Black Panther #9
78 Iron Man #23
90 Avengers Forever #9
94 Savage Avengers #5
98 Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #4 (of 5)
122 Captain Marvel #41
125 Ant-Man #3
131 Thunderbolts #2 (Of 5)
132 Captain America Symbol Of Truth #5
133 Thunderbolts #1 (Of 5) (Resolicitation)
153 Hulk #8 (Resolicitation)
183 Ant-Man #2 (Resolicitation)
The Avengers franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and four titles in the Top 50. This was a slight improvement over August 2022 when the Avengers franchise had zero titles in the Top 10, one title in the Top 25, and two titles in the Top 50.
All-Out Avengers #1 did manage to snag a Top 25 debut. Barely. I do not expect this title to be a strong seller. The real question is if All-Out Avengers can remain a Top 50 seller or if it is going to slide out of the Top 50 in a quick fashion.
Avengers #60 struggled to remain in the Top 50 by taking the number 42 spot. Marvel Comics really needs to shake things up with this flagship title once Jason Aaron leaves.
She-Hulk #6 took the number 37 spot which is up slightly from the 43 spot in July 2022. We did not get She-Hulk in August 2022. At any rate, it seems that She-Hulk has found its happy space in the sales rankings. Marvel Comics should be thrilled if She-Hulk ends up being a consistent Top 50 title each and every month. I have actually enjoyed this title so it is cool to see Jen getting some love.
Thor #27 came in at the number 36 spot which is lower than we usually see Thor in the sales rankings. It will be worth keeping an eye on this title for the next two months to see if this is an aberration or not.
Speaking of Thor, Jane Foster dropped from the number 86 spot down to the number 98 spot. It looks like this mini-series may conclude outside of the Top 100.
Steve Rogers seems to have stopped falling and found his equilibrium in the sales rankings. Captain America Sentinel of Liberty #4 took the number 65 spot which is a bit higher than last issue’s number 71 spot. Honestly, I am surprised this title is selling this well. I have found Captain America Sentinel of Liberty to be a rather poor read. But, I guess readers are desperate for anything Steve Rogers. And poorly written Steve Rogers is better than nothing?
Sam Wilson as Captain Falcon continues to be a total failure. Captain America Symbol of Truth #5 fell down to the number 132 spot. This is even worse than the number 121 spot from August 2022. The idea of two Captain Americas operating at the same time is so idiotic. The sooner Marvel Comics lets Sam be his own man with his own identity and agency the better.
Iron Man trended downward as Iron Man #23 fell from the number 52 spot down to the number 78 spot. We shall see if restarting Iron Man with a new number-one issue can make any difference in the sales rankings.
Captain Marvel continues to be a sales dog as this title is destined to forever remain outside of the Top 100. But, it does not matter because Marvel Comics does not care if this title sells or not. We are going to get it no matter what.
Thunderbolts continues to shed readers as Thunderbolts #2 fell down to the number 131 spot. It is going to be a struggle for this mini-series to conclude inside of the Top 150.
Batman Franchise
1 Batman #127
5 Batman Vs Robin #1 (Of 5)
9 Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special #1 (One-Shot)
15 Flashpoint Beyond #5 (Of 6)
22 Batman One Bad Day Two-Face #1 (One-Shot)
24 Poison Ivy #4 (Of 6)
35 Batman Superman Worlds Finest #7
38 Nightwing #96
41 Batman Beyond The White Knight #5 (Of 8)
47 Detective Comics #1064
49 Dark Knights of Steel Tales From The Three Kingdoms #1 (One-Shot)
62 Batman Dear Detective #1 (One- Shot)
74 Batman The Knight #9 (Of 10)
79 Batman Beyond Neo-Year #6 (Of 6)
92 Tim Drake Robin #1
93 Harley Quinn #22
109 Batgirls #10
113 Catwoman #47
116 Sword of Azrael #2 (Of 6)
134 I Am Batman #13
146 Detective Comics #1063 (Resolicitation)
147 Batman Urban Legends #19
149 Batman #126 (Resolicitation)
155 Harley Quinn 2022 Annual #1 (One-Shot)
158 Task Force Z #12 (Of 12)
159 Batman White Knight Presents Red Hood #2 (Of 2) (Resolicitation)
160 Detective Comics #27 Facsimile Edition (2022) (Resolicitation)
169 Batman Fortress #5 (Of 8)
173 Future State Gotham #17
181 Batman Knightwatch #1 (Of 5)
The Batman franchise had three titles in the Top 10, six titles in the Top 25, and eleven titles in the Top 50. That is impressive. This is even better than in August 2022 when the Batman franchise had one title in the Top 10, five titles in the Top 25, and twelve titles in the Top 50.
