May 2014 Sales Discussion

[jkingman]

So, am I the only one who doesn't care in any way about these numbers?

I only care about the numbers if they get too low for Valiant to keep publishing comics...

[Phoenix8008]

And.... 7 pages without data!

[bygranddesign]

So, am I the only one who doesn't care in any way about these numbers?

I think it is something worth caring about

We all(well, most of us) want to see VEI successful so we can get to enjoy the product for many years to come. We'd like to see stability and growth ...

I AM getting tired of seeing the same 2 to 3 doom and gloom posters in every one of these threads - with the same "end is near" argument without regard to context or facts or understanding of the current market place (compared to 20+ years ago).

But I do think it is worth talking about whether a comic is doing well, stabilizing or growing because I do think it influences the creative directions of the books. I think marketing, creativity and profit motive can work hand in hand in hand to push each other into fueling brilliant and exciting ideas and directions. I support most of the decisions that they have made but if Shadowman for example was maintaining 10K+ sales every month we wouldn't have seen the change in writers or the End Times Mini-series. So in that way - it is important to keep an eye on these trends and numbers.

[drmirage]

QFT

So, am I the only one who doesn't care in any way about these numbers?

I think it is something worth caring about

We all(well, most of us) want to see VEI successful so we can get to enjoy the product for many years to come. We'd like to see stability and growth ...

I AM getting tired of seeing the same 2 to 3 doom and gloom posters in every one of these threads - with the same "end is near" argument without regard to context or facts or understanding of the current market place (compared to 20+ years ago).

But I do think it is worth talking about whether a comic is doing well, stabilizing or growing because I do think it influences the creative directions of the books. I think marketing, creativity and profit motive can work hand in hand in hand to push each other into fueling brilliant and exciting ideas and directions. I support most of the decisions that they have made but if Shadowman for example was maintaining 10K+ sales every month we wouldn't have seen the change in writers or the End Times Mini-series. So in that way - it is important to keep an eye on these trends and numbers.

[iggy101us]

http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicss ... 14-05.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

159 X-O Manowar 25 $4.99 Valiant 12,493
198 Unity 7 $3.99 Valiant 8,653
210 Harbinger 23 $3.99 Valiant 8,011
222 Archer & Armstrong 20 $3.99 Valiant 7,553
227 Bloodshot & Hard Corps 22 $3.99 Valiant 7,350
233 Quantum & Woody 10 $3.99 Valiant 7,232
252 Shadowman End Times 2 $3.99 Valiant 6,216

[nscc]

http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicss ... 14-05.html

159 X-O Manowar 25 $4.99 Valiant 12,493
198 Unity 7 $3.99 Valiant 8,653
210 Harbinger 23 $3.99 Valiant 8,011
222 Archer & Armstrong 20 $3.99 Valiant 7,553
227 Bloodshot & Hard Corps 22 $3.99 Valiant 7,350
233 Quantum & Woody 10 $3.99 Valiant 7,232
252 Shadowman End Times 2 $3.99 Valiant 6,216

Iggy... what are you doing?

Spoiling this sales numbers thread with numbers!!

Next you will be bringing logic too... no make it stop... make it stop!!!!!!!!!!!




...

seriously though... thanks for posting...

[nscc]

Bring on the doom-sayers!!

[Tim]

http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicss ... 14-05.html

159 X-O Manowar 25 $4.99 Valiant 12,493
198 Unity 7 $3.99 Valiant 8,653
210 Harbinger 23 $3.99 Valiant 8,011
222 Archer & Armstrong 20 $3.99 Valiant 7,553
227 Bloodshot & Hard Corps 22 $3.99 Valiant 7,350
233 Quantum & Woody 10 $3.99 Valiant 7,232
252 Shadowman End Times 2 $3.99 Valiant 6,216

The Good:

Great showing for X-O #25 especially since it was a $4.99 book

Shadowman: End Time's performance, both this month and last month should teach VEI that renumbering strategies aren't the best idea.

The Bad:

No boost this month from Rai

Pretty noticeable drops all around.

The Inexplicable:

Harbinger FELL by 200 books!? Not a huge drop, but damn...I thought this one at least would get a lift. With all that hype!?

