May 2013 comics estimates: Dollar orders nearly double what they were 10 years ago

There may not have been as many blockbuster titles selling into the six figures in the month of May — just two, versus five last year — but the Direct Market still managed to eke out a slight increase against what was a very hard comparative to beat. Click to see the estimated comics sales for May 2013.

X-Men #1, the top seller at nearly 178,000 copies, is the second title by that nomenclature in just three years, readers will recall; this year’s version outsold the 2010 version by more than 30,000 copies. (Though it still lagged behind the 1963 version — which likely sold more than 200,000 copies — and, of course, the 1991 version, which at 8 million copies ordered was the best-selling comic book in history. Or, at least, the most-ordered one!)

An Adventure Time original graphic novel led the collected edition charts. In a change from what was the case for much of last year,
graphic novel sales beneath 300th place performed significantly better
than the top of the list; the Top 300 were off 5%, but the entire graphic novel category was up 1% overall.

As noted on Friday, a greater variety of publishers than usual appears to have contributed to sales this month. There were also some new publishers in the Top 300 comics list for the first time in a while: Black Mask and Storm King.

It’s worth noting that this month’s $45.12 million in comics and graphic novel orders represents an increase of 90% over the $23.7 million ordered for the same month in 2003. I think we can all reasonably agree that inflation has not doubled over the course of ten years, so there has definitely been substantial growth in the market.

The aggregate sales:

May 2013: 6.97 million copies
Versus 1 year ago this month: -5%
Versus 5 years ago this month: -1%
Versus 10 years ago this month: +22%
Versus 15 years ago this month: unchanged
YEAR TO DATE: 34.69 million copies, +11% vs. 2012, +6% vs. 2008, +21% vs. 2003, unchanged vs. 1998

ALL COMICS UNIT SALES
May 2013 versus one year ago this month: -2.62%
YEAR TO DATE: +12.25%

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May 2013: $25.4 million
Versus 1 year ago this month: -1%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +10%
Versus 10 years ago this month: +61%
Versus 15 years ago this month: +50%
YEAR TO DATE: $124.88 million, +15% vs. 2012, +20% vs. 2008, +56% vs. 2003, +48% vs. 1998

ALL COMICS DOLLAR SALES
May 2013 versus one year ago this month: +0.97%
YEAR TO DATE: +15.04%

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May 2013: $7.83 million
Versus 1 year ago this month: -5%
Versus 5 years ago this month, just the Top 100 vs. the Top 100: -11%
Versus 10 years ago this month, just the Top 50 vs. the Top 50: +14%
YEAR TO DATE: $39.38 million, +19% vs. 2012

ALL TRADE PAPERBACK  SALES
May 2013 versus one year ago this month: +1%
YEAR TO DATE: +12.01%

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May 2013: $33.24 million
Versus 1 year ago this month: -2%
Versus 5 years ago this month, counting just the Top 100 TPBs: +6%
Versus 10 years ago this month, counting just the Top 25 TPBs: +40%
YEAR TO DATE: $169.26 million, +16% vs. 2012

ALL COMICS AND TRADE PAPERBACK  SALES
May 2013 versus one year ago this month: +0.98%
YEAR TO DATE: +14.07%

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May 2013: approximately $45.12 million (subject to revision)
Versus 1 year ago this month: +1%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +23%
Versus 10 years ago this month: +90%
YEAR TO DATE: $208.17 million, +14% vs. 2012

The average comic book in the Top 300 cost $3.59; the average comic book
retailers ordered cost $3.64. The median and most common price for comics offered was $3.99. Click to see comics prices across time.

You can see what was selling in comparative months of the past in our May Flashbacks column,
which is now online. May was the 25th anniversary of the publication of V for Vendetta #1 by DC, among other notables.

We’re in a slower stretch for Comichron posts as I’ve been busy with my own fiction projects (Overdraft: The Orion Offensive and Star Wars: Kenobi, which ships Aug. 27), but I have some interesting research that should be coming along later in the summer. Stay tuned!