Anyone know why Chase was cancelled?

[Paperghost]

Following on from this (http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2006/11/29/top-five-brilliantbut-cancelled-comic-books/) post...

...I just got issue one through the mail and oh my god, its awesome. I'm currently waiting on a bunch of others to arrive shortly, but I can safely say this series looks amazing. But the blog entry doesn't mention why it was whacked and neither did the comments - any takers? Just curious.

[Michael P]

Low sales, I would imagine.

[yo go re]

yeah - it was one of those books that everyone loved, but no one seemed to read. I know at least one guy who made a "Read Chronos and Chase!" shirt to wear to cons, to help spread the word about it...

[Jimmykitty]

CHASE was brilliant. Loved it. And cried when they axed it.
I picked up a couple of original art pages off Mike Gray at a convention.

Yes, I heard low sales was the problem. I also tried pimping that book to other people. I'd love to see it collected.

[G. Boney]

CHASE was brilliant. Loved it. And cried when they axed it.

Damn...I liked the book too, but...

[Jimmykitty]

Hahah! Sorry, my attempts at being funny.

No, I didn't actually "cry", but one hopes metaphorically we all cry a little when good books wither on the vine. It did eight issues...(I think) so we have that much.

[Loren]

I dug up the old sales estimates for Chase off of the Usenet archive:

#1 - 33,500
#2 - 25,200
#3 - 19,900 (#108 at this point)
#4 - 18,700
#5 - 16,800
#6 - 15.900
#7 - ...
#6 - 15,600
#9 - 14,600 (#158)
#M - 20,200

[Paperghost]

well, I just got some more issues through today and I can honestly say its borderline criminal that this thing got cancelled. bah. bah and fist shaking.

[Jimmykitty]

It's funny, that by today's standards those sales numbers would make it a middle-of-the-road book. Not to mention many independent titles would kill to have those sales figures.

Yes, I agree.... it was criminal. The art was uber slick, too. I recall picking it up on a whim. Nobody hyped me on it. I didn't see much - if any - advertising for it. It just looked different and my comic shop had it. Plus, it was the beginning of a new series and I didn't feel "left out" by not knowing the current storyline.

What was cool is that Chase walked you through the other heroes, kinda like a tour guide. And it was episodic. The Batman arc was decent. In some ways you could say it was like Bendis' POWERS.

[G. Boney]

Is Cam Chase appearing in books around the DCU? Any recent guest spots I don't know about?

[Jimmykitty]

Good question.

You know if there was a book she should have appeared in it "would" have been Gotham Central - but even that saw the axe. Though it did have a decent run. But not one appearance of Chase, if I'm not mistaken (which I could be).

I think Chase has gone the way of several DC characters on the side lines. Perhaps we'll see her again. Some sharp writer could pick her up again... once they convince DC editorial to do it.

[Reptisaurus!]

It's funny, that by today's standards those sales numbers would make it a middle-of-the-road book.


Not really. The # 108 book written last month had sales of 19, 500 according to CBR. And I believe the best selling comics are selling quite a bit more than they were in '98.

Pretty good book, though.

[Paperghost]

.....I was going to say something about Chase, but then i just read the guy gardner collateral damage thing and gnort.....oh, god.....gnort....

................gnort......

.......wtf did they do to gnort!!!!!!

"die in pain, guy gardner"?! (or whatever it was they had that horrendously drawn furball say)?!

who came up with this garbage!!!!!

/ apologies for spectacularly off topic rant, but oh god.......gnort :(

[Apathy Boy]

Geez. All you folks complaining that Chase has been forgotten should really start reading MANHUNTER. Like, now.

You might also want to consider looking at Ostrander and Mandrake's MARTIAN MANHUNTER series from the late '90s or select SECRET FILES AND ORIGINS for more Chase-y goodness.

Anyway, I love Chase but I'm pretty sure if she got a second series today, it'd be cancelled even faster than the first. I think the market is even less welcoming of non-spandex books than it was in the '90s.

[Paperghost]

Geez. All you folks complaining that Chase has been forgotten should really start reading MANHUNTER. Like, now.

You might also want to consider looking at Ostrander and Mandrake's MARTIAN MANHUNTER series from the late '90s or select SECRET FILES AND ORIGINS for more Chase-y goodness.

Anyway, I love Chase but I'm pretty sure if she got a second series today, it'd be cancelled even faster than the first. I think the market is even less welcoming of non-spandex books than it was in the '90s.

didn't they cancel manhunter?

[G. Boney]

You might also want to consider looking at Ostrander and Mandrake's MARTIAN MANHUNTER series from the late '90s or select SECRET FILES AND ORIGINS for more Chase-y goodness.

