Sales of comics and graphic novels through Diamond Comic Distributors dropped substantially in August with periodical comics falling 17% and graphic novels down 21%.  There wasn’t a single comic title even close to the 100,000 in August. 

Scott Pilgrim Vol. 6, which topped the charts in July was the bestselling graphic novel again in August, though its August total, which amounted to just 38% of its July sales, would have put it in fifth place in July, when graphic novels posted 3% gain. 

There’s no disguising the weakness on both sides of the market in August.  Certainly there was equivalent on the periodical side for July’s X-Men #1, which sold over 140,000 copies, but the lack of one big title can’t account for everything.  The substantial 17% drop in sales of periodical comics was the steepest year-over-year monthly decline since a 19% drop in May of 2009.  The 21% fall-off in graphic novel sales was worst since a 29% crash in April of 2010.

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on comic books shipped during August, see "Top 300 Comics Actual--August 2010."

For our estimates of actual orders to Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on graphic novels shipped during August, see "Top 300 Graphic Novels Actual--August 2010."

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on comic books shipped during July, see "Top 300 Comics Actual--July 2010."

For our estimates of actual orders to Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on graphic novels shipped during July, see "Top 300 Graphic Novels Actual--July 2010."

For an overview and analysis of the best-selling comics and graphic novels in July, see "'X-Men' #1 Tops 140K."  For an analysis of the dollar trends in July, see "Comics Slip, Graphic Novels Surge."

For our index to our reports on the top comic and graphic novel preorders for January 2000 through August 2010, see "ICv2's Top 300 Comics and Top 300 GNs Index."