I have some bad news:
SAGA #7 is sold out. Sounds like good news, right? Well, it's not. First, it means that retailers under-ordered it. And second:
We will not be reprinting it. Should we have overprinted? We did. Should we have told you specifically
"Order a lot of this one"? Well, did we really need to?
This is
SAGA we're talking about. Issue #7 was its return after a brief hiatus that had fans of the epic by
Brian K. Vaughan and
Fiona Staples as restless as cats in heat and following on the heels of the release of a trade paperback that is moving like wildfire (it's is still on the New York Times Bestseller list).
And its FOC came just two weeks after I quite single-mindedly harangued you about order numbers decreasing with each issue of even our most popular titles, using math. (
Math, people!)
What's even worse news is that orders for SAGA #8 decreased 4% from orders on #7. It will not be reprinted either. We have decided to cease second printings of single issues of titles that are known over-performers in hopes that it will help initial sales find their proper level. That's marketing-speak for
"You know this sells, so you'd better make sure you order enough!"
This isn't meant as a punishment or some weird scheme to drive up prices of single issues on eBay. The weeks of delay in waiting for the second printing cost
you sales. Knowing you can count on reprintings has encouraged caution when none is called for, and that hurts you as much as it does us.
And there's absolutely no reason why there shouldn't be more readers of our best-selling titles now that the $1.00 Image Firsts editions of FATALE #1, THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS #1, SAGA #1, REVIVAL#1, and THIEF OF THIEVES #1 are available and (should be) in your stores. They're there to help you evangelize, so spread the good news! (Can I get an "
Amen"?)
It's not empty boasting to say that SAGA is the best new series of 2012 — it's borne out by review after review, recommendation after recommendation, and when we see sales go
down on an issue, we know that there is a problem, and it isn't with the book itself.
So believe in the titles that sell and believe in your ability to sell them. There might not be a second chance.
Here are some #2s on this week's FOC list that you may need more of (
with even more math!):
CHANGE #2 — Orders presently are 38% lower than orders for the debut issue. If you haven't read CHANGE #1 yet, please give it a look. Its writer
Ales Kot had a breakout hit with WILD CHILDREN this year, and CHANGE taps into the same sensibility.
THE LEGEND OF LUTHER STRODE #2 — Orders are 21% less than orders for #1, which has
sold out. This is a known seller by creators whose traction in the industry is growing —
Justin Jordan, who also writes
Shadowman for Valiant and
Tradd Moore, who has drawn a variant
Deadpool cover for Marvel and a story in the digital
Legends of the Dark Knight for DC.
NON-HUMANS #2 — I know. It's late, and lateness is a death knell for sales numbers. But! This is the return to Image by
Whilce Portacio, and a 33% drop in orders seems a mite steep, considering that
NON-HUMANS #1 sold out.
-JdG
GET THE INTELLIGENCE ON THINK TANK
THINK TANK, the story of a scientific genius who abandons his post in the Defense Department, has been a hit for Top Cow's Minotaur Press line.
Matt Hawkins ability to weave real (or simply possible) technological advancements into the story is based on his very real interest in science (he has a degree in Physics!), and he's bringing that to the fore with with the
THINK TANK MILITARY DOSSIER #1. Technology like military drones and guided bullets may be politically controversial, but it doesn't make them any less fascinating. This is a great companion to the THINK TANK trade paperback or a great introduction to the title for your tech-geek customers.
THE RAPTURE, ARMAGEDDON, DEMONS, AND YOU
Maybe the world's going to end on Wednesday. But maybe it's not. And in that event, you won't want to be caught short of THE END TIMES OF BRAM AND BEN #1 (written by
James Asmus) and REPOSSESSED #1 (by TRANSHUMAN artist
JM RINGUET) after your narrow escape from the Mayan Apocalypse. I told you about these last week, so now I'm doubling down: People are going to love these titles. They infuse the end of the world and demonic possession with just the right amount of humor, sardonic wit, and, in the case of REPOSSESSED, major firepower.
Both are going to be promoted with teaser campaigns going out this week. Here's an early taste of recommendations:
"Balls to the wall INSANITY. And the art's pretty to look at, too."
- Rob Guillory (artist on CHEW on REPOSSESSED)
"As light and silly as BRAM & BEN can be, it's well-deserved, and well-written skewering of religion's many hypocrisies shines through. BRAM & BEN does what comic are skilled at...making us laugh with funny pictures, while subtly gutting us with its words."
- Tim Seeley (REVIVAL, HACK/SLASH.)
If you have any questions, suggestions or concerns, please drop us a line (or more) at
toddmartinez@imagecomics.com and
jenniferdeguzman@imagecomics.com.
Have a great week!
Todd Martinez, Sales & Licensing Coordinator
Jennifer de Guzman, PR & Marketing Director
NEW THIS WEEK(12/12):
THE ACTIVITY #10
by NATHAN EDMONDSON & MITCH GERADS - AUG120498
Team Omaha sets up a business front in the Philippines, only to find out they've done their job a little too well.