I knew about the Secret files...I meant more recent stuff. I did get the first few issues of Manhunter but don't really remember much.

[Jonah Weiland]

We're fans of the book here at CBR as well, which is why we just did a two part look at the book with the creators behind it. If you missed the interviews, the links are below:

Dan Curtis Johnson talks "Chase" - http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=8797

J.H. Williams III talks "Chase" - http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=9011

[Paperghost]

We're fans of the book here at CBR as well, which is why we just did a two part look at the book with the creators behind it. If you missed the interviews, the links are below:

Dan Curtis Johnson talks "Chase" - http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=8797

J.H. Williams III talks "Chase" - http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=9011

thanks, I missed that :)

[Jimmykitty]

I also missed that, and THANKS for pointing it out. Good stuff in those links.

[SKETCHSANCHEZ]

Chase is a regular in manhunter right now, right?

[areacode212]

Yes, Chase is part of Manhunter's supporting cast now. Manhunter was cancelled, then given a reprieve after the fan outcry. So if you miss Chase, then start reading this book! If not, it'll be like they cancelled Chase all over again!

[Paperghost]

Yes, Chase is part of Manhunter's supporting cast now. Manhunter was cancelled, then given a reprieve after the fan outcry. So if you miss Chase, then start reading this book! If not, it'll be like they cancelled Chase all over again!

at the risk of sounding like some creepy chase stalker, has she been appearing in it for a while or just like, the last issue or two?

[K'Nort]

at the risk of sounding like some creepy chase stalker, has she been appearing in it for a while or just like, the last issue or two?

Oh she's pretty ingrained in the story.

Dr. Trap showed up this last issue.

[notintheface]

didn't they cancel manhunter?

Nope. They ALMOST cancelled it but they brought it back (at least temporarily) because of fan outcry. It just came out a few days ago.

[Jimmykitty]

Thanks for the heads up on Manhunter. Trap showed up? That's gotta put a damper on things for Chase.

[Babylon23]

Buy Manhunter! The books teetering on the brink of cancellation. Funnily enough, Manhunter is much like Chase - critically respected, praised by creators, featuring a strong female character, and about to get cancelled :mad:

As for Chase watching, Dan Curtis Johnson and JH Williams wrote some stories involving Chase and the DEO in the JSA Secret Files 1 & 2, and the JSA/JLA Secret Files #1 a few years back.

[Paperghost]

Buy Manhunter! The books teetering on the brink of cancellation. Funnily enough, Manhunter is much like Chase - critically respected, praised by creators, featuring a strong female character, and about to get cancelled :mad:

As for Chase watching, Dan Curtis Johnson and JH Williams wrote some stories involving Chase and the DEO in the JSA Secret Files 1 & 2, and the JSA/JLA Secret Files #1 a few years back.

/ me sees an epic EBay bender coming on..

[Sean Walsh]

Buy Manhunter! The books teetering on the brink of cancellation. Funnily enough, Manhunter is much like Chase - critically respected, praised by creators, featuring a strong female character, and about to get cancelled :mad:

Yeah, but Manhunter got 2 years plus. Cameron didn't even get 1... :(

Though Chase did get Booster Gold *AND* Clock King appearances. ;) :p

[Matches Malone]

I think a CHASE series would sell better today than it did in 1998. We're just more into government conspiracies and political superheroes now than we were then.

[Loren]

As for Chase watching, Dan Curtis Johnson and JH Williams wrote some stories involving Chase and the DEO in the JSA Secret Files 1 & 2, and the JSA/JLA Secret Files #1 a few years back.

There were more than just those:

Superman: Our Worlds at War Secret Files #1 - "Resources"
JSA Secret Files #2 - "Rumors and Facts"
Flash Secret Files #3 - "Moments Too Late"
Joker: Last Laugh Secret Files #1 - "Touched"
Green Lantern Secret Files #3 - "Single Point of Failure"
Batgirl Secret Files #1 - "New Threat File"
Hawkman Secret Files #1 - "Worth More Than Gold"
Green Arrow Secret Files #1 - "Bag of Tricks"
JLA/JSA Secret Files #1 - "Telephone"

This is the biggest reason we need a "Chase" TPB...to collect all these 8-page Chase stories.

[Ryan Day]

I think a CHASE series would sell better today than it did in 1998. We're just more into government conspiracies and political superheroes now than we were then.

Better, maybe, but still not very well, I suspect: Even Checkmate, one of the higher-profile books spinning out of IC, isn't doing so hot.