Diamond Announces January 2011 Sales Statistics. Sales Down 22% From Last January. Comics Media Freaks Out!

This morning, Diamond Distribution released their monthly sales statistics, and they caused a bit of a panic amongst the online comics community. It would appear that not only are comics sales down by 28% from last month, they’re actually down by 22% from those in January 2010. Now it’s undeniable that this is bad news, but I have seen some incredibly reactionary comments from fellow members of the comics press this morning. Claims that this is the beginning of the end, and that comics are doomed, etc. etc. One website, which shall remain unnamed, actually used a picture of a sinking ship as the graphic for their article.

I think everyone needs to sit down for a minute, have a cup of tea, and then have a look at this again. Why do I says that? Well, to be honest, I really believe that analysis of comics sales like this is almost meaningless. You can read anything into the stats, if you really want. I used to do the same thing myself, every month I’d post Diamond’s sales stats, and analyze the percentage difference in sales from month to month, the ever-changing margin between DC and Marvel… then one day I though, “who really gives a fuck?” It’s analysis for the same of analysis, and doesn’t amount to a damn thing. These things fluctuate, and while January might have been a crap month, for all we know, February could be the best on record.

I guess what annoys me the most is that it seems like a large percentage of the comics media is so damn negative all the time, and always doomsaying the future of comics. Why does everyone have to be so down all the time? Why not focus on the positive, and talk about ways the industry can bolster sales, and work towards fixing this, hopefully temporary, decline? Well, the obvious answer to that is that it’s so much easier just to condemn, and that generating panic really pulls in the readers!

Diamond’s January 2010 Sales Statistics:

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (February 3, 2022) — The Human Torch sacrificed his life to save his teammates and the Earth in January’s Fantastic Four #587, sending the long-running Marvel Comics title to the top of January’s comic book sales charts according to Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop-culture merchandise.

Thanks in part to the strong sales on Fantastic Four #587 from writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Steve Epting, Marvel Comics was the leading comic book publisher in January with a Dollar Market Share of 39.06% and a Unit Market Share of 42.37%. Image Comics had their strongest showing in over three years, with Dollar Share of 7.60%.

Sales of comic books and graphic novels fell in the post-Christmas season, with January’s comic books sales declining by 27.70% from December and graphic novel sales falling by 32.41%.

Jack Horner’s adventures in a world where forgotten technology is treated like forbidden magic formed the basis of Jack of Fables Volume 8: The Fulminate Blade, the latest collected volume of Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges’ spin-off of Willingham’s best-selling Fables series, giving DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint the best-selling graphic novel in January.

More characters from DC Comics’ crossover event Blackest Night, including Black Lantern Superman and Red Lantern Mera, starred in DC Direct’s Blackest Night Series 7 Action Figure series, January’s best-selling Toy product to comics specialty retailers.

NECA/WizKids’ DC HeroClix: 75th-Anniversary Expansion series, which features characters taken from DC Comics’ long history, topped the sales charts for the second month in a row as the best-selling Games product to comics specialty retailers in January.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

Top 100 Comics: January 2011

The Fantastic Four, scattered by various dangers from the Negative Zone to Atlantis to the Baxter Building, faced their greatest challenge, and one of their number, the Human Torch, made the ultimate sacrifice in Marvel Comics’ Fantastic Four #587, the latest chapter in Jonathan Hickman and Steve Epting’s “Three” storyline, giving the publisher the best-selling comic book in January.

In total, Marvel Comics took five of the top ten spots on the sales charts for the month. The Red Hulk teamed with the Avengers to combat the threat of the Infinity Gauntlet in Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita, Jr.’s Avengers #9, which ranked #5 for the month. The X-Men and Spider-Men teamed for a New York adventure in X-Men #7, which ranked #6. A night of the town turns dangerous in Bendis and Stuart Immonen’s New Avengers #8, the #8 book for the month. Finally, Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos put Spider-Man through his paces as he hits the “Big Time” in the month’s #10 ranked book, Amazing Spider-Man #651.

DC Comics had four of the top ten comics in January. Two issues of Brightest Day — issues #17 and #18 — were the number two and three books for the month, respectively, as Geoff Johns and Peter Tomasi’s biweekly event builds towards its climax. Paul Cornell and Scott McDaniel’s run on Batman and Robin reached its conclusion with issue #19, the #7 book for the month. Finally, Tony Daniels’ Batman #706 ranked #9 on the charts.

