Cosmic Book News reports that The Flash #1, due in stores tomorrow, is the best-selling* Flash title in 40 years, according to a statement Dan Didio made on Facebook:
Happy to say that the New 52 FLASH comic is the best selling issue of Flash in over 40 years.
In fact, the first month of DC’s “New 52” is settings records all around. In a market that rarely sees more than a couple of books a month exceed 100,000 copies, 11 DC books have passed 100K, 3 have passed 200K, and all 52 have sold out. Even unexpected series like Hawk & Dove, Batwing, Men of War and OMAC are getting second printings.
I’ve only seen sales figures going back to 1996, but the highest-selling issue of the last 15 years was Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1 in 2006, selling an estimated 126,741 copies. The first issue of Bart Allen’s solo series was notable as the first major relaunch of the Flash in 20 years, while subsequent relaunches with Wally West’s surprise return (2007, ~79K), Barry Allen in Flash: Rebirth (2009, ~102K) and Barry Allen’s solo series (2010, ~100K) failed to match it.
Of course, the real question is: How much of the audience can they keep? First issues tend to sell a lot more than second, third and fourth issues, between speculators and people who just want to try out a new series. The real test is going to be how many people are still on board by the end of the first story arc.
*Sales figures in the comics industry are based on wholesale — how many copies are ordered by retailers — which is why they have numbers available now, before the books go on sale to readers.
Congratulations, Flash fans!
“… the highest-selling issue of the last 15 years was Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #1 in 2006 … The first issue of Bart Allen’s solo series was notable as the first major relaunch of the Flash in 20 years.” Thinking about how that ended … never underestimate DC’s ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory …
Well, for most of the last 30 years, Flash has sold near the 50K range, with some periods where it dipped lower, and of course some spurts upward – Waid’s run did very well for awhile, and of course the relaunch #1 issues such as now.
But going back to when DC reported average sales per year via distributation statements, the Flash last sold 100K per issue regularly in 1980 (109,756 copies per month average).
Going back to 1974, Flash averaged 184,749 copies sold per issue – meaning that some sold a bit more, some less. I’d have to believe one or two issues eclipsed the 200K mark that year.
So unless Flash #1 sold more than 200,000 copies, I’d have to believe it’s “only” the best-selling Flash comic of the past 37 years.