Comics sales remained fairly soft in July, ICv2 reports with sales down a bit in dollars but nearly steady in units:
Marvel took the top three spots and 15 of the top 25. DC increased its share of the top 25 titles from 8 in June to 10 in July. Fourteen titles in the top 25 suffered circulation declines while six posted increases, and there were five number one issues including a new Daredevil series written by Mark Waid that finished at #6 (aided by a slew of order incentive variant covers), and X-Men: Schism #1, the main book of the big summer X-event that debuted somewhat disappointingly at #11 with issue #2 ending up at #28 with sales some 13,000 copies below the first issue.
In dollars, the story was much the same:
Year-over-year dollar sales of periodical comics through Diamond Comic Distributors fell by 4.27% in July 2011despite the fact that July 2010 was not a particularly strong month for comic book sales with just one title over 100K. On the positive side the number of units sold in July of 2011 approached parity with July 2010 with a minimal decline of just .52%. The difference between dollar sales and unit sales indicates that comic book cover prices have in fact declined. The problem is that circulation numbers have not risen enough to make up for the decline in revenue from lower cover prices.
I’m sure John Jackson Miller will explain what is really happening soon, but we’d note that the bottom remains stable. In 2010 the #300 title was TORCHWOOD #1 with 3,675.
In 2011 it was TOTAL RECALL #3 with 3,531. So again, a slight decline, but not a drastic drop.
On the graphic novel side, Alan Moore scored another win with the latest LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN volume, which sold some 22K ordered.
More: Top 300 Comics Actual–July 2011.
Top 300 Graphic Novels Actual–July 2011.
My posts were up a while ago:
http://blog.comichron.com/2011/08/full-july-2011-comics-sales-estimates.html
http://blog.comichron.com/2011/08/july-initial-june-final-comics-orders.html
July of last year was a tough comparative on the TPB side — and the five-year comparatives are getting very tough because we’re now into matchups against Civil War issues.
On first glance, the most interesting thing is the first issue of X-men Schism, the (I suppose) can’t miss game-changing major story is outsold by Green Lantern Corps. And the second issue is outsold by the second issue of Ultimate Fallout.
I know it’s been going on for years but it still astonishes me how far the X franchise has fallen.
Pun not intended, incidentally.
I think the column title is negatively sensational.
Why not celebrate the fact that units are consistent and the buying public is rebuffing higher priced comics?
the Tiki
The title is completely accurate.
Sales are down in both units, dollars and poor circulation.
The only celebration you can have over these numbers is a pity party. I’ll take realism any day.
Are the Month-to-Month Sales columns discontinued?
“Are the Month-to-Month Sales columns discontinued?”
They’re probably just late. Happens from time to time.