Of course, Bruce Wayne continues to be the straw that stirs the drink in the Batman franchise. Once again, Bruce Wayne took on two big event titles and still grab the number 1 spot for a third straight month. Incredible. Hail to the King, baby.
Poison Ivy continues to be a strong seller. Poison Ivy #4 took the number 24 spot. This was close to the number 22 spot Poison Ivy #3 had in August 2022. This surprised me. I thought Poison Ivy was set to slide out of the Top 25. Not so fast. I may think that Poison Ivy has been a dull read, but obviously, comic book consumers totally disagree with me! Numbers don’t lie.
Batgirls continues to be forever locked outside of the Top 100. I am curious to see how long DC Comics is going to be willing to keep publishing this title. I am Batman also continues to be a sales dud as I Am Batman #13 came in at the number 134 spot. This is another title that I am surprised DC Comics is still bothering to publish.
I have no idea why DC Comics bothered to publish Future State Gotham for this long. This title will finally come to an end with issue #18. No one will miss it.
It is frustrating to see Catwoman so far out of the Top 100 with Catwoman #47 at the number 113 spot. It is a shame that DC Comics cannot get this title to become at least a consistent Top 75 title.
Tim Drake Robin #1 had a disastrous debut coming in at the number 92 spot. That is an embarrassment. Tim Drake Robin is already a Dead Title Walking with just its debut issue. This title is definitely crashing out of the Top 100 with just its second issue.
Tim Drake has become a highly controversial character with the way that DC Comics retconned him into a bi-sexual character despite his thirty-three-year history of being straight. This move turned off a large percentage of DC Comics’ readership.
Of course, it did not help that the writer is Megan Fitzmartin who did an awful job. Fitzmartin’s issue read more like some crappy fan fiction that you would find on Tumblr than an actual professional comic book from DC Comics. Again, how Fitzmartin continues to find gainful employment at DC Comics is utterly beyond me.
Lastly, let’s take a look at Harley Quinn. Well, well, well. Will you look at that? Once you put popular creators like Paul Dini, Jimmy Palmiotti, and Amanda Connor on a Harley Quinn title what happens? You get a monster sales rating. Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special #1 grabbed the number 9 spot. Impressive.
How about the regular Harley Quinn title from Stephanie Phillips? Harley Quinn #22 came in all the way down at the number 93 spot. That is awful. September 2022 provides DC Comics editorial staff with a valuable lesson. Harley Quinn remains a popular character with a large fanbase. However, Stephanie Phillips is a terrible superhero writer. The proof is in the numbers. DC Comics needs to put a better writer on Harley Quinn and I am confident that you will see Harley Quinn quickly rise up the sales rankings.
Superman Franchise
35 Batman Superman Worlds Finest #7
51 Action Comics #1 Facsimile Edition (2022)
71 Superman Son of Kal-El #15
96 Action Comics #1047
137 Superman Space Age #2 (Of 3)
175 Superman Warworld Apocalypse #1 (One-Shot) (Resolicitation)
The Superman franchise is still a hot mess. The only title in the Top 50 is one starring Bruce Wayne and the classic Superman engaged in a fun superhero adventure.
