Top 300 Comics Actual--January 2008 (original) (raw)

These are estimates of the sales by Diamond U.S. to comic specialty stores during January 2008.

For an overview and analysis of comic sales in January see "'Hulk' Tops January Charts."

For an analysis of the dollar trends in January, see "Comics, GN Sales Up Modestly in January."

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on graphic novels shipped during January, see "Top 100 Graphic Novel Actual--January 2008."

Notes on this chart:

Some titles have been truncated or abbreviated for space reasons. Publisher abbreviations have also been used:

MAR = Marvel Comics

DC = DC Comics

DAR = Dark Horse Comics

IMA = Image Comics

ALI = Alias Enterprises LLC

ANT = Antarctic Press

ARC = Archie Comic Publications

ASP = Aspen MLT Inc.

AVA = Avatar Press

BON = Bongo Comics

BOO = Boom! Studios

CAR = Cartoon Books

DEV = Devil's Due Publishing

DYN = Dynamite Entertainment

D&Q = Drawn & Quarterly

FAN = Fantagraphics Books

GEM = Gemstone

HAR = Harris Comics

ICA = Icarus Publishing

IDW = IDW Publishing

KZR = Kenzer & Company

MIR = Mirage Studios

MOO = Moonstone

ONI = Oni Press Inc.

RAD = Radio Comix

SLG = Slave Labor Graphics

UDO = Udon Entertainment

VIR = Virgin Comics

These estimates are based on ICv2 estimates of comic sales by Diamond North America during January, 2008. We are estimating actual sales by Diamond U.S. (primarily to North American comic stores), using Diamond's published sales indexes and publisher sales data to estimate a sales number for Batman (the anchor title Diamond uses in its calculations), and using that number and the indexes to estimate Diamond's sales on the remaining titles. We can check the accuracy of our numbers by comparing the Batman number that we calculate using multiple data points; our numbers for Batman are within 1/10 of 1% of each other, ensuring a high degree of accuracy. They do not include sales made by Diamond UK, orders on these titles placed after the end of January, or copies purchased by Diamond but held in inventory at the end of January. This information may not be reproduced in any format without also crediting Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc.Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, Devil's Due, Archie, Aspen, Dynamite Entertainment and Gemstone distribute 100% of their comic store orders through Diamond. Some other publishers distribute directly to stores or through other distributors and as a result this analysis may underestimate their sales.

Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, Viz, and Archie distribute some of their titles through channels other than comic specialty stores, e.g., newsstands and bookstores. These quantity estimates do not reflect distribution through those channels.

Most of the titles on this chart are also distributed to Europe by Diamond UK, which can account for significant sales for the publisher, ranging from 3-20% of the U.S. numbers. Sales by Diamond UK are not included in the numbers above.

One other factor to consider is that sales through Diamond and other comic distributors are non-returnable to retailers. That means that there is a considerable unknown percentage of books unsold at the retailer level, probably amounting to 5-20% of sales.

For the top 100 graphic novels actual orders in December, see "Top 100 Graphic Novel Actual--December 2007."

For the top 300 comic actual orders in December, see "Top 300 Comics Actual--December 2007."

For an overview and analysis of the actual December and an explanation of the transition to our new reporting, see "'Ultimates 3' Tops December Comic Sales" and "ICv2 Kicks Off New Top 300 Reporting." For an analysis of the dollar trends in December, see "December Caps Off Banner Year for Comics."

For links to all previous Top 300 Comic and Top 100 Graphic Novel articles (going back over three years, including preorder analysis through March 2003 and actual order analysis beginning March 2003) see: "ICv2's Top 300 Comics and Top 100 GNs Index."