Comix Experience 2012 Best Sellers: Comics
/The full year is now over for us, so how the hell did we do?
The overview says: overall sales up by 7.82%. It would have been much higher, but fourth quarter showed a big softening from last year -- down 1.99% (that was mostly October, comparable down 11%, December was up 1.3%)
Looking just now at "comics" -- these are actual sales, and don't count anything sitting, say, in subscription boxes (even those are close-to-guaranteed sales):
First off, we sort by QUANTITY SOLD. This is the way that traditional Diamond sales charts are sorted. Before the full list, here's what the real Top 5 looks like:
| 1 | Quarter Book - Single |
| 2 | Back Issue |
| 3 | Dollar Book |
| 4 | SAGA #1 |
| 5 | Starter Set |
"Quarter Book" is literally a comic for 25 cents from the junk box, "Back Issue" is a generic category for anything bagged and boarded -- we stop tracking them individually once they go into the bins. "Dollar Book" is just that, slightly more "premium" stuff I am trying to ditch; and "Starter Set" is a themed bunch of back issues (ex: "Avengers #1-12" or "25 comics featuring women characters") bundled together at a cheaper price, but typically a bit more than if I Dollared them out. That first one is multiple thousands, while #5 is a solidly triple digit number. People like cheap stuff, this much is true.
BUT, you don't really want those in the chart, do you? You want the actual comical bookies. So, with 4 of the 5 deleted:
| 1 | SAGA #1 |
| 2 | SAGA #2 |
| 3 | SAGA #3 |
| 4 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #1 (OF 12) |
| WALKING DEAD #100 (combined) | |
| 6 | SAGA #7 |
| 7 | SAGA #5 |
| 8 | SAGA #4 |
| SAGA #6 | |
| 10 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #2 (OF 12) |
| PROPHET #21 | |
| 12 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #3 (OF 12) |
| 13 | BATMAN #13 |
| 14 | WALKING DEAD #97 |
| 15 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #0 (OF 12) |
| PROPHET #22 | |
| 17 | JUSTICE LEAGUE #5 |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #6 | |
| 19 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #5 (OF 12) |
| BATMAN #6 | |
| 21 | ACTION COMICS #5 |
| BATMAN #8 | |
| 23 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #4 (OF 12) |
| 24 | ACTION COMICS #6 |
| 25 | BATMAN #5 |
| BATMAN ANNUAL #1 | |
| 27 | WALKING DEAD #99 |
| 28 | ACTION COMICS #7 |
| BATMAN #10 | |
| BATMAN #11 | |
| BATMAN #7 | |
| 32 | ACTION COMICS #9 |
| AVENGERS VS X-MEN #7 (OF 12) | |
| BATMAN #9 | |
| 35 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #6 (OF 12) |
| BATMAN INCORPORATED #1 | |
| FATALE #1 | |
| WALKING DEAD #98 | |
| 39 | BATMAN #14 |
| EARTH 2 #1 | |
| 41 | ACTION COMICS #10 |
| ACTION COMICS #8 | |
| WALKING DEAD #101 | |
| 44 | ACTION COMICS #11 |
| ADVENTURE TIME #1 | |
| AVENGERS VS X-MEN #8 (OF 12) | |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #9 | |
| WALKING DEAD #95 | |
| 49 | DIAL H #1 |
| 50 | BATMAN #12 |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #8 | |
| WALKING DEAD #94 | |
| 53 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #10 (OF 12) |
| BATMAN #0 | |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #11 | |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #7 | |
| WALKING DEAD #103 | |
| 58 | ALL NEW X-MEN #1 NOW |
| AVENGERS VS X-MEN #12 (OF 12) | |
| FAIREST #1 | |
| 61 | FATALE #2 |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #10 | |
| WALKING DEAD #96 | |
| 64 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #11 (OF 12) |
| AVENGERS VS X-MEN #9 (OF 12) | |
| BATMAN #15 | |
| BATWOMAN #5 | |
| HAPPY #1 (OF 4) | |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #12 | |
| PROPHET #24 | |
| SAGA #8 | |
| SECRET SERVICE #1 (OF 7) | |
| WALKING DEAD #93 | |
| 74 | FATALE #3 |
| FATALE #4 | |
| UNCANNY AVENGERS #1 NOW | |
| 77 | EARTH 2 #2 |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #0 | |
| 79 | ADVENTURE TIME #2 |
| ANIMAL MAN #5 | |
| BATMAN INCORPORATED #2 | |
| WALKING DEAD #102 | |
| WALKING DEAD #104 | |
| 84 | AMERICAS GOT POWERS #1 (OF 6) |
| BEFORE WATCHMEN MINUTEMEN #1 (OF 6) | |
| FATALE #5 | |
| PROPHET #23 | |
| 88 | ACTION COMICS #12 |
| ACTION COMICS #13 | |
| ANIMAL MAN #6 | |
| WONDER WOMAN #5 | |
| 92 | ACTION COMICS #14 |
| BATWOMAN #6 | |
| SUPERCROOKS #1 | |
| 95 | AVX VS #1 (OF 6) |
| FATALE #6 | |
| 97 | ADVENTURE TIME MARCELINE SCREAM QUEENS #1 |
| BATMAN INCORPORATED #3 | |
| 99 | ACTION COMICS #0 |
| ADVENTURE TIME #5 | |
| AVENGERS #1 NOW | |
| BEFORE WATCHMEN RORSCHACH #1 (OF 4) | |
| BEFORE WATCHMEN SILK SPECTRE #1 (OF 4) | |
| HAWKEYE #1 | |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #13 | |
| PROPHET #25 | |
| SECRET #1 | |
| WALKING DEAD MICHONNE SPECIAL | |
| WONDER WOMAN #9 |
It's BKV and Fiona Staples' world, we just live in it.
