Inside the numbers: JUSTICE LEAGUE # 1 is officially the best-selling comic book of 2011

(The cover to JUSTICE LEAGUE #4 by Jim Lee and Scott Williams)

Earlier today, Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise, officially announced that JUSTICE LEAGUE issue 1, written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Jim Lee and Scott Williams, is the bestselling comic book for the month of August—and to date, all of 2011.

That's the headline—and it's a good one—but, for those interested, here's a further look inside the numbers for DC COMICS-THE NEW 52:

· With a first printing exceeding 200,000 copies, JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 was the highest first printing of any DC Comics' title since 2006's JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA # 1 by NEW YORK TIMES bestselling writer Brad Meltzer, Ed Benes and Sandra Hope.

· The 200,000 first printing figure includes the digital combo pack and all variant editions, but not digital sales. The first printing was sold out at Diamond within hours of going on sale. The second printing of JUSTICE LEAGUE also sold out in less than 24 hours and the issue is now in its third printing.

· The DC Comics App peaked at # 4 on iTunes for Top Grossing I-Pad Apps. during the first week of The New 52.

· JUSTICE LEAGUE is one of ten titles so far from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 with print runs of more than 100,000 (ACTION COMICS, BATGIRL, BATMAN, BATMAN AND ROBIN, BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT, DETECTIVE COMICS, FLASH, GREEN LANTERN, SUPERMAN).

· All 13 of the Week 2 titles from DC Comics: The New 52 have sold out from Diamond and are going back to press—ACTION COMICS, ANIMAL MAN, BATGIRL, BATWING, DETECTIVE COMICS, GREEN ARROW, HAWK & DOVE, JUSTICE LEAGUE INTERNATIONAL, MEN OF WAR, OMAC, STATIC SHOCK, STORMWATCH and SWAMP THING.

· With its second printing, ACTION COMICS, joins JUSTICE LEAGUE as the second title to date from DC Comics-The New 52 with more than 200,000 copies in print.

· All 13 of the Week 3 titles from DC Comics: The New 52 have sold out from Diamond in advance of publication and are going back to press, including BATMAN AND ROBIN, BATWOMAN, DEATHSTROKE, DEMON KNIGHTS, FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E., GREEN LANTERN, GRIFTER, LEGION LOST, MISTER TERRIFIC, RED LANTERNS, RESURRECTION MAN, SUICIDE SQUAD and SUPERBOY.

 

 

DC Comics

Who’s Who at DC Comics-The New 52: Adam Glass

THE SOURCE: How do you write the first line of a new series?

ADAM GLASS: I always try and think of something that will grab the reader's attention. With Suicide Squad I'm very fortunate that we open every book already in the middle of our adventure so it's easier to do this and find great stuff to say.

How do you introduce characters?

My thought is to always try and introduce a character that is best going to move forward the plot and cause the most conflict within the group.

Who was the first character you followed?

Batman. I was obsessed as a kid. I had the doll, costume, lunch box and even the Batman underoos. Still have them.

What was the first series you collected?

Teen Titans and X-Men.

Who was the first writer you followed?

Marv Wolfman's "Judas Contract" in the Teen Titans is my holy grail of comic books. I'll never forget it. And Chris Claremont's "Day's of Future Past," in X-Men sealed the deal and made me a life long comic book reader.

Who were the first artists you followed?

George Perez and John Byrne.

What was the first convention you attended as a fan?

I went to the Pena Hotel in 1981 in NYC and saw Marv Wolfman signing books.

What was the first convention you attended as a professional?

SDCC about four years ago.

What was the first comic book you read?

Detective Comics #463, which was the first introduction to Black Spider. Who I'm now writing on Suicide Squad. Life is crazy.

What was the first digital comic book you downloaded?

Hellblazer.

Today’s Designing the New DCU 52 panel at SDCC

During today’s Designing the New DCU 52 panel at SDCC, attendees were invited to see how characters are designed to how they end up looking in the final pages of a comic book. Below, take a look at the art we showed during this presentation for such titles as ALL-STAR WESTERN, ANIMAL MAN, BATGIRL, BIRDS OF PREY, THE FLASH, GREEN ARROW, THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN, I, VAMPIRE, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES, RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS, SUICIDE SQUAD, SUPERBOY, SUPERGIRL, SUPERMAN and TEEN TITANS.

