January 2014 comics sales estimates now online

The first comics sales reports for the year have been released by Diamond Comic Distributors, and 2014 is off to a slow start, relative to some recent big Januaries. Click to see comics sales estimates for January 2014.

The top seller for the month, Batman #27, sold fewer copies than any monthly top-seller since May 2011, before the DC relaunch. But while the second-place title, Detective Comics #27 (boy, that issue sounds familiar) sold more than 87,000 copies to Batman’s more than 115,000, it cost twice as much, and thus was by far the biggest comic book in dollar terms in the month.

Comics shops sold nearly $39 million worth of comic books and graphic novels in January, off 5% from last January.
Comic book dollar orders were essentially unchanged, but the graphic
novel category dropped against difficult competition from the previous
year.

RECORDS: Thanks in part to the impact of Detective #27, the average price of all comics retailers ordered within the Top 300 was $3.77, the highest ever. It beat out the $3.73 mark set in October and November. Click to see more Diamond Exclusive Era records.

The comparatives for the month are below:

January 2014: 6.17 million copies
Versus 1 year ago this month: -8%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +10%
Versus 10 years ago this month: +20%
Versus 15 years ago this month: unchanged
YEAR TO DATE: 6.17 million copies, -8% vs. 2013, +10% vs. 2009, +20% vs. 2004, unchanged vs. 1999

ALL COMICS UNIT SALES
January 2014 versus one year ago this month: -7.45%
YEAR TO DATE: -7.45%

—

January 2014: $23.31 million
Versus 1 year ago this month: -3%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +21%
Versus 10 years ago this month: +61%
Versus 15 years ago this month: +48%
YEAR TO DATE: $23.31 million, -3% vs. 2013, +21% vs. 2009, +61% vs. 2004, +48% vs. 1999

ALL COMICS DOLLAR SALES
January 2014 versus one year ago this month: -0.42%
YEAR TO DATE: -0.42%

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January 2013: $5.8 million
Versus 1 year ago this month: -21%
Versus 5 years ago this month: -6%
Versus 10 years ago this month, just the Top 50 vs. the Top 50: +4%
Versus 15 years ago this month, just the Top 25 vs. the Top 25: +37%
YEAR TO DATE: $5.8 million, -21% vs. 2013

ALL TRADE PAPERBACK  SALES
January 2014 versus one year ago this month: -14.28%
YEAR TO DATE: -14.28%

—

January 2014: $29.11 million
Versus 1 year ago this month: -7%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +15%
Versus 10 years ago this month, counting just the Top 50 TPBs: +49%
Versus 10 years ago this month, counting just the Top 25 TPBs: +56%
YEAR TO DATE: $29.11 million, -7% vs. 2013

ALL COMICS AND TRADE PAPERBACK  SALES
January 2014 versus one year ago this month: -5.09%
YEAR TO DATE: -5.09%

—

January 2014: approximately $38.97 million (subject to revision)
Versus 1 year ago this month: -5%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +24%
Versus 10 years ago this month: +78%
YEAR TO DATE: $38.97 million, -5% vs. 2012

The average comic book in the Top 300 cost $3.68, with the average comic
book ordered by retailers costing $3.77. The average comic book in the
Top 25 cost $4.11. $3.99 was the median price of comics, and $3.99 was
the most
common price. Click to see monthly comics prices over time and median comics prices since 1961.

Next month, comparatives for graphic novel sales will expand to the Top 100 titles, as that’s what Diamond began reporting in February 2004.

Look for our annual “all-encompassing” report on comics sales in 2013, including newsstand and bookstore sales, later in the month.