Marc-Oliver Frisch writes: With Justice League of America, DC Comics only had one book selling above 70,000 units in January. As a consequence, the publisher’s average periodical sales saw a steep drop, falling to around 27,000, their lowest level since January 2005. Similarly, average sales of the company’s DC Universe line, which makes up the bulk of their releases, dropped to around 33,000, also the lowest they’ve been in three years. Then again, not much was happening at DC’s mainstream line in January: There just were a couple of Teen Titans spin-off books and new creative teams on Robin and Nightwing. The general consensus right now seems to be that much is hinging on the upcoming Final Crisis blockbuster series for DC’s periodical business. Based on the publisher’s recent performance, it’s hard to disagree.
DC’s Vertigo sublabel, meanwhile, saw the release of Y: The Last Man #60, which marks the conclusion of the imprint’s best-selling periodical. Despite a moderate increase for the final issue, however, average Vertigo sales dropped to yet another historical low in January. At DC Comics’ WildStorm department, things look a little bit more encouraging. With the licensed books World of WarCraft and Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash, WildStorm finally seem to have two much-needed breakout titles in their stable again. On the other hand, WildStorm: Revelations, the latest attempt to breathe new life into the flagging WildStorm Universe line of superhero titles, is being met with total apathy. See below for the details, and please consider the disclaimers at the bottom of the column.
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