This year there were a couple of significant "They can't fill my reorders fast enough" that probably otherwise limited some of the specific placing of some books -- There not being a (6th?) printing on SAGA #1 kept it and #2-6 probably lower than it *could* have been, and the ADVENTURE TIME back issues went weekssss between refills, so I think, in a better world, the first six issues at least, could have sold 20-40% more in the end. HAWKEYE faced the same problem towards the end of the year. MANHATTAN PROJECTS #1 just missed the "top 100" here (well, 109) because it didn't keep going back to press (and/or having enough up front). I also had some spot issues with AVX availability, but that was almost always well into their on-stands -- like week 11, I think, for #1. Other than that, most of these comics sold out just when I wanted them to.
But as nice as circulation figures are (and, really, they are nice), the real impact comes from the DOLLARS SOLD -- you can see that more expensive books often end up making more money even when they sell fewer copies. I'll include the MSRP here, though this is "dollars taken in", that is, it includes discounts or things like that, when there are such things (almost never, but still worth mentioning)
| Rank | Title | MSRP |
| 1 | Back Issue | (var) |
| 2 | Starter Set | (var) |
| 3 | Quarter Book - Single | $ 0.25 |
| 4 | SAGA #1 | $ 2.99 |
| 5 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #1 (OF 12) | $ 3.99 |
| WALKING DEAD #100 | $ 3.99 | |
| 7 | Dollar Book | $ 1.00 |
| 8 | BATMAN ANNUAL #1 | $ 4.99 |
| 9 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #2 (OF 12) | $ 3.99 |
| 10 | SAGA #2 | $ 2.99 |
| 11 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #3 (OF 12) | $ 3.99 |
| 12 | SAGA #3 | $ 2.99 |
| 13 | BATMAN #13 | $ 3.99 |
| 14 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #0 (OF 12) | $ 3.99 |
| 15 | JUSTICE LEAGUE #5 | $ 3.99 |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #6 | $ 3.99 | |
| 17 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #5 (OF 12) | $ 3.99 |
| 18 | ACTION COMICS #5 | $ 3.99 |
| BATMAN #8 | $ 3.99 | |
| 20 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #4 (OF 12) | $ 3.99 |
| 21 | ACTION COMICS #6 | $ 3.99 |
| 22 | SAGA #7 | $ 2.99 |
| 23 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #12 (OF 12) | $ 4.99 |
| 24 | ACTION COMICS #7 | $ 3.99 |
| BATMAN #10 | $ 3.99 | |
| BATMAN #11 | $ 3.99 | |
| 27 | SAGA #4 | $ 2.99 |
| SAGA #5 | $ 2.99 | |
| SAGA #6 | $ 2.99 | |
| 30 | ACTION COMICS #9 | $ 3.99 |
| AVENGERS VS X-MEN #7 (OF 12) | $ 3.99 | |
| BATMAN #9 | $ 3.99 | |
| 33 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #6 (OF 12) | $ 3.99 |
| 34 | PROPHET #21 | $ 2.99 |
| 35 | BATMAN #14 | $ 3.99 |
| EARTH 2 #1 | $ 3.99 | |
