Batman Fatigue Isn’t Real And Comic Sales Prove It

Batman Fatigue Isn’t Real, And Comic Sales Prove It

While comic fans often argue that the market is tiring of Batman, recent sales numbers disagree, even as DC continues to focus on the Dark Knight.

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Batman Fatigue Isn’t Real And Comic Sales Prove It

While comic fans love to declare that DC Comics’ excessive focus on Batman is causing interest in the character to decline, comic sales just don’t support the idea of so-called ‘Batman fatigue.’ He may be one of the most storied and exploited characters in the history of popular entertainment at this point, with numerous videogames, film franchises and television series devoted to the Caped Crusader, but fans apparently cannot get enough of him, as his comic book sales continue their trend upwards even as DC Comics launches even more series focused on the adventures, allies, and enemies of Bruce Wayne.

Batman fatigue has been a constant criticism leveled against DC and parent company Warner Bros. when any property concerned with Batman seems to perform under expectations: that no matter the quality of the production in question, it was bound to bomb because the popular imagination has had enough Batman for the time being. Batman remains one of the most widely-published characters in comics, currently starring in no less than nine ongoing series, not including one-shots and affiliated books. Most recently, fans pointed at the supposed phenomena when artist Liam Sharp voiced his belief that his limited series with Garth Ennis, Batman: Reptilian, wasn’t being given proper consideration. This criticism has become ever more relevant as the specter of two incoming films set to release 2022 appear on the horizon: The Batman and The Flash, both of which will heavily feature the character and rely upon his marketability.

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However, if numbers are to be believed, DC’s got nothing to be superstitious (or cowardly) about when it comes to the Dark Knight’s possible overexposure. According to sales figures from Comichron.com, Batman’s popularity is still leading the pack following a gangbusters summer in regards to total comic sales, with two of his series (Batman and Batman ’89) selling more than 100,000 copies to comic stores in the month of August alone. Sales of Batman’s title series have actually increased by almost 35,000 since August 2019, from an average of 83,000 to 118,000 (though the series is only just holding its readership by 2013 figures), but perhaps the greatest recent milestone belongs to Batman: Three Jokers which sold 300,000 copies in August 2020. Batman’s corollary series also sold well, with Batman: Fear State Alpha selling a reported 98,000, and the ongoing Joker series selling 78,000.

Sales have been up across the board this summer, with 24.2 million units sold between June and August via the direct market. Though still a far cry from the heyday of 1991, when X-Men #1 sold 8 million copies alone, the continued strong sales reflect the industry itself as a resilient market despite the perils of the coronavirus pandemic. DC finds itself in a strong position a little bit more than a year after a major shake-up in its editorial department in which a supposed one third of its staff were fired days prior to FanDome. And, at least in part, much of this is due to banking on Batman, the company’s flagship character.

Batman is currently the subject of two mainline series, Batman and Detective Comics, along with a multitude of affiliated Bat-titles concerning connected characters and the setting of Gotham City, as well as Black Label limited series with more mature, non-canon takes on the character such as Batman/Catwoman, Batman: Reptilian, and Batman: The Imposter. Perhaps the success of the franchise is due to the wide variety of content and storytelling styles Batman’s titles enjoy on a weekly basis across the company, presenting a “something for everyone” approach, from the hard-boiled action of Batman: The Detective to the light fun of The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries.

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Batman writer James Tynion IV recently discussed the idea of the Batman franchise as its own comic universe comparable to the huge roster of the X-Men, with the hero acting as the strong backbone of the wider Gotham ‘universe,’ and that would certainly explain how so many Batman comics only continue to invite fan interest. Whatever the reason, current comic sales don’t support the received idea that there’s too much Batman on the market – as DC Comics already figured out, demand for the Dark Knight remains incredibly strong.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/batman-fatigue-not-real-dc-comic-sales-up/

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