Superman returns...

[Genis Vell]

... in Italian newsstands!



In Italy several comics are sold in newsstands, and this guarantees a bigger exposition for them. Since 2001, though, Italian editions of DC comic books left newsstands to be sold only in comic shops.
Now, at last, DC superheroes are returning where everyone can find them... It's about time!
I'll not buy it because I'm already reading Superman in the original editions, but I hope that this SUPERMAN MAGAZINE (bad title, sigh) can bring back popularity to the Man of Steel in my Country.

Supes deserves to be loved by everyone!



Allow me to translate the cover words (for the ones who don't know the Italian language):
"The Man of Steel is back!"
Title
"Special: Superman's origins"
"A new adventure begins! Special guest star: Batman".
"Dossier: The new Superman movie".




OT: I think that Marvel and DC should sell their comics in newsstands, too. There is something wrong in the American way of selling comics, in my opinion.

[Gangbuster]

In America, stores don't want the comics on the newsstands.  

They don't make enough profit on them, so they usually only carry movie adaptations and stuff.

[Genis Vell]

In America, stores don't want the comics on the newsstands.  :(

They don't make enough profit on them, so they usually only carry movie adaptations and stuff.

It's a pity.
Comics have to be available in newsstands, drugstores, supermarkets... Until they'll not be sold out from the comic shops, too, the sales will never be high.
When I see the Diamond top 300, I see Superman comics in the first positions (SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN/BATMAN, at least), and I'm glad for this. Then, I see the copies sold and I think "But americans are MILLIONS of people! How can the sales be so low compared to the population?".

[Johnny Nevada]

In America, stores don't want the comics on the newsstands.  

They don't make enough profit on them, so they usually only carry movie adaptations and stuff.

It's a pity.
Comics have to be available in newsstands, drugstores, supermarkets... Until they'll not be sold out from the comic shops, too, the sales will never be high.
When I see the Diamond top 300, I see Superman comics in the first positions (SUPERMAN and SUPERMAN/BATMAN, at least), and I'm glad for this. Then, I see the copies sold and I think "But americans are MILLIONS of people! How can the sales be so low compared to the population?".

My guesses for why comic sales are so low among Americans:

- The impression that comics are only for children (or "immature" adults). The stereotype of the "obsessed comic book nerd" (as seen on "The Simpsons") doesn't exactly help much...

- Comics aren't easily found here, as you noted---they foolishly opted to sell them  starting in the 80's mainly through comic book shops, figuring "that's where the money is", when it just removed them from the public eye. Granted, newsstand vendors would rather stock "Maxim" over "Superman" given the choice anyway...

- Other competing forms of entertainment (video games, VCRs and DVDs, etc.) over the past 20 years.

- Reading rates in the US overall have slid off drastically in recent years, as newspaper sales have shown...

- Being able to see superheroes in other forms of entertainment; when one can play video games *as* Superman or see him on TV every day in various programs ("Lois and Clark", "Smallville", "Justice League", etc.), it might not leave one inclined to spend $2.95 for a 22-page comic about him.

- Speaking of that, comics are expensive for what one's getting. $3 for a 22-page booklet is expensive (though $7-8 for the occasional 80 or 100 page comic isn't overly cheap IMO either), particularly since they can't/don't tell a whole story in one, two or three issues anymore.

- Comics in the United States, unlike Europe/Japan, tend to be mainly focused on superheroes, with other genres (funny animals, humor, horror, etc.) having been almost completely killed off or suppressed. DC putting out licensed properties from its fellow Time-Warner properties isn't the same. Much as we like Superman, not everyone who might be interested in reading comics likes superheroes. (I understand the Disney Duck comics are quite popular in Italy, though they've had mixed sales here,as well known as Uncle Scrooge is).

Such limited genre focus also betrays that Americans still read comic strips in newspapers with some enthusiasm---millions still recall "Calvin and Hobbes" or "The Far Side" with joy (and buy their books and such).

- The trend in the past 20 years of constant retcons, revisions, "grim and gritty" stuff, crossovers, etc. has also driven away some long-term comic readers (as we're all familiar with). Not all superhero fans enjoy seeing Batman acting like a juvenile 15-year-old with Daffy Duck's ego... or at least, not *this* fan. (Keep expecting the current comics' Batman to start shouting Daffy-style "NO NO, I'M THE STAR, NOT THAT STUPID ALIEN!" any day now...)

