Ultimate Sales Discussions

[Plawsky]

I've noticed that sales figured some up a lot in Ultimate discussions. So I'm making this thread as a place to discuss sales numbers in the UU. I'll try to keep up to date information here as well. If possible, keep all sales discussions in this thread unless it's absolutely relevant to the other discussions; when they get off topic I'll just move the posts over here.

For starters, here's how the Ultimate books fared in January this year:

29 Ultimate Captain America #1
33 Ultimate Spider-man #1
35 Ultimate Avengers 3 #6
66 Ultimate Doom #2

Also, here's a great resource for historical sales info:

Monthly Rankings for Comic Sales

[UltimateMarvel_Fan501]

USM was really 33? Wow...

[Don Yoyo]

I think you made a typo here with UCSM...

The gap between Doom and Spider-Man is really big, especially when those books get out the same week. I suppose that people got tired out on the Enemy and Mystery parts of the event.

It will be interesting to compare those ratings and sales figures to those of Death of Spider-Man, see if it gets the same kind of bump that Fantastic Four received with the 'Death in the family' thing.

[UltimateMarvel_Fan501]

I think you made a typo here with UCSM...

The gap between Doom and Spider-Man is really big, especially when those books get out the same week. I suppose that people got tired out on the Enemy and Mystery parts of the event.

It will be interesting to compare those ratings and sales figures to those of Death of Spider-Man, see if it gets the same kind of bump that Fantastic Four received with the 'Death in the family' thing.

I hadn't noticed the huge gap between Ultimate Doom and the others. I'm really surprised that Doom did worse than Ultimate Avengers, since doom is the better book IMO.

[Chaos_Alfa]

USM was really 33? Wow...

Did you mean that in a good way or a bad way?

Because I thinks that still pretty good if you compare it to some other titles on the list.

[MarvelMaster616]

Yeah, I think the gap between Doom and the other books is pretty telling. Not sure what to make of it. The Enemy trilogy really doesn't seem to be catching on as some of the other Ultimate trilogies.

As for the other sales, I think it was brought up with Newsarama that some of the sales figures and ranks can be skewed. January 2011 had only 4 Wednesdays while December had 5. There were 20 percent fewer titles released so that's going to skew the ranking. I'm not a math guru so I can't formulate any fancy adjustments. But it's striking when one month the Ultimate books have none in the top fifty and another they have three.

I think the Doom series might actually have done better if instead of a mini it was structured as another Fantastic Four-like title. Maybe just Ultimate Mystery would have been good enough instead of breaking it up. Minis tend to sell less than ongoings so (although there are exceptions) so I think Ultimate missed an opportunity because right now Ultimate Spider-Man is the only ongoing title. I think that lack of stability is part of what has made the series seem so chaotic at times.

[alien]

Yeah, I think the gap between Doom and the other books is pretty telling. Not sure what to make of it. The Enemy trilogy really doesn't seem to be catching on as some of the other Ultimate trilogies.

As for the other sales, I think it was brought up with Newsarama that some of the sales figures and ranks can be skewed. January 2011 had only 4 Wednesdays while December had 5. There were 20 percent fewer titles released so that's going to skew the ranking. I'm not a math guru so I can't formulate any fancy adjustments. But it's striking when one month the Ultimate books have none in the top fifty and another they have three.

I think the Doom series might actually have done better if instead of a mini it was structured as another Fantastic Four-like title. Maybe just Ultimate Mystery would have been good enough instead of breaking it up. Minis tend to sell less than ongoings so (although there are exceptions) so I think Ultimate missed an opportunity because right now Ultimate Spider-Man is the only ongoing title. I think that lack of stability is part of what has made the series seem so chaotic at times.

doubt it FF only has 1 title in 616 there not THAT popular, what would calling it UFF series instead of a mini do?? plus most people would be angry about the delays if it was ongoing, minis selling less that ongoings ??? that makes no sense

[Plawsky]

But it's striking when one month the Ultimate books have none in the top fifty and another they have three.

I'm not sure what you're referencing, but there's never been a month without an Ultimate book in the top 50.

[VRaptorX]

I'll just say this, while I'm sure the ultimate line isn't doing horribly sales-wise....Marvel can't be happy. They flat out destroyed UXM because it wasn't selling god enough. So now that we are post ultiumatum.....and things are selling even less....people expect me to believe that Marvel is OK with this? If UXM was in danger of being destroyed, everything in the new line is too based on these sales.

