Comicdom's Bitter Battle - Top 100 Comcs & Trades for March 2007

[fred]

OK, so the March sales figures just came out and this is what they show in the publishers column:

MARVEL COMICS 43.09% 46.46%
DC COMICS 30.84% 34.68%

The second column is issue sales market percentage and the third column is trade sales market percentage.

Is Marvel pulling away?

Is this an anomaly? Is it cyclical?

Let me know what you think.

[mister-s]

I see only a slight abberation of the usual ebb and flow between Marvel and DC.

Should we be worried? Nope, especially with DC being owned by TW.

Love the avatar Fred - one of my heroes.

[fred]

thank you sir
I love him too

[k33k3r]

Does the DC COMICS include Vertigo and Woldstorm?

I would expect Marvel to have more but not that much and does anyone else see it odd that they sell more trades. I figured it would be DC because from being on here it seems like a lot of people read their smaller titles only in trade.

[conorkilpatrick]

Does the DC COMICS include Vertigo and Woldstorm?

I would expect Marvel to have more but not that much and does anyone else see it odd that they sell more trades. I figured it would be DC because from being on here it seems like a lot of people read their smaller titles only in trade.

I don't believe that those figures do include trade sales.

This is all cyclical. Right now, Marvel's got the juice.

[k33k3r]

We'll have to see how they do now with the fall out of CW

[xyzzy]

Does the DC COMICS include Vertigo and Woldstorm?

I would expect Marvel to have more but not that much and does anyone else see it odd that they sell more trades. I figured it would be DC because from being on here it seems like a lot of people read their smaller titles only in trade.

I don't find that suprising at all. Marvel really embraced trades as an alternative to monthly books. Readers could rely on timely, complete trades for pretty much every single Marvel book. DC (for their DCU stuff) has really made a huge mess of their trade program. They've made a deliberate effort to get people to buy monthly issues. They've made it clear that that is the format that they want people to buy. As a result, their trade program has suffered.

[conorkilpatrick]

I'm completely wrong.

Those numbers do include trade sales - Comics, Magazines, & GNs Dollar Share.

[k33k3r]

That is has but it seems like people still haven't switched to monthlies and would rather get trades. I know several of us read DMZ that way. I'm now reading Ex Machina that way and working to get caught up for the 9th Y trade when it comes out.

I'm also new to the other side of the coin as well. So I might just be one of the out liars

[xyzzy]

That is has but it seems like people still haven't switched to monthlies and would rather get trades. I know several of us read DMZ that way. I'm now reading Ex Machina that way and working to get caught up for the 9th Y trade when it comes out.

I'm also new to the other side of the coin as well. So I might just be one of the out liars


Wildstorn and Vertigo both have very strong trade programs. But the bulk of DC sales is still DCU and their trade program sucks ass.

[k33k3r]

I didn't even realize that DC had a trade program I just thought they only put out popular series in trades.

[conorkilpatrick]

I didn't even realize that DC had a trade program I just thought they only put out popular series in trades.

Of course they have a trade program.

[jgg0610]

I don't find that suprising at all. Marvel really embraced trades as an alternative to monthly books. Readers could rely on timely, complete trades for pretty much every single Marvel book. DC (for their DCU stuff) has really made a huge mess of their trade program. They've made a deliberate effort to get people to buy monthly issues. They've made it clear that that is the format that they want people to buy. As a result, their trade program has suffered.
Wow. I've always felt just the opposite. I love DC's trade program vs. Marvel but now that you mention it most of the things that I'm considering "DC" are really Vertigo. Perhaps I shall have to rethink my position on this. Hmmm...

[k33k3r]

Of course they have a trade program.

Sorry the sarcasm didn't come across.

[xyzzy]

Wow. I've always felt just the opposite. I love DC's trade program vs. Marvel but now that you mention it most of the things that I'm considering "DC" are really Vertigo. Perhaps I shall have to rethink my position on this. Hmmm...


Vertigo's trade program is top notch. You'll get no complaints from me on that front. But the DCU stuff is handled horribly. They've gotten a little better recently, but just a couple years ago, there was no uniform trade dress, no numbering of trades, frequent omission of issues and a 2 year lag between issue and tpb for many of their series.

I realize that they're both under the umbrella of the same company, but it's clear to me that they have two different programs.

