Looks like 500,000 is the new 400,000. The high bar for comic book sales when it comes to the main publishers has been 400k copies sold to comic book stores, which we’ve seen for DC Comics‘ Absolute Batman #1 and Skybound/Image Comics’ Invincible Universe: Battle Beast #1. But now? That barrier has been broken, thanks to Batman #1. The newest volume of the iconic title has sold over 500,000 copies to comic book stores, as shared with Comic Book Club by DC Comics.
Written by Matt Fraction with art by Jorge Jiménez, the sold-out first issue is headed back for a second printing. But this number only counts for the first printing of the “new” series, which sported nine plus covers, as well as a “Blind as a Bat” blind bag program that sent some retailers into a frenzy. So the success of the launch was all but guaranteed. Still, 500k is a pretty impressive number of copies sold to comic book shops (though the usual caveat here: this is copies sold to shops, not copies sold at the shops, meaning to real human people who walked out of the store with them).
That all said? It’s more than likely that number will be met or surpassed, and possibly even several times, by the end of the year. Marvel’s Deadpool/Batman #1 hit stores this week and is the first crossover between Marvel and DC in over two decades — and then in November, DC will release their own Batman/Deadpool #1. Later this year, DC has DC K.O. #1, the kick-off of their next massive event, while Marvel will be releasing the highly anticipated Ultimate Endgame #1 on December 31. Both will include the now hot-as-the-sun blind bag promotion, so it’s possible either could see over 500,000 in sales… Though Marvel doesn’t release sales figures, so it’ll actually be impossible to know what is actually the best-selling comic of the year. Alright then, Marvel. Keep your secrets!
Anyway, if your retailer did sell out of Batman #1 and/or you want to pick up the second printing, that’ll hit with brand new covers on October 15.
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