Superman Son of Kal-El continues to be forever outside of the Top 50 as issue #15 came in at the number 71 spot. Action Comics #1047 barely made it into the top 100 by taking the number 96 spot.
There is just nothing positive at all going on with the Superman franchise at this point.
Wonder Woman Franchise
77 Dark Crisis Worlds Without A Justice League Wonder Woman #1 (One-Shot)
119 Wonder Woman #791
Unranked: Nubia: Queen of the Amazons #4 (of 4)
The only thing worse than the Superman franchise is the Wonder Woman franchise. This franchise has been utterly destroyed by Vita Ayla, Stephanie Williams, Becky Cloonan, and Michael Conrad. The entire direction of the Wonder Woman franchise post-Dark Nights: Death Metal has been a total failure. Yara Flor was a sales failure. Nubia was a sales failure. The direction of Diana and the Amazons was a sales failure.
It is time for DC Comics to fire the writers and hire an entirely new creative team and completely restart the Wonder Woman franchise from the ground up. This franchise is a tattered old house in desperate need of a full renovation.
Justice League Franchise
66 The Flash #786 (Dark Crisis)
89 Jurassic League #5 (Of 6)
123 The Flash The Fastest Man Alive #1 (Of 3)
145 Justice League Vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #6 (Of 6)
Yet another franchise that is in complete ruins. The best-selling title is The Flash #786 in the number 66 spot. That is not great but compared to the rest of these titles that is fantastic.
The Flash The Fastest Man Alive #1 had a disastrous debut coming in at the number 123 spot. Another dead title walking with the debut issue. Evidently, not many readers wanted this three-issue mini-series.
Sadly, Justice League vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #6 came to an end with a whimper as it barely finished in the Top 150 by taking the number 145 spot. What a horrendous finish for this mini-series.
Brian Bendis managed to utterly butcher my beloved Legion of Super-Heroes by reimagining it into something totally unrecognizable. Bendis’ Legion obviously had no appeal to anyone as evidenced by its awful sales rankings. It is time for DC Comics to throw the Bendis Legion into the trash bin and bring us back the pre-Crisis Legion that everyone knows and loves. Bendis remains one of the worst hires by DC Comics in a long time.
Mantle Swap Titles
7 Daredevil #3 (Marvel Comics)
67 Strange #6 (Marvel Comics)
71 Superman Son of Kal-El #15 (DC Comics)
81 Ms. Marvel & Venom #1 (Marvel Comics)
98 Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #4 (Marvel Comics)
99 Miles Morales Spider-Man #42 (Marvel Comics)
102 Black Adam #4 (DC Comics)
112 New Champion of Shazam #2 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
122 Captain Marvel #41 (Marvel Comics)
132 Captain America Symbol Of Truth #5 (Marvel Comics)
134 I Am Batman #13 (DC Comics)
Mantle swap titles continue to crash and burn in the sales rankings. Now, I have started including Daredevil in this category. I am not sure if I should, though. Electra as Daredevil is absolutely a mantle swap. But, we also are getting Matt Murdock as Daredevil in the same title. So, it is an odd situation. In the end, I decided to include it on this list. It is worth noting that Daredevil #3 is the only mantle swap title that gets a great sales ranking. This may be because Matt Murdock is still operating as Daredevil rather than getting completely replaced.
The rest of the mantle swap titles are struggling to find success. Outside of Daredevil, there are zero mantle swap titles in the Top 10, zero titles in the Top 25, and zero titles in the Top 50. That is awful.
The dumb idea of mantle-swapping Black Adam has resulted in Black Adam #4 falling outside of the Top 100 by just the fourth issue. New Champion of Shazam #2 finds itself well outside of the Top 100 with just its second issue as it came in at the number 112 spot.
These are all bad ideas that everyone saw coming from a mile away. What is so alarming is how DC Comics editorial did not see this coming, too. It shows either glaring incompetence or willful obtuseness on part of the editorial staff.
