IDW sales numbers thread

[STL]

Going on what I've seen on shelves, the shipping numbers are very misleading. The Alliance and Defiance comics are clogging the shelves at Kings Alongside the Allspark comics).

I think they're anticipating the movie to help things along once it gets off the ground. There's ironically a long delay between the prequels and the actual movie but I think that's b/c IDW is targetting the TPB market as it wants the TPBs of these prequels to be on the market at the same time the movie is released to maximise leverage on both traditional and non-traditional comic fans. So perhaps there we haven't seen the full extent of it.

But again, it didn't receive as much hype as it should've, being movie tie-ins and whatnot.

I have said it before, and I'll keep on saying it because it's true, IDW do not market their Transformers comics enough.
Sure there is a dedicated following from fans, but they are very obviously not bringing in new readers, and they wasted the interest in Transformers that the first movie generated by having such terrible movie based comics, and having very few other titles on the shelves around the movie's release.

I think additionally that a problem with the movie comics is they're starting down the road of building a long-stretching continuity which is very much akin to the problems that we've had with the Furman verse and means over time, it'll be dependent on hardcore fans. But given the quality of the 1st movies comics, as you point out, and the movie itself not having much story quality either - i honestly don't think it can afford to do that. Most people to me still are very casual about their movie-verse. And that's got a lot to do with we didn't get to develop very real charactesr in the 1st movie.

Your statment about Maximum Dinbots is confusing and frankly feels rather provocative, so alas I have to bite. Are we defending Maximum Dinobots against its poor sales numbers or against Simon Furmans writing in general? I certainly wont defend the book against the former, but against the later is a different story. Surely I don't have to like something just because it's a great succsess, If that were the case I'd have to like Titanic.

I take on board completely that sales don't necessarily reflect story quality. I've been a fan of plenty of Marvel series that fit that category. I've only really read #2 issues of MAximum Dinobots to date so can't say much about the story (though I don't think its been great thus far) but to me, there's a gnarling frustration with it b/c so many ppl across international boards and here seem to always say how good he's doing. He's not and I think at some point you have to look to the evidence and its irritating that a lot of people don't look at the numbers at all.

I wonder to though wether the 80's rehash that happened back at the end of the last century in comics is running its course, maybe we've come to the end I mean other than GI Joe it seems all the other 80's rehash's have dried up and gone now. It could just be a personal thing and I know the cost of comics these days is a factor (damn economic crisis) but I find my interest in Transformer comics wanning wether there written by Furman,Mcarthy or whoever.

Some very interesting broader industry issues there too. I think you're right about the price of comics though and the way Marvel is heading, it won't be long before IDW put there's up to $4.50, I imagine. The economic squeeze is definitely tightening their margins I imagine.

So AHM's a reboot now? Primus damn that series confuses me something chronic!

Should've been in the 1st place and that's the exact reason why they shoudl've made it one. Save all the confusion. Give it a fresh start. Not sure what they can do, really. Another reboot could still be too soon.

Anyways, the next round of numbers are actually already available and I should get to posting commentary on it soon enough. Some interesting numbers.

[FFN]

Maximum Dinobots is doing pretty badly in terms of sales, but then again, I put forward that part of the reason is that the outcome has already been decided. AHM says that the Autobots will lose on Earth. So even if you're rooting for Hot Rod, Sunstreaker and the Dinobots to triumph over Scorponok and his Machination Clones, you already know the Dinobots will mysteriously disappear, the Autobots will lose and Sunstreaker will want all the humans dead for no apparent reason.

Oh, and that recent AHM with Sunstreaker and Hunter = thanks a lot for spoiling the end of Sunstreaker's relationship with Hunter, jerks.

[Lord_Zed]

Maximum Dinobots is doing pretty badly in terms of sales, but then again, I put forward that part of the reason is that the outcome has already been decided. AHM says that the Autobots will lose on Earth. So even if you're rooting for Hot Rod, Sunstreaker and the Dinobots to triumph over Scorponok and his Machination Clones, you already know the Dinobots will mysteriously disappear, the Autobots will lose and Sunstreaker will want all the humans dead for no apparent reason.

Oh, and that recent AHM with Sunstreaker and Hunter = thanks a lot for spoiling the end of Sunstreaker's relationship with Hunter, jerks.

For the reasons you outline above, It's hard to see the proposed AHM Coda improving sales numbers.

[FFN]

And all because All Hail Megatron was never written with Furman's story in mind. That's why it was placed "a year in the future", so that it could deal with inconsistencies later on in the series.

So now they need the Codas to explain why things don't add up.