Rounding out the top ten in December was Image Comics as Todd McFarlane’s Spawn reached its 200th issue. Spawn #200, with an all-star line-up of creators including McFarlane, Robert Kirkman, Greg Capullo, David Finch, Jim Lee, Rob Liefeld, Marc Silvestri, Ashley Wood, and Danny Miki, ranked #4 for the month.

Among other premier publishers, the finale to Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer “Sason Eight” storyline, Buffy the Vampire Slayer #40, placed at #25 on January’s sales charts. IDW Publishing’s top selling book for the month was Infestation #1, the first issue in their zombie crossover event that encompasses the worlds of Transformers, Star Trek, G.I. Joe, and Ghostbuster; Infestation #1 ranked #91 for the month.

TOP 100 COMIC BOOKS
Based on Total Unit Sales of Products Invoiced in January 2011

Top 100 Graphic Novels: January 2011

Jack Horner’s adventures in a world where forgotten technology is treated like forbidden magic formed the basis of Jack of Fables Volume 8: The Fulminate Blade, the latest collected volume of Bill Willingham and Matthew Sturges’ spin-off of Willingham’s best-selling Fables series, giving DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint the best-selling graphic novel in January.

In total, DC Comics had five of the top ten best-selling graphic novels in January. Batman: Joker’s Asylum Volume 2, the second collection of one-shots centered on Bamtan’s rogue’s gallery, was the #5 book for the month. James Robinson’s Starman Omnibus Volume 6 ranked #7, House of Mystery Volume 5: Under New Management ranked #8, and Madame Xanadu Volume 3: Broken House of Cards ranked #9.

Image Comics had two volumes of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead in the top ten. The first volume, Days Gone Bye, was their top book at #2, and their second book, Miles Behind Us, ranked #10.

Marvel Comics also had two books in the top ten. The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger: The Journey Begins, an adaptation of Stephen King’s best-selling Gunslinger novels, was the publisher’s top book at #3. Invincible Iron Man Volume 4: Stark Disassembled ranked #6.

Rounding out the top ten from Dark Horse Comics was Eric Powell’s The Goon Volume 10: Death’s Greedy Come-Uppance.

Also among premier publishers, IDW Publishing’s top book in January was The Last Unicorn, the acclaimed graphic novel adaptation of Peter S. Beagle’s beloved fantasy novel; the collected hardcover edition ranked #32 for the month.

TOP 100 GRAPHIC NOVELS
Based on Total Unit Sales of Products Invoiced in January 2011

This information may not be reproduced in any format without the express permission of Diamond Comic Distributors.

For retailers, Diamond offers the Top 300 Comics and Top 300 Graphic Novels sales charts on the Diamond Tools page of the Diamond Retailer Services website to provide more information about the industry’s top selling publications.

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Data for Diamond’s sales charts – which include the monthly market shares and all top product charts – are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from a universe of over 3,500 accounts, comprised of comic book specialty shops and other merchant stores and buyers. The shops are primarily located in North America, with a percentage of sales also to international stores and buyers located throughout the world. The account base includes not only brick-and-mortar comic book specialty shops, but also Internet stores, chain stores, and other specialty stores.

Unit and dollars sales are calculated based upon orders invoiced and shipped to Diamond accounts during any given month, which comprises initial pre-orders, advance reorders, and reorders, minus any copies that are received back from a title marked as returnable.

About the Diamond Sales Index: The Sales Index of selected monthly Best Seller Charts is presented as a comparative tool for retailers and publishers. It presents Diamond’s monthly sales for individual titles in relation to Diamond’s total sales for the issue of DC Comics’ monthly Batman comic book. (Batman is used as the control title – with a value of 100 – because sales of Batman usually remain relatively stable.) This allows for easy comparison to other titles and helps retailers gauge their orders for all other titles. This formula is only a guide, other factors may impact a titles’ ability to sell in certain locations and clientele.

Related posts:

1. Diamond Distribution’s Top 20 Publishers, Top 300 Comics, and Top 300 TPBs & GNs for January 2010
2. Diamond Announces the Top Publishers and Products for January 2010
3. Diamond Announces the Top Publishers & Products for November 2009
4. Diamond Announces the Top 500 Selling Comics of 2010
5. Diamond Announces Top Products for September 2009