[greg]

http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicss ... 14-05.html

159 X-O Manowar 25 $4.99 Valiant 12,493
198 Unity 7 $3.99 Valiant 8,653
210 Harbinger 23 $3.99 Valiant 8,011
222 Archer & Armstrong 20 $3.99 Valiant 7,553
227 Bloodshot & Hard Corps 22 $3.99 Valiant 7,350
233 Quantum & Woody 10 $3.99 Valiant 7,232
252 Shadowman End Times 2 $3.99 Valiant 6,216

The Good:

Great showing for X-O #25 especially since it was a $4.99 book

Shadowman: End Time's performance, both this month and last month should teach VEI that renumbering strategies aren't the best idea.

Not sure if one experiment is enough to teach anything.

The Bad:

No boost this month from Rai

Pretty noticeable drops all around.

Rai #1 was ordered for May.
Dealers had to decide how many X-O #25, Harbinger #23, End Times #2 at the same time they ordered Rai #1.
To be fair to what actually happened to the other Valiant titles in May, remember dealers ordered Rai #1 at the same time.

The Inexplicable:

Harbinger FELL by 200 books!? Not a huge drop, but damn...I thought this one at least would get a lift. With all that hype!?

Harbinger #23 went to second printing. Demand for #23 is greater than demand for #22.

[greg]

To clarify my comment about Rai #1...

Rai #1 was supposed to ship in May... so it was ordered for May.

When April orders were made by dealers, they ordered 64,351 Valiant books (comichron.com April numbers without Rai #1).
When May orders were made by dealers, they ordered 86,645 Valiant books (comichrom.com May numbers with Rai #1).

9 Valiant books shipped in April, but only 8 were ordered for April.
7 Valiant books shipped in May, but 8 were ordered for May.

Orders for April = 64,351 books for 8 titles
Orders for May = 86,645 books for 8 titles

[lorddunlow]

To clarify my comment about Rai #1...

Rai #1 was supposed to ship in May... so it was ordered for May.

When April orders were made by dealers, they ordered 64,351 Valiant books (comichron.com April numbers without Rai #1).
When May orders were made by dealers, they ordered 86,645 Valiant books (comichrom.com May numbers with Rai #1).

9 Valiant books shipped in April, but only 8 were ordered for April.
7 Valiant books shipped in May, but 8 were ordered for May.

Orders for April = 64,351 books for 8 titles
Orders for May = 86,645 books for 8 titles

I'm not sure that clarifies anything, greg. All I'm hearing is:

WAH WAH WAHWAH WAAHH WAH supposed to ship WAH WAHH WAAAAH WAH WAH

Are you trying to say VEI can't even ship books out when they are supposed to?!?!?!?

That's it! I'm burning an effigy of Dino as soon as I get home and make one!

[Phoenix8008]

Doing up the gain/loss numbers and percentages for April compared to February and March.
(Green = 5% or more gain, Red = 5% or more loss, Blue = less than 5% change.)

170 Unity 4 --- 10,644 (-2,633/19.8% from last month)
180 X-O Manowar 22 --- 9,808 (+472/5.0% from last month)
193 Archer & Armstrong Archer 0 --- 8,671 (+559/6.8% from last month)
195 Harbinger 21 --- 8,473 (-587/6.4% from last month)
205 Quantum & Woody 8 --- 7,992 (-598/6.9% from last month)
207 Bloodshot & Hard Corps 0 --- 7,895 (-634/7.4% compared to last months regular BS&HC issue)
208 Eternal Warrior 6 --- 7,862 (-1,641/17.2% from last month)
216 Bloodshot & Hard Corps 19 --- 7,281 (-1,248/14.6% from last month)
217 Shadowman 15 --- 7,239 (-321/4.2% from last month)

February total sales= 75,865 (+1,898 from January) divided by 9 titles = 8,429.44 average sales per title.[/b]

155 Unity #5 --- 12,268 (+1,624/15.2% from February)
194 X-O Manowar #23 --- 9,394 (-414/4.2% from February)
205 Goat #0 --- 8,747 (+755/9.4% from February)
211 Bleeding Monk #0 --- 8,423 (-50/0.5% from February)
215 Archer & Armstrong #18 --- 8,156 (-515/5.9% from February)*
220 Bloodshot #20 --- 7,929 (+648/8.8% from February)
236 Eternal Warrior #7 --- 7,336 (-526/6.6% from February)
237 Shadowman #16 --- 7,189 (-50/0.6% from February)

March total sales= 69,442 (-6,423 from February) but divided by 8 titles = 8,680.25 average sales per title.

