CBR’s Brett White has some thoughts about Marvel’s attempt to focus on female leads, and their performance in the marketplace:
“Captain Marvel,” “Journey Into Mystery” and “Red She-Hulk” are all selling between 20,000 and 23,000 copies a month. To put that in perspective, the company these three books were keeping on the November 2012 sales figures (“Avengers Academy,” “Age of Apocalypse,” “Defenders” and “X-Treme X-Men”) have all been cancelled. Comparing these sales figures to their DC counterparts is even more disheartening (as a Marvel fan who wants to see these books succeed, that is. It’s great for the industry!). “Batgirl” comfortably sells 50,000 a month. “Catwoman” and “Wonder Woman” are just a little behind at 40,000. “Batwoman” is leveling out in the mid-30,000 area. Objectively, I am pleased that DC has success with their female headliners. That’s a step in the right direction. I just want the same thing for Marvel.
White points out multiple times that he hasn’t heard any rumors that these three are anywhere near cancellation, and isn’t trying to start a scare – But his math isn’t off, and neither is his noticing that DC’s female-centric leads are selling better. Why is that? It’ll be curious to see how Fearless Defenders and especially Brian Wood/Olivier Coipel’s X-Men fare – Marvel has traditionally been stronger with team books, so will all-female teams resonate more with the Marvel readership?
February 7th, 2013 at 11:28 am
I wonder if part of the problem is that when you see a Batgirl/Catwoman/Wonder Woman/Batwoman comic you think that they are starring a comic because they are interesting characters, not only because they are women.
With Marvel and “Captain Marvel” “Journey Into Mistery” and “Red She-Hulk” I’ve heard and read a lot of people saying than Marvel needs more female leads and that’s why they are publishing them (and the same goes for Fearless Defenders and X-men), because they are female characters, not because it could be an awesome comic or because someone has something to say about them, just because they are women.
The opposite of this could be X-men Legacy with Mike Carey. The main character was Rogue and it was selling between 40,000 and 35,000 copies a month and it does not looks like Rogue was there because she was a x-women but because Carey really want to make her the lead.
I don’t completely agree with this arguments -it seems too foolish- but I can see the point: it’s not about female leads, it’s about good comics… and about looking like you really want to sell this comic because they’re good and not because you need to put a woman on the cover.
February 7th, 2013 at 11:29 am
Marvel has only has one female hero title make it to triple digits: Spider-girl. And half of the book’s run, Joey Q wanted to cancel the book because it down fit in with nuMarvel’s tone. Mind you, he and his successor have yet to replicate that book’s long run, even with his own Spider-girl character.
February 7th, 2013 at 11:31 am
PS: And to be honest, I’m not questioning the quality of any of this books or the authors. I think they all are very good comics
February 7th, 2013 at 1:33 pm
you continue to both overestimate the number of female readers and underestimate the misogyny of male readers.
February 7th, 2013 at 1:40 pm
How about the fact that female or not, Selina, Diana and Barbara are proven lead characters, where as Sif, Betty Ross and Carol Danvers are very much NOT.
February 7th, 2013 at 1:51 pm
Because they weren’t marketed and were all locked out of the ‘marvel now’ branding, just like similarly low-selling book Gambit
February 7th, 2013 at 2:04 pm
@urkel: Of course! Because male readers won’t read female leads! Male readers, by nature, are a cowardly and misogynist lot.
No, wait… That does not explain how DC female-centric leads sell better than Marvel counterparts. I think I’m missing your point…
February 7th, 2013 at 2:20 pm
This topic is made even more fascinating by this announcement of Hyperion/Marvel romance novels. http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/02/07/marvel-comics-female-superhero-books/1898867/
If these are a success will it be considered a shot across the bow of the comics division not being able to exploit their trove of characters?
February 7th, 2013 at 2:41 pm
Anyone know how well the original She-Hulk’s book sold? Jen isn’t a star, but she seems to be pretty popular.
February 7th, 2013 at 10:19 pm
Hmm… BAT-girl (Batman book), Catwoman (Batman book), Wonder Woman (Supposedly one of DC’s Trinity), and BAT-woman (Not really a Bat book but probably has the best art put out by the Big 2). Wonder if DC selling them has more to do with that then the fact that they have female leads. Contrast that with Captain Marvel, Sif, and Red She-Hulk and maybe that’s why those books are selling better
February 9th, 2013 at 7:09 am
Just Brett White screeching and posturing as usual.
February 9th, 2013 at 1:54 pm
Well three of the examples Graeme listed are Batman-related books, and the other is Wonder Woman. I think if you wanted to compare apples to apples you have to see how DC is doing with their equivalents of Captain Marvel and Sif and Red She-Hulk, meaning female characters who are not super iconic and are not tied into a “guaranteed seller” franchise.
Since Marvel doesn’t have a female character as iconic as Wonder Woman, maybe they should follow DC’s other strategy with the Bat-female books and make all the female books tie into a character or group that sells no matter what. For example the all-female X-Men book is a good start.
February 10th, 2013 at 6:01 am
It might be just that marvel needs to give the characters more time. Sure She-Hulk has been around for a while but not in the same way as Batgirl and Captain Marvel is just Ms. Marvel with a stolen name. DC has also been at this for a little while longer. When Bendis was killing off the Wasp or making Tigra a joke DC was pushing Birds of Prey, Secret Six and other titles that had strong female leads.
February 10th, 2013 at 4:44 pm
That’s why I talk about X-men Legacy on my first comment, which was a female lead when Carey was writting and was selling about 350000 copies a month. And that’s also why I said I don’t understand urkel’s comment. Maybe I didn’t explain very well but that was one of my points, that you cannot compare titles that are so different.
February 12th, 2013 at 2:26 pm
Logan answered it.
Look at it this way: how is the Firestorm book selling?
Superhero books do well if they’re part of a franchise. If they’re not, they die on the vine.