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In September, the best bad guys won – more than four million times. DC Entertainment decisively topped the comic book sales charts for the month with a jaw-dropping figure of over 4.3 million comic books sold, making the company the #1 comic book publisher for September, according to Diamond Comic Distributors, the largest comic book distributor in the world. This is the third year in a row DC has been the industry’s top publisher in September.
The sales were propelled in large part by the record-breaking success of DC’s “Villains Month” event, which featured 53 comics spotlighting the most impressive collection of rogues ever collected – from Joker to Lex Luthor to Sinestro to Doomsday. Readers were literally pulled into the September stories, with each Villains Month book featuring an innovative “3-D Motion” cover that showcased DC’s Super-Villains jumping off the printed page – from the Joker’s chattering teeth to Two-Face’s flipping coin, the covers created a groundswell of demand that saw many of the comic books sell out shortly after they were racked in stores.
“Great storytelling, strong characters and innovation are things for which we always strive,” said Diane Nelson, DC Entertainment President. “September’s numbers are further proof that we’re on the right track, thanks in large part to the wonderful success of Villains Month, which further proves that in order to have the best heroes, you have to have even better villains.”
The comic book sales news sets the stage for DC’s major presence at next week’s New York Comic-Con. While the talk of the town’s been villains, NYCC brings fans back to the beginning with the continued celebration of the world’s first and greatest Super-Hero, Superman. The Man of Steel’s 75th Anniversary will take center stage with a stunning display featuring eight Superman costumes from the character’s various film and television appearances, including this year’s blockbuster, Man of Steel.
Many of the dangerous villains prominently featured in the September issues of Villains Month also take center stage in a brand new, full-length documentary from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC Entertainment. Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics – which will be premiering at New York Comic-Con on Thursday at 5pm in room 1A06. The documentary spotlights the malevolent, always charismatic figures from DC Comics’ hallowed rogues gallery, deftly narrated by one of the most recognizable silver screen villains ever, Christopher Lee. Featuring interviews with the famed writers, artists, storytellers and those who have crafted the personalities and profiles of many of the most notorious villains in comic book history, Necessary Evil serves as the perfect follow-up to Villains Month when it’s released on Oct. 25.
Spinning out of the ongoing literary fantasy series THE UNWRITTEN, Vertigo published the original graphic novel THE UNWRITTEN: TOMMY TAYLOR AND THE SHIP THAT SANK TWICE—already garnering rave reviews. This month we’ll see the launch of two new ongoing series; HINTERKIND an expansive dark fantasy adventure series featuring creatures from myth and legend, and COFFIN HILL, written by noted novelist Caitlin Kittredge, starring witch, Eve Coffin. And fans will be lining up on October 30th to get their copy of the highly anticipated publication of THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE, written by Neil Gaiman.
INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US continued its winning streak among digital sales, taking four out of the top ten spots for the month of September. Villains month titles were also popular with digital readers and FOREVER EVIL #1 ranked third for the month, posting very strong sales for a new title launch. New digital-first title, BATMAN BEYOND 2.0, also posted strong sales with two chapters ranking in the top 20.
On the book trade side, THE FLASH Vol. 2, IN THE DAYS OF THE MOB, BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN/RORSCHACH, GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS Vol. 2, BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE, THE ANIMAL MAN OMNIBUS and Vertigo’s FABLES: THE DELUXE EDITION BOOK SEVEN and THE SANDMAN OMNIBUS Vol. 1 appeared on The New York Times Hardcover Graphic Book Bestseller list. While THE FLASH Vol. 1, ANIMAL MAN Vol. 3, WATCHMEN all landed on The New York Times Paperback Graphic Book Bestseller list.
October is shaping up to be a big month for MAD Magazine. The humor publication’s issue #524 hits newsstands at the end of the month, featuring a cover that spoofs the popular reality television program, Duck Dynasty. The issue also includes hilarious gags on Man of Steel, fast food, twerking, and much more! Those looking to get an additional dose of the iconic magazine’s acclaimed wit and snark can visit the “Mad About MAD” panel at New York Comic Con on October 12 from 11 AM – 12 PM (Room 1A14), led by Editor John Ficarra and a laughter-inducing cast of characters.
Meanwhile, Time Home Entertainment’s follow-up to last year’s #1 New York Times bestseller, TOTALLY MAD, also arrives on bookshelves this month. INSIDE MAD, on sale October 29, provides a unique behind-the-scenes look at MAD’s irreverent and signature humor. Featuring an introduction by Judd Apatow and guest essays by 17 celebrities (including Roseanne Barr, Ken Burns, Dane Cook, Paul Feig, Whoopi Goldberg, Harry Hamlin, Tony Hawk, Ice-T, Penn Jillette, George Lopez, David Lynch, Todd McFarlane, Jeff Probst, John Slattery, John Stamos, Pendleton Ward and Matthew Weiner), INSIDE MAD finds MAD’s legendary writers, artists, and celebrity fans sharing and commenting on their favorite MAD spoofs of all time.
