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Comic Store In Your Future – No DC Rebirth Titles Have Been Cancelled

Currently, DC has things going for the most part, well for them sales wise, here in store. DC Rebirth was a burst of energy that really boosted DC for us. An upturn from DC You for DC. Having their titles for the most part not being renumbered again after a year along with a lack of cancellations has been good for DC. People are not getting that sense of why pick up a title if it is just going to end? Part of Marvel's issues right now is so many of their titles aren't even making it past issue 6.

Here is a summary of what in store we are seeing. Meaning here is how DC is doing for us. Other stores may have better sales and luck with certain titles and some might have less luck.

All Star Batman. Really started out red hot. Outselling Scott Snyder's Batman even here for the first story arc. Now it has been dropping. Each new artist for each new story arc doesn't bring in new readers but loses readership with each change.

Batman. It was bleeding readership. Then the button story arc made it red hot again along with the article about issue 24 in USA Today. Where the New 52 Batman was pretty much always a top seller for a majority of its publication Batman Rebirth was not. In defense of the current writer the mega popular Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo would be a hard act to follow. That said Batman sales have been going upward again and I hope Batman keeps increasing sales.

Detective Comics. Wow, the New 52 Detective Comics was the black sheep of the Batman titles. Now the Rebirth Detective is well liked and have people excited.

Batgirl. Badly needs a new creative team and direction. It sells in store lower than it did during the New 52 for us. There are the core Batgirl fans. If Joss Whedon is indeed going to direct a Batgirl film then it is high time to up the game on Batgirl.

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey. Not sure why the title isn't just called Birds of Prey. Batgirl and the Birds of Prey is just like the Batgirl title. Has its core fans but needs more. A new creative team and direction would be great. Huntress as a former part of a spy organization is weird. The pre New 52 Gail Simone and Ed Benes first story arc was a heck of a hit years ago. New 52 version and current version not so much.

Justice League. Was a sales juggernaut then Justice League of America the spin-off happened. The upcoming Justice League movie has people excited but not excited enough for everyone to buy two Justice League titles here. A lot just picked one over the other or dropped Justice League. The Justice League of America title seems to be adrift.

Flash. It has been a surprise hit. While Batman sales fell Flash sales increased passing Batman even. Where the new 52 Flash never really seemed to catch on the Rebirth Flash somehow gets people into it. I have had multiple people say they enjoy the writing but not the art. No one has ever said the art on the title was great or even good or any type of positive reaction here in store on the art. Bigger name artists or new artists really could help the title even more. The crossover with Batman was very well received.

Superwoman. I myself really enjoyed the first few issues. I am the one Steel fan out there and am glad to see the New 52 googles look for him gone. Lana Lang I enjoyed reading about. That said it is in the lower selling group for DC sadly.

New Super-Man. Again I myself enjoyed the first few issues but it is currently a very low selling title. The cliché with New Super-man's father for me felt like a jump the shark moment. Not sure if Chinese versions of the Justice League was the way to go. Or it may not have mattered.

Nightwing. It is a mid-seller level title for DC. It started strong. Lost some steam but seems to be steady now. Some solid interior art would help.

Superman. Awhile back if you were to tell me that the Lois and Clark limited series would lead to the cast taking over Action Comics and Superman I would have thought oh no. Lois and Clark the limited series didn't sell that well here when it first came out. But currently Superman and Action Comics out sell their New 52 counter parts. The new 52 Superman was not a character that was enjoyed a lot. Heck, even before the New 52 when DC let writer Joseph Michael Straczynski on Superman and took Superman off the Justice League of America and out of Action Comics so he would have sole control Superman has been floundering as a character. Superman's walk across America could have been a great hit but delays and other writers choked out any excitement for Superman. After years of being mediocre Superman is popular. Along with his son. Years ago if I would have been told a Super Sons title featuring Superman's son was going to be coming out I would not have thought it would sell. Right now Action and Superman are enjoyed more than they have been in years and people like Super Sons.

Supergirl. The writing and art could use a boost. Like Batgirl it has a core audience but with a T.V. show going on there are so many more people that want to read Supergirl but aren't. Improve the talent improve the sales.

Teen Titans. It fumbled out of the gate. It had potential but lost a lot of steam quickly.

Titans. Sells well. Benefits from having Wally West in it and Wally's Rebirth one shot tie in.

Suicide Squad. It is in the upper half of the sales chart here in store. Sales actually increased for the title after the Justice League Suicide Squad limited series. Which is a good thing.

Harley Quinn. Oh, Harley Quinn. Currently she is the most popular character in store. Statues, action figures, and so on, if it has Harley Quinn on it then it has a good chance of selling. Ordered three of the Harley Quinn key finders. Sold all three quicker than heck. Her current series is tough to know how many to order. If there is a "good" Frank Cho cover then odds are people will pick up both covers for the issue. Which is a good problem to have.

Wonder Woman. Before the New 52 she too suffered from Stracynski fall out. Her New 52 Wonder Woman started out well. One would have thought that with Finch as an artist on the Wonder Woman creative team it would have sold. Sadly the writing on the title was not popular and closed out an unpopular New 52 Wonder Woman to put it mildly. Over ordered a bit on Wonder Woman hoping that the movie would lead to a lot more interest. Small pump in interest by a handful of people thanks to the Wonder Woman movie. Though with millions having seen the Wonder Woman movie it is once again a case of a superhero movie doing very little for comic sales. Wonder Woman is currently a good selling title.

Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps. After Geoff left the New 52 Green Lantern title sales did drop. Currently the title does better than it did towards the end of the New 52.

Green Lanterns. Sadly the title had been bleeding readership. Currently it has stabilized sales wise and we know how much to order. I personally like the two characters and want to see their continued adventures.

Blue Beetle. In terms of sales it looks to be a repeat of the New 52 Blue Beetle. Wish it wasn't so.

Batman Beyond. Oddly enough sales have slightly increased on the title in store. Which is a good thing of course. Though nationwide will it sell enough to survive?

Doom Patrol. Delays hurt.

Mother Panic. Small loyal group of readers.

Green Arrow. New 52 Green Arrow seemed lost in the wind. Was that the Green Arrow from Smallville? Green Arrow light? The current series outsells the previous series and has people excited. Having Black Canary back with G.A. is a hit with the fans.

Cyborg. Read the first few issues was underwhelmed. I want a successful Cyborg series but like the DC You Cyborg it isn't selling well and seems destined for cancelation. Similar to Supergirl people want to read a Cyborg book but there isn't one currently out there that a lot of people want to read.

Aquaman. Outsells its New 52 version towards the end of the series. There are people that really enjoy Aquaman and ones that are disappointed with his current Rebirth ongoing.

Red Hood and the Outlaws. This is by far and away the biggest surprise to me at least in store. It sells. Loyal readers. Readership in store for it has grown. Way outperforms the previous New 52 series. Though the Diamond sales chart doesn't show it doing well nationally.

Again this is in store. This is what we are seeing along with my opinions on what some DC series could do to increase sales.

As always we want to sell as many comics as possible. A part of me would have liked to see what DC could have done with their most popular artists on the titles I listed. Though after Dark Days the Forge came out I am happy with the excitement it generated. Rebirth and Dark Days I was worried would be competition within DC for readers. Meaning people might pick one over the other. Right now though that does not seem to be the case.

Looking forward to future DC comics.

Rod Lamberti of Rodman Comics, writes weekly for Bleeding Cool. Find previous columns here.

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