Analysts Weigh In On May 2012 DM 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 May 2012.

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

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

This was a good month in terms of what the Direct Market does well right now as an overall sales machine. There were a few comic book titles over the magic 100,000 figure. John Jackson Miller in the link provied in the last paragraph notes that money this may have been the best month in a generation. An extra ship week is responsible for some of that, but not all of that.

A couple of positive things worth noting. It looks like there will be a bunch of positives for Direct Market retailers in terms of the New 52 initiative moving into trade paperback form. I'd say that was expected although maybe not guaranteed: the trades part of what DC does has been a super-solid part of that company for several years now, and while there might be some hesitancy in the nature of the appeal of the New 52 books for fans, it's hard to think that the book program would falter given a shot in the arm like that. I would also point to a surge in sales for the Walking Dead comic book as the second series of the television show winds down. That's a book that I think really rewards serial comic book readers, and if some new fans are picking that up instead of sticking to what available through places like Amazon, where that book ends up in the next few months could be fascinating. For one thing, because the Image model works that much better for books that can generate something in the five finger, may help fully establish the Robert Kirkman half the Mark Millar/Robert Kirkman career model that has to be appealing to the emerging generation.

As far as worrisome signs, we still get to comics in the 50,000 range pretty quickly when you look at a list of this month's comics. Also, whenever you have the top of the serial comic book so dominated by event comics and single-digit issues you begin to wonder the nature of the strength of the market overall. It could be that customers aren't responding to content as much as they're desperately hoping to be told what comics are worth buying. When you have customers like that, they can eventually get turned off.

Mostly, though, that's just grousing. I'd say when you have dollar figures that are the best they've been since before I showed up in comics -- and I'm old -- then you have to say that's a pretty good month.
 
posted 9:00 am PST | Permalink
 

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