May 2008 Sales Figures

Robin The Boy Wonder · May 2008 Sales Figures

I was scouring the net for the Comics International thread and came across something equally of interest: sales figures!!!

These are the estimated sales figures (and are usually reasonably accurate based upon what I've seen in the past) for comics sold to North American retailers by Diamond during the calendar month of May 2008. Now, I realise this is based upon what the retailers actually ordered from Diamond and don't reflect actual sales to the customer; however, this is as accurate as we're going to get as there simply isn't anything publicly available to cover actual sales (and the clever retailer will usually seek to sell the stock they order anyway).

May 2008 Sales Figures

As you will see, Secret Invasion 2 was the highest selling comic of the month, far outstretching DC's event-opener, Final Crisis. New Avengers was the third highest selling, with Avengers/Invaders 1 scoring fourth. To find DC's next entry, one must go to seventh place, where one may find Batman 676 - an entry likely dominated by the fact this is the opening chapter of the highly publicised Grant Morrison-penned 'Batman RIP'.

In the meantime, Amazing Spider-Man has slipped to its pre-Civil War sales figures (in fairness, to be expected considering the title was bloated before by continual event tie-in's). I might do something more in-depth for Spider-Man on the Brand New Day thread - even though it's gonna kill me.

Oh, and anyone spot Marvel's market share - 47.56%...? And then compare to DC's - 29.95%. This is near-domination on Marvel's part, especially considering it was only a year ago that the two main publishers were almost neck-and-neck.

CatFang

That's very interesting stuff.

Good find!

Batmanuel

And as always the Boy Wonder goes above and beyond the call of duty and posts his findings for us mere mortals to gaze upon.

Very well done sir, and some serious food for thought.

It wasn't a life time ago when Marvel were in Chapter 11, and at the time i can remember saying to Debs (who incidentally has new earrings) Laughing

that if i didn't know better there was a corporate raid going on in Marvel, as the company was worth more in bits than it was as a whole. turns out i was bang on the money.
The money men were out to make money, simple, and what was left had been raped beyond belief.

still with Chapters help and people who cared at the helm Marvel managed to crawl from the abyss and if now back at the top of the game.

for every bad decision made during the darkest hour, it seem a good one was made to counter it.

but what is it that makes Marvel so bloody well lovable?

what is it appeal?

sure we have Batman, he is not Marvel, but is iconic, we have Superman, well the symbol is known world wide, and to all intents every man wishes he was Super.
and we have Wonder Woman, love her, or hate her, you have to admit shes Hot, and every woman wishes she was wonder....ful.

but why is it that a Green Hulking Behemoth, inspires more than a Green Lantern?
Why is it that a bunch of youngsters with a gene disorder and an old guy in a wheelchair are just so much more commercially viable than a Justice League?
and why is it that the Punisher is just so much cooler than Deathstroke the Terminator?

and why am i here seeming to sing Marvels Praise's?

well i am just saying it as i see it, you dont get near 50% of the share by standing around scratching your bollocks do you.

But the one thing everyone forgets while sneering at this giant is,
When Marvel started out, it was the Brat Pack Independent taking on the mighty National Periodicals (DC Comics as it was known then)

So what am i trying to say, well the message here has got to be so obvious i am almost embarrassed to spell it out.

It really doesent mater what the guy next to you is doing, if you belive in what you are doing, and what you are doing is good, and at least a bit original
(even if its not in content but in approch)
it will shine

You know, i remember promoting a comic called Jinx many moons ago, by a little unkowen writer/artist called Brian M Bendis.

I acually managed to get two people to buy it too,

Strangers in Paradise was another one i spotted as having potential

as was Bone. (and remember i order three months before it hits the shelfs.

mind you when i get it wrong, i dont mess around, Ultimate Spider-man springs to mind. Crying or Very sad

so whats in store for the future???

well i do believe that there are one or two talents out there that can make the grade, and i have already promoted these creators so i wont bore you here and now.

and remember, its in the eye of the beholder, and if he doesn't like it, then he can Fuck Off, as for every one who doesnt like it, twenty will Smile

and that folks, is what counts.

Oh and well done Boy Wonder for bringing this to the attention of the masses, Laughing

being as we no longer have a Comics International for such trivia Razz