October 12, 2004

MAJOR "FALLEN ANGEL" NEWS

DC's experiment in distributing free copies of "Fallen Angel #1" as a means of impacting on trade paperback sales has proven successful. We've seen a thirty-three percent increase in sales on the first "Fallen Angel" trade. Furthermore, it appears to have had a positive impact on the sales of the monthly title. In other words, fans are reading the freebie, liking what they see enough to buy the trade, and then liking the trade enough to start putting the monthly title on their pull list.

This has a two fold result: First, DC--which had not committed past issue #18--has committed to issue #20 in order to see if the upswing continues. And second, they are considering collecting the next six issues (since a number of readers have stated they're hesitant to start buying the monthly title because they can't find the back issues.)

So the tide seems to be turning. My thanks go out to DC for taking a flier on Bob Wayne's promo idea, and to the fans who are being extremely supportive of a series that critics continue to call my best work ever.

For those unaware, "Fallen Angel" chronicles the story of Lee, a.k.a. the Fallen Angel, who works out of a mysterious city called Bete Noire that's like Casablanca in the Twilight Zone. Surrounded by a cast of sordid individuals, each with their own priorities, the Fallen Angel is a court of last resort for the truly desperate. The current storyline, "Hurlyburly," running from 15-18, features the Angel's struggle with the city's formidable overseers, the Hierarchy, and will climax in major revelations about the city's origins and history, as well as the death of one of the cast.

See you in the shadows.

PAD

Posted by Peter David at October 12, 2004 12:33 PM | TrackBack | Other blogs commenting
Comments
Posted by: Paul O'Regan at October 12, 2004 12:55 PM

Yes!

Great News. My comic shop didn't have the free issue (that I could see), but I've recommended the series to a couple of friends who then bought the trade.

Hoping DC will ok a second trade as I missed 7-8.

Paul O'Regan
Cork

Posted by: Matt Adler at October 12, 2004 12:56 PM

Congratulations PAD and Fallen Angel! Sometimes the good guys do win!

Posted by: Eric Qel-Droma at October 12, 2004 01:01 PM

Congrats from me as well! I'm so glad to see people giving this unconventional book a chance! May your good fortune continue, PAD!

Eric

Posted by: David Hunt at October 12, 2004 01:04 PM

Great News, Mr. David! I go to pick up Issue #16 from my hold box tommorrow. Here's hoping that the untrained monkeys at UPS don't take Columbus Day as another in the a long line of excuses deliver the comis at my LCS a day late...again.

Posted by: James Tichy at October 12, 2004 01:34 PM

Great News! It seems that this promotion has really helped and I hope that the new readers will tell their friends, and their friends will tell their friends, etc etc...

Posted by: dranj70 at October 12, 2004 02:02 PM

Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!

Let's give ourselves a big pat on the back guys! Thanks Peter for fighting the fight. And thanks to the rest of us fans out there who have been talking up this title since it's inception!

Posted by: Doug Burton at October 12, 2004 02:18 PM

Yippee!! This is one of my favorite titles, and also one of my girlfriend's favorites (the others being Fables and Y - the Last Man.) I hope the upward trend continues, and this series has a long life.

As for the comment about the untrained monkeys at UPS -- according to Diamond's website, there's no delay in delivery due to the holiday.

Posted by: J. Alexander at October 12, 2004 02:22 PM

Congrads, Peter. Props to B. Wayne for pushing the title with the other suits.

Posted by: Mike M. at October 12, 2004 02:48 PM

I am glad that this book is finally starting to turn the corner! I got to read the script for 16 (thanks to my sister being the auction winner for the last Archetype/Angel book), and it looks like another great comic.

Posted by: Neil C at October 12, 2004 04:05 PM

Hey, great news! Though I have them all, I'd love to see a trade for the next six issues. I snagged one of the freebies and passed it along to somebody, he's sounding interested now, though normally he's not a comic reader.

"...as well as the death of one of the cast." Hmm, that's interesting news, JKR, er, PAD. :) Looking forward to reading more about L.

Posted by: roger tang at October 12, 2004 05:40 PM

YESSSSS!!!!