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AGE OF BRONZE #32
by ERIC SHANOWER - OCT120510
“THE STORY OF THE TROJAN WAR: BETRAYAL,” Part 13 — Cressida enters the Achaean camp, far from Troilus, her lover in Troy. The Achaeans treat her little better than a whore, while her father, the Trojan traitor Kalchas, won’t listen. Only Diomedes shows her respect – but can Diomedes survive in battle against Troilus?
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ARTIFACTS #23
by RON MARZ & STJEPAN SEJIC - AUG120500
“TRUTHS & DESTINIES,” PART 2 - Tom Judge's training as a priest did not prepare him for the horrors he's seen as a special investigator for the FBI. But Tom's current case – an unholy combination of the supernatural and murder most foul – is beyond anything he's ever experienced, and even the powerful Artifact he wields, the Rapture, won't be enough to save him.
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BODY BAGS, VOL. 2 TP
by JASON PEARSON - OCT120477
BODY BAGS VOL. 2 collects stories from the sold-out 3 THE HARD WAY and ONE SHOT specials, now under the same cover for the first time. Join Clownface and panda, as the original father/daughter duo kick ass across Terminus, GA! Featuring a cover gallery and never-before-seen extras.
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CHANGE #1 (of 4)
by ALES KOT & MORGAN JESKE - OCT120458
A foul-mouthed struggling screenwriter who moonlights as a car thief. An obscenely wealthy rapper completely disconnected from the real world. A dying cosmonaut on his way back to Earth. Los Angeles is being toyed with by destructive forces that repeatedly find the city through time and swallow it whole, and those three are the only people able to save it.
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CLONE #2
by DAVID SCHULNER, JUAN JOSE RYP & FELIX SERRANO - OCT120514
Dr. Luke Taylor’s world continues to unravel and open up as the hunt for his missing and very much pregnant wife continues. His clone counterparts show him just how many clones are out there – and how much the government had a role to play!
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THE COURIERS COMPLETE COLLECTION TP
by BRIAN WOOD, ROB G & BRET WELDELE - SEP120431
Collecting the complete four-volume saga, including the prequel graphic novel, Couscous Express, this epic story from 2002-2005 is the hyper-violent, tongue-in-cheek tale of mercenary bike messengers in New York City who do the jobs no one else will: the black market runs, the smuggling, the hits and the double crosses.
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ELEPHANTMEN, VOL. 5: DEVILISH FUNCTIONS TP
by RICHARD STARKINGS, AXEL MEDELLIN & SHAKY KANE, cover by BOO COOK - SEP128364
Collects MAN AND ELEPHANTMAN and THE KILLING SEASON (#31-33 and #36-39), packed with extras, including art by J. SCOTT CAMPBELL and the shocking "strip" from CBLDF LIBERTY ANNUAL 2011 by RICHARD STARKINGS and SHAKY KANE.
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HACK/SLASH #21
by TIM SEELEY & ELENA CASAGRANDE - cover A by TIM SEELEY & DOMINIC MARCO AUG120513, cover B by ELENA CASAGRANDE AUG120514
“FINAL,” Part Two — The most twisted and persistent slashers Cassie has ever faced are back. And they’re on the hunt, ensuring that everyone Cassie and Vlad have ever saved become the victims they were intended to be! Someone dies! Actually, a whole lot of people die!!
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IMAGE FIRSTS: CHEW #1
story JOHN LAYMAN art & cover ROB GUILLORY - OCT128200
Available again as an Image First edition for only $1! Tony Chu is a cop with a secret. A weird secret. Tony Chu is Cibopathic, which means he gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats. It also means he's a hell of a detective, as long as he doesn't mind nibbling on the corpse of a murder victim to figure out whodunit, and why. It's a dirty job, and Tony has to eat terrible things in the name of justice. And if that wasn't bad enough, the government has figured out Tony Chu's secret. They have plans for him whether he likes it or not.
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IMAGE FIRSTS: FATALE #1
by ED BRUBAKER, SEAN PHILLIPS & DAVE STEWART - OCT128196
An Image First edition for only $1! A reporter in 2012 stumbles on a secret that leads him down the darkest path imaginable... to a seductive woman who’s been on the run since 1935, a mobster who may be an immortal demon monster, and the stories of all the doomed men who’ve been caught in their decades-long struggle. FATALE blends noir and horror to tell a riveting epic unlike anything you’ve seen before.
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IMAGE FIRSTS: THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS #1
by JONATHAN HICKMAN, NICK PITARRA & CRIS PETER - OCT128197
An Image First edition for only $1! “INFINITE OPPENHEIMERS”
What if the research and development department created to produce the first atomic bomb was a front for a series of other, more unusual, programs? What if the union of a generation's brightest minds was not a signal for optimism, but foreboding? What if everything... went wrong?
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IMAGE FIRSTS: REVIVAL #1
by TIM SEELEY & MIKE NORTON, cover by JENNY FRISON - OCT128211
An Image First edition for only $1! For one day in rural central Wisconsin, the dead came back to life. Now it's up to Officer Dana Cypress to deal with the media scrutiny, religious zealots, and government quarantine that has come with them. On top of all that, Officer Cypress must solve a brutal murder, and everyone, alive or undead, is a suspect.
