Because clearly people should only do things that they think other people will like...

This comic has sold in huge numbers, even at an eight dollar cover price.

That's why.

My only hesitation with saying that is we don't know what the actual numbers are. They sold in high numbers to comic shops (since Marvel was really pushing it as shops didn't want to be left empty handed), did those comic shops sell out? Was there an influx of people buying said issue? Or was it 20 Guys buying 5 copies each hoping they'll be worth money like the initial death of captain America issue?


I think the real test will be the irate 6-8 issues of Superior.

Sold to who? The sales figures you'll see reported in a couple months time represent sales to retailers, not to readers. A lot of comics sell as many copies as they do to retailers because of variant covers, not because of actual demand for the comic. This why you'll see discount bins lined with so many copies of recent comics.

In the specific case of ASM #700, Mile High Comics, one of the bigger retailers in the country, was literally giving copies away. Meanwhile on eBay the Quesada covers are (or were) going for well over $100 and the Ditko cover over $1200.

Slott is horrible!! Of all things to rip off, Slott rips off 'Hot Chick'

Ask your local retailer how they sold. Of the two shops I regularly visit one is sold out and the other only has a few copies left. The sold out shop ordered only 50-ish copies. The other ordered in the hundreds.

Anecdotal, but this thing sold to readers and surely collectors.

I work at a comic shop. I know all ours are long since sold out, even with a limit of one per customer. From what I heard, an even bigger comic shop in town (with presumably a bigger order) also sold out.

I know these are simply anecdotes, but I am inclined to believe that actual people are buying these comics, and doing so in droves.

Next up.
The Big Reveal =

Spoiler (Click in box to read)

Doc Ock is the true father of Gabriel and Sarah.

Who? Are those the children from that one JMS story?

Those are Norman Osborn and Gwen Stacey's kids, yes. They have appeared outside of "Sins Past."

Isn't that one of those stories we're supposed to forget and pretend never happened? Like Trouble or all the times Spider-Man kills someone.

But they have shown up since "OMD" and "BND", so they do still exist.

They have? I must black out whenever they appear in a comic because I don't remember seeing them after that one terrible follow up story where Peter goes to Paris and makes out with Sarah.

Gabriel was in the "American Son" mini-series and shoots Harry.
That was well after "BND".

All the times?
I can think of one (an accident in the Spider-man and Wolverine book a long time ago) where he actually killed a human and maybe a couple where he killed things that weren't even close to human.
What the hell? That's a thing that happened? Why?