Comichron released the February 2018 estimated sales earlier this week and only one title, Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1 sold more than 100,000 copies. The main Star Wars title did return to the top 10 list in the 8th position, but considering only an estimated 55,000 units sold places a book in the top 10, this isn't shocking. Marvel's Legacy initiative continues, but despite the competition, the main Star Wars title remains Marvel's best selling ongoing title.
Marvel
| Title | Monthly Rank | Estimated Sales | Last Estimated Sales | Percent Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Wars | 43 | 8 | 56,045 | 53,710 | +4.35% |
| Darth Vader | 11 | 11 | 53,275 | 53,420 | -0.27% |
| Thrawn | 1 | 13 | 52,295 | n/a | n/a |
| Darth Vader | 12 | 17 | 49,134 | 53,275 | -7.77% |
| Doctor Aphra | 17 | 60 | 30,398 | 30,365 | +0.11% |
| Poe Dameron | 24 | 86 | 24,937 | 25,379 | -1.74% |
The main Star Wars title saw an increase after double shipping last month. It is easy to see why Marvel continues to double ship; the individual issues sales decline a little during the month the title double ships, but rebound the following month. This month, the Darth Vader title double shipped and the title dipped. I expect the sales to rebound next month.
Doctor Aphra and Poe Dameron are little changed from last month. Next month, Poe Dameron #26 catches up to the events of The Force Awakens, so expect an uptick in sales for that issue.
The first issue of the Thrawn mini-series came out with the lowest sales yet for the first issue of a modern Star Wars mini-series, selling less than Jedi Republic - Mace Windu's 62,543 estimated unit sales debut. There are a few factors working against the Thrawn mini-series: it is not an original story but is based on a 2017 novel by Timothy Zahn, the character is not from a live-action Star Wars movie, and comic sales are weak. Thrawn was introduced in Timothy Zahn's Heir to the Empire novel way back in 1991. This novel was the first of three that make up the Thrawn Trilogy and, along with Dark Horse's Dark Empire mini-series, kicked off the Expanded Universe. The character is quite popular and the decision was made to re-introduce Thrawn in current canon during the first episode of Star Wars Rebels season three.
Part of the problem with comparing Thrawn to previous mini-series arises from the fact that comic sales overall are down considerably. Even though Thrawn has the lowest debut of a Star Wars mini-series, it still ranked 13th on the monthly chart, meaning only 12 other titles sold better initially in February! This needs to be considered in the comparison. Mace Windu #1 was released only 6 months prior, but even Star Wars #34 from 6 months ago sold an estimated 66,628 initial units and was ranked 9th for the month of August. Compared that to Star Wars #43 which sold over 10,000 units less but is ranked 8th.
| Month/Year | Total Estimated Sales | # Issues | Average Sale per Issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2015 | 985,976 | 1 | 985,976 |
| February 2015 | 526,451 | 3 | 175,484 |
| March 2015 | 596,299 | 4 | 149,075 |
| April 2015 | 537,812 | 4 | 134,453 |
| May 2015 | 324,835 | 3 | 108,278 |
| June 2015 | 396,931 | 4 | 99,232 |
| July 2015 | 597,023 | 5 | 119,404 |
| August 2015 | 430,241 | 5 | 86,048 |
| September 2015 | 551,880 | 5 | 110,376 |
| October 2015 | 953,289 | 10 | 95,329 |
| November 2015 | 1,003,954 | 8 | 125,494 |
| December 2015 | 507,545 | 6 | 84,591 |
| January 2016 | 465,698 | 5 | 93,139 |
| February 2016 | 288,355 | 4 | 72,088 |
| March 2016 | 355,554 | 5 | 71,110 |
| April 2016 | 533,976 | 5 | 106,795 |
| May 2016 | 299,189 | 4 | 74,797 |
| June 2016 | 545,833 | 6 | 90,972 |
| July 2016 | 359,166 | 5 | 71,833 |
| August 2016 | 322,499 | 5 | 64,500 |
| September 2016 | 174,420 | 3 | 58,140 |
| October 2016 | 339,778 | 5 | 67,956 |
| November 2016 | 269,975 | 5 | 53,995 |
| December 2016 | 303,886 | 4 | 75,972 |
| January 2017 | 161,014 | 3 | 53,671 |
| February 2017 | 262,889 | 4 | 65,722 |
| March 2017 | 214,603 | 4 | 53,650 |
| April 2017 | 274,262 | 5 | 54,852 |
| May 2017 | 285,363 | 6 | 47,560 |
| June 2017 | 495,588 | 9 | 55,065 |
| July 2017 | 326,062 | 7 | 46,580 |
| August 2017 | 425,473 | 9 | 47,274 |
| September 2017 | 418,023 | 9 | 46,447 |
| October 2017 | 299,174 | 7 | 42,739 |
| November 2017 | 330,496 | 7 | 47,214 |
| December 2017 | 252,923 | 7 | 42,153 |
| January 2018 | 263,320 | 6 | 43,887 |
| February 2018 | 266,084 | 6 | 44,347 |
The average sale per issue of 43,887 would rank 22nd on the top 300 chart for the month of February. Marvel's Star Wars trade paperbacks, reprints, and reorders are not accounted for with these numbers. The Star Wars trade paperbacks are strong sellers.
Take a look at the Star Wars Sales Estimates Charts and please read the blog posting February 2018 comics sales estimates online; Wild Hunt's 101k lowest for bestseller since 2011.
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