IcV2 has posted their top 300 comics for August list with estimated sales figures. With no issue in July, Flash: Rebirth #4 still pulled a top-20 spot on the chart for August, coming in ranked #14. Sales estimates dropped below 80K to 78,107 copies.
| Issue | Rank | Units Sold | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flash: Rebirth #1 (of 6) | 2 | 102,429 | +286.6% |
| Flash: Rebirth #2 (of 6) | 4 | 86,183 | -15.9% |
| Flash: Rebirth #3 (of 6) | 10 | 83,086 | -3.6% |
| Flash: Rebirth #4 (of 6) | 14 | 78,107 | -6.0% |
Most comics do drop in sales from month to month, miniseries especially, but my understanding is that they usually level out. Flash: Rebirth actually dropped more from #3 to #4 than it did from #2 to #3…despite the fact that, according to ICv2, overall sales rose in August, buoyed by Blackest Night and Dark Reign.
So why the drop?
- Did the delay cause readers to lose interest?
- Did casual readers drop it at the half-way point? Is that typical? (I’ve found I usually give a miniseries 2 issues if I’m on the fence.)
- Did the slow pacing of the first few issues frustrate readers?
- Is it because it’s the first issue to be solicited after Flash: Rebirth #1 hit the stores? I’d expect that to have helped sales, given how well #1 has done.
- Did budget crunches force readers to choose between Blackest Night and Flash: Rebirth?
- Is it actually typical, and I’m just reading too much into it?
I’m puzzled.
Anyone else have any thoughts on the matter?
Update October 2: The Beat thinks that these are “solid figures for a Flash title…especially considering that the property has gone through two failed major relaunches since 2006.”