[k33k3r]

The only problem I have with Veritgo's trade program is that they wait too long to put out their trades. But they are reliable so I guess I need to be more patient.

[xyzzy]

The only problem I have with Veritgo's trade program is that they wait too long to put out their trades. But they are reliable so I guess I need to be more patient.


They aren't as quick as most Marvel trades, but they're usually only about 6 months behind the issues. Quicker the better, but I consider that to be reasonable.

DC(U) seems to view trades as being a drain on issue sales. But I think it is clear that the relationship between trades and issues is much more synergistic than that. The most timely book I can think of is Walking Dead, where the trade typically comes out at the same time as the issue immediately following the trade. Isn't it interesting then, that Walking Dead is one of the very few books that consistently has increasing sales in their issues? What does that tell us?

[k33k3r]

I looks like Marvel is trying this with Criminal. The first trade come out before the 6th issue.

[xyzzy]

I looks like Marvel is trying this with Criminal. The first trade come out before the 6th issue.

Good for Marvel, though I doubt we can use Icon to predict trends with the company, overall.

[fred]

icon seems to live with separate rules much like vertigo does

[k33k3r]

icon seems to live with separate rules much like vertigo does

Is there any plans of putting out more titles under the Icon name?

[fred]

they don't seem to be in a hurry to

[k33k3r]

Until you said taht I forgot that Powers and Criminal were "Icon" titles.

[xyzzy]

Until you said taht I forgot that Powers and Criminal were "Icon" titles.

Kabuki, too. Such a gorgeous book.

[k33k3r]

bless you! OH my bad.

[fred]

Yeah, I think it's only 3 or 4 right now

I've heard Bendis may have another at some point next year

[xyzzy]

Yeah, I think it's only 3 or 4 right now

I've heard Bendis may have another at some point next year

Oooh, I hope so.

Icon seems to be something Marvel started just to keep their big talent happy, without any real plan or agenda of its own.

[fred]

right, I've actually heard Bendis talk about that. Basically, Icon is there but it's not Marvel's focus because they're creator owned works and they don't make as much money

it makes sense

[iSteve]

TOP 100 COMICS
Based on Actual Unit Sales of Products Invoiced in March 2007
Qty Rank Retail Rank Index Title Price Ven