73 Rai #1 --- 29,137 (No comparison possible.)
194 Unity #6 --- 9,351 (-2,917/23.7% from March)
205 X-O Manowar #24 --- 8,595 (-799/8.5% from March)
211 Harbinger #22 --- 8,213 (-210/2.4% from March)
216 Archer & Armstrong #19 --- 7,969 (-187/2.2% from March)*
219 Quantum & Woody #9 --- 7,896 (-851/9.7% from March)*
220 Shadowman End Times #1 --- 7,777 (+588/8.1% from March)
224 Bloodshot & Hard Corps #21 --- 7,630 (-299/3.7% from March)
245 Eternal Warrior #8 --- 6,920 (-416/5.6% from March)

*Each of these were regular numbering coming back from a zero issue which is more likely to sell than normal issues I would think. So slightly down numbers would be the expectation.

April total sales = 93,488 (+24,046/34.6% from March!) divided by 9 titles = 10,387.55 average sales per title (+ 1,707.30 from March and nearly 2,000 more than 9 titles in February due to Rai #1 no doubt.)

http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicss ... 14-05.html

159 X-O Manowar #25 --- 12,493 (+3,898/+45% from April!)
198 Unity # 7 --- 8,653 (-698/-7.4% from April)
210 Harbinger # 23 --- 8,011 (-202/-2.4% from April)
222 Archer & Armstrong # 20 --- 7,553 (-416/-5.2% from April)
227 Bloodshot & Hard Corps # 22 --- 7,350 (-280/-3.6% from April)
233 Quantum & Woody # 10 --- 7,232 (-664/-8.4% from April)
252 Shadowman End Times # 2 --- 6,216 (-1,561/-20% from April)

May total sales = 57,508 (-35,980/-38.4% from April.) divided by 7 titles = 8,215.42 average sales per title (-2,172.13 from April).

[drmirage]

Based in these #s. 1:20 and 1:50 earned copies are gonna be rare variants.

http://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicss ... 14-05.html

159 X-O Manowar 25 $4.99 Valiant 12,493
198 Unity 7 $3.99 Valiant 8,653
210 Harbinger 23 $3.99 Valiant 8,011
222 Archer & Armstrong 20 $3.99 Valiant 7,553
227 Bloodshot & Hard Corps 22 $3.99 Valiant 7,350
233 Quantum & Woody 10 $3.99 Valiant 7,232
252 Shadowman End Times 2 $3.99 Valiant 6,216

[greg]

One more way to look at this... possibly the best way.

Valiant orders for May 2014 totaled 86,645 books.
Rai #1 shipped on April 30th, but it was ordered for May 2014.

May's 86,645 is the 2nd highest month of books sold by Valiant during the relaunch.
Only November 2013 with Unity #1 is higher.
May 2014 orders were 35% higher than orders for April 2014.

FACT: VEI just had its second highest month of orders.

FICTION: Any reasons to pretend VEI is in trouble.

[Phoenix8008]

One more way to look at this... possibly the best way.

Valiant orders for May 2014 totaled 86,645 books.
Rai #1 shipped on April 30th, but it was ordered for May 2014.

May's 86,645 is the 2nd highest month of books sold by Valiant during the relaunch.
Only November 2013 with Unity #1 is higher.
May 2014 orders were 35% higher than orders for April 2014.

FACT: VEI just had its second highest month of orders.

FICTION: Any reasons to pretend VEI is in trouble.

+1 QFT!

[BugsySig]

One more way to look at this... possibly the best way.

Valiant orders for May 2014 totaled 86,645 books.
Rai #1 shipped on April 30th, but it was ordered for May 2014.

May's 86,645 is the 2nd highest month of books sold by Valiant during the relaunch.
Only November 2013 with Unity #1 is higher.
May 2014 orders were 35% higher than orders for April 2014.

FACT: VEI just had its second highest month of orders.

FICTION: Any reasons to pretend VEI is in trouble.

Absolutely right, Greg. Rai has to be included in May as that is when retailers made their decision to cut orders elsewhere in order to fit in Rai.

Any future charts and/or graphs should include Rai #1 as a May 2014 release.

