{"id":4452,"date":"2016-05-16T16:31:00","date_gmt":"2016-05-16T16:31:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-07-31T19:02:08","modified_gmt":"2020-08-01T00:02:08","slug":"black-panther-1-years-bestseller-at","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/2016\/05\/16\/black-panther-1-years-bestseller-at\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Panther #1 year’s bestseller at 253k copies; major publishers offer 12% fewer comics in 2016"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

There have been many Black Panther<\/b><\/i> series over the
\nyears from Marvel, but the title has never been one to appear near the
\ntop of the sales charts. In April, the new series from Ta-Nahisi Coates<\/b> and Brian Stelfreeze<\/b> not only was the comic book most ordered by comics shops in North America, but with sales of more than 253,000 copies, Black Panther<\/i> #1<\/b><\/a> is easily the best-selling issue of the year thus far. Click to see the sales estimates for comics ordered in April 2016<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n

As we mentioned here on Friday, the overall sales reported by Diamond Comic Distributors<\/b><\/a>
\nreflect a considerable drop, not all of which can be attributed to the
\nfact that last April was the highest volume month of the year \u2014 and had
\none more week to boot. One of the elements playing a role, as noted
\nthere, is the fact that the pace of new comic book releases has slowed
\nin 2016.<\/p>\n

We can see this looking at the first four months of each year, which include an equivalent number of shipping weeks (17):<\/p>\n

NEW COMIC BOOKS RELEASED<\/b>
\nJanuary through April 2015: 1,907<\/b>
\nJanuary through April 2016: 1,843<\/b><\/p>\n

That’s
\na drop of a little more than 3%, which doesn’t sound that significant.
\nYet the fact is that the cutbacks have disproportionately come from the
\npublishers whose titles sell better. Here’s what it looks like if you
\njust look at the Top Seven Publishers (Marvel, DC, Image, IDW, Dark
\nHorse, Boom, and Dynamite):<\/p>\n

NEW COMIC BOOKS RELEASED (Top 7 publishers)<\/b>
\nJanuary through April 2015: 1,500<\/b>
\nJanuary through April 2016: 1,317<\/b><\/p>\n

That’s
\na much larger drop, of more than 12%. The number of new releases from
\nDiamond from non-Top 7 publishers is up 29% \u2014 but since those publishers
\ntitles sell far less on average, they don’t come close to making up the
\ndifference.<\/p>\n

Digging down, we actually see that the slowdown in new comics releases is greater with some publishers than others\u00a0
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

CHANGE in number of NEW COMICS RELEASED
\nin January-April 2016 by publisher:<\/b><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n2015<\/b><\/td>\n2016<\/b><\/td>\nChange<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Marvel<\/td>\n325<\/td>\n340<\/td>\n+5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DC<\/td>\n353<\/td>\n312<\/td>\n-12%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Image<\/td>\n248<\/td>\n221<\/td>\n-11%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
IDW<\/td>\n186<\/td>\n171<\/td>\n-8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dark Horse<\/td>\n114<\/td>\n111<\/td>\n-3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dynamite<\/td>\n128<\/td>\n67<\/td>\n-48%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Boom<\/td>\n146<\/td>\n95<\/td>\n-35%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Other<\/td>\n407<\/td>\n526<\/td>\n+29%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TOTAL<\/b><\/td>\n1907<\/b><\/td>\n1843<\/b><\/td>\n-3%<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/div>\n

While Marvel actually published about an additional comic book a week, Dynamite<\/b> cut its new comics offerings nearly in half, and Boom<\/b>
\nreduced its release pace by more than a third. Every other publisher in
\nthe top seven also cut back, but by smaller numbers. Remember, this is
\nan exactly equivalent time period: seventeen weeks.<\/p>\n

We
\nsee in looking at graphic novels, however, that several of those
\npublishers have in fact redirected attention towards graphic novels this
\nyear.<\/p>\n

CHANGE in number of NEW GRAPHIC NOVELS RELEASED
\nin January-April 2016 by publisher:<\/b><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\n2015<\/b><\/td>\n2016<\/b><\/td>\nChange<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Marvel<\/td>\n131<\/td>\n148<\/td>\n+13%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DC<\/td>\n99<\/td>\n120<\/td>\n+21%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Image<\/td>\n64<\/td>\n60<\/td>\n-6%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
IDW<\/td>\n83<\/td>\n90<\/td>\n+8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dark Horse<\/td>\n74<\/td>\n63<\/td>\n-15%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dynamite<\/td>\n22<\/td>\n19<\/td>\n-14%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Boom<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n44<\/td>\n+69%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Other<\/td>\n562<\/td>\n675<\/td>\n+20%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TOTAL<\/b><\/td>\n1061<\/b><\/td>\n1219<\/b><\/td>\n+15%<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/div>\n

That’s
\nright: the number of new graphic novel releases is up 15% overall
\nyear-to-date, and Boom has increased its number of releases by 69%. [Update<\/b>: I was aware that the Boom shift had been announced sometime late last year \u2014 and have finally located the link<\/b><\/a>. Clearly that plan has gone forward.] <\/i>DC,
\nMarvel, and the collected publishers under seventh place are up double
\ndigits. And that would seem to track with the story of the year, so far:
\ncomic book dollars are down nearly 8%, while graphic novel dollars are
\nup close to 5%.<\/p>\n