1 1 360.90 CAPTAIN AMERICA #25 CW* $3.99 MAR
2 3 175.52 MIGHTY AVENGERS #1 $3.99 MAR
3 6 171.10 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #539* $2.99 MAR
4 2 171.01 CIVIL WAR INITIATIVE* $4.99 MAR
5 4 169.37 DARKTOWER GUNSLINGER BORN #2 (Of 7)* $3.99 MAR
6 5 161.62 JUSTICE LEAGUE O/AMERICA #6* $3.50 DC
7 7 148.47 NEW AVENGERS #28 $2.99 MAR
8 8 139.66 CIVIL WAR CONFESSION $2.99 MAR
9 9 136.55 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #1* $2.99 DAR
10 11 118.36 WOLVERINE #52* $2.99 MAR
11 16 117.08 52 WEEK #44 $2.50 DC
12 17 116.88 52 WEEK #45 $2.50 DC
13 18 116.17 52 WEEK #46 $2.50 DC
14 20 115.13 52 WEEK #47 $2.50 DC
15 12 104.91 JUSTICE SOCIETY O/AMERICA #4* $2.99 DC
16 13 101.92 UNCANNY X-MEN #484 $2.99 MAR
17 15 100.00 BATMAN #664 $2.99 DC
18 10 97.92 FANTASTIC FOUR #543 CW $3.99 MAR
19 19 96.78 SUPERMAN BATMAN #32 $2.99 DC
20 21 96.14 MOON KNIGHT #8 CW $2.99 MAR
21 22 95.50 MARVEL ZOMBIES ARMY O/DARKNESS #1 $2.99 MDE
22 23 93.40 X-MEN #197 $2.99 MAR
23 24 92.86 WOLVERINE ORIGINS #12 $2.99 MAR
24 25 91.78 FANTASTIC FOUR #544 $2.99 MAR
25 26 91.72 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #106 $2.99 MAR
26 27 90.46 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #107 $2.99 MAR
27 28 80.35 ACTION COMICS #847 $2.99 DC
28 30 80.02 WONDER WOMAN #5 (RES) $2.99 DC
29 31 79.95 BRAVE & BOLD #2 $2.99 DC
30 33 79.28 ULTIMATE POWER #4 (Of 9) $2.99 MAR
31 34 78.31 ULTIMATE X-MEN #80 $2.99 MAR
32 35 77.59 WONDER WOMAN #6 $2.99 DC
33 36 76.60 GREEN LANTERN #18 $2.99 DC
34 37 76.49 TEEN TITANS #44 $2.99 DC
35 38 76.27 THUNDERBOLTS #112* $2.99 MAR
36 14 75.33 CIVIL WAR BATTLE DAMAGE REPORT $3.99 MAR
37 39 71.02 SUPERMAN #660 $2.99 DC
38 40 69.74 SENSATIONAL SPIDER-MAN #36 $2.99 MAR
39 41 65.77 DETECTIVE COMICS #829 $2.99 DC
40 42 65.12 ONSLAUGHT REBORN #3 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR
41 43 65.09 DETECTIVE COMICS #830 $2.99 DC
42 44 63.46 SUPERGIRL #15 $2.99 DC
43 45 62.94 FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN #18 $2.99 MAR
44 46 62.72 ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #40 $2.99 MAR
45 47 62.35 PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #5 $2.99 MAR
46 48 60.52 BLACK PANTHER #26 $2.99 MAR
47 29 60.00 SPIDER-MAN REIGN #4 (Of 4) $3.99 MAR
48 49 59.68 GHOST RIDER #9 $2.99 MAR
49 50 59.41 INCREDIBLE HULK #104 $2.99 MAR
50 51 57.71 DAREDEVIL #95 $2.99 MAR
