Although many retailers don't realize it, there is an American comic book series with a circulation of 1.6 million copies per issue.  It's easy to understand why retailers aren't familiar with this comic -- they can't sell it.  DC Comics produces the Bionicle comic book series for the toy company Lego, which distributes the comics to the members of the Bionicle fan club around the world (see 'Bionicles: Lego's Integrated Attempt to Creating a Toy Boom').  But retailers can carry a number of Bionicles items including the toys themselves, animated Bionicle DVDs, Bionicle novels, and the Bionicle graphic novels, which collect the comic issues.

The second direct-to-DVD animated Bionicle adventure, Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui, ships to retail on October 19.  In addition, Scholastic Books has published a series of Bionicle novels targeted at readers from 8-12.  Six Bionicle novels are planned for this year and five more for 2005.  Finally a 200-page full color graphic novel (cover price $12.95) collecting the Bionicle comic book series should also be available in 2005.