Legion World Forums LEGION CLUBHOUSE The Legion of Super-Heroes Legion of Super-Heroes Sales Figures

Sorry Gary. My list was missing the numbers for #22. I was talking about #23 as I assumed everyone else was. I hadn't updated in the last couple of months (other things on my mind).

Aw! Thanks! Now I understand.

Which is probably accounted for by a few people ordering extra copies to get variants, and shops doing much the same thing (i.e., they would have ordered (10x-5)-(10x-1) copies, and actually order those extra copies to bring their no. of variants up to x.)

And a hefty proportion of those variants themselves are probably going to get slabbed since they were only bought for the Hughes cover, while any AH! fans buying copies of the "standard" version just to get the AH! cover will probably chuck the "standards"

Ouch.

The new numbers are in, and S&LOSH crashes down to 33,985, losing not only the increase from the variant, but another 2,700 copies to boot. Not a good sign.

yeah but over-all numbers are down on all titles. While Civil War brings in close to 275K. Most likely stores cut down on titles to make room for a massive order of CW and CW specific Tie ins.

And yet Cable & Deadpool, Thunderbolts (whose relaunch isn't till two months after these figures) and a few others are still several k higher than before despite their CW tie-inship being over, done and kaputzee with.

So you're saying Legion needs a Civil War Tie-in? Got it.

December's numbers are up and Legion clocks in at 33,288. That's close to 700 dropped, but not in the thousands, like prior issues. This is a good sign that we may be may be leveling out (probably around the 30K mark). It's not setting the charts on fire, but it's respectable and well above cancellation range.

Edit: So, continuing Lightning Lad's List we get:

12/2004: LSH #01 -- 59,944, including reorders
01/2005: LSH #02 -- 48,584 ""
02/2005: LSH #03 -- 44,824 ""
03/2005: LSH #04 -- 43,408 ""
04/2005: LSH #05 -- 41,664, no reorder listed in top 300
05/2005: LSH #06 -- 40,970 ""
06/2005: LSH #07 -- 39,155 ""
07/2005: LSH #08 -- 37,272 ""
08/2005: LSH #09 -- 35,834 ""
09/2005: LSH #10 -- 35,800 ""
10/2005: LSH #11 -- 34,100 ""
11/2005: LSH #12 -- 33,500 ""
01/2006: LSH #13 -- 32,730 ""
02/2006: LSH #14 -- 32,513 ""
02/2006: LSH #15 -- 31,649 ""
03/2006: LSH #16 -- 54,826, including reorders
04/2006: LSH #17 -- 47,697, including reorders
05/2006: LSH #18 -- 45,520, no reorder listed in top 300
06/2006: LSH #19 -- 43,918 ""
07/2006: LSH #20 -- 41,679 ""
08/2006: LSH #21 -- 39,800 ""
09/2006: LSH #22 -- 36,735 ""
10/2006: LSH #23 -- 41,554 ""
11/2006: LSH #24 -- 33,985
12/2006: LSH #25 -- 33,288

I draw your attention to the fact that #25s are counted as anniversary issues, and as such often-verging-on-usually outsell #24. The fact that there's still a drop, even a mitigated one, well,...

Curious as to how the Diamond screw ups may have affected sales on 25.

What could be done to turn the sales slump around?

It didn't. SLoSH wasn't on the affected list, and the numbers don't suggest that it was affected.

They've already shot their wad on that by adding Supergirl to the title. Now they're at "complete creative team change" as the only chance of turning it around.

The change to the JIT ordering system probably means the recent numbers are more reflective of what's been selling.

Getting rid of Supergirl would be an improvement on the book

Regardless, look at the boost it gave them. It'd be more like 20k now on the selling power of Waid's version of the LoSH. As of now, the title's utterly dependent on that word in the title, to the point that it's arguably dragging down the solo Supergirl title.

They rolled the dice and it isn't working.

No matter how good the art, you can't wait until your second year to start telling a decent story. Without Supergirl, TPTB would probably be reaching for the plug already.

Hopefully, JSA is setting the stage for a return of the 80s LSH.

To answer my own question --

This title needs to be in a better neighborhood -- right now all things legion are either vague or mediocre (Barry's art and recent issues excepted)

