The latest sales numbers are in, and the future looks bleak for our favorite time traveler.
Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis assumed creative control of the title with issue 32. (I've included sales of Jurgen's final issue, 31, in the graph above for a baseline comparison of where the book was before G/D took over.) Despite an initial bump from curious buyers interested in seeing the old team together again, the sales of the book have been declining since at an ever increasing pace.
Though my sales numbers are all estimates based on various interpretations of Diamond Comic Distributor reports, the numbers are pretty clear: Booster Gold sales are falling off a cliff:
Many times a title will find a sales floor of dedicated readers, and sales will decline more gradually once they approach that asymptote of core group of readers. But quite the opposite is currently happening for Booster Gold where it now seems that fewer and fewer readers want the book. As Harry pointed out in the comments yesterday, reviews are still pretty good, and art quality is high (if uneven between issues). So the exact reasons for the exodus is unknown.
Perhaps this sales trend is just more proof of Dan DiDio's claim that there is no significant market support for humorous comic books. Or maybe it is simply an indication of the growing trend of digital comic book sales. (DC does not release sales numbers from digital sales, which by all accounts are the fastest growing comic book sales market.) But it could be that readers who picked up the book for Geoff Johns' vision are rejecting the Giffen/DeMatteis interpretation of the character.
BoosterPowershot posted on Nov. 11, 2010 at 2:54 PM
I mentioned this in my Booster blog. I've been a big advocate of DC taking 6 or 7 months and giving them to a big name writer who can sell comics by name alone. At least get the amount sold up by a good amount, and then put Jurgens back on writing again as they did when Johns did quit doing the writing. That way if the sales decrease, there will at least be a bigger space between number sold and cancellation, whereas now Booster is spiraling to a (terrible) ending.
Harry posted on Nov. 11, 2010 at 3:15 PM
I'm not sure DC's business model makes the BG title worth saving. The market is currently driven by stunts, crossovers, and new splash titles. It is probably a superior financial strategy to let BG go and put out a new #1... like maybe an Aquaman or Firestorm book.
Harry posted on Nov. 11, 2010 at 3:21 PM
More frustrating for me is trying to understand why the sudden drop if so many webfolks like the new direction. What subset of the BG fanclub is just queitly sulking away from our favorite hero? And it has to be that loyal fanbase that keeps the title in print. A title like REBELS has been regularly superior in quality to BG, but that doesn't help with sales. As I have said before, if Booster gets to 50, that will be quite an achievement for a 2nd tier property.
Kevin posted on Nov. 11, 2010 at 5:15 PM
The drop can come from alot of different things. First, we have an influx of new books that can be sapping away readers. Generation Lost is a big example of this. People that might normally buy Booster Gold even if they don't like the current take now have a new option, where we have Judd writing a more serious Booster. Add in Time Masters, written by Dan, and even more potential readers are sucked away. <br />You then have people that hate the new direction. While I don't mind it, I still prefer Dan and Geoff to this. The comic made the mistake of going to the Bwa-ha-ha days too fast. In my opinion, they should have focused about 4 months on other stories, THEN moved the the JLI story. <br />Now, what is the fate of Booster Gold? That is a bit more tricky. Dan Jurgens has stated he will be returning. He left to do Time Masters and some of the DC Online stuff. Judd has proven he can handle writing Booster quite well. And finally, Geoff Johns has hinted that Booster Gold will play a big part in Flashpoint (he has mentioned the fact that Booster has not gone after Reverse-Flash is something that will be addressed, and Time Masters' final issue will focus on Flashpoint)<br />Thus, this is my personal opinion of what will happen:<br />DC will allow Keith another 2, 3 issues after what has been previewed...allowing Keith to finish the "Return to 25th Century" arc. This will put them close to the end of Generation Lost and Brightest Day, as well as what they are doing for DC Online, most likely. It will also be when Flashpoint begins.<br />Dan an/or Geoff will then return to the book, with Judd being given a JLI ongoing. The book will be marketed as a companion to Flashpoint, thus boosting sales. <br />Of course, they could always go the route of allowing myself and Russ (from "The Gold Exhange") to write it for scale. I already have a year and a half worth of issues ready, new characters, and the beginings of a half year event arc. DC...are you listening?
Boosterrific [Official Comment] posted on Nov. 11, 2010 at 6:33 PM
Good points, Kevin, though I'm doubtful that DC will bother to try to tie-in to an event to boost sales, but rather find a somewhat organic way to end the title, similar to what happened with BOOSTER GOLD volume 1 and MILLENNIUM. I, like Harry, suspect that this title is doomed to cancellation within the next 12 months (hopefully later rather than sooner) to make way for whatever property DC wants to push next. Booster will be shifted into another title, possibly a JLI or similar team title, where DC can mix the selling power of BOOSTER GOLD with that of similarly smaller market characters. (The formula has worked well in the past for JUSTICE LEAGUE, OUTSIDERS, TITANS, SECRET SIX, etc.) We won't be losing Booster Gold, just his solo title. (For awhile.)
BoosterPowershot posted on Nov. 11, 2010 at 10:27 PM
I don't want to lose the solo title....sniff.
GodTiger posted on Nov. 12, 2010 at 2:17 PM
;o; this is just too damn horrible... it shouldn't end like this! Well... maybe we'll get more JLI, if things go well.
Erin posted on Nov. 13, 2010 at 3:36 PM
I'd hate to lose the title too. Can't we have a petition or something to boost sales? Maybe buy more than one issue? Anything? Spider-Girl lasted 12 years with poor sales due to fan support, it seems sad that we can't do the same.
KMD posted on Nov. 14, 2010 at 6:45 PM
I could easily see Generation Lost going on to a new group title--and taking the BG solo series out of the picture all together. One thing to keep an eye on. In "The Road Home" one shot with the Outsiders, Bruce Wayne says the group has been a disappointment and he may have to head back to lead them. I wonder if the powers that be at DC will go to "big names" to help push comics--be it making the Outsiders "Batman and the Outsiders" or shoving Guy back with the JLI. His "Emerald Warriors" is doing well so far.
An M. posted on Nov. 14, 2010 at 7:13 PM
Okay, THAT is just horrible.<br />The first title I got myself as an Abo and now it's just one inch from being cancelled? Oh boy I totally pick the wrong books to like, don't I? <br />Well, I won't see this title in Germany anyhow (the sales SUCKED...and yes I'm talking about the Geoff Johns run.) so I hope it will last just a little longer...<br />*sniff*<br />(come on DC... I can't afford three books with Booster in them! And the solo title is a good idea...)<br />...so I really hope it won't 'just' be dropped and end in a total mess.<br />Although I like it very much -I'm obviously a reader who likes humour-books...- I have to admit maybe the turn to the funny side of Booster was too fast. I felt relieved after such a long time of Booster moaning to read something with more fun parts in it...and in contrast feel the same shock as Booster when something terrible happened. It was really a nice fresh turn in the very first issues of the run...<br />...I guess reader's had enough of it... :/<br />Now we have to wait and see :/<br />My last guess for today?<br />It will be cancelled and will start again at #1 after the Smallville episode...<br />Or he'll get a one-shot...something like that.<br />With a cool extra-gimmick. So people will buy it ;P
