20,000 Leagues in the Comic Book Shops

So this week, as I was purchasing my new comics on a Friday (thanks a lot, New Year's), my friendly neighborhood LCS owner noticed that Rick Remender's new ongoing for Dark Horse The End League was on my pull list.



He expressed that ordering this series gave him pause. He couldn't put his finger on any reason why this particular number one should be different from the many other medium-profile titles that Dark Horse launches periodically, and yet for some reason he felt that for this book there would be a higher demand, so he ordered more End Leagues than he would for other books of similar publisher, profile and subject matter.

We looked over at the wall and he was right; there were only two or three copies left, and it was only one o' clock! And as happy as I am for him to have read the situation well and not be saddled with a bunch of non-returnable extra copies, I can't help but be a little confused by the strange notoriety this series enjoyed before it was even released. I don't feel like it has much buzz. I can't recall a particularly high volume of internet interviews. Newsarama and CBR have run some banner ads, but no more than they have for several other series that barely even registered with me.

And, come to think of it, how the hell did this title get on my pull list anyway? I really don't read much outside of the Big Two (mainly because I am a stubborn snob). Was it such a light week that I was just itching for another book? That would make sense, except I know deep down I've been waiting for this title. It's been on my radar. Why?! It doesn't have an earth-shattering pitch; in fact, it's a pretty standard dystopian superhero story. The preview artwork didn't blow me away (although I was intrigued by the character "Prairie Ghost"). I don't have previous experience with the creators.

This has gone from a casual "Gee, funny how everybody's buying this book!" to a more bewildered "Why is everybody buying this book?" to my current condition, the paranoid "What did they do to make us buy this book?!!" My generally unimpressed reaction to the number one issue itself is irrelevant when compared with my deeper concerns that Dark Horse, encouraged by the wild success of Buffy Season 8, has resorted to subliminal messages and brainwashing to ensure high sales on The End League.

If that's the case, Dark Horse can expect a very angry letter from the Knave. Right after I fulfill my strange compulsion to purchase three copies of every issue of The Umbrella Academy.