Comments on: On The Importance of (and Relative Failure of) Vertigo http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/03/01/on-the-importance-of-and-relative-failure-of-vertigo/ The Blog@ Team and prominent comics personalities share what’s on their minds. Sat, 18 May 2013 08:20:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: shameonshamus http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/03/01/on-the-importance-of-and-relative-failure-of-vertigo/comment-page-1/#comment-723807 shameonshamus Fri, 02 Mar 2012 14:46:08 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=31264#comment-723807 marc oliver your anti DC bias is well known..... marc oliver your anti DC bias is well known…..

]]> By: Richard J. Marcej http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/03/01/on-the-importance-of-and-relative-failure-of-vertigo/comment-page-1/#comment-723735 Richard J. Marcej Fri, 02 Mar 2012 05:00:24 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=31264#comment-723735 I only buy Vertigo trades. Single issues make no sense. Why doesn't Vertigo just go all trades? Why stick with the old outdated monthly comic book format. I only buy Vertigo trades. Single issues make no sense. Why doesn’t Vertigo just go all trades? Why stick with the old outdated monthly comic book format.

]]> By: Mo Walker http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/03/01/on-the-importance-of-and-relative-failure-of-vertigo/comment-page-1/#comment-723618 Mo Walker Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:34:17 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=31264#comment-723618 Playing devil's advocate, I wonder what would happen to sales if Fables and American Vampire wore DC's logo? Could it be that retailers and readers automatically attach a negative stigma to the Vertigo brand. Playing devil’s advocate, I wonder what would happen to sales if Fables and American Vampire wore DC’s logo? Could it be that retailers and readers automatically attach a negative stigma to the Vertigo brand.

]]> By: Paul Allen http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/03/01/on-the-importance-of-and-relative-failure-of-vertigo/comment-page-1/#comment-723610 Paul Allen Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:49:31 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=31264#comment-723610 Others have said this, but I'll add my voice to the chorus. The two Vertigo titles I buy (Fables and Unwritten), I buy in trades. It's a testament to their quality that these are titles I want in sturdy, re-readable, shelf-space-taking volumes. Others have said this, but I’ll add my voice to the chorus. The two Vertigo titles I buy (Fables and Unwritten), I buy in trades. It’s a testament to their quality that these are titles I want in sturdy, re-readable, shelf-space-taking volumes.

]]> By: Marc-Oliver Frisch http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/03/01/on-the-importance-of-and-relative-failure-of-vertigo/comment-page-1/#comment-723607 Marc-Oliver Frisch Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:46:56 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=31264#comment-723607 "... but Vertigo really sells in trade, and as you point out, it’s the trades that have a shelf life, so I don’t think DC even looks at those single numbers." That's a myth. It's true that collections are a big part of Vertigo's business model. But that said, the Vertigo titles that sell well as trade paperbacks tend to be the same ones that sell well as periodical comic books. And in the last few years, nothing much sells well for them, other than the Fables and American Vampire franchises. In the bookstore market, the only Vertigo names that register at all are Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Brian K. Vaughan and Bill Willingham. Brian Wood's NORTHLANDERS, according to Wood himself, was cancelled specifically because the numbers for the collections weren't there anymore. And Wood used to be one of the more bankable names for Vertigo four or five years back, as far as trade paperback sales are concerned. In the last two to three years, Vertigo's comic-book numbers have more or less stabilized, but it's happened at a very low level -- no higher than 11K on average, in a good month. It's a very fragile calculation for them right now between single issues and collections. They need both to make it, and neither format has been selling in particularly good quantities lately. “… but Vertigo really sells in trade, and as you point out, it’s the trades that have a shelf life, so I don’t think DC even looks at those single numbers.”

That’s a myth.

It’s true that collections are a big part of Vertigo’s business model. But that said, the Vertigo titles that sell well as trade paperbacks tend to be the same ones that sell well as periodical comic books. And in the last few years, nothing much sells well for them, other than the Fables and American Vampire franchises. In the bookstore market, the only Vertigo names that register at all are Neil Gaiman, Alan Moore, Brian K. Vaughan and Bill Willingham.

Brian Wood’s NORTHLANDERS, according to Wood himself, was cancelled specifically because the numbers for the collections weren’t there anymore. And Wood used to be one of the more bankable names for Vertigo four or five years back, as far as trade paperback sales are concerned.

In the last two to three years, Vertigo’s comic-book numbers have more or less stabilized, but it’s happened at a very low level — no higher than 11K on average, in a good month.

It’s a very fragile calculation for them right now between single issues and collections. They need both to make it, and neither format has been selling in particularly good quantities lately.

]]> By: shameonshamus http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/03/01/on-the-importance-of-and-relative-failure-of-vertigo/comment-page-1/#comment-723598 shameonshamus Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:29:53 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=31264#comment-723598 take the original article with a grain of salt the guy has been anti-DC/Vertigo for years spinning the slightest thing into a bad thing. His comments on the first month of the New 52 witch by all mean has been as success were very telling where his spin was directed.... even sucess to this guy is a bad thing...[he always has a negative response to any figures..] The fact is that the tail end Vertigo trades sell much more than the sungle issue and that helps keep the book afloat..... after 107 months you would think he would have figured that out. [he forgets to mention that the DC backlist also had a record month with a huge section of those books being Vertigo backlist] take the original article with a grain of salt the guy has been anti-DC/Vertigo for years spinning the slightest thing into a bad thing. His comments on the first month of the New 52 witch by all mean has been as success were very telling where his spin was directed…. even sucess to this guy is a bad thing…[he always has a negative response to any figures..] The fact is that the tail end Vertigo trades sell much more than the sungle issue and that helps keep the book afloat….. after 107 months you would think he would have figured that out.