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Today’s The Dark and The Edge panel at SDCC

During today’s panel for The Dark and The Edge at SDCC, we premiered art from ANIMAL MAN, BLACKHAWKS, DEATHSTROKE, FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E., JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK, MEN OF WAR, OMAC, RESURRECTION MAN, SUICIDE SQUAD, SWAMP THING, I, VAMPIRE, and VOODOO. Click through the gallery to see all this new art.

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The Stakes Raise For The Edge

In the second issues of the “Edge” group books, the odds are not in our protagonists’ favor. In DEATHSTROKE, MEN OF WAR and ALL-STAR WESTERN, new villains will be revealed. Grifter and Voodoo are on the run while Stormwatch, the Blackhawks, O.M.A.C. and the Suicide Squad must fight battles that’ll have grave consequences.

STORMWATCH #2

Written by PAUL CORNELL

Art by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA and AL BARRIONUEVO

Art and cover by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

The moon is alive! Following the events of SUPERMAN #1 where [TEXT REDACTED], the covert team of sci-fi Super Heroes known as Stormwatch must not only battle the Earth’s moon, but find a way to hide its monstrous metamorphosis from the rest of the Earth! How? Uh, they’re working on it. Meanwhile, the recruitment of Midnighter goes poorly, and we learn why the Martian Manhunter is a member of the team. Written by Paul Cornell (Doctor Who)!

DEATHSTROKE #2

Written by KYLE HIGGINS

Art by JOE BENNETT and ART THIBERT

Cover by SIMON BISLEY

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Deathstroke’s tactical prowess is put to the test when the man who hired him attempts to renege on the contract. Pitted against a salvo of new assassins, including the vicious Road Rage, Slade must take his giant sword to the 405 freeway and proclaim himself the most vicious killer in the city of Angels!

GRIFTER #2

Written by NATHAN EDMONDSON

Art and cover by CAFU and JASON GORDER

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The police are looking for him. Government operatives are hunting him down. And Cole Cash can hear the voices of an alien race in his head. Escaping New Orleans will require quick thinking and a violent streak straight out of Cole’s Special Operations background – and just like that, his life will be turned upside down, figuratively as well as literally.

SUICIDE SQUAD #2

Written by ADAM GLASS

Art by FEDERICO DELLOCCHIO and RANSOM GETTY

Cover by RYAN BENJAMIN

On sale OCTOBER 12 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

80,000 ordinary people vs. the Squad! Well, they’re not really “people.” Not anymore. With an entire sports stadium on lockdown following the outbreak of an unknown virus, Deadshot, Harley Quinn and the rest of the Squad must sneak past a military perimeter and fight their way through the infected to retrieve... “it.” What is “it”…? Brace yourself for a stomach-churning reveal as the most brutal version of the Suicide Squad soldiers on! Plus: Bring a body bag – it’s the team’s first Squad fatality!

VOODOO #2

Written by RON MARZ

Art and cover by SAMI BASRI

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

Is she a hero? Is she a villain? Voodoo is on the run in the new DC Universe, trying to stay one step ahead of her pursuers, using all of her considerable skills to complete a mission that will put the entire Earth in danger. DC’s sexy, edgy new series goes into overdrive with one of the most unexpected opening scenes ever!

O.M.A.C. #2

Written by DAN DIDIO and KEITH GIFFEN

Art and cover by KEITH GIFFEN and SCOTT KOBLISH

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Brother Eye gives Kevin Kho the ground rules to their new “arrangement.” New players are introduced to the game as Sarge Steel and Checkmate begin their hunt for the One Machine Army Corp, but O.M.A.C.’s appearance may be short-lived when he faces the incredible threat of Rocker Bonn, the Amazing Man!

MEN OF WAR #2

Written by IVAN BRANDON and JONATHAN VANKIN

Art by TOM DERENICK and PHIL WINSLADE

Cover by VIKTOR KALVACHEV

On sale OCTOBER 5 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+

In the split second after a heavy-weapons blast the air goes silent and still, just as it does in the ghostly realm of Circe. How will Rock and his team of men – battle-hardened, but still human – survive a villainess who can walk on the very wind?

