One Year Later - New 52 Still Holds Up?

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Ult_Sm86
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One Year Later - New 52 Still Holds Up?

Post by Ult_Sm86 »

So Newsarama did an "investigation/analysis" of sorts to see which titles meet the high-marks since their relaunch of the DcNu back last September. One Year Later these stories should be at a really great place and this article is ... arguably well written enough to pick out the lame-ducks and hold up the honorable mentions.

Here's some quotes:
Law of Averages

First, a word about our method:

To avoid comparing months that may have had "qualifiers" (particularly in the strange atmosphere that preceded the New 52), Newsarama averaged the sales of DC's core titles over four issues. We looked at the four issues leading up to the last pre-reboot month of August 2011, then compared them to the sales of the four most recent issues through July 2012.

By looking at averages, we avoided having to explain that August 2011 has two issues of Detective Comics, or that the 100th issue of Teen Titans might not compare well to the current line.

Instead, we took a picture of the ongoing sales by averaging their performance over time. All monthly sales numbers are estimates calculated by Comichron.com, based upon data released monthly by Diamond Comics Distributors.

We also stuck with truly comparable titles. While it's tempting to compare Earth 2 with Justice Society of America, the truth is they aren't the same. We only compared titles that have the same title and the same basic premise. Yes, we know there were big changes to the characters featured in Birds of Prey and Teen Titans, but we wanted to ask: Did those New 52 changes help the sales of those titles or hurt them?
By looking at just the unit sales increase for 2012 over 2011 (using average monthly sales over four issues):

1) Justice League: Up 187 percent.

2) Batman: Up 150 percent.

3) Detective Comics: Up 121 percent.

4) Batgirl: Up 110 percent.

All of those titles at least doubled their average monthly sales between 2011 and 2012. Two other titles have doubled their 2011 average monthly unit numbers:

- Action (up 102 percent)

- Teen Titans (up 99 percent).

So what about the rest of DC's titles?

When examining just the comparable titles from pre- and post-New 52, all but three titles are doing better. A few notable increases among DC's icons:

- Superman: 63 percent increase.

- Supergirl: 62 percent increase.
and of course:
- Green Lantern Corps:

Average over four issues 2011: 58,275.

Average of four issues 2012: 44,193.

Percent difference: -24 percent.

- Green Arrow:

Average over four issues 2011: 27,186.

Average of four issues 2012: 25,518.

Percent difference: -6 percent.

- Legion of Super-Heroes:

Average over four issues 2011: 22,217.

Average of four issues 2012: 19,887.

Percent difference: -10 percent.

Interesting information there.

So what do you guys think, one year after the relaunch? Worth it? What books are you still reading? What have you switched to?

What have you dropped?

My original pull list was Batman & Robin and Flash.

Over time I tried some other titles and I've come to drop Flash (with thoughts of picking it back up now that the story has progressed past a 2-day period after 12 fucking issues), picked up Nightwing and Batman: Dark Knight (when the story arc suits me--it's like Avenging Spider-Man where every 2-3 issues is a new story/new villain, no connecting linear plots and all stand-alone from the rest of the series). I tried an issue of Batman, Inc. but it's taken him 2 months to get the next issue out so I'm dropping that, my patience for Grant Morrison is thin. If/When I get more money, I'm going to back to Animal Man and Batwoman which my g/f and I found the first 5 issues at in some thrift shop.

My girlfriend started with Catwoman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Teen Titans, & Action Comics. She dropped AC after 4 issues, Batgirl after 6, dropped Teen Titans after the crossover event (which sucked and was too confusing, and the story wasn't contained to one comic so she got confused) somewhere around issue 9-10, and she still reads both her ladies. She's hoping they bring back Gotham City Sirens but she's not holding her breath.
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Re: One Year Later - New 52 Still Holds Up?

Post by Wahnsinn »

With the extended arcs and creator changes, everything managed to last a year with us. The hubby's more forgiving than I and has more attachment to the characters. (He also doesn't like dropping stuff in the middle of an arc. :P) As someone who was mostly new to the DCU shortly before the reboot, I've found the DCnU rather unfriendly. Grifter and Deathstroke have left me with no interest in their protagonists. Batgirl is OK, but I liked Barbara better as Oracle. Catwoman is hit-and-miss. Harley Quinn is so different that I'm still not sure if I like this version. There's been too little introduction without enough room for characterization because of all the end-of-the-world peril in so many titles. It makes it hard to care. Teen Titans is one of the few titles I'll give credit for attempting sufficient characterization during all the chaos.

Green Arrow and Flash are on the way out. Despite being a Bat-related title and something we both enjoyed pre-reboot, Birds of Prey might get the axe. There's been talk of dropping the Superman books and Wonder Woman. IIRC, we're dropping Justice League Dark and would've dropped JLI if it hadn't been cancelled. Honestly, I think the hubby would suggest dropping everything if he weren't so invested in Batman. He's really not too happy with the new direction and style of the books.
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Re: One Year Later - New 52 Still Holds Up?

Post by Ult_Sm86 »

DCnU has multiple continuity errors and though they're trying to resolve them, they don't appear to be trying hard enough.

Here's "Ten Things" Newsarama has gathered/assumed they know, from the March solicits. I gotta say, Gail Simone being fired off from Batgirl was a big surprise for me because even though the changes from Oracle to Batgirl were stupid, and the fans didn't like it, it wasn't Gail's fault and she was doing good for a title no one wanted. (I would love to see her get an opportunity to rebuild Kurt Wagner -- just saying).
The best of them coming from Ed Brubaker (most notable for his work on Captain America if you only know mainstream/Big 2) saying:

@Brubaker:
"The real lesson here is, company-owned books are freelance jobs, and we are all replaceable on them. Even popular creators. Sad but true."

and
@Brubaker:
"I hope everyone who's upset today will buy @GailSimone's creator-owned series that she Kickstartered. Put your money where your outrage is."

==Update==

I'd also like to point out that since my last post in this thread, I now only read Batman & Robin. That's it. I pick up Dark Knight when there is a villain I'm interested in (Mad Hatter is to appear in late January/early February so I'm psyched for that). No other DCnU title has my attention currently.

My G/F has dropped all her DC's with the exception of Supergirl and has told me that if it continues the way it is for too long, in a contained-crossover event within the Superbooks, (the others which she does not read by the way), she's going to drop that too. She has fallen head over heels for Hawkeye and Gambit titles by Marvel and has finally, at long last, resigned herself to be "one of those people".

She's a Marvelite. Excelsior, my job is done.
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Re: One Year Later - New 52 Still Holds Up?

Post by Ult_Sm86 »

Continuing the bad news for New52,

Marvel NOW! dominates the the advance re-orders.

Like... blows DC out of the water.

The only DC title is (naturally) Justice League.

That is sad.
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Ult_Sm86
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Re: One Year Later - New 52 Still Holds Up?

Post by Ult_Sm86 »

R.I.P. Ultimate Peter Parker :spidey 6/22/11 USM#160
Read my reviews on SuperiorSpiderTalk.com! I'm a real, honest-to-goodness, published comic reviewer!
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