Jonah Hex: In Danger?

[Mr. Palmer]

I was just glancing at THE BEAT. It showed that JONAH HEX is holding steady selling 12K a month. But is that enough to warrant the book continuing?

Now, don't get me wrong, For my money, HEX is the best book DC is offering. And I hope the sell of trades will be enough to sustain the book's lifespan.

Yet you have to admit that 12K is a dangerous level.

What do you think? Is HEX safe? Or do you believe that shedding numbers, possibly ready to dip below 10K, will kill the book?

[jhota]

how well does Jonah Hex sell in trade form? i've been buying it since day one in floppy form, and i really think it's the best bok on the stands right now. period.

i would hope that the steady (if not spectacular) sales combined with the critical acclaim for the book would help keep it going through these economic times...

[FanboyStranger]

Not sure on how dependable this info is, but I've heard that Jonah Hex sells very well in trades, comparable to books like 100 Bullets as far as the monthly vs. trade discrepancy. My LCS actually sold eight copies of Luck Runs Out the day it came out

[DonEMC]

I've been told that Jonah Hex sells well in trade paperback form. I know my local bookstores have had to reorder the trades over and over.
I knew the monthly series was way down in sales. But, you've got a movie reportedly on the way and DC wouldn't want to jeopardize that by cancelling the book. Add to that the fact that Jimmy Palmiotti and Dan DiDio are close friends and I'd say the book will stick around a while longer.
Jonah Hex is consistently the best comic on the stands. Great stories and great art. You get a full story in one issue and it's always a great story.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Thomas Jane wants to play Hex in the movie ...and it does sell really well in TPB's. Its why its still around. If DC has to I'm sure they'll move it to Vertigo to keep it around since sales there are in the Hex range.

Its a great series....

[Kylun123]

how do those sales numbers compare to those of manhunter?

[HaroldAllnut]

I started picking up Jonah Hex a short while ago. Damn fine work. Here's hoping it sticks around.

[Mr. Palmer]

Thomas Jane wants to play Hex in the movie ...

I've heard they're grooming Josh Brolin to play the part.

[Libaax]

Hex is pretty safe with the new movie and the trades.

Plus if they can also hope to sell it high a month because of some famous artist like Cook that people rate highly apparently.

Its like most famous Vertigo books, they dont sell well in monthly but trades its what their game is.

Apparenlty there isnt the same rule for superhero since Manhunter was around the same level monthly. I saw those numbers in manhunter comics fan site.

Jonah Hex is the only DC comic i would read any month every issue of its run. I havent been dissapointed even once and its one of the best comics i read and by far the best every month of my dc comics.

[Mr. Palmer]

Plus if they can also hope to sell it high a month because of some famous artist like Cook that people rate highly apparently.


According to THE BEAT, the Cooke issue sold 14K. It was a nice sales spike for the book.

[Sean Walsh]

In addition to very good TPB sales, there's apparently a decent European crowd for HEX. They love westerns, almost more than we do here in the States.

[jackdaw53]

I've been buying Jonah H each month since issue 2, and really enjoying it. But...only other DC current comics I've bought in recent years have been Solo, Hard Time, Fallen Angel, Kinetic, and Manhunter. (And still buying Ex Machina, if that counts as DC.) Now Jonah's the last man standing... but I figure if anybody can survive, he can.

Since it looks like Manhunter will be ceased soon, I thought about starting to read Blue Beetle. But... decided not to doom another good DC series.

[Lupek]

From this weeks debut of Jimmy Palmiottis blog at Newsarama........

And for all those people worrying that the book will be cancelled, keep worrying. Every single sale matters at this point.


http://blog.newsarama.com/2008/12/08/jimmy-palmiotti-put-a-little-jimmy-in-your-sack-for-the-holidays/#comment-454091

[Shellhead]

Jonah Hex should be a Vertigo title. It's got the same kind of mature themes and depth of writing, and might attract more potential readers.

[Libaax]

Im not worried at all Hex had his small but loyal readers sure there would be more potential readers in Vertigo but it the sales+trade now is good enough to save it from cancelation we can only hope people dont drop it.

Hopefully the movie happens and brings more hype, a few more readers.

[thebhamgunslinger]

I hope not. This is consistently one of the best books on the shelves. I wish more people would give it a try.

[Captain Jim]

Jonah Hex should be a Vertigo title. It's got the same kind of mature themes and depth of writing, and might attract more potential readers.

No way. It was a Vertigo title once before, and that version sucked.

[Lupek]

Everyone should buy multiples of this book this month and hand them out to small children for Christmas.

[dancj]

No way. It was a Vertigo title once before, and that version sucked.
It wasn't being Vertigo that made it suck. It was crappy writing and mediocre art that made it suck.

If the current book was moved into Vertigo it would lose a bit of what (for me) holds it back from being a really good book.

[thebhamgunslinger]

What would be an average safe monthly sales number for a title?

[titanfan]

DC has already cancelled a lot more titles selling above that line, of course that number isn't safe. The title of this thread should be renamed: 'Save Jonah Hex!'

I think critical praise and the quality of the title is the only reason it's still around...

[thebhamgunslinger]

So what would be a safe number? 15K, 20K? What's the lowest number you think this title could do and be considered safe?

[Karl O'Neill]

25K to 30K is safe, because every now and then you could have a guess artist on the book and varient covers and pull in some casual readers. Jonah Hex just isn't that popular.

[thebhamgunslinger]

Jonah Hex just isn't that popular.

It would be if more people would give it a look. I had never even heard of it until a few months ago when I was asking around here looking for a DC title to add to my list. Now it's one of my favorite titles each month.

[Karl O'Neill]

It would be if more people would give it a look. I had never even heard of it until a few months ago when I was asking around here looking for a DC title to add to my list. Now it's one of my favorite titles each month.

His Guess appearance in Geoff Johns first Booster gold arc is great. They get drunk together:)

[oddballuk]

In addition to very good TPB sales, there's apparently a decent European crowd for HEX. They love westerns, almost more than we do here in the States.

Yeah, as a UK fan, I love Jonah Hex!

I got my friend into the book too, though he sticks to TPBs rather than the singles (unfortunately!).

Anyway...

I think we will see Jonah Hex survive throughout 2009 and reach issue #50 before DC cancel the book.

Jimmy Palmiotti said this in a short interview with The Beat:

http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2009/01/05/the-beats-annual-year-end-survey-2009-edition-part-i/#more-6852

What guilty pleasure (of any kind) are you looking forward to in 2009?
JONAH HEX hitting issue 50, POWERGIRL monthly, smaller companies becoming bigger AND MAYBE Jonah finally getting nominated for something…anything. .

Also, Jimmy & Justin have said that we will be seeing a big, 6-part arc in Jonah Hex in 2009. We've seen solicits for up to issue #41 and it hasn't started yet so hopefully they'll wait until issue #44 or 45 to kick that epic off!

[thebhamgunslinger]

Maybe the movie can save it.

[jerrymcl89]

I think DC has a lower threshold for niche books like Gotham Central, Jonah Hex, and The Spirit, as opposed to more conventional superhero stuff, which usually gets axed at around 17-18,000 copies. But obviously, every book has to do some number to survive. I think the bottom line is that a 40-50 issue run for a period western book is actually pretty good, but hopefully the sales can somehow pick up and keep it going.