You can view the page at http://www.alphaflight.net/content.p...ight-(Vol-4)-1
You can view the page at http://www.alphaflight.net/content.p...ight-(Vol-4)-1
Based on past months figures, I'd guess we're looking at around 50k which puts it around the same sales as Omega Flight #1 and beating Volume 3 #1 which for a much weaker comics marker and dollar value generally is an amazing thing.
If I remember my retailer correctly, they received free copies based on the purchased numbers of another Marvel title issue. So they got 50 copies + 2 Variants while only actually having to purchase 25 copies and the 2 variants.
They were back down to 25 copies + 1 Variant for issue #2.
So actual sell through is what is important. The position of #1 is definitely skewed.
That explains why the dollar index is lower than the sales positions lower than it, but even so it's still a high dollar share.
#2 being $2.99 will affect it to, but signs are positive so far.
Yeah. with them trying to hand out free copies to get more reading, it looks like once again, Marvel is going all out in promoting this rendition. If it doesn't succeed, we can probably kiss Alpha flight good bye, once and for all. So this next month will be the real sign on how it is doing, because I feel like if they were going to make it ongoing, they would have to make the decision in the next 2-3 months so that there would be time to get the 9th issue out.
I personally don't think we'll get an ongoing.
I reckon that the series will take a 4-6 month break and then have another maxi series, possibly tied in to the next event.
That's all based on my opinion, no details or insider knowledge.
I personally like series like this one rather than ongoing. At least they can focus on a better storyline rather than "filler" issues where things don't make sense and are boring to read (aka the Dreamqueen crap). I'd be happy to get a 8 issues mini series every year for many years to come, rather than them getting a full time ongoing series, which they would eventually cancel and we'd never hear from AF ever again
I have some hope of #2, and subsequent issues selling well due to the positive feedback from fans. Many people on CBR are gushing about the title who normally are rather cynical. Even one guy who hasn't had a good thing to say about Alpha Flight posted that Fear Itself should have been written more the way the maxi is going.
If the book can maintain these numbers then I can see an ongoing happening. Short of the remaining issues dropping into the sub-basement of the rankings, there will be more maxi series in the future, IMHO.
yeah, kinda like a good movie not dropping off significantly in its second week out. i would love to see maxi-series, kind of like the inhumans were doing for a while. i don't want to wait 6-8 months between though. 50k a month is a very strong number in todays market (still amazes me the original sold 500k) and with marvel fully backing the series and team, i see them pushing form a ongoing. i agree with sypes though, seems once creative teams change, and i know the current team would love a long run, but not forever, which would put us right back to what happened once byrne then mignola left. a mess.
btw, looking at those sales numbers, i always wondered how x-factor stayed around. its a great series, very well written and enjoyable, but its's always towards the bottom of sales. i think marvel really supports this title.
I do wonder if a series of maxi-series wouldn't be the best way to go. For one thing, you avoid having storylines derailed by the next big event, and they could time it so that the new story hits the stand about the same time the trade for the last one comes out, which seems like a good way to build and maintain readership (as well as possibly convince a few trade-waiters to jump on the monthly bandwagon).
I was stunned when Peter David was stumping about a couple of years ago claiming that shutting down internet spoilers would help him triple X-Factor's sales within a year. It was seriously a "Sir, how long have you been working in this industry?" moment. MightyGodKing said it best -- unless that became a book starring Wolverine, Spidey, and Batman, that just wasn't going to happen. The book does have a loyal audience, though; the sales trend downward, but it's a very slow bleed, comparatively. Having steady sales must count for something.Quote:
Originally Posted by varo
This is a fallacious premise that I hope most people don't get sucked into believing. ALPHA FLIGHT is a property of MARVEL, just like "Superman" and "Green Lantern" are properties of DC comics. If one product version of "ALPHA FLIGHT" does not do as well as expected, eventually another product version of "ALPHA FLIGHT" will be produced.Quote:
Originally Posted by SmurfInABlender
Or MARVEL will just let a viable property just languish into obscurity. I doubt that will ever happen.
But if the book fails with all of the press and promotion that Marvel's given it this time around, then how much of a viable property Alpha Flight actually is comes into question.Quote:
Originally Posted by Garry/Al-Fan
Then it would be wise to look at more of the editorial decisions made concerning what is published, because the creative team---as much as they are trying (and have tried in the past)---is constrained by what the company's goals are.
When MARVEL focuses (primarily) on telling a story---instead of just illustrating disconnected "plot-points"---they get closer to giving people something that would deserve an on-going.
When MARVEL focuses on manipulating the reading public through fear and greed, the results usually don't turn out very well.
I think we all agree that 1) we want Alpha Flight around, but a quality Alpha Flight. And 2) we'd rather have a few maxi series that sell well here and there, than a crappy serie that doesn't do well, disappears and takes years (if even that) to come again.