51 52 57.31 FLASH FASTEST MAN ALIVE #10 $2.99 DC
52 53 52.00 X-23 TARGET X #4 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR
53 54 50.73 MS MARVEL #13 $2.99 MAR
54 55 49.94 GHOST RIDER TRAIL O/TEARS #2 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR
55 56 49.55 AUTHORITY #2* $2.99 DC
56 57 48.12 BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #4 $2.99 DC
57 58 47.29 X-FACTOR #17 $2.99 MAR
58 59 45.97 NEW X-MEN #36 $2.99 MAR
59 60 45.69 SUPERMAN CONFIDENTIAL #4 $2.99 DC
60 61 44.91 SILENT WAR #3 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR
61 62 43.16 NEWUNIVERSAL #4 $2.99 MAR
62 63 42.52 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #10 $2.99 DC
63 64 41.56 ULTIMATE VISION #3 (Of 5) $2.99 MAR
64 65 41.30 PUNISHER #45 (MR) $2.99 MAR
65 66 41.10 STAR WARS LEGACY #9 $2.99 DAR
66 67 41.02 ION #12 (Of 12) $2.99 DC
67 68 40.47 OUTSIDERS #46 $2.99 DC
68 69 40.15 STAR WARS LEGACY #10 $2.99 DAR
69 70 40.12 FANTASTIC FOUR END #6 (Of 6) $2.99 MAR
70 32 39.70 SHAZAM MONSTER SOCIETY O/EVIL #2 (Of 4) $5.99 DC
71 71 39.49 NIGHTWING #130 $2.99 DC
72 73 38.69 GREEN ARROW #72 $2.99 DC
73 74 38.68 ANITA BLAKE VH GUILTY PLEASURES #5 (Of 12) $2.99 MAR
74 75 38.60 MARVEL SPOTLIGHT CIVIL WAR AFTERMATH $2.99 MAR
75 76 37.76 EXILES #92 $2.99 MAR
76 77 35.36 BIRDS O/PREY #104 $2.99 DC
77 79 34.36 ROBIN #160 $2.99 DC
78 80 34.14 SQUADRON SUPREME HYPERION VS NIGHTHAWK #3 (Of 4) $2.99 MAR
79 83 32.62 CABLE DEADPOOL #38 $2.99 MAR
80 84 32.38 FABLES #58 (MR) $2.99 DC
81 85 32.07 FABLES #59 (MR) $2.99 DC
82 87 31.43 Y THE LAST MAN #55 (MR) $2.99 DC
83 88 31.35 CONAN #38 (MR) $2.99 DAR
84 91 30.46 SPAWN #165 $2.95 IMA
85 89 30.29 SPIRIT #4 $2.99 DC
86 93 29.85 X-MEN FIRST CLASS #7 (Of 8) $2.99 MAR
87 95 29.43 SPAWN #166 $2.95 IMA
88 72 29.39 TRANSFORMERS PRIME DIRECTIVE MOVIE PREQUEL #1* $3.99 IDW
89 96 28.03 HEROES FOR HIRE #8 $2.99 MAR
90 97 27.96 UNCLE SAM & FREEDOM FIGHTERS #8 (Of 8) $2.99 DC
91 98 27.56 MARTIAN MANHUNTER #8 (Of 8) $2.99 DC
92 99 27.47 JSA CLASSIFIED #24 $2.99 DC
93 100 27.17 HELMET O/FATE ZAURIEL #1 $2.99 DC
94 101 27.08 JLA CLASSIFIED #36 $2.99 DC
95 103 26.65 MIDNIGHTER #5 $2.99 DC
96 104 26.53 GEN 13 #6 $2.99 DC
97 105 26.45 WALKING DEAD #36 (MR) $2.99 IMA
98 106 26.43 RED SONJA #20* $2.99 DE
99 107 26.23 SHADOWPACT #11 $2.99 DC
100 78 26.05 PUNISHER PRESENTS BARRACUDA MAX #2 (Of 5) (MR) $3.99

