When DC last revealed information about its digital sales in December, Justice League–the comic that has been dominating direct market sales every month since the New 52 began–was sat comfortably atop the list, with Justice League #1 being the best-selling overall book and Justice League #2 being the best-selling second issue of DC’s New 52 digital catalog. Batman came in second both times, but according to an interview by Executive VP-Sales, Marketing and Business Development John Rood and Senior VP-Sales Bob Wayne over at Comic Book Resources, the one-month sales (the previous story was cumulative sales since the start of the New 52) for January showed Batman atop the list.Not only was Batman #5 DC’s top-selling digital title in January 2012, but after a half-dozen of the fifth issues, the only two titles shown on the top ten list which weren’t new in January were Batman #4, coming in at seventh place, and Justice League #4 in eighth. This, in spite of Justice League having been available as a “digital combo pack” featuring a hard copy bagged with a digital redemption code inside since its first issue. Batman (as well as #3 seller Action Comics) got that treatment for the first time in January.It’s arguable, then, that Batman #5 may have benefited from the digital combo pack, with readers who were buying an already-expensive $3.99 book opting to spring for the extra buck and get it on their phone, too (it’s what I do with Justice League and Action Comics), but in that context it’s still notable that Batman #4 is the top selling non-new-release of the month.Whether Batman and Detective Comics–whose cover price will rise by a dollar starting with April’s #8s–will be able to retain their digital sales even with the added cover price remains to be seen.
