Analysts: April 2009 DM Estimates

The comics business news and analysis site ICv2.com offers their usual array of lists, estimates and analysis regarding the performance of comic books and graphic novels in the Direct Market of comic and hobby shops, this time for April 2009.

* Overview
* Analysis
* Top 300 Comic Books
* Top 300 Graphic Novels

I'm certain John Jackson Miller at The Comics Chronicles is in the process of getting up his own set of numbers up for April 2009, and I'll update this post when he does so.

The big news this month is an overall surge in sales of comic books: both over an agreed-upon terrible March and up six percent over similar sales in April 2008. Whether or not this indicates increased, systemic health or simply more product on the stands is unclear and leaning towards more product: numbers didn't change for comics in series. There were also a number of variant covers employed for top-selling titles.

Although the battle for top position wasn't being fought over in the way it is when there are dueling crossover events, this month seems noteworthy for DC placing a pair of comics at the top of the charts and eight in the top 25, which I think is two or three more than they've been placing in that more solid part of the charts. If there were an instant lesson there -- and I generally push against instant lessons, but what the hell -- it's that it may be that DC's strength is in its individual brands rather than in event titles that are marked by five lines of text. DC's success in the top two would also indicate to me that the recent new Wolverine series launch failed to generate that extra dollop of enthusiasm that might have pushed it over the top. It's still weird for me to be seeing a book in the top 25 falling under 60,000 total copies, but that's because I'm old. Heck, I'm not sure I'll ever understand a DM where Thor is a top ten comic book and this isn't treated at all times as if the creators are shooting flat-screen television sets and live puppies from their asses. In graphic novels, ICv2.com suggests a slight slowdown on Watchmen sales after its pre-movie rush of copies sold.

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posted 8:10 am PST | Permalink
 

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