Wonder Woman Sales Figures - Now to 1942

[aegisbearer]

Thanks - should have a new sales figure to add tomorrow.

There's now an archive for this thread's info: http://cbrwwarchive.wordpress.com/

If you feel there's more info here that needs to be saved, please let me know.

Aegis

[AndyMangels]

Does this mean that anything new added here goes there as well?

--------------

December 2009 Sales Figures

8 - Blackest Night: Wonder Woman #1 -- $2.99 -- 70,758

80 - Wonder Woman #39 -- $2.99 -- 26,152

19 - Showcase Presents Wonder Woman TP #3 -- $17.99 -- 1,965

Some figures and percentages from the Diamond charts, for comparison purposes:

12/2009: Wonder Woman #39 -- 26,152
12/2008: Wonder Woman #27 -- 32,322
12/2007: Wonder Woman #15 -- 44,628
12/2006: --
12/2005: Wonder Woman #224 -- 47,224
12/2004: Wonder Woman #211 -- 24,828

-------------------------------------
12/2008: Wonder Woman #27 -- 32,322 (- 2.9%)
01/2009: Wonder Woman #28 -- 32,622 (+ 0.9%)
02/2009: Wonder Woman #29 -- 33,237 (+ 1.9%)
03/2009: Wonder Woman #30 -- 33,365 (+ 0.4%)
04/2009: Wonder Woman #31 -- 31,857 (- 4.5%)
05/2009: Wonder Woman #32 -- 33,065 (+ 3.8%)
06/2009: Wonder Woman #33 -- 32,755 (- 0.9%)
07/2009: Wonder Woman #34 -- 30,131 (- 8.0%)
08/2009: Wonder Woman #35 -- 29,657 (- 1.6%)
09/2009: Wonder Woman #36 -- 28,806 (- 2.9%)
10/2009: Wonder Woman #37 -- 26,972 (- 6.4%)
11/2009: Wonder Woman #38 -- 26,265 (- 2.6%)
12/2009: Wonder Woman #39 -- 26,152 (- 0.4%)
----------------
6 months: -20.2%
1 year : -19.1%
2 years : -41.4%
5 years : + 5.3%

percentages by Marc-Oliver Frisch from here

Diamond/ICVs lists are here

[aegisbearer]

It's there now. :)

[AndyMangels]

A note regarding the sales reporting:

Because Diamond Distributing has a virtual monopoly on the comic book market, its sales can be trusted pretty implicitly for comic stores, in the US, Canada, and the UK (i.e. English language publication).

However, Amazon orders direct from DC and is a HUGE factor in TPB sales. In some other discussion I read recently, an author was talking about their TPB sales being higher during the holiday season on Amazon than the entire Diamond order.

What about bookstore and library sales? Well, many bookstores do order their TPBs from Diamond, but others get them from Bookazine or other sources. I believe that libraries have their own distributors they buy from, and they probably are not Diamond.

So while TPB sales may be pitifully low at Diamond, they are potentially significantly higher than that at Amazon, and further enriched by Bookazine and other book distributors, and by library ordering. So, TPB sales are likely MUCH higher than are reported in sales charts. I'd say definitely double, and perhaps triple.

HOWEVER, this does NOT affect sales for the monthly comics (pamphlets, floppies, whatever name you use). With only a tiny fraction of comics still on the newsstands at bookstores (which they most likely get from Diamond), the Diamond sales charts and orders are probably 90-95% accurate.

To sum up:
* Diamond comic sales are accurate depictions of the market.
* Diamond TPB sales are not accurate depictions of the market, as the sales are further enhanced by bookstore and library distribution outside of Diamond.

[AndyMangels]

January 2010 Sales Reports are in, courtesy of ICv2:

15 BLACKEST NIGHT WONDER WOMAN #2 $2.99 61,372
78 WONDER WOMAN #40 $2.99 25,156

No TPBs or HCs were solicited this month.

[AndyMangels]

Looking closer at the January sales courtesy The Beat. All material below is quoted from writer Marc-Oliver Frisch. And I confess that I don't clearly understand the percentage points and how the shown drops relate to previous years. Math is hard!:

15 - BLACKEST NIGHT: WONDER WOMAN
12/2009: BN: Wonder Woman #1 of 3 -- 70,758
01/2010: BN: Wonder Woman #2 of 3 -- 61,372 (-13.3%)

16 - BLACKEST NIGHT: JSA
12/2009: BN: JSA #1 of 3 -- 68,721
01/2010: BN: JSA #2 of 3 -- 58,751 (-14.5%)

"These are the lowest sales for any of the Blackest Night spin-off minis, to date, including Blackest Night: Titans. But of course, it’s still a gigantic boost compared to the sales of the regular Wonder Woman and Justice Society books.

There were 1-for-25 variant editions for both."

