Surprise surprise: Most of 2015’s best-selling comics feature women
Despite some people’s assertions and/or disbeliefs, these two statements are truths: 1) Women are interested in “geeky” story-telling mediums like comics, and 2) Stories centered on or inclusive of women can actually be captivating for non-women as well. Need a solid example? Six out of the top ten best-selling comics of 2015 are centered on or feature women in their story ensembles, according to figures gathered by The Hollywood Reporter.
Pulling data from the comic sales-tracking site ComicChron, THR gathered the highest-selling issue figures from the year so far. (December 2015 data hasn’t been released.) That all of the best-selling issues are No. 1s, as those are generally the ones even casual fans will buy to check out, isn’t a surprise; what’s interesting to note about the figures is that many of the properties already exist in non-comics mediums. Orphan Black is a cult BBC show; Bravest Warriors is a popular web series from the creator of Adventure Time; and Star Wars and its affiliate titles are all from, um, Star Wars.
That said, the out-of-comics-world popularity and recognition of these titles shouldn’t be held against them; after all, the crossover between these mediums is what’s giving birth to a whole new generation of comics readers and consumers. (Many of whom are women.) Check out the full figures for the top ten best-selling issues of 2015 below:
1. Star Wars No. 1 (985,976) (Marvel Entertainment), January
2. Secret Wars No. 1 (527,678) (Marvel Entertainment), May
3. Bravest Warriors: Tales From The Holo John No. 1 (502,737) (BOOM! Studios), May
4. Orphan Black No. 1 (497,002) (IDW Publishing), February
5. Dark Knight III: The Master Race No. 1 (440,243) (DC Entertainment), November
6. Star Wars: Vader Down No. 1 (384,969) (Marvel Entertainment), November
7. Invincible Iron Man No. 1 (279,514) (Marvel Entertainment), October
8. Darth Vader No. 1 (264,399) (Marvel Entertainment), February
9. Spider-Gwen No. 1 (254,074) (Marvel Entertainment), February
10. Princess Leia No. 1 (253,655) (Marvel Entertainment), March
Today in awesome: Feminist Thor has electrified the series’s comics sales
Marvel is doing something fantastic for Women’s History Month
Images courtesy of Marvel and IDW Publishing.