[iSteve]

TOP 100 GRAPHIC NOVELS
Based on Actual Unit Sales of Products Invoiced in March 2007
Qty Rank Retail Rank Index Title Price Ven

1 1 10.84 300 HC $30.00 DAR
2 30 7.81 NARUTO VOL 13 TP $7.95 VIZ
3 9 7.60 EX MACHINA VOL 5 SMOKE SMOKE TP (MR) $12.99 DC
4 3 6.53 SPIDER-MAN BIRTH O/VENOM TP $29.99 MAR
5 12 6.31 NEW AVENGERS VOL 4 COLLECTIVE TP $14.99 MAR
6 18 6.03 STAR WARS BOBA FETT VOL 1 TP MAN W/MISSION $12.95 DAR
7 42 5.81 DEATH NOTE VOL 10 TP $7.99 VIZ
8 10 5.63 ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 7 GOD WAR TP $16.99 MAR
9 7 5.28 FAFHRD & GRAY MOUSER TP $19.95 DAR
10 39 5.12 WARCRAFT VOL 3 GN (Of 3) $9.99 TKP
11 15 5.02 SHOWCASE PRESENTS HOUSE O/MYSTERY VOL 2 TP $16.99 DC
12 21 4.71 CRISIS O/MULTIPLE EARTHS TEAM UPS VOL 2 TP $14.99 DC
13 17 4.67 SHOWCASE PRESENTS HAWKMAN VOL 1 TP $16.99 DC
14 13 4.51 WOLVERINE WEAPON X PREM HC* $19.99 MAR
15 24 4.39 GREEN LANTERN REBIRTH TP $14.99 DC
16 25 4.38 SUPERGIRL CANDOR TP $14.99 DC
17 31 4.28 BERSERK VOL 16 TP (MR) $13.95 DAR
18 37 4.04 EXTERMINATORS VOL 2 INSURGENCY TP (MR) $12.99 DC
19 16 3.99 SUPERMAN BATMAN GREATEST STORIES EVER TOLD $19.99 DC
20 22 3.99 STAR WARS 30TH ANNV COLL VOL 1 HC FREEDON NADD UPRISING $16.95 DAR
21 32 3.96 EMPOWERED TP $14.95 DAR
22 33 3.93 LOVELESS VOL 2 THICKER THAN BLACKWATER TP (MR) $14.99 DC
23 35 3.86 FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN VOL 2 MYSTERY DATE TP $13.99 MAR
24 40 3.83 FLASH FASTEST MAN ALIVE TP $12.99 DC
25 19 3.77 SPIDER-MAN SAGA O/SANDMAN TP $19.99 MAR
26 56 3.52 WALT DISNEYS SPRING FEVER VOL 1 TP $9.50 GEM
27 38 3.48 SECRET SIX SIX DEGREES O/DEVASTATION TP $14.99 DC
28 27 3.25 WOLVERINE ORIGINS VOL 2 SAVIOR PREM HC $19.99 MAR
29 44 3.24 STREET FIGHTER VOL 3 FIGHTERS DESTINY TP $13.99 UDO
30 11 3.19 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL 8 HC $29.99 MAR
31 29 3.16 MS MARVEL VOL 2 CIVIL WAR PREM HC $19.99 MAR
32 43 3.08 BATMAN SNOW TP $14.99 DC
33 5 3.04 MARVEL MASTERWORKS DOCTOR STRANGE VOL 3 HC* $54.99 MAR
34 51 3.01 GREEN ARROW CRAWLING FROM WRECKAGE TP $12.99 DC
35 20 2.97 STAR WARS 30TH ANNV COLL VOL 2 HC JEDI VS SITH $24.95 DAR
36 4 2.94 MARVEL MASTERWORKS GOLDEN AGE USA COMICS VOL 1 HC* $59.99 MAR
37 46 2.92 NIGHTWING BROTHERS I/BLOOD TP $14.99 DC
38 47 2.91 SHADOWPACT PENTACLE PLOT TP $14.99 DC
39 66 2.86 FABLES VOL 1 LEGENDS I/EXILE TP $9.99 DC
40 48 2.85 CONAN & SONGS O/T DEAD TP $14.95 DAR
41 49 2.76 CIVIL WAR ROAD TO CIVIL WAR TP $14.99 MAR
42 36 2.69 GARTH ENNIS 303 TP $19.99 AVA
43 2 2.68 DAREDEVIL BY FRANK MILLER & KLAUS JANSON OMNIBUS VOL 1 HC* $99.99 MAR
44 23 2.68 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN ULTIMATE COLL VOL 1 TP $24.99 MAR
45 55 2.66 ROBIN WANTED TP $12.99 DC
46 54 2.62 ZOMBIE TP $13.99 MAR
47 50 2.62 MS MARVEL VOL 1 BEST O/BEST TP $14.99 MAR