Plus, Navy Seals Ice and Tracker go where no boots are on the ground, but when their mission is compromised, how will they tell friend from foe?

BLACKHAWKS #2

Written by MIKE COSTA

Art and GRAHAM NOLAN and NORM RAPMUND

Cover by KEN LASHLEY

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

While the Blackhawks deal with a potential public exposure, Lady Blackhawk is keeping dangerous secrets of her own! And the first clues of a vast conspiracy throughout the DC Universe begin to take shape. The action ratchets up for DC’s newest team of high-tech military operatives.

ALL-STAR WESTERN #2

Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI

Art by MORITAT and JORDI BERNET

Cover by MORITAT

On sale OCTOBER 26 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+

What happens when a psychologist and a sociopath have to work together to track down Gotham City’s first serial killer? They’ll soon find that crime in the big city runs deeper than its foundations, and it’s all mapped out in the mysterious Crime Bible – that is, if they don’t kill each other first.

Plus: No zombie is safe in the Wild West when Lazarus Lane summons the demon known as El Diablo!

“If there really was an organization that used Super Villains for Black Ops Operations, how would that really look?” – Adam Glass

Suicide Squad #1(SUICIDE SQUAD #1 cover by Ryan Benjamin)

Starting this September, FLASHPOINT: LEGION OF DOOM writer Adam Glass will helm SUICIDE SQUAD. Read below as Adam spilled some details about what’s in store for the series:

THE SOURCE: What about DC's new 52 titles excites you the most?

ADAM GLASS: It's our job as writers to take those familiar ideas and put a fresh spin on them. Recreate the mythos for a new generation. This is our chance to do that.

How and why are you shaking up the series' status quo?

I grew up reading the SUICIDE SQUAD and have nothing but the utmost respect for all those who came before me. But I feel the world has changed and people want even their fantasy to have more reality to it. Look at James Bond's Casino Royale. It was a new Bond for a new generation. Harder, smarter, less cheese. That's what we're doing with SUICIDE SQUAD. If there really was an organization that used Super Villains for Black Ops Operations, how would that really look? How would they be treated?

What new characters will debut in the series?

The great thing about the Squad is you have two or three main characters then a merry go round of characters coming in and out of the book. Some are well known like Harley, King Shark, DeadShot and Black Spider. Others haven't been seen for a while, while others are brand new.

Will we see new character designs?

Yes you will, by the amazing Jim Lee. And art by Marco Rudy, who just keeps blowing me a way with the pages he's been sending us. This guy is a huge rock star. I'm lucky to have caught him on his way up. He's going to become one of comic's biggest artists, no doubt.

What's the first line of dialogue in the first issue?

A SCREAM!!!

What's the biggest surprise you've had working on this character/book?

Characters start out as one thing in your mind, but as you write them they take on a life of their own and you start to realize things about them that you never thought possible in the beginning. I had a minor character in the start that now has become not only a major player but pivotal to the arc of the book.

What secret has been the hardest to keep?

That I was doing this book. So many people kept asking me and I had to keep denying it.

What’s the unofficial tagline for this series, in your own words?

Kick Ass!

What were your thoughts about the day-and-date digital announcement?

Awesome. The future is here. Comics will never be the same. When I grew up, the closest you came to this kind of connection to the fans was reading the editorials in the back of comics. Now you can have direct dialogue with the fans. Pretty cool.

September's THE EDGE Solicits

storm_cv11n98day23

STORMWATCH #1

Written by PAUL CORNELL

Art and cover by MIGUEL SEPULVEDA

On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

They are Stormwatch, a dangerous super human police force whose existence is kept secret from the world Directly following the ominous events of SUPERMAN #1, Adam One leads half the Stormwatch team to recover the [INFORMATION REDACTED] from deep in the Himalayas. Meanwhile, Jack Hawksmoor and the rest of the Stormwatch crew look to recruit two of the deadliest super humans on the planet: Midnighter and Apollo! And if they say no? Perhaps the Martian Manhunter can change their minds...

grif_cv164noocbatu

GRIFTER #1

Written by NATHAN EDMONDSON

Art by CAFU

Cover by CAFU and BIT

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The DCU’s most wanted man stars in his own series!