The numbers should be enough evidence to show Marvel Comics and DC Comics that taking the mantle swap path is not only creatively lazy and boring. It is also financially unsuccessful.
The Top Female Lead Titles
9 Harley Quinn 30th Anniversary Special #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
24 Poison Ivy #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
37 She-Hulk #6 (Marvel Comics)
67 Strange #6 (Marvel Comics)
77 Dark Crisis Worlds Without A Justice League Wonder Woman #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
81 Ms. Marvel & Venom #1 (Marvel Comics)
93 Harley Quinn #22 (DC Comics)
98 Jane Foster & The Mighty Thor #4 (Marvel Comics)
101 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #24 (Marvel Comics)
109 Batgirls #10 (DC Comics)
112 New Champion of Shazam #2 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
113 Catwoman #47 (DC Comics)
119 Wonder Woman #791 (DC Comics)
122 Captain Marvel #41 (Marvel Comics)
124 Iron Cat #4 (Marvel Comics)
139 X-Men & Moon Girl #1 (Marvel Comics)
155 Harley Quinn 2022 Annual #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
187 Spider-Gwen Gwenverse #5 (Resolicitation)
Unranked: Nubia: Queen of the Amazons #4
There was one female lead title in the Top 10, two in the Top 25, and three in the Top 50. This was a slight improvement over August 2022, where there were zero female lead tiles in the Top 10, one in the Top 25, and three in the Top 50. In September 2022, a total of eight female lead titles made the Top 100. This was down significantly from the twelve female lead titles in the Top 100 in August 2022.
DC Comics had the top two highest-rated female lead titles in Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. DC Comics and Marvel Comics tied each other with four female lead titles apiece in the Top 100.
DC Comics has a better selection of female leads. There really is no excuse for Wonder Woman not being a Top 50 title. Harley Quinn should also be a consistent Top 50 title. Catwoman should be at least a consistent Top 75 title. DC Comics needs to examine how they are handling these characters and make some changes.
Marvel Comics is in a tougher position. Iron Cat was a pathetically creatively bankrupt and lazy idea. This character has no future. Both Captain Marvel and Jane Foster may already be irrevocably broken. At this point, all Marvel Comics has to pin its hopes on is She-Hulk.
The female lead titles outside of the Top 100 are all a mixture of bad writers and bad ideas. Take your pick. None of it is good.
The Top Minority Lead Titles
70 Black Panther #9 (Marvel Comics)
84 Spider-Punk #5 (Marvel Comics)
99 Miles Morales Spider-Man #42 (Marvel Comics)
101 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #24 (Marvel Comics)
102 Black Adam #4 DC Comics)
132 Captain America Symbol Of Truth #5 (Marvel Comics)
134 I Am Batman #13 (DC Comics)
139 X-Men & Moon Girl #1 (Marvel Comics)
163 Marvel’s Voices Community #1 (Marvel Comics)
190 Miles Morales Spider-Man #41 (Marvel Comics)
Unranked: Nubia: Queen of the Amazons #4
There were no minority lead titles in the Top 10, none in the Top 25, and none in the Top 50. That is even worse than August 2022 where there were none in the Top 10, none in the Top 25, and one in the top 50.
Black Panther #9 was the best-ranked minority lead title at the number 70 spot. To be honest, Black Panther should be a top 50 title each and every month. Marvel Comics needs to figure out what they are doing wrong with this title.
Spider-Punk was just a bad idea. The same could be said for Black Adam, I am Batman, Sam as Captain America, and Nubia. There is no fixing bad ideas.
Miles Morales? He has never been a strong seller. I do think that Miles might greatly benefit from being returned to his own unique universe like he was in the Ultimate Universe. This would get Miles out from underneath Peter Parker’s incredibly large shadow and allow Miles to be a unique and independent character in his own universe. Of course, we all know this will never happen. Instead, just look for the inevitable restarting of this title with a new number 1 issue. This would definitely lead to a sales spike.