48 26 2.61 THOR ETERNALS SAGA VOL 2 TP $24.99 MAR
49 68 2.52 HALF DEAD TP (MR) $10.99 MAR
50 73 2.51 BATTLE CLUB VOL 4 GN (Of 4) (MR) $9.99 TKP
51 76 2.47 TRINITY BLOOD VOL 2 GN (Of 7) (MR) $9.99 TKP
52 41 2.37 NEW EXCALIBUR VOL 2 LAST DAYS O/CAMELOT TP $19.99 MAR
53 77 2.33 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST VOL 12 TP $9.99 VIZ
54 80 2.22 DEADMAN VOL 1 DEADMAN WALKING TP (MR) $9.99 DC
55 45 2.20 HARLAN ELLISONS DREAM CORRIDOR VOL 2 TP $19.95 DAR
56 85 2.13 NAT TURNER BOOK 2 REVOLUTION TP $10.00 IMA
57 8 2.11 EC ARCHIVES TWO FISTED TALES VOL 1 HC $49.95 GEM
58 28 2.11 ALICE I/SUNDERLAND GN $29.95 DAR
59 61 2.03 BATMAN DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP $14.99 DC
60 70 2.02 GRENDEL DEVIL BY DEED HC $12.95 DAR
61 78 1.94 STREET FIGHTER LEGENDS VOL 1 SAKURA TP $11.95 UDO
62 58 1.93 GUNSMITH CATS OMNIBUS VOL 1 TP $16.95 DAR
63 52 1.92 WATCHMEN TP $19.99 DC
64 53 1.88 WORMWOOD GENTLEMAN CORPSE VOL 1 TP (MR) $19.99 IDW
65 64 1.82 SPAWN ARMAGEDDON VOL 2 TP $15.95 IMA
66 107 1.80 WALKING DEAD VOL 1 DAYS GONE BYE TP $9.99 IMA
67 14 1.79 SUPERMAN ACTION COMICS ARCHIVES VOL 5 HC $49.99 DC
68 71 1.70 CRYING FREEMAN VOL 5 TP (MR) $14.95 DAR
69 82 1.68 ALCOHOL SHIRT & KISS VOL 1 GN $12.95 DIG
70 168 1.67 DEATH COMES TO DILLINGER COLL ED $6.99 SIL
71 86 1.63 DAY WHICH I BECAME BUTTERFLY GN $12.95 DIG
72 115 1.61 DMZ VOL 1 O/GROUND TP (MR) $9.99 DC
73 91 1.60 SOLFEGE GN $12.95 DIG
74 152 1.58 BLACK CAT VOL 7 TP $7.99 VIZ
75 60 1.57 JUSTICE VOL 2 HC $19.99 DC
76 79 1.52 IT RHYMES W/LUST TP $14.95 DAR
77 63 1.50 TRANSFORMERS WAR WITHIN IDW VOL 1 TP $19.99 IDW
78 131 1.49 SERENITY TP $9.95 DAR
79 129 1.49 PRIEST VOL 16 GN (Of 16) (MR) $9.99 TKP
80 98 1.47 Y THE LAST MAN VOL 1 UNMANNED TP $12.99 DC
81 75 1.46 HOUDINI HANDCUFF KING CENTER O/CARTOON STUDIES HC BK $16.99 WAR
82 81 1.46 BATMAN YEAR ONE DLX SC $14.99 DC
83 83 1.45 ASTONISHING X-MEN VOL 3 TORN TP $14.99 MAR
84 102 1.45 WALKING DEAD VOL 3 SAFETY BEHIND BARS TP (MR) $12.95 IMA
85 65 1.44 RONIN TP $19.99 DC
86 134 1.44 INNOCENT BIRD VOL 1 GN (Of 3) (MR) $9.99 TKP
87 67 1.42 JUSTICE VOL 1 HC $19.99 DC
88 174 1.42 IS VOL 12 GN $7.99 VIZ
89 105 1.41 WALKING DEAD VOL 5 BEST DEFENSE TP (MR) $12.99 IMA
90 87 1.40 Y THE LAST MAN VOL 8 KIMONO DRAGONS TP (MR) $14.99 DC
91 122 1.40 KASHIMASHI MANGA VOL 2 GN $10.99 SEV
92 92 1.39 BUDDY DOES JERSEY GN (MR) $14.95 FAN
93 140 1.36 TSUKUYOMI MOON PHASE VOL 6 GN (Of 10) (MR) $9.99 TKP
94 110 1.35 WALKING DEAD VOL 4 HEARTS DESIRE TP (MR) $12.99 IMA
95 141 1.35 ROSE HIP ZERO VOL 2 GN (Of 4) (MR) $9.99 TKP
96 142 1.34 READ OR DREAM VOL 3 TP $9.99 VIZ
97 144 1.34 MABURAHO MANGA VOL 2 TP $9.99 ADV
98 112 1.33 FABLES VOL 2 ANIMAL FARM TP $12.99 DC
99 114 1.32 PVP VOL 4 PVP GOES BANANAS TP $12.99 IMA
100 135 1.31 KUROSAGI CORPSE DELIVERY SERVICE VOL 3 TP $10.95 DAR