Cole Cash is a charming grifter few can resist. And yet he’s about to be branded a serial killer when he begins hunting and exterminating inhuman creatures hidden in human form – creatures only he can see!

Can the biggest sweet talker of all time talk his way out of this one when even his brother thinks he’s gone over the edge?

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DEATHSTROKE #1

Written by KYLE HIGGINS

Art by JOE BENNETT and ART THIBERT

Cover by SIMON BISLEY

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

“Friends die, family disappoints, but a legacy... That lives forever.”

Slade Wilson is the best mercenary in the DCU, and he’s been doing this a long time. Some might say too long. But they’ll learn: Never turn your back on Deathstroke the Terminator. He won’t quit, no matter how high the stakes. Kyle Higgins (BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM) and Joe Bennett (TEEN TITANS) team up to bring you the finest in mayhem and gore.

suicidesquad_cover27ghjdq12

SUICIDE SQUAD #1

Written by ADAM GLASS

Art by MARCO RUDY

Cover by RYAN BENJAMIN

On sale SEPTEMBER 14 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T+

They’re a team of death-row super villains recruited by the government to take on missions so dangerous – they’re sheer suicide!

Harley Quinn! Deadshot! King Shark! Defeated and imprisoned, they’re being interrogated about their mission – and about who’s pulling the strings behind this illegal operation. Who will be the first to crack under the pressure?

omac_cv1127nksas-ans

O.M.A.C. #1

Written by DAN DIDIO and KEITH GIFFEN

Art and cover by KEITH GIFFEN and SCOTT KOBLISH

On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

The all-seeing Brother Eye satellite has unleashed a new beast upon the DC Universe in this smashing new series! Kevin Kho has become an unwilling participant in a war between Checkmate and Brother Eye as he is transformed into the One Machine Army Corp known only as O.M.A.C.!

blkhaw_cv1kdm34-sdm

BLACKHAWKS #1

Written by MIKE COSTA

Art and cover by KEN LASHLEY

On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US • RATED T

Welcome to a world waging a new kind of war that’s faster and more brutal than ever before. It’s fought by those who would make the innocent their targets, using computers, smart weapons and laser-guided missiles. The new enemy is hard to find – and closer to home than we think.

Between us and them stand the Blackhawks, an elite force of military specialists equipped with the latest in cutting-edge hardware and vehicles. Their mission: Kill the bad guys before they kill us.

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MEN OF WAR #1

Written by IVAN BRANDON

Art by TOM DERENICK

Cover by VIKTOR KALVACHEV

On sale SEPTEMBER 7 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+

On the ground and on the front lines, a young, headstrong soldier known as Joe Rock assumes command of Easy Company – a team of ex-military men turned contractors. Will they survive the battle-scarred landscape carved by the DCU’s Super-Villains? Find out in this explosive new series from Ivan Brandon (Viking, DOC SAVAGE) and Tom Derenick (JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA)!

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ALL-STAR WESTERN #1

Written by JUSTIN GRAY and JIMMY PALMIOTTI

Art and cover by MORITAT

On sale SEPTEMBER 28 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US • RATED T+

Even when Gotham City was just a one-horse town, crime was rampant – and things only get worse when bounty hunter Jonah Hex comes to town. Can Amadeus Arkham, a pioneer in criminal psychology, enlist Hex’s special brand of justice to help the Gotham Police Department track down a vicious serial killer? Find out in this new series from HEX writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, with lush artwork by Moritat (THE SPIRIT)!

SUICIDE SQUAD #1

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Harley Quinn! Deadshot! King Shark! They’re a team of death-row super villains recruited by the government to take on missions so dangerous – they’re sheer suicide! Who will be the first to crack under the pressure? Find out in SUICIDE SQUAD #1, written by Adam Glass (FLASHPOINT: LEGION OF DOOM) with art by Marco Rudy (THE SHIELD).

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