[The Gorn Identity]

Looking at Diamond Comics' Top 100 shipping titles from the last few months, the Ultimate Books (Avengers and Spider-Man, in particular) usually sell just under or around the same level as Incredible Hulk and Invincible Iron Man. Why would Marvel want to cancel a title that sells about as well as two of their iconic characters' books?

[Evil-Spidey]

Selling more then Hulk, Iron Man, Deadpool, X-Factor, Thunderbolts etc can't be bad. If it was bad then marvel would have to cancel half of it's series.

[BrotherUnitNo_4]

Also, here's a great resource for historical sales info:

Monthly Rankings for Comic Sales

What's really amazing is that in April 2000 Fathom #12 was the number one book published. Two years later the number one book was Transformers Generation One #1 by Dreamwave. In April 1998, Witchblade, Danger Girl and Battle Chasers were selling more than Batman by some 25K units.

It's really amazing to watch how the landscape has and hasn't changed. Since 1998 the gap has definitely widened between Marvel and DC and everyone else, but not so much between the Big Two.

[MarvelMaster616]

I'm not sure what you're referencing, but there's never been a month without an Ultimate book in the top 50.

I double checked the stats last month and you were right, Plawsky. There was one book in the top 50. I believe it was 43 or 44. So I stand corrected. My mistake.

[MarvelMaster616]

Selling more then Hulk, Iron Man, Deadpool, X-Factor, Thunderbolts etc can't be bad. If it was bad then marvel would have to cancel half of it's series.

Well unlike those series you mentioned, Ultimate has a larger compliment of characters. It has books like Doom that have Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Nick Fury, and Spider-Woman all under one title. Those are some pretty decent names. Books like Deadpool and Iron Man only have one character as a focus so of course they're going to sell less. X-Factor and Thunderbolts focuses on lesser known characters. So let's not ignore context here. The Ultimate books frequently involve some highly recognizable figures (despite some that were shamelessly killed off) yet they don't outsell these solo titles by much.

Plus, look at December 2010 when books like Thor, Captain America, Wolverine, Daredevil, Hulk, Fantastic Four, and even Generation Hope (which contains mostly new and unknown characters) outsold the best selling Ultimate books. So these solo titles can outdo Ultimate despite Ultimate being able to involve more characters. I think that says a lot because Ultimate used to sell so many more books then all these titles. Now it's slipping and I don't think Marvel is content with that. When you have top notch writers like Mark Millar and Brian Bendis and Jeph Loeb (arguably) then one would expect the sales to be a lot higher. In that sense I think Ultimate is slipping and I don't believe Marvel is okay with that. It's not like X-men Forever or Spider-Girl. This is an entire line and it's underperforming despite the push they made with Ultimatum. Now it seems they're doing another drastic move with the Death of Spider-Man. If they're really getting this desperate and can only kill characters or threaten to do so in order to generate buzz, I think that's a bad sign.

[Don Yoyo]

I double checked the stats last month and you were right, Plawsky. There was one book in the top 50. I believe it was 43 or 44. So I stand corrected. My mistake.

Actually, all the 'launch titles' (Spider-Man, Avengers, New Ultimates and X) of the Ultimate Universe have been in the top 50 for the entire 2010 year, for each of their issue, the only exception being Spider-Man #15 in October, which was ranked 55.

The mini-series (Thor, Mystery) generally rank way better on their first issue that the rest of the line (top 30 generally) but goes down for the following issues (top 80).

Well unlike those series you mentioned, Ultimate has a larger compliment of characters. It has books like Doom that have Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Nick Fury, and Spider-Woman all under one title. Those are some pretty decent names.

Yeah, but those characters have the benefit of being in the 'original' universe and still being linked to the series happening there. There is also a lot more marketing for that universe, it counterbalances the popularity of the characters in those Ultimate series.

In that sense I think Ultimate is slipping and I don't believe Marvel is okay with that. It's not like X-men Forever or Spider-Girl. This is an entire line and it's under-performing despite the push they made with Ultimatum. Now it seems they're doing another drastic move with the Death of Spider-Man. If they're really getting this desperate and can only kill characters or threaten to do so in order to generate buzz, I think that's a bad sign.

The Ultimate Universe is still inconsequential when it comes to the number of series though. Five right now, including one that is too detached from the rest of the universe for its own good (X).
Ultimatum introduced the new line, and I think they're going to give the 'real' big push with Death of Spider-Man, a series involving the two writers who created the universe and which will (allegedly) bring a game-changer to at least one series. I hope in a more tasteful way than Ultimatum. Kill Peter or Aunt May, Bendis, but no more than that.