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IMAGE FIRSTS: SAGA #1
by BRIAN K. VAUGHAN & FIONA STAPLES - OCT128195
An Image First edition for only $1! Star Wars-style action collides with Game of Thrones-esque drama in this original sci-fi/fantasy epic for mature readers, as new parents Marko and Alana risk everything to raise their child amidst a never-ending galactic war. The adventure begins in a spectacular DOUBLE-SIZED FIRST ISSUE, with forty-four pages of story!
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IMAGE FIRSTS: THIEF OF THIEVES #1
by ROBERT KIRKMAN, NICK SPENCER & SHAWN MARTINBROUGH - OCT128198
An Image First edition for only $1! Conrad Paulson lives a secret double life as master thief Redmond. There is nothing he can’t steal, nothing he can’t have... except for the life he left behind. Now, with a grown son he hardly knows, and an ex-wife he never stopped loving, Conrad must try to piece together what’s left of his life, before the FBI finally catch up to him... but it appears they are the least of his worries.
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IMAGE FIRSTS: THE WALKING DEAD #1
by ROBERT KIRKMAN & TONY MOORE - OCT128199
An Image First edition for only $1! Rick Grimes, Sheriff of a small town in Kentucky awakes in a hospitall. Comatose after being shot while on duty, Rick finds the world abandoned of all things living and is faced with walking undead, who attack him on sight. He returns home to find his family, son Carl and wife Lori, gone. He meets his new neighbor, who points him towards Atlanta. After retrieving supplies from the abandoned Police Station, Rick sets off to Atlanta to search for his family.
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IT GIRL & THE ATOMICS #5
by JAMIE S. RICH & MIKE NORTON, cover by MICHAEL & LAURA ALLRED - OCT120529
It Girl has seen the true face of her enemy, and she’s confronting LaLa Wah-Wah on the villain’s own turf: inside the video game dimension! It’s a dangerous showdown, but with the Atomics rallying behind her, It Girl can’t lose. Concluding the first arc of Image’s newest hit series.
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MULTIPLE WARHEADS: ALPHABET TO INFINITY #1 (of 4) (2nd printing)
by BRANDON GRAHAM - OCT128202
Sexica and her Werewolf boyfriend Nikoli travel across a sci-fi, fantasy Russia smoking singing cigarettes. Meanwhile, the organ hunter Nura is sent out with a severed head and instructions to find its body.
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NANCY IN HELL (ON EARTH) TP
by EL TORRES & ENRIQUE LOPEZ LORENZANA, cover by NACHO MOLINA - AUG120487
Nancy and Lucifer filleted their way out of Hell... and they left the Gates open. Now demons are pouring onto Earth, and angels want to destroy the whole planet before Hell spreads through all the realms. And Nancy, her daisy dukes and her trusty chainsaw are in the way! Collects NANCY IN HELL (ON EARTH) #1–4.
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THE PERHAPANAUTS, VOL. 2: TREASURE OBSCURA TP
by TODD DEZAGO & CRAIG ROUSSEAU - OCT120490
Buried treasure from THE PERHAPANAUTS vaults! Includes THE PERHAPANAUTS 5.5, THE PERHAPANAUTS 6, THE PERHAPANAUTS HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR 1, and THE PERHAPANAUTS: MOLLY’S STORY 1. Plus; never-before-published stories from the online "Tales from the Perhaps"! and other extras!
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POINT OF IMPACT #3 (of 4)
by JAY FAERBER & KORAY KURANEL - OCT120539
It's the penultimate issue of Jay Faerber's murder mystery! As Boone attempts to infiltrate the conspiracy surrounding Nicole Rafferty's murder, Mitch Rafferty manages to track down the man who could have all the answers. Meanwhile, Det. Abby Warren discovers the aftermath of a violent encounter.
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REVIVAL, VOL. 1: YOU’RE AMONG FRIENDS TP
by TIM SEELEY, MIKE NORTON & MARK ENGLERT - OCT120493
For one day in rural central Wisconsin, the dead came back to life. Now it's up to Officer Dana Cypress to deal with the media scrutiny, religious zealots, and government quarantine that has come with them. In a town where the living have to learn to deal with those who are supposed to be dead, Officer Cypress must solve a brutal murder, and everyone, alive or undead, is a suspect. Collects REVIVAL 1-5 and the FREE COMIC BOOK DAY short story.
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THE WALKING DEAD #105
by ROBERT KIRKMAN, CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN - OCT120547
“Sing me a song.”
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THE WALKING DEAD OMNIBUS, VOL. 4 HC
by ROBERT KIRKMAN, CHARLIE ADLARD & CLIFF RATHBURN - OCT120495, S&N EDITION OCT120496
This deluxe hardcover features 24 issues of the hit series, The Walking Dead, along with the covers for the issues all in one massive, oversized slip-cased volume. Perfect for long-time fans, new readers, and anyone needing a heavy object with which to fend off the walking dead! Collects THE WALKING DEAD 73-96.
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