Future of Comic Book Collecting

[the blob]

.

 

I am impressed with Buffy though, it sells like a big marvel or DC title. Who would have thunk it?

I am impressed as well Blob as Buffy is the number one best selling non-DC/MARVEL comicbook

If you look at the current sales figures Buffy outsells Deadpool,FF and Detective Comics month after month but still it has lost sales as well.

Let`s look at some non-Marvel/DC sales figures thanks to icv2.com.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Dark Horse)

10/2007: Buffy the Vampire Slayer #7 - 94,144

10/2010: Buffy the Vampire Slayer #37 - 43,021

The Walking Dead (Image)

10/2005: The Walking Dead #22 - 17,634

10/2010: The Walking Dead #78 - 27,947

Conan the Cimmerian (Dark Horse)

10/2005: Conan #21 - 34,232

10/2010: The Cimmerian #24 - 15,490

 

I am really surprised at how low the sales of the Jim Shooter Valiant/Gold Key books are.

 

Turok Son of Stone (Dark Horse)

10/2010: Turok Son of Stone #1 - 12,607

Magnus Robot Fighter (Dark Horse

10/2010: Magnus Robot Fighter #2 - 11,168

Doctor Solar Man of the Atom (Dark Horse)

Doctor Solar Man of the Atom #3 - 10,115

 

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Buffy - was was still basking in TV glow 3 years ago. How long has it been off the air now? (Although, was 94K a blip? That sounds like a lot.)

 

WD - the series picks up a few new readers every month I suppose

 

Conan - There was more excitement about the Conan series 5 years ago when it was still relatively fresh. I bought it every month, but stopped around then. SPin-offs, etc. started getting to be too much.

 

Not at all surprised about the GK spin-offs. They look nice, but have a high cover price and a lot of people STILL have a bad taste in their mouths about those characters.

[Reno McCoy]

It seems that the arguments in this thread are too focused on how things used to be...comparing numbers through the years when those numbers don't compute moving forward. We're too focused on new issues, super heroes, and the physical comics themselves.

 

More and more people are reading on digital devices, so how does that effect the current numbers? More and more people are waiting for the trades, so how does that effect the current numbers? Perhaps more critical to a discussion about the future of comics, what's more important, the amount of money being spent on comics as a whole each year, or how many copies ASM sells every month?

 

With online retailers, digital devices, and tradepaperback collections, you don't have to stay current anymore. You can catch up later. But people are still finding their comics, including kids, they just aren't buying them new off the shelf the way we used to.

 

Compare all of this to TV. When we were younger, you watched the show as it aired or you missed it. Now, you can DVR is and watch it at your leisure. You can wait for the inevitable DVD release or even watch it online. You can watch new material or old stuff, watch it now or later. People are still watching TV shows, they're just doing it differently.

 

Comics will continue into the future, maybe just not the way we're used to seeing them. Maybe there will be fewer (or no) superheros. Maybe they won't be printed. Who knows. But as long as publishers produce quality stories, people will seek them out.

[oakman29]

It seems that the arguments in this thread are too focused on how things used to be...comparing numbers through the years when those numbers don't compute moving forward. We're too focused on new issues, super heroes, and the physical comics themselves.

 

More and more people are reading on digital devices, so how does that effect the current numbers? More and more people are waiting for the trades, so how does that effect the current numbers? Perhaps more critical to a discussion about the future of comics, what's more important, the amount of money being spent on comics as a whole each year, or how many copies ASM sells every month?

 

With online retailers, digital devices, and tradepaperback collections, you don't have to stay current anymore. You can catch up later. But people are still finding their comics, including kids, they just aren't buying them new off the shelf the way we used to.

 

Compare all of this to TV. When we were younger, you watched the show as it aired or you missed it. Now, you can DVR is and watch it at your leisure. You can wait for the inevitable DVD release or even watch it online. You can watch new material or old stuff, watch it now or later. People are still watching TV shows, they're just doing it differently.

 

Comics will continue into the future, maybe just not the way we're used to seeing them. Maybe there will be fewer (or no) superheros. Maybe they won't be printed. Who knows. But as long as publishers produce quality stories, people will seek them out.

 

Well said.

[rodan57]

.

 

I am impressed with Buffy though, it sells like a big marvel or DC title. Who would have thunk it?

I am impressed as well Blob as Buffy is the number one best selling non-DC/MARVEL comicbook

If you look at the current sales figures Buffy outsells Deadpool,FF and Detective Comics month after month but still it has lost sales as well.

Let`s look at some non-Marvel/DC sales figures thanks to icv2.com.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Dark Horse)

 

10/2007: Buffy the Vampire Slayer #7 - 94,144

 

10/2010: Buffy the Vampire Slayer #37 - 43,021

 

---------

 

Buffy - was was still basking in TV glow 3 years ago. How long has it been off the air now? (Although, was 94K a blip? That sounds like a lot.)

 

 

Buffy went off the air in 2003. Might be worth checking DVD releases.

[VintageComics]

.

 

I am impressed with Buffy though, it sells like a big marvel or DC title. Who would have thunk it?

I am impressed as well Blob as Buffy is the number one best selling non-DC/MARVEL comicbook

If you look at the current sales figures Buffy outsells Deadpool,FF and Detective Comics month after month but still it has lost sales as well.

Let`s look at some non-Marvel/DC sales figures thanks to icv2.com.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Dark Horse)

 

10/2007: Buffy the Vampire Slayer #7 - 94,144

 

10/2010: Buffy the Vampire Slayer #37 - 43,021

 

---------

 

Buffy - was was still basking in TV glow 3 years ago. How long has it been off the air now? (Although, was 94K a blip? That sounds like a lot.)

 

 

Buffy went off the air in 2003. Might be worth checking DVD releases.

 

My local comic shop keeps their Buffy comics right at the front of the store. I'm guessing they are still hot...

[Prince Namor]

It seems that the arguments in this thread are too focused on how things used to be...comparing numbers through the years when those numbers don't compute moving forward. We're too focused on new issues, super heroes, and the physical comics themselves.

 

More and more people are reading on digital devices, so how does that effect the current numbers? More and more people are waiting for the trades, so how does that effect the current numbers? Perhaps more critical to a discussion about the future of comics, what's more important, the amount of money being spent on comics as a whole each year, or how many copies ASM sells every month?

 

With online retailers, digital devices, and tradepaperback collections, you don't have to stay current anymore. You can catch up later. But people are still finding their comics, including kids, they just aren't buying them new off the shelf the way we used to.

 

Compare all of this to TV. When we were younger, you watched the show as it aired or you missed it. Now, you can DVR is and watch it at your leisure. You can wait for the inevitable DVD release or even watch it online. You can watch new material or old stuff, watch it now or later. People are still watching TV shows, they're just doing it differently.

 

Comics will continue into the future, maybe just not the way we're used to seeing them. Maybe there will be fewer (or no) superheros. Maybe they won't be printed. Who knows. But as long as publishers produce quality stories, people will seek them out.

 

That's what I said a page back:

It seems to me, this idea of making comics WILL continue, be it in downloads or tpb's or whatever, but the market is adjusting itself to how it's going to work.

[the blob]

Buffy - was was still basking in TV glow 3 years ago. How long has it been off the air now? (Although, was 94K a blip? That sounds like a lot.)

____________

Buffy went off the air in 2003. Might be worth checking DVD releases.

_________________

 

But BUffy was done heavily in re-runs for a while. I don't see it so much anymore. I have to assume the show has SOMETHING to do with the comic selling a lot back then, but it has held up pretty well all things considered.