I have no faith in DC Comics or Marvel Comics to improve in this area at all. Perhaps Marvel Comics could assemble a cool creative team and deliver a fun Mission Impossible-style Falcon comic starring Sam Wilson. Maybe a bad-ass Blade title? Perhaps an action title starring Bishop?
For DC Comics, maybe a new Black Lightning title. A John Stewart title. Dare I hope for a new title starring the greatest DC Comics superhero of all time? VIBE! Okay, sorry, I am just getting carried away at this point!
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 Star Wars Doctor Aphra #24 (Marvel Comics)
105 Gambit #3 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
106 X-Men ’92 House of XCII #5 (Marvel Comics)
108 Star Wars Han Solo & Chewbacca #6 (Marvel Comics)
122 Captain Marvel #41 (Marvel Comics)
124 Iron Cat #4 (Marvel Comics)
125 Ant-Man #3 (Marvel Comics)
131 Thunderbolts #2 (Of 5) (Marvel Comics)
132 Captain America Symbol Of Truth #5 (Marvel Comics)
139 X-Men & Moon Girl #1 (Marvel Comics)
142 X-Men Unlimited X-Men Green #2 (Of 2) (Marvel Comics)
162 Defenders Beyond #3 (Marvel Comics)
163 Marvel’s Voices Community #1 (Marvel Comics)
182 Damage Control #2 (Marvel Comics)
200 Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #3 (Marvel Comics)
Marvel Comics had fifteen dead titles walking. Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #3 barely managed to avoid being unranked! In just its third issue! This means that 21% of Marvel Comics’ titles in September 2022 were dead titles walking.
This is an improvement over August 2022 when 35% of Marvel Comics’ titles were dead walking titles However it is still higher than the percentage of dead walking titles from July 2022.
DC Comics
102 Black Adam #4 (DC Comics)
109 Batgirls #10 (DC Comics)
112 New Champion of Shazam #2 (Of 4) (DC Comics)
113 Catwoman #47 (DC Comics)
116 Sword of Azrael #2 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
119 Wonder Woman #791 (DC Comics)
123 The Flash The Fastest Man Alive #1 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
134 I Am Batman #13 (DC Comics)
137 Superman Space Age #2 (Of 3) (DC Comics)
145 Justice League Vs The Legion of Super-Heroes #6 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
147 Batman Urban Legends #19 (DC Comics)
155 Harley Quinn 2022 Annual #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
158 Task Force Z #12 (Of 12) (DC Comics)
159 Batman White Knight Presents Red Hood #2 (Of 2) (DC Comics)
167 Sandman Universe Nightmare Country #6 (DC Comics)
169 Batman Fortress #5 (Of 8) (DC Comics)
170 Black Adam the Justice Society Files Atom Smasher #1 (One-Shot) (DC Comics)
173 Future State Gotham #17 (DC Comics)
179 Multiversity Teen Justice #4 (Of 6) (DC Comics)
181 Batman Knightwatch #1 (Of 5) (DC Comics)
184 Fables #155 (Of 162) (DC Comics)
194 Deathstroke Inc #13 (DC Comics)
Unranked: Young Justice: Targets #3
Unranked: Duo #5
Unranked: Nubia: Queen of the Amazons #4
DC Comics had 25 dead titles walking. Three of them were unranked. This means that 45% of DC Comics’ titles in September 2022 were dead walking titles. While this is a shockingly high percentage it is actually still better than August 2022 where 49% of DC Comics’ were dead walking titles and July 2022 where DC Comics had 52% of its titles in the dead tiles walking category. So…progress?
All right, that is it for September 2022 Will Marvel Comics continue its domination of the Top 200 in October 2022? We will find out. Until then, everyone stay safe and be good!
To comment on this article and other Comic Book Revolution content, visit our Facebook page, our Twitter feed, and our Instagram feed. Also, catch up with all of Rokk’s other musings about comics, anime, TV shows, movies and more over on his Twitter page.