Analysts Weigh In On February 2013 Direct Market Numbers

The comics business news and analysis site ICv2.com has offered up 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 February 2013.

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

My personal favorite numbers cruncher John Jackson Miller at The Comics Chronicles has posted his analysis of the month here and here.

This is one of those weird months where there was a monster in the room -- the multiple-multiple-multiple variant cover Justice League Of America #1. Like most of the aggressive, multiple-variant stunts of the recent past, the state-by-state cover offering was enough to push the comic book over 300,000 copies sold. This doesn't seem to have sucked the sales oxygen from the room, however, at least in that other recent top serial comic book performers did their standard very good, with another half-dozen titles at 94K and over. Marvel seems to have greatly benefited from its own version of playing with open Direct Market flame, double-publishing titles within a single month to strong effect at multiple points in the top 20. Sales drop under 50K right around 35 titles, for whatever that's worth.

The numbers on Saga, at almost 50K, are also worth noting. That is a bonafide hit book.

The graphic novels chart is a bit more interesting for the strong showing of this month's #1 book, the latest LOEG effort from Top Shelf, and for the number secured by the latest Adventure Time effort. I don't suppose there's a lot of interest there sales-wise, but it's always a bit compelling to see which of the books sell in Direct Market shops. All in all it seems a normal month: positive sales trends overall continue, manipulation of sales up top has short-term effects but brings long-term questions, etc. etc. For now, though, everything seems sustainable, which isn't always the case in this particular realm of comics.
 
posted 12:10 am PST | Permalink
 

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