The problem is simply that since
\nretailers spend two of every three dollars on comic books, a slowdown in
\nthat category erases a percentage increase of twice the size on the
\ngraphic novel side. And since it was the larger publishers that were
\nreleasing more comics last year, the absence of those issues has an
\noutsized effect.
\n
\n<\/b>
\nSo supply appears to be a factor; regression analysis might find out how
\nmuch (a project for another day). It should be noted that smaller
\nrelease slates aren’t necessarily a bad thing, if the result is that the
\npublishers and retailers are earning more profit per title; figuring
\nout how much the comics market will absorb is the name of the game. It
\ndoes appear that in 2016, at least thus far, the six publishers after
\nMarvel in the charts have been a little more (and in some cases, a lot
\nmore) conservative in their periodical releases.<\/p>\n

This
\nmonth’s 300th place title sold 4,309 copies, which is the highest figure
\nseen so far this year in that slot; that seems to suggest that the
\nvolumes on that smaller number of titles are hanging in there, at least
\nthis month. Click to see the sales of 300th-place titles across time<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The aggregate changes are as follows:<\/p>\n

TOP 300 COMICS UNIT SALES<\/b><\/span>
\nApril 2016<\/a>: <\/b>6.69 million copies
\nVersus 1 year ago this month<\/b><\/a>: -20%
\nVersus 5 years ago this month<\/b><\/a>: +25%
\nVersus 10 years ago this month<\/b><\/a>: +7%
\nVersus 15 years ago this month<\/b><\/a>: +39%
\nYEAR TO DATE: 25.14 million copies, -14% vs. 2015, +21% vs. 2011, +1% vs. 2006, +26% vs. 2001
\nALL COMICS UNIT SALES<\/b>
\nApril 2016 versus one year ago this month: -22.28%<\/b>
\nYEAR TO DATE: -13.05%<\/b><\/p>\n

TOP 300 COMICS DOLLAR SALES<\/b><\/div>\n

April 2016: $27.57 million
\nVersus 1 year ago this month: -18%
\nVersus 5 years ago this month: +45%
\nVersus 10 years ago this month: +41%
\nVersus 15 years ago this month: +111%
\nYEAR TO DATE: $100.37 million, -11% vs. 2015, +38% vs. 2011, +32% vs. 2006, +84% vs. 2001
\nALL COMICS DOLLAR SALES<\/b>
\nApril 2016 versus one year ago this month: -18.05%<\/b>
\nYEAR TO DATE: -7.84% <\/b><\/p>\n

TOP 300 TRADE PAPERBACK DOLLAR SALES<\/b><\/div>\n

April 2016: $8.2 million
\nVersus 1 year ago this month: -9%
\nVersus 5 years ago this month: +54%
\nVersus 10 years ago this month, just the Top 100 vs. the Top 100: +37%
\nVersus 15 years ago this month, just the Top 25 vs. the Top 25: +34%
\nYEAR TO DATE: $32.69 million, +17% vs. 2015
\nALL TRADE PAPERBACK SALES<\/b>
\nApril 2016 versus one year ago this month: -11.99%<\/b>
\nYEAR TO DATE: +4.87%<\/b><\/p>\n

TOP 300 COMICS + TOP 300 TRADE PAPERBACK DOLLAR SALES<\/b><\/div>\n

April 2016: $35.77 million
\nVersus 1 year ago this month: -16%
\nVersus 5 years ago this month: +33%
\nVersus 10 years ago this month, counting just the Top 100 TPBs: +20%
\nVersus 15 years ago this month, counting just the Top 25 TPBs: +111%
\nYEAR TO DATE: $132.44 million, -6% vs. 2015
\nALL COMICS AND TRADE PAPERBACK SALES<\/b>
\nApril 2016 versus one year ago this month: -16.19%<\/b>
\nYEAR TO DATE: -4.06%<\/b><\/p>\n

OVERALL DIAMOND SALES (including all comics, trades, and magazines)<\/b><\/div>\n

April 2016: approximately $47.54 million (subject to revision)
\nVersus 1 year ago this month: -16%
\nVersus 5 years ago this month: +52%
\nVersus 10 years ago this month: +57%
\nYEAR TO DATE: $177.17 million, -4 vs. 2015<\/b><\/p>\n

RELEASES<\/b><\/span>
\nNew comic books released: 420<\/b>
\nNew graphic novels released: 304<\/b>
\nNew magazines released: 30<\/b>
\nAll new releases: 754<\/b><\/p>\n

As noted, the average comic book in the Top 300 cost $3.93; the average comic book
\nretailers ordered cost $4.12. The median and most common price for comics offered was $3.99. Click to see comics prices across time.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There have been many Black Panther series over the years from Marvel, but the title has never been one to appear near the top of the sales charts. In April, the new series from Ta-Nahisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze not only was the comic book most ordered by comics shops in North America, but with … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4453,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[54,17,67],"class_list":["post-4452","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-2016-sales","tag-diamond-monthly-reports","tag-release-slates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4452","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4452"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4452\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6371,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4452\/revisions\/6371"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4452"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4452"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4452"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}