Why does Action Comics sell better than Superman?

[Winghead]

I think it sells around 15,000 more a month. Isn't the title book usually the bigger seller ie. Amazing Spider Man always sold more than the sister books, and Batman outsells Detective. Is it just because of Geoff Johns?

[[]D[]/\/\[]D @ Nite/So-tite]

Action and Detective are the main titles and are were the characters made their first appearances, so they should sell more (not counting the creative teams). They are those characters' versions of Amazing Spider-Man. Books like Batman, Superman and all the others are the sister titles.

[carabas]

It is because Action comic was the original Superman Book, Detectve comics was the original Batman book. Detective and Action have always outsold Batman and Superman (except for when hyper-popular creative teams get involved, of course - Jim Lee's Superman will outsell chuck Bloody Austen's Action comics).

[Winghead]

Batman is crushing Detective right now sales wise, and to my recollection has gotten all the tip creative teams ie, Morrison/Daniels, Azarello/Rizzo, Loeb/Lee.

[Kevinroc]

History might be a part of it but a more popular creative team seems like a pretty reasonable answer. Geoff Johns is currently a much "hotter" writer than Busiek (can't tell you how well Robinson's run will do at this point).

[jerrymcl89]

Action and Detective were the original titles for these characters, but Detective has always (in recent times) focused more on self-contained mystery stories and less on Batman's personal life, so it's not surprising that sells less. Action and Superman have more parity, I think, so it comes down to the creative teams. And Johns right now outsells everyone.

[Captain Jim]

Detective and Action have always outsold Batman and Superman

Absolutely not. If Action has been outselling Superman lately, it has to be because of the creative team.

[SuperSince92]

It seems lately DC's editorial division has placed the "top talent" on the books with the actual character's name (Superman & Batman respectively).

Only with Superman did DC decide to put the better writer (perhaps Johns requested it?) on the original title, Action Comics. With Superman, I think the top writer and the top selling book SHOULD be Action Comics. I'm glad it's the top selling Supes book and finally has a writer who intends to do some well-planned, long-term stories.

As for WHY it's outselling Superman? Have you read the arcs?! Seen the pencils?! Outstanding stuff. Action Comics is the Superman book I've been waiting years for.

[carabas]

Absolutely not. If Action has been outselling Superman lately, it has to be because of the creative team.
Okay, not always. But historically, pretty much always until the apparant recent shift in editorial preference superSince92 mentioned.

[Maestro]

Action Comics is getting a little more hype at the moment.

[botch]

I think it sells around 15,000 more a month. Isn't the title book usually the bigger seller ie. Amazing Spider Man always sold more than the sister books, and Batman outsells Detective. Is it just because of Geoff Johns?

wow. that's pretty low, i think its a bit higher, but still nto spidey numbers, spidey sells about 100 g a month.

[Supermancho]

wow. that's pretty low, i think its a bit higher, but still nto spidey numbers, spidey sells about 100 g a month.

I think Winghead is talking about how many Actions outsells Superman. Not the actual sales.
http://www.yelims.com/IPB/Invision-Board-France-234.gif

[Captain Jim]

Okay, not always. But historically, pretty much always until the apparant recent shift in editorial preference superSince92 mentioned.

Again, that's simply not true. Why do you think that so often in both titles' history they had to change the books' logos to include the words "Superman" or "Batman"? Because when they simply said Action or Detective, the character-name equivlient books consistently outsold them. It wasn't always apparent to readers (casual readers in particular) that these books featured Superman and Batman.