Now....I gotta wonder....is this something that can be extended to other, select titles that are somehow underperforming?

Posted by: Mark Walsh at October 12, 2004 06:06 PM

Hey Peter,

You're pretty open-minded...for a New Yorker.

You want to talk about Sox fan kvetching? Try listening to the incoherent palaver of transplanted Yankee fans on Boston sports radio.

Still and all, and against my heart, I say Yankees in 6, probably. They have this annoying trait of come-from-behind victories this year, and it has carried on into the playoffs. But it all hinges on Game Two. If the old Pdero shows up, the series may go the Sox way...but that remains to be seen.

Hoping I'm wrong,
Your Pal,
Mark

Posted by: Ben Rosenberg at October 12, 2004 06:27 PM

I saw no evidence that any off the freebies came to my LCS. I guess they were either all given out or put in a box somewhere for later markup. :(

It's not that *I* wanted one.. I have every issue and a tpb. I just throught they would be displayed somewhere that the general public would see them.

I hope DC commits to this title. I'm really liking it. I just caught up last night.. I'd not read the last 4 issues. oops. Too much on ye ole pull list. :)

Posted by: Baerbel Haddrell at October 12, 2004 06:30 PM

That is great news - for you and for us fans :)

Posted by: Alberto at October 12, 2004 06:47 PM


I read the TP and enjoyed a lot. I have started ordering Fallen Angel via Previews last month (issue 17). For me, the coming of another trade is really good news. I know I´m gonna be a little bit lost (heh) with issue 17 but I´m counting on the fabulous concept, characters, dialogue, art and PAD´s ability to keep readers thrilled with the storytelling even if they are jumping on the train in the middle of the way.

Posted by: Fred Chamberlain at October 12, 2004 07:07 PM

Congrats, I'm very happy for you and the fans of this book!

Fred

Posted by: David at October 12, 2004 07:47 PM

Congrats!!

Like I've said personally, it's taken me a while to warm to this series. With your Hulk and CM, you had me at issue one. However, every time I consider dropping it, you come up with something to pull me back. I'd like to see what Bette Noir is and who Lee is. Obviously you have the attention of some DC execs.

Which brings this question; you don't do a review on Enterprise since you write for the franchise. So why do you review Smallville when you work for DC?

I expect to here back from the blog faithful that I'm behind, but I was taught that there's no such thing as a dumb question.

Posted by: Dennis Donohoe at October 12, 2004 07:53 PM

PAD,

Great news. If there is a collection of the next six issues, I will buy it. I have those individual issues but like the collections for ease of rereading.

Regards,

Dennis

Posted by: Rob Staeger at October 12, 2004 07:58 PM

Congratulations. That's great news.

Posted by: David at October 12, 2004 07:58 PM

I expect to here back from the blog faithful that I'm behind, but I was taught that there's no such thing as a dumb question.

I meant hear. I did the same when I wrote Roger Ebert; I misspelled "gratuitous". My Spanish prof was right. I do jump the gun too quickly.

Posted by: Tim Lynch at October 12, 2004 08:13 PM

Congrats, PAD: I was wondering when I filled out my most recent pull order how we were looking beyond #18, and I'm delighted to know that we've got another couple of months for DC to figure out what it's got.

TWL

Posted by: Roger Tang at October 12, 2004 08:50 PM

I saw no evidence that any off the freebies came to my LCS. I guess they were either all given out or put in a box somewhere for later markup. :(

It's not that *I* wanted one.. I have every issue and a tpb. I just throught they would be displayed somewhere that the general public would see them.

God, I hope that this isn't a sign of retailer incompetence...and I hope that retailers take this for a sign of reader interest, and up their orders.....

Posted by: Luigi Novi at October 12, 2004 09:18 PM

Congrats, Peter. Me, I've been buying the single issues, and even though it wasn't clicking with me at first, I really liked the most recent issue. I can't wait to see how it shapes up.

Posted by: Eric Pilgrim at October 12, 2004 09:52 PM

This is so very, very sweet.

Posted by: Greg F. at October 12, 2004 09:59 PM

Congrats PAD.

