Sales Analysis: ‘Wolverine’ Vol. 2, uh… Vol. 3?

Readers seem to be enjoying these charts, so let’s take a look at the current ‘Wolverine’ series through issue 65 (not including Mark Millar’s ‘Old Man Logan’ from issue 66). As with all these charts, the actual data comes from the monthly top 300 charts generated by ICv2.com.

Wolverine sales through issue 65

The relaunch of ‘Wolverine’ (Vol. 2) by Greg Rucka and Darick Robertson — also referred to as Vol. 3 over confusion whether ‘Wolverine’ from 1982 was Vol. 1 or just a limited series — kicked off with impressive sales of 158,787 in May 2003 before dropping to the 60,000 range over the next 18 months.

The letters on the chart above correspond to spikes in sales (some significant, some not so) and are as follows:

– A: Issue 20 with sales of 116,831 started Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr.’s ‘Enemy of the State’ run.
– B: Issue 26 with sales of 105,984 began Millar and Romita’s sequel, ‘Agent of SHIELD.”
– C: Issue 32 with sales of 89,026 was Mark Millar’s ‘Prisoner Number Zero.’
– D: Issue 36 with sales of 85,969 launched Daniel Way’s ‘Origins and Endings’ the beginning of the ‘Wolverine: Origins’ storyline.
– E: Issue 45 with sales of 108,680 opened the Civil War crossover ‘Vendetta’ by Marc Guggenheim and Humberto Ramos.
– F: Issue 50 with sales of 115,621 commenced the final Wolverine-Sabretooth tale by Jeph Loeb and Simone Bianchi.
– G: Issue 55 with sales of 130,707 finished the Wolverine-Sabretooth storyline in emphatic fashion.
– H: Issue 58 with sales of 83,810 initiated the first chapter of Marc Guggenheim and Howard Chaykin’s ‘Logan Dies’ arc.

Unfortunately, the last six months, covering the end of ‘Logan Dies’ and all of the ‘Get Mystique’ arc, features the lowest sales of the past five years. One suspects, however, that ‘Old Man Logan’ will result in a huge spike.

But if history is any guide, those sales won’t last.

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EmperorVamp
15 years ago

I’m lovin’ the charts. Good work DiG!

BlackDew
15 years ago

Well, thanks anyway. I check your board whenever I log onto the internet, so I wanted you to know that I appreciate the time you put into it.

It’s also nice to know that I’m not the only one out here with an OCD problem with Wolverine. ;)

And btw, I have over 1000 pictures of him on my computer and am currently chugging through my old “40 Years of the X-Men” cd to get more, so if you ever think of a picture you want but don’t have, drop me a line.

Thanks again!

15 years ago

Nice work Dig. :)

I’m also happy you labeled the spikes. Maybe you can do X-Force when it reaches thirty or forty issues.

(I hope X-Force lasts that long.)

BlackDew
15 years ago

The charts are fascinating! Could you get one for the original version (V1 or V2, whatever they want to call it)?

Thanks! Everything you do here is amazing!

DiG
15 years ago

I am trying very hard to add one post per day, so these charts will appear whenever their are less than seven Wolverine appearances in a week (so no new charts for another week).

As for Wolverine vol. 1, my reliable data only goes back to issue #153 (June 2000). Anyone who knows of data sources before that should certainly point me in the right direction.

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