Comics sales up for June

“…and getting back to that level [of five years ago] is a mark of a widening audience for comics.”

A widening of the audience would mean a larger number of individual customers. An increase in sales could be a widening of the audience. Or it could be the same individuals buying more stuff. Or some combination of the two. There is no way to make that determination from the data presented here.

I’m curious what the drops for the Before Watchmen books will be like, considering the dissapointing quality of them.

Not surprised that Batman is topping Justice League. Consistent art really helps.

“There is no way to make that determination from the data presented here.”

How about trusting the word of people who sell comics for a living: customer counts are way way up.

I’m sure several other retailers (or at least, if they’re not down at SDCC) will come along any moment and say the same.

-B

Customer counts at our 3 stores are up easily 30% on average for us.

Once again Alan Moore to the rescue. Let’s see how long this lasts, once the Before Watchman boost subsides. DC had a good year strategy between New 52 and BW. I just wonder what the next plan is the Third Army better be brilliant otherwise it’s going to be After Watchmen.

Pete,
that is interesting because, as the article says, sales are up 18%. So if you and Brian are right that means people are buying less then they did last year.

Now given that this year has seen two massive public moves by DC (the reboot and BW) and a huge Avengers movie (with a rebooted spiderman, a new Batman movie in the wings and the success of the walking dead growing) it begs the question: is this sustainable? Will this be another 5 year cycle with this being the next peak and it falling off after.

After next years superman DC has no new movies till 2015 (at the earliest), Marvel has Iron Man 3 next year, but does anyone think it will pass the other two? So without a major movie draw and no big publicity stunts from the big two (marvel’s soft reboot won’t get advertised in the theater like DC’s was I will bet) I would wager that you will see a decline year on year starting in November (ignore Sept and Oct, the reboot skews those numbers).

Basically its a good time for comics, but it seems that they are destined for another Boom and bust cycle.

But I hope I am wrong and both of you guys see continued growth as you make your living from these things.

Sales of Before Watchmen and response have been very favorable at my store.

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HUH?? Alan Moore had nothing to do with the success or failure of “before watchmen.” That is the equivalent of saying “once more Bob Kane to the rescue” when the bat books are topping the chart, or “John Broome to the rescue (or Bill Finger)” when the Green Lantern books are selling up a storm.

Don’t know what happened to the quote – should have have had “Once more Alan Moore to the rescue” at the beginning…

“that is interesting because, as the article says, sales are up 18%. So if you and Brian are right that means people are buying less then they did last year.”

Not necessarily. It could just mean that new readers buy fewer comics than existing readers, so they’re dragging the average down.