(1) Shorter story arcs. The year long Lemnos story was a baaaad move. It frustrated readers who started with issue 1 and discouraged others from joining in.
(2) Concrete ties to the greater DCU -- Easter eggs, teasers and the unresolved Supergirl backstory don't cut it. It's too easy to leave this title without any loss of completeness or continuity in the DC Universe. As little as I care for Supergirl -- right now, her vague connection to the DCU at least gives me reason to think (hope) that there is some relevance of the LSH in the DCU.
(3) Supergirl's self titled comic is a train wreck. Waid should flex some muscle and kick some ass to get that title fixed or ditch Supergirl in this one. I suspect that rather than this title dragging down sales of Supergirl, it has done the opposite, because anybody whose only contact with Supergirl is in her own mag, must be going crazy trying to figure out who in the hell the title character is. The plot, tone, characterization and art change from issue to issue. It's like comic book karaoke. People who like Supergirl in this title might be duped into picking up a copy or two of her self-titled book.
(4) Timely resolution of subplots. If main arcs ran 3 or 4 months then the subplots shouldn't drag on for a year or longer. (Lemnos' body, anyone?, Sun Boy, Nura's existence, Jo's dog, Lyle's dad, brother pineapple boxers -- all like pretty snowflakes that cease to exist shortly after being observed.)
(5) The cartoon's gotta get better and have new episodes, otherwise it's in the minus column, too. C'mon, how many of us would be watching that cartoon if it weren't for the fact we longed for any LSH comic in our own youths. (People who are still youthful may disregard this comment.)
(6) Make Timberwolf look like Wolverine and feature him on the cover. Confuse some idiotic Marvel fans. (somewhat tongue in cheek, but not entirely)

The biggest danger to LSH right now is probably the successful resurgence of JSA. I'll continue buying them both, but for anyone who feels they have to make a choice between the two titles, it's an easy decision. That's where I'd pin some of the LSH sales slippage. There's a better product on the shelves.

The best issues of the title by far were the first three or four, in which Waid was delivering what he originally promised: self-contained, done-in-one issues that built towards a greater storyline. This is the same kind of formula that makes All-Star Superman, for example, so great. With that title, for example, I don't even care if it only comes out every two to three months, as each issue is an incredibly satisfying read once I get it in my hands.

Instead of continuing with that formula, Waid seems to have shifted to a psuedo-Levitz style of focusing on nothing but a multitude of endless, drawn out sub-plots that never really reach clear resolution.

Hmmmm how about getting this book to the stores before it is spoiled all over the internet... I know it may not have effected this months ordering, but...

Also it's the holidays. Money is spent on travel and gifts that would otherwise have been spent on books.

Also does anyone have the Trade sales figs. This is a book a lot of people are buyin in trades

This is a book a lot of people are buyin in trades

That can't be a good thing for a book that is published monthly, can it?

Nevertheless, I think that Lad Boy is absolutely correct in his analysis. Go forth and conquer Lad Boy.

23 - 4.76 - LEGION O/SUPER HEROES VOL 3 SUPERGIRL - 2,972

Yep, lotta people there....

And Supergirl's solo book is outselling Slosh by 2-to-1.

So, the January numbers are up at ICV2. Listed Below:

12/2004: LSH #01 -- 59,944, including reorders
01/2005: LSH #02 -- 48,584 ""
02/2005: LSH #03 -- 44,824 ""
03/2005: LSH #04 -- 43,408 ""
04/2005: LSH #05 -- 41,664, no reorder listed in top 300
05/2005: LSH #06 -- 40,970 ""
06/2005: LSH #07 -- 39,155 ""
07/2005: LSH #08 -- 37,272 ""
08/2005: LSH #09 -- 35,834 ""
09/2005: LSH #10 -- 35,800 ""
10/2005: LSH #11 -- 34,100 ""
11/2005: LSH #12 -- 33,500 ""
01/2006: LSH #13 -- 32,730 ""
02/2006: LSH #14 -- 32,513 ""
02/2006: LSH #15 -- 31,649 ""
03/2006: LSH #16 -- 54,826, including reorders
04/2006: LSH #17 -- 47,697, including reorders
05/2006: LSH #18 -- 45,520, no reorder listed in top 300
06/2006: LSH #19 -- 43,918 ""
07/2006: LSH #20 -- 41,679 ""
08/2006: LSH #21 -- 39,800 ""
09/2006: LSH #22 -- 36,735 ""
10/2006: LSH #23 -- 41,554 ""
11/2006: LSH #24 -- 33,985
12/2006: LSH #25 -- 33,288
01/2007: LSH #26 -- 32,342

So a drop of a little less than a thousand. Not very encouraging, but it is in-line with a lot of other titles attrition rates. We're still above the last pre-OYL numbers but barely. So while the Supergirl "bump" is almost completely gone, one wonders how low sales would have sunk without it.

I hope with the new creative team change the sales will go up, I don't want to see the Legion get cancelled.

even if this book is cancelled, I can't see LSH back-burnered for long.

We would likely get a return to the Levitz-era Legion, which couldn't be a bad thing at all.

Let's keep our fingers crossed...

Though I really find it hard to believe that a deboot could happen AND lure new readers at the same time, I really would love to see a return to the Levitz-Era drawn by George Perez (THAT would boost sales!!!!).

I think the Giffen era would have to be thrown overboard too (the EARTH was gone in that one!), which is a shame for the most part but hey, so it's another great Elseworld...

Imagine: Jo Nah waking up, shaking his head, stepping to the shower and there she is, Tinya Wazzo, as if she never had died... and the whole Giffen era - Kiddie Legion - Abnett Lanning Era - Waid Kitson attemt to tell a story was just a bad dream of Ultra Boy after drinking too much Kono...
:rolleyes:

Enter Perez and Wolfman on a new Legion book, LSH v.3 #65 :-)