Marvel’s 25 Longest Running Titles for December 2012

I poked fun at DC’s renumbering last year. Time to do the same with Marvel even though it’s not quite the same sort of deal. Looking at December solicitations rather than the present because they’re renumbering gradually. Note that some of the titles with higher numbers were relaunched in the past and then returned to the higher number. If multiple issues of a title come out in December, they’re treated as one title.

1. Amazing Spider-Man: 699, 699.1, 700 (700 announced as final issue; previously renumbered)
2. Captain America and Black Widow: 640 (Captain America for most of its run; second longest name was Tales of Suspense; previously renumbered multiple times)
3. Journey into Mystery: 647 (much of the series time was Thor; prior numberings too complicated to go into)
4. Wolverine: 317 (previously renumbered)
5. X-Factor: 248-249 (previously renumbered a few times)
6. Dark Avengers: 184 (Thunderbolts for most of its run; Thunderbolts relaunched in the same month)
7. Red She-Hulk: 60 (Hulk for most of its run)
8. Astonishing X-Men: 57
9. X-Men: 39 (previously had higher numbers under this name multiple times)
10. Secret Avengers: 35
11. Uncanny X-Force: 35
12. Venom: 28
13. Wolverine & the X-Men: 22
14. Daredevil: 21 (previously renumbered, then dropped back down again)
15. Ultimate Comics X-Men: 20 (I think there was a previous Ultimate Comics X-Men; definitely an Ultimate X-Men)
16. Ultimate Comics Ultimates: 19
17. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man: 18, 18.1 (previously had higher numbering with different character)
18. Avenging Spider-Man: 15, 15.1
19. Marvel Masterworks: The Amazing Spider-Man: 15
20. Phineas & Ferb Magazine: 15
21. Scarlet Spider: 12, 12.1
22. Disney Junior Magazine: 11
23. Cats Magazine: 11
24. Fairies Magazine: 11
25. Essential X-Men: 11

So of the top 25, 15 are regular in-continuity series, 5 are children’s magazines, 3 are Ultimate continuity, and (and this is my favourite observation) 2 are collection volumes. Also four titles have point one issues that could cause readers to inadvertently miss an issue.