- Related to several categories above, the lack of kid-friendly comics doesn't encourage new readers. Outside of the Animated versions of them (and "Scooby Doo"/"Archie"), comics tend to be adult-focused, with the companies seemingly pushing more and more toward this direction (with "Identify/Infinite Crisis" type stuff and the like). Can't imagine giving a kid a "real" Batman comic these days... yes, there's the animated versions of him, but still...


Thus, all of the above are reasons why Americans don't get into comics more IMO. Too bad...

[Genis Vell]

Very interesting post, Johnny, and sadly it confirms that in the US way to sell comics there is something wrong.

Especially this: high priced comics and no "for all ages" comics.

Today, American comics cost $2,50, 3 or more... I'm 22 old, so I can buy mor e comics, but what about kids? Correct me if I'm wrong, but today an American kid prefer to use 3 bucks for other things. Maybe he avoids to spend them and then, when he has more money in his pocket, use them for DVDs or videogames. This happens here, too, but the situation is less tragic, because an Italian comic usually is lower priced than an US one.
For example, the new Superman monthly title costs 3,50 E, i.e. $4,20 circa. It contains three stories, plus articles. Total: 80 pages. It's cheap, if compared to your comics. But superheroes aren't the most sold comics here: Disney's, mangas and some Italian comic like DYLAN DOG (which was published in the US, too are our best sellers.

And let's talk about the lack of comics for everyone...
Today's comics are written for adult readers. It's not a bad thing: I see that the American readers, usually, are at least 30 years old, so they deserve more adult stories. But Marvel and DC can't hope to sell their comics only to old fans. Authors have to do something for all the ages.
Can a child consider "Sins past" a good comic? And what about IDENTITY CRISIS? I love it, but where are those simpler, more accessible comics?
We need something like Stern's Spider-Man or Maggin's Superman and, I really hope it, the new ALL STAR SUPERMAN will give us this.

Sorry if there are mistakes in my thoughts, but I'm an esternal watcher of your situation, so I don't know everything in the US comic biz.

[TELLE]

Ah, but comics are very popular on U.S. and Canadian newsstands.  Just not those floppy little things that most of us call comic books (the format that has been around since the 1930s, but now with less pages than ever).

Archie Digests and the other digest-sized comics and comic-related magazines (like Disney's This! Magazine) are huge sellers, and their sales are not reported by Diamond.

As well, the giant, magazine-sized Shonen Jump and other manga titles sell hundreds of thousands, if not millions of copies, non?

Traditional (superhero) comics are such a ghetto it's not even funny anymore.

Warner/DC and Marvel are losing so much money not imitating one of these formats they don't deserve to be in business.

Superman Magazine is an excellent title!  And what about a Justice League Digest or Magazine?  Teen Titans?  Krypto?

[Genis Vell]

Ah, but comics are very popular on U.S. and Canadian newsstands.  Just not those floppy little things that most of us call comic books (the format that has been around since the 1930s, but now with less pages than ever).

Archie Digests and the other digest-sized comics and comic-related magazines (like Disney's This! Magazine) are huge sellers, and their sales are not reported by Diamond.

As well, the giant, magazine-sized Shonen Jump and other manga titles sell hundreds of thousands, if not millions of copies, non?

Traditional (superhero) comics are such a ghetto it's not even funny anymore.

Warner/DC and Marvel are losing so much money not imitating one of these formats they don't deserve to be in business.

All this is true. And I hope to see, soon, a better situation for superheroes. I want 80 pages low priced book in newsstands, no more spin offs... The things which ruined the superheroes in the 90s have to disappear. But this will never happen until Marvel and DC doesn't change their way to sell. As told before, I don't really care of Superman on the top of Diamond's if the sales are low.

Superman Magazine is an excellent title!  And what about a Justice League Digest or Magazine?  Teen Titans?  Krypto?

JLA and TT are sold in comics shops in trade paperback form. For now, the only DC heroes in newsstands are Superman and Batman.

[King Krypton]

- The trend in the past 20 years of constant retcons, revisions, "grim and gritty" stuff, crossovers, etc. has also driven away some long-term comic readers (as we're all familiar with). Not all superhero fans enjoy seeing Batman acting like a juvenile 15-year-old with Daffy Duck's ego... or at least, not *this* fan. (Keep expecting the current comics' Batman to start shouting Daffy-style "NO NO, I'M THE STAR, NOT THAT STUPID ALIEN!" any day now...)

Anyone else get the mental image of a remake of "Duck Amuck," where Superman would animate a Batman cartoon and take advatange of his position to give Batman a well-deserved heaping of abuse?

I'd actually like to see something like that.  :lol: