Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, Image | Tagged: Energon Universe, g.i. joe, gi joe, transformers

How is G.I. Joe Selling More in 2024 than in 2023?

Late last year, Skybound and Image brought G.I. Joe back to comics, first with Larry Hama’s G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301.

Published Tue, 13 Feb 2024 12:57:09 -0600

by Rich Johnston

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Article Summary

G.I. Joe comics see a sales surge with Skybound's relaunch and record-setting issues.
Larry Hama's return to G.I. Joe and new Energon Universe tie-ins boost popularity.
Duke and Cobra Commander series outperform by defying typical sales trends.
Collector market heats up with G.I. Joe variants fetching high resale values.

Late last year, Skybound and Image brought G.I. Joe back to comics, first with Larry Hama's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #301 that set modern-day sales highs for the series.

Then we got our first taste of G.I. Joe in Robert Kirkman's Energon Universe, the new shared universe with Transformers and Void Rivals that I have been hearing from some retailers is selling at or above top Marvel and DC titles. It certainly doesn't hurt that writer Joshua Williamson's first two limited series, Duke and Cobra Commander, set their own impressive franchise records as well.

Now, much like Daniel Warren Johnson's Transformers has done, it looks like Skybound's G.I. Joe series are all seeing significant sales upswings in 2024.

Starting with G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, the series has seen incredible staying power at Skybound with sales nearly flat between December's issue #302 and January's issue #303, unheard of in a market where sales routinely drop in double-digit % between issues after launch (or relaunch in this case).

Then February's issue #304 saw a nearly 10% jump in orders. I'd hazard a guess that we'll not only see even more new printings of the previous Skybound issues (#301-303), as retailers continue to report longtime fans discovering one of their favorite series is back.

And over in the Energon Universe, the aforementioned Duke and Cobra Commander have been seeing their own success, buoyed by their connection to Transformers and driving some sites to declare that the Energon Universe is "The Best Comic Universe On The Market Right Now".

Duke may have seen its launch record broken by Cobra Commander, but it has continued to be a hit in 2024 with issues selling out the same day they hit stores. And most recently, I've heard that Duke #3 has sold nearly 10% more than its second issue, without any big stunts or added gimmick variants that normally would drive this kind of spike.

Not to be outdone, Cobra Commander #1 saw a same day sell out and five figure second printing orders that were second only to that of Transformers #1 (which had more variant covers). And the collector market for this debut issue has only become more intense, with the Jonboy Meyers variant now selling for almost $200, nearly doubling previous highs, and the David Mack variant remaining a $350 book, impressively holding value after release.

As Joshua Williamson's series surely lead to either G.I. Joe #1, Cobra #1 or some combination of both, we're wondering if we're heading towards one (or both) of those launches becoming the best-selling comic book launch in Hasbro history, toppling the record that Daniel Warren Johnson's Transformers #1 set last year.

Could G.I. Joe become bigger than Batman and Amazing Spider-Man for the first time in over two decades?

Issues of Cobra Commander, Duke and G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero are all in stores now, though perhaps you may not be able to find copies of all of them till those expected new printings are announced.

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