[he forgets to mention that the DC backlist also had a record month with a huge section of those books being Vertigo backlist]

]]> By: Matt Lazorwitz http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/03/01/on-the-importance-of-and-relative-failure-of-vertigo/comment-page-1/#comment-723595 Matt Lazorwitz Thu, 01 Mar 2012 17:21:55 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=31264#comment-723595 Unwritten remains one of my top 5 books month in and month out, and I read most of Vetrigo's output in singles (except Scalped, which I got inot late and have been collecting in trade), and will be buying all the new ongoings. But from a retailer standpoint, we sell more trades of most Vertigo books than we do single issues. There are a few books from Image (Invincible, Walking Dead, Chew, Morning Glories) and Dark Horse (Hellboy & Goon) that show a similar pattern, but Vertigo really sells in trade, and as you point out, it's the trades that have a shelf life, so I don't think DC even looks at those single numbers. The Vertigo books that have been cancelled in recent years, Unknown Soldier and Madame Xanadu come to mind, sold poorly as trades, and I think that is the death knell for a Vertgo title far more than low single issue sales. Unwritten remains one of my top 5 books month in and month out, and I read most of Vetrigo’s output in singles (except Scalped, which I got inot late and have been collecting in trade), and will be buying all the new ongoings. But from a retailer standpoint, we sell more trades of most Vertigo books than we do single issues. There are a few books from Image (Invincible, Walking Dead, Chew, Morning Glories) and Dark Horse (Hellboy & Goon) that show a similar pattern, but Vertigo really sells in trade, and as you point out, it’s the trades that have a shelf life, so I don’t think DC even looks at those single numbers. The Vertigo books that have been cancelled in recent years, Unknown Soldier and Madame Xanadu come to mind, sold poorly as trades, and I think that is the death knell for a Vertgo title far more than low single issue sales.

]]> By: Jim Kingman http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/03/01/on-the-importance-of-and-relative-failure-of-vertigo/comment-page-1/#comment-723588 Jim Kingman Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:56:09 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=31264#comment-723588 It's a shame. Scalped, Fables, Spaceman and Sweet Tooth are great ongoing books. Saucer Country looks promising. Here are the terrific stories (and one potential book!) that many complain DC is not publishing. It’s a shame. Scalped, Fables, Spaceman and Sweet Tooth are great ongoing books. Saucer Country looks promising. Here are the terrific stories (and one potential book!) that many complain DC is not publishing.

]]> By: Robin http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/03/01/on-the-importance-of-and-relative-failure-of-vertigo/comment-page-1/#comment-723586 Robin Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:43:03 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=31264#comment-723586 Too bad the New 52 essentially gutted some big Veritgo properties such as Swamp Thing and Constantine. JLDark has kinda taken some wind out of Vertigo too I'm guessing. The only current Vertigo series i can think of is Fables - and not even sure if thats still published. Too bad the New 52 essentially gutted some big Veritgo properties such as Swamp Thing and Constantine. JLDark has kinda taken some wind out of Vertigo too I’m guessing.

The only current Vertigo series i can think of is Fables – and not even sure if thats still published.

]]> By: Mechagamera http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/03/01/on-the-importance-of-and-relative-failure-of-vertigo/comment-page-1/#comment-723571 Mechagamera Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:24:37 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=31264#comment-723571 I'll second what Doug asked. I don't understand why Vertigo just doesn't go all trade. I’ll second what Doug asked. I don’t understand why Vertigo just doesn’t go all trade.

]]> By: Dan Billings http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/03/01/on-the-importance-of-and-relative-failure-of-vertigo/comment-page-1/#comment-723570 Dan Billings Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:21:49 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=31264#comment-723570 Vertigo needs a buzz book bad. With the number of books that Image and Dark Horse are putting out with former Vertigo writers with a lot of press, they need something. Image and Dark Horse appears to be making a push for the current crop of creators who want to put out creator owned projects. Maybe Vertigo needs to find the new blood. Vertigo needs a buzz book bad. With the number of books that Image and Dark Horse are putting out with former Vertigo writers with a lot of press, they need something. Image and Dark Horse appears to be making a push for the current crop of creators who want to put out creator owned projects. Maybe Vertigo needs to find the new blood.

]]> By: Doug http://blog.newsarama.com/2012/03/01/on-the-importance-of-and-relative-failure-of-vertigo/comment-page-1/#comment-723565 Doug Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:10:38 +0000 http://blog.newsarama.com/?p=31264#comment-723565 Is this just single issues or does it include trades? I think a lot of vertigo books are read in trade. Is this just single issues or does it include trades? I think a lot of vertigo books are read in trade.

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