78 - WONDER WOMAN
01/2005: Wonder Woman #212 -- 25,610
01/2006: Wonder Woman #225 -- 42,661
01/2007: --
01/2008: Wonder Woman #16 -- 42,897
-------------------------------------
01/2009: Wonder Woman #28 -- 32,622 (+ 0.9%)
02/2009: Wonder Woman #29 -- 33,237 (+ 1.9%)
03/2009: Wonder Woman #30 -- 33,365 (+ 0.4%)
04/2009: Wonder Woman #31 -- 31,857 (- 4.5%)
05/2009: Wonder Woman #32 -- 33,065 (+ 3.8%)
06/2009: Wonder Woman #33 -- 32,755 (- 0.9%)
07/2009: Wonder Woman #34 -- 30,131 (- 8.0%)
08/2009: Wonder Woman #35 -- 29,657 (- 1.6%)
09/2009: Wonder Woman #36 -- 28,806 (- 2.9%)
10/2009: Wonder Woman #37 -- 26,972 (- 6.4%)
11/2009: Wonder Woman #38 -- 26,265 (- 2.6%)
12/2009: Wonder Woman #39 -- 26,152 (- 0.4%)
01/2010: Wonder Woman #40 -- 25,156 (- 3.8%)
----------------
6 months: -16.5%
1 year : -22.9%
2 years : -41.4%
5 years : - 1.8%

"The drops have been rather erratic lately, but Wonder Woman keeps slipping too fast for comfort, overall."

[marvelboy74]

Thanks for posting. I was curious to find out if the main title picked up any because of BN:WW but it appears it has not.

[Gail Simone]

I dearly wish we had tied in directly to Blackest Night. It's a great story and Greg still could have written it.

It's unfortunate.

[thwhtGuardian]

I dearly wish we had tied in directly to Blackest Night. It's a great story and Greg still could have written it.

It's unfortunate.

It would certainly be cool if the main title were more closely tied into the event...but then we wouldn't have goten to see the crows! Despite the fact that they creep me out immensely, I think they're some of the coolest villains I've seem in a long time. I'd hate to have had sacrificed their story or others before them simply to shoehorn the title into Blackest Night.

[AndyMangels]

Preliminary February 2010 Sales Reports are in, courtesy of Newsarama:

17 BLACKEST NIGHT WONDER WOMAN #3 $2.99
71 WONDER WOMAN #41 $2.99

Sales numbers aren't advertised yet.

No TPBs or HCs were solicited this month.

[AaronJ]

Preliminary February 2010 Sales Reports are in, courtesy of Newsarama:

17 BLACKEST NIGHT WONDER WOMAN #3 $2.99
71 WONDER WOMAN #41 $2.99

Sales numbers aren't advertised yet.

No TPBs or HCs were solicited this month.

The numbers are up at ICv2:

17 BLACKEST NIGHT WONDER WOMAN #3 $2.99 58,700
71 WONDER WOMAN #50 $2.99 25,354


Interestingly, WW is in the "Female Ghetto" where 70-72 are all female-led titles: Spider-Woman, Wonder Woman, and Ms. Marvel. Batgirl seems to be the best-selling female-led title, at #62, with 29,524 orders. Well, other than Buffy, of course. But Buffy started with a built-in advantage of millions of devoted fans.

[lariatofhestia]

Hmm BN WW from over 70,758 to 58 700...that's a largest drop for just 3 issues. WW seems to have had a bit of an increase.

[americanwonder]

Interestingly, WW is in the "Female Ghetto" where 70-72 are all female-led titles: Spider-Woman, Wonder Woman, and Ms. Marvel.

Ha - "Female Ghetto." Yeah, those girly comics seem to always be in the 25-35K range for some reason (must be the cooties).

Batgirl seems to be the best-selling female-led title, at #62, with 29,524 orders.

Psst - I know you don't like her as much these days, but you missed Supergirl #50 at #48 with 33,338 orders.

Hmm BN WW from over 70,758 to 58 700...that's a largest drop for just 3 issues.

Pretty comparable with the other minis in this group:

BN Flash: 80,300 - 69,300 - 65,300
BN WW: 70,800 - 61,300 - 58,700
BN JSA: 68,700 - 58,800 - 54,900

WW seems to have had a bit of an increase.

Might be due it part to the PG guest appearance.

[AndyMangels]

The numbers are up at ICv2:

17 BLACKEST NIGHT WONDER WOMAN #3 $2.99 58,700
71 WONDER WOMAN #41 $2.99 25,354

Had not navigated there yet this morning. Thanks for the update. I date change your #50 to #41 for this quote though! ;>

BTW, as seen in the amended 1942-present sales chart in posting #2, this is the first time in a while (since #32) that a non-"creative team switch" issue has had an upswing in sales! Sure it's only a bit, but it's an upswing!

[AaronJ]

Psst - I know you don't like her as much these days, but you missed Supergirl #50 at #48 with 33,338 orders.

Yeesh! And I even bought that issue!

Had not navigated there yet this morning. Thanks for the update. I date change your #50 to #41 for this quote though! ;>

I don't know why I wrote that! Heh.

BTW, as seen in the amended 1942-present sales chart in posting #2, this is the first time in a while (since #32) that a non-"creative team switch" issue has had an upswing in sales! Sure it's only a bit, but it's an upswing!

Yeah. That's interesting. I think, as AmericanWonder suggested, it might have had something to do with PG's appearance.

Then again, her book doesn't sell. So I don't know.