The 2005 Direct Market: Graphic Novels Grow, Comic Books Not So Much

ICv2.com included in its December sales reports a first look at the shape of the 2005 direct market of comic shops and hobby retailers, which I wanted to separate out for clarity's sake. Their conclusion: graphic novel sales are up for the year after a stellar fourth quarter, at 33 percent; but comic book sales are only up 4 percent, which may not even cover an overall shift upwards in price and could therefore potentially reflect a tiny dip in units moved. This is after a 2004 where the growth numbers were the same in each category.

I don't know numbers or retail all that well, but that seems reasonably stable to me, not particularly good news but not all that bad. Even with my grumpy face on, I'm not able to read anything dire into a shift to graphic novel sales over periodicals. At the same time, ICv2.com's analysis doesn't speak in any way to a wider concern that the direct market is sacrificing a healthy periodicals midlist of the kind that allows for new hits and franchises in favor of stunt series and events, which over time will not only limit potential growth but lead to a continued, overall slow decline -- and perhaps cement cultural irrelevancy.

Not even Dr. Doom, the only super-villain who wears superpowered armor but carries a piece anyway, can snap out of the mid-list drearies
 
posted 12:12 am PST | Permalink
 

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