| 37 | ACTION COMICS #10 | $ 3.99 |
| ACTION COMICS #8 | $ 3.99 | |
| 39 | ACTION COMICS #11 | $ 3.99 |
| ADVENTURE TIME #1 | $ 3.99 | |
| AVENGERS VS X-MEN #8 (OF 12) | $ 3.99 | |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #9 | $ 3.99 | |
| 43 | WALKING DEAD #97 | $ 2.99 |
| 44 | PROPHET #22 | $ 2.99 |
| 45 | BATMAN #12 | $ 3.99 |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #8 | $ 3.99 | |
| 47 | FATALE #1 | $ 3.50 |
| 48 | BATMAN #6 | $ 2.99 |
| 49 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #10 (OF 12) | $ 3.99 |
| BATMAN #0 | $ 3.99 | |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #11 | $ 3.99 | |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #7 | $ 3.99 | |
| 53 | ALL NEW X-MEN #1 NOW | $ 3.99 |
| 54 | JUSTICE LEAGUE #10 | $ 3.99 |
| 55 | BATMAN #5 | $ 2.99 |
| 56 | AVENGERS VS X-MEN #11 (OF 12) | $ 3.99 |
| AVENGERS VS X-MEN #9 (OF 12) | $ 3.99 | |
| BATMAN #15 | $ 3.99 | |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #12 | $ 3.99 | |
| 60 | WALKING DEAD #99 | $ 2.99 |
| 61 | UNCANNY AVENGERS #1 NOW | $ 3.99 |
| 62 | BATMAN #7 | $ 2.99 |
| 63 | JUSTICE LEAGUE #0 | $ 3.99 |
| 64 | GREEN LANTERN ANNUAL #1 | $ 4.99 |
| 65 | ADVENTURE TIME #2 | $ 3.99 |
| 66 | BEFORE WATCHMEN MINUTEMEN #1 (OF 6) | $ 3.99 |
| 67 | BATMAN INCORPORATED #1 | $ 2.99 |
| WALKING DEAD #98 | $ 2.99 | |
| 69 | ANIMAL MAN ANNUAL #1 | $ 4.99 |
| 70 | ACTION COMICS #12 | $ 3.99 |
| ACTION COMICS #13 | $ 3.99 | |
| 72 | FATALE #2 | $ 3.50 |
| 73 | ACTION COMICS #14 | $ 3.99 |
| 74 | ACTION COMICS ANNUAL #1 | $ 4.99 |
| 75 | WALKING DEAD #101 | $ 2.99 |
| 76 | AVX VS #1 (OF 6) | $ 3.99 |
| 77 | FATALE #3 | $ 3.50 |
| FATALE #4 | $ 3.50 | |
| 79 | ADVENTURE TIME MARCELINE SCREAM QUEENS #1 | $ 3.99 |
| 80 | WALKING DEAD #95 | $ 2.99 |
| 81 | DIAL H #1 | $ 2.99 |
| 82 | ACTION COMICS #0 | $ 3.99 |
| ADVENTURE TIME #5 | $ 3.99 | |
| AVENGERS #1 NOW | $ 3.99 | |
| BEFORE WATCHMEN RORSCHACH #1 (OF 4) | $ 3.99 | |
| BEFORE WATCHMEN SILK SPECTRE #1 (OF 4) | $ 3.99 | |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #13 | $ 3.99 | |
| 88 | WALKING DEAD #94 | $ 2.99 |
| 89 | FATALE #5 | $ 3.50 |
| 90 | ADVENTURE TIME #6 | $ 3.99 |
| BEFORE WATCHMEN OZYMANDIAS #1 (OF 6) | $ 3.99 | |
| 92 | WALKING DEAD #103 | $ 2.99 |
| 93 | BEFORE WATCHMEN COMEDIAN #1 (OF 6) | $ 3.99 |
| 94 | FAIREST #1 | $ 2.99 |
| 95 | WALKING DEAD #96 | $ 2.99 |
| 96 | ALL NEW X-MEN #2 NOW | $ 3.99 |
| DETECTIVE COMICS #9 | $ 3.99 | |
| JUSTICE LEAGUE #14 | $ 3.99 | |
| 99 | FATALE #6 | $ 3.50 |
| 100 | DETECTIVE COMICS ANNUAL #1 | $ 4.99 |
So, yeah, there's the raw data -- I think it shows a pretty healthy and robust market with a fairly diverse bunch of products. I'm especially proud of the showing that Image put in this year.
Questions, comments, toss 'em below!
-B