As for the Enterprise question, my feeling from reading the tv roundup was that PAD quit watching Enterprise because it wasn't meeting expectations.

Posted by: rrrrr at October 12, 2004 10:43 PM

Great news, PAD. We've got a reprieve until issue 20. For the fans, this is great news, but I for one want the series to get past the 2 year mark (for starts).

Keep getting friends interested in Fallen Angel, especially the ongoing issues.

My biggest issue right now is that my comic shop has had extra copies of the FA Trade Paperback on order since September. Diamond kept saying that they were shipping the TP with their inventory and yet there was no TP in the order. Finally, this last week, Diamond just admitted that they don't have any TP's in print in their possession currently. (They weren't saying it was out of print, just that they don't have any.)

Posted by: MADman at October 12, 2004 11:01 PM

YAY! Fallen Angel is my fave DC title these days- well, the only title I really collect from DC these days, and I am glad things are getting better for it. More, Mr. David. More! ^_^

Posted by: gvalley at October 13, 2004 05:19 AM

That's pretty good news. So what does a 33% increase in TPB sales mean in hard numbers?

... that it sold 33 copies?

Kidding. I really want to know.

Posted by: KET at October 13, 2004 07:07 AM

Best news I've seen in weeks. Congratulations, PAD. Let's hope that DC tries to work towards more forward momentum for this outstanding series.

KET

Posted by: David at October 13, 2004 03:12 PM

As for the Enterprise question, my feeling from reading the tv roundup was that PAD quit watching Enterprise because it wasn't meeting expectations.

Thank you. But can I make a request? How about reviewing JLU. Hey, just say the kids were watching it.

I think it's a good show. Up here in the Great White North, we are a few episodes behind.

Posted by: The StarWolf at October 13, 2004 05:54 PM

Are you taking a poll on which character buys it?

No? Pity.

My vote would go for either Benny (it simply bothers me that thing is still running around loose) and 'Shadow' Boxer who is simply too stupid to live. Let's see, he appears to be the equivalent of a middle/heavyweight boxer who is reasonably good at it and works (among other things) as a hired thug. And he wants to take on someone who can bench press a Mack truck? This was BEFORE he seemed to discover a possible vulnerability, mind you. As I said, too stupid to live.

But, knowing how your imaginative mind works in twisted - yet ligical - ways, I expect it won't be either of them. I just hope it isn't either Dolph or Slate.

Meanwhile, congratulations on the good news vis the title. I'm still of two minds about it, but it's nice to see your efforts paying off nonetheless.

Posted by: Jess Willey at October 13, 2004 06:57 PM

But, knowing how your imaginative mind works in twisted - yet ligical - ways, I expect it won't be either of them. I just hope it isn't either Dolph or Slate.

In a city like Bette Noire, no good deed goes unpunished. My money is on Juris.

Posted by: Lester at October 14, 2004 10:33 AM

If you only follow this book through the trades please start buying the individual issues. If I read Pad’s post correctly this series will end at issue twenty if the momentum of increasing sales suddenly halts and I’d hate to see this book end up like my favorite comic of all time Captain Marvel. I firmly believe that if everyone who followed the captain through the trades bought the individual issues that book would still be around today.

Posted by: Banner at October 16, 2004 07:51 AM

Just received the trade from my comic store. PAD I really enjoyed it. I am a long time fan and would have to agree this is some of your best. Now I've got to try and find the back issues :)

Posted by: bryn at October 18, 2004 07:26 AM

I know this is probably quite boring, but it struck me the other day, was the choice of making Lee is a red-head, something to do with the fact that linda is a brunnette and supergirl is a blonde? ...

Posted by: Kris at November 5, 2004 08:59 AM

I hope they keep up the series and bring the next trade out quick. I loved the first trade alot. I hope that DC keeps it foreign readers in mind wehn deciding, buying trades is easy enough, finding the monthly issues is hell.
Keep up the nice show!!

Posted by: trisdhan at December 11, 2004 01:03 AM

It is great that DC had decide to keep FA..the book is one of the few good things that they are publishing now...so congrats to the creative team, and give us more FA...!! ah...one last thing...I want to know the truth...come on guys..is Lee the former Super girl???