[iSteve]

Any surprises in the Top 100?

[xyzzy]

Any surprises in the Top 100?


Not a surprise, really, but it's good to see Dark Tower and Buffy selling so strongly. I suspect that's mostly due to sales to non-comics readers. If they can keep it up, that could be good news for everybody.

[conorkilpatrick]

Any surprises in the Top 100?

Yes. That DC is still in business. ;)

[mastap]

Love the avatar Fred - one of my heroes.

I actually bought a Cash action figure, I purchase I have never regretted.

[mastap]

Is there any plans of putting out more titles under the Icon name?

Ellis is in talks for an Icon book. Don't know what'll come out of it, but it's certainly an interesting thought.

[jimski]

Watching the monthly sales rankings is a guilty fascination of mine and has been for years now. It's not a horse race, and it shouldn't be, but dammit I can't help myself.

So once again the sales have been published, (http://www.newsarama.com/marketreport/mar07sales.html) and once again I cannot look away. The most interesting things about March, at least the ones that immediately grab my eye, is that DC only has one book in the top ten, and Buffy #1 is the first Dark Horse book I can remember seeing in the top ten since ever. Also, poor Ant-Man can't seem to crack the top 100. tick tick tick tick tick....


Qty Rank Retail Rank Index Title
1 1 360.90 CAPTAIN AMERICA #25
2 3 175.52 MIGHTY AVENGERS #1
3 6 171.10 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #539*
4 2 171.01 CIVIL WAR INITIATIVE*
5 4 169.37 DARKTOWER GUNSLINGER BORN #2
6 5 161.62 JUSTICE LEAGUE O/AMERICA #6*
7 7 148.47 NEW AVENGERS #28
8 8 139.66 CIVIL WAR CONFESSION
9 9 136.55 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #1*
10 11 118.36 WOLVERINE #52*

[six-gun]

I'm suprised to see 52 out of the top ten, why would anyone drop this book 40-odd weeks in?

[humphrey-lee]

I know this is going to be me coming off as an ass (imagine that) but the fact that that many people shelled out $4 for the Initiative one-shot is pretty sad. It was, uh, 16 pages of "original" story and then a bunch of previews for some #1's that were coming out either the same exact week, or just the following. And yet that thing made more revenue by itself than something like FABLES does in issue sales in a six month run. That's just pathetic IMO.

[fred]

it's actually worse - it was $5

[darron]

Had I known that half of the Initiative was already floating around my stack that week, I wouldn't have bought it.

Was it five bucks? Oh, that angers my soul.

[fred]

it was indeed. I bought it not knowing that it was basically a Marvel only copy of previews

[comhcinc]

ya know when i first saw this thread i thought it was about my own bitterness.

[jerome]

i wonder if this is the first time Dark Horse has had a top ten title, and if it can consistently stay there. rule of decreasing sales, and all that.

[comhcinc]

i wonder if this is the first time Dark Horse has had a top ten title, and if it can consistently stay there. rule of decreasing sales, and all that.

i don't know this as fact, but i am sure with all the star ways stuff dark horse has done, that they have been in the top ten alot.

[jerome]

really? thanks, didn't know that. haven't payed attention to sales until maybe a year ago.

[iSteve]

From ICv2 News:

Comics Up 14% in Q1
Civil War
April 16, 2007

Sales of comics to comic stores were up 14% over the previous year in the first quarter of 2007, the 9th consecutive up quarter in this recent run of increasing sales of floppies. Civil War continues to account for a major percentage of sales. Even a month after the release of the last issue of the main series, Civil War-related floppies were 14% of the total dollars for March.

Graphic novels (based on sales of the Top 100 graphic novel titles) were up around 8% in Q1, a lower but still substantial growth rate.

Comics were up only 4% in March, and graphic novels up 2%, the lowest growth rate of Q1.

We are estimating actual sales by Diamond U.S. (primarily to North American comic stores), using Diamond's published sales indexes and publisher sales data to estimate a sales number for Batman (the anchor title Diamond uses in its calculations), and using that number and the indexes to estimate Diamond's sales on the remaining titles. We can check the accuracy of our numbers by comparing the Batman number that we calculate using multiple data points; our numbers for Batman are within 1/10 of 1% of each other, ensuring a high degree of accuracy.

[iSteve]

Also, here's the complete list of the Top 300 Comics in March (http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/10404.html)

[iSteve]

Analysis from ICv2 News:

Death Sells
'Cap' Laps #2 Book in March
#1 for the month
April 16, 2007

Captain America #25, the major event book of March with its "death of Cap" storyline, more than doubled the sales of Mighty Avengers #1, the #2 book, with over 290,000 shipped to comic stores.

Sales on Cap were also sky high relative to sales on the previous issue; sales on Captain America #25 (featuring 2 covers -- 50/50 ratio) in March were over three and a half times the sales on #24 in November.

Captain America missed having the #1 first month sales of any Civil War title by a whisker; the only Civil War title that sold more in the first month was Civil War #3, which sold 195 more copies than Captain America #25 in its first month on sale.

Marvel's Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born #2 held up well, with only a 21% drop between first month sales of the first issue and the second. The title is looking like it will have a long tail, as Diamond sold over 8,900 reorder copies of #1 to comic stores in March, the month after its release.

Dark Horse had a rare top ten comic title with its Buffy the Vampire Slayer #1, at around 110,000 copies. Marvel Zombies/Army of Darkness #1, the Marvel Comics and Dynamite Entertainment crossover miniseries, was the next tile with (at least some) IP from a non-Big Two company, at #21, with around 77,000 sold.

The top graphic novel sale in comic stores in April was a backlist title--the movie-driven 300 hardcover from Dark Horse sold about 8,700 copies to comic stores. Naruto Vol. #13 came in second with a little over 6,200 copies.