[Tim]

One more way to look at this... possibly the best way.

Valiant orders for May 2014 totaled 86,645 books.
Rai #1 shipped on April 30th, but it was ordered for May 2014.

May's 86,645 is the 2nd highest month of books sold by Valiant during the relaunch.
Only November 2013 with Unity #1 is higher.
May 2014 orders were 35% higher than orders for April 2014.

FACT: VEI just had its second highest month of orders.

FICTION: Any reasons to pretend VEI is in trouble.

Not pretending anyone is in trouble, but just stating the things I think were bad and good about the month.

Valiant could do a press conference saying that they were going out of business next month and certain folks here would probably provide data as to why there's nothing to worry about and everyone who says otherwise is a doomsayer.

Some of us just like to be pessimists so we can never be let down.

But seriously, speculation on the performance of titles out of genuine concern for the titles / company isn't doom and gloom. It's just luv.

[Tim]

Harbinger #23 went to second printing. Demand for #23 is greater than demand for #22.

Yeah, but how many copies will be printed for a 2nd print? I was expecting them to sell the balls off this issue (of course it is my favorite current comic book, so I was maybe a little more hopeful than realistic.)

Wish Valiant were at Heroescon this year. Last year I promised all my friends there if they bought Valiant trades I'd pay for half of whatever they spent. Had a couple of converts as a result.

That huge boost for X-O is amazing. Hope it's due to the excitement about Armor hunters and it carries over to the rest of the line.

[kjjohanson]

Harbinger #23 went to second printing. Demand for #23 is greater than demand for #22.

Is that correct? I haven't seen anything about 23 selling out. Certainly 22 did sell out, and went to a second printing. Of course, orders were placed for 23 before 22 hit the shelves, so maybe there's demand there, but retailers were following a formula of dropping orders on an issue that's not the first of an arc? I don't expect every retailer to be up on the events of all of the comics they sell, so maybe many weren't aware that 23 was important.

[kjjohanson]

The Inexplicable:

Harbinger FELL by 200 books!? Not a huge drop, but damn...I thought this one at least would get a lift. With all that hype!?

Actually, not inexplicable. Harbinger 22 was released the second to last Wednesday of the month, leaving a week for reorders. Harbinger 23 shipped on the last Wednesday.

[RogueJedi74]

Wish Valiant were at Heroescon this year. Last year I promised all my friends there if they bought Valiant trades I'd pay for half of whatever they spent. Had a couple of converts as a result.

If it is any consolation, Valiant will be in Durham at NC Comicon (http://nccomicon.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) in November.

[Tim]

Wish Valiant were at Heroescon this year. Last year I promised all my friends there if they bought Valiant trades I'd pay for half of whatever they spent. Had a couple of converts as a result.

If it is any consolation, Valiant will be in Durham at NC Comicon (http://nccomicon.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) in November.

Yep, so will I. Valiant was representing last year right next to Neal Adams. They were by far the stars of that show (which was a BLAST for anyone on the fence about going.)

[Chris Campbell]

Wish Valiant were at Heroescon this year. Last year I promised all my friends there if they bought Valiant trades I'd pay for half of whatever they spent. Had a couple of converts as a result.

If it is any consolation, Valiant will be in Durham at NC Comicon (http://nccomicon.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) in November.

Yep, so will I. Valiant was representing last year right next to Neal Adams. They were by far the stars of that show (which was a BLAST for anyone on the fence about going.)

Darrell and I should be going as well. Looks like a fun show. And driving distance from DC.

[Tim]

Wish Valiant were at Heroescon this year. Last year I promised all my friends there if they bought Valiant trades I'd pay for half of whatever they spent. Had a couple of converts as a result.

If it is any consolation, Valiant will be in Durham at NC Comicon (http://nccomicon.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;) in November.

Yep, so will I. Valiant was representing last year right next to Neal Adams. They were by far the stars of that show (which was a BLAST for anyone on the fence about going.)

Darrell and I should be going as well. Looks like a fun show. And driving distance from DC.

Rad. Be prepared for an old school style, small con like the one's you used to see in hotels back in the day. Very intimate show with a KILLER film festival in the same building with two screens, one huge and the other kind of small.

[ilzuccone]

numberzzzzzz me no read numberz. me like little smiley face that tell me it ok