Sales of periodical comic books through Diamond Comic Distributors were up 12% over sales in November of 2008, but graphic novels dropped by 26%, when compared with November of 2008 when the graphic novel category was boosted by continuing sales of Watchmen and a number of strong releases including the Heroes graphic novel, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier, and Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born. The steep fall in graphic novel sales marked the category’s 8th straight month of declines. Overall combined sales of comics and graphic novels were almost identical with those in November of 2008.
With Diamond having released the Top 300 graphic novel figures for 12 months, we have been able to compare sales of both the Top 100 and the Top 300. Sales of the Top 100 graphic novel were actually down 29% versus November of 2008, but when the next 200 titles are figured in, the drop is 3% less, which indicates a slight up-tick in backlist graphic novel sales.
After a 17% decline in combined comic and graphic novel sales in October, the very slight gain in November represents a positive trend. It remains to be seen if the industry will be able to finish out 2009, which has been a very tough year, on a high note and post gains in sales of comics and graphic novels.
