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I've gone through my phases of preference over the years when it comes to comics. When I was really young I read a fairly equal mix of Marvel and DC as I was being "educated" on both universes through my reading. This was mostly done through limited/mini-series due to the minimal commitment level and limited funds of a youth. I also bought and read Marvel's "Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition" and DC's "Who's Who". It was a great time to be starting out.
Through my teens and early twenties I was much more into Marvel. As I neared my thirties my tasted shifted to DC as I was experiencing "X-burnout" with Marvel. That's where I've been since. DC is still the company I buy the most from. However, Marvel has actually dropped to a tie for third with IDW. Image is now second. It's my awareness of this that sometimes makes me ponder sales numbers when I read articles on the subject. I don't do it often, but it does happen.
When I do ponder the subject I notice I compare issues bought versus total sales. It's a very different way to compare "success" in my eye. One looks at titles that are successful, while the other is just how much money is made in a month (when I look at it). That's a pretty simplistic view, but it's how my brain sees it. One of the reasons my mind sees it that way is because there is a difference in how those factors represent my Marvel collecting.
Looking at my comic orders placed just since the start of this year, every month Marvel has shipped at least two issues from two titles I read each month. How does Marvel measure success in that? Sure, I might have ordered nine issues in March, but that only represents six different titles. I don't collect nine titles from Marvel, I collect six. They may have my money, but they don't have as much of my interest.
There are also two ways a comic shipping twice a month can go for me. It can give me faster access to a great storyline (none have me THAT thrilled right now), or it can end some pain that much sooner (please let Deadpool have a new creative team soon). Both of those have some merit in my book. Unfortunately there is also the possibility of dealing with a "disconnected" title. That is, there could be disruptions to the main storyline if the writer can't keep up and a side-story is done by someone else. There could also be disruption to art if artists can't keep up with the schedule of a title being shipped so often. While neither of those situations is a world-shattering experience it has the potential to pull me out of the vibe the title has.
Then there is also the fact that if a title keeps shipping two issues a month, it becomes more expensive to keep up with the title. While I'm in a position to adapt to that fine now, there have been times where that wouldn't have been the case. I'm guessing that Marvel is betting people will drop the hatchet on non-Marvel titles, but I'll tell you that I personally will put the title coming out twice a month at the head of the line. If you want me to buy a title twice a month then the quality had better not be sacrificed. If it does, I'm going to see it as a money making scheme and I'll drop the title just to make a point (not that it will be felt).
Now, don't get me wrong. There are plenty of titles that come out monthly that aren't that great (DC has some right now for certain), but having more time to process between issues lets me give a more thoughtful decision to keeping a title or dropping it. Marvel's double shipping creates a dilemma for me and for Marvel. If I can't invest in the story (financially or interest wise) because it seems more focused on speed than quality, then Marvel may get a bit more money for a while, but they aren't going to get it for as long. I can wait for a quality title's next issue. As someone that keeps reading more and more Image, I've become good at it (that's not a dig, it's a reality). However, I won't be someone that reads a comic simply for the sake of quick access. It's a combination of story and art that I savor and appreciate, it's not fast-food.
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