Sales of periodical comics fell 3% in June, declining for the fifth month in a row when compared with the same months in 2007.  But unlike comics, graphic novel sales, bolstered by a superb roster of books, climbed some 25% scoring a significant decline after two months of declines. 

The gain in graphic novel sales was enough to pull the overall comics and graphic novels total for June into positive territory with a 2% gain, but it wasn’t quite enough to rescue second quarter graphic novel sales, which dropped 1% thanks to a 7% decline in April and a 17% drop in May.

Over-all comic and graphic novel sales fell 4% in the first half of 2008.  Periodical comic sales were down 4% for the quarter and 5% for the first half of 2008.  Graphic novel sales were up 1% for the first half. 

While declining sales are never good, considering the current state of the economy and the fact that 2007 was a record year, the performance of the comic market in 2008 so far is not nearly as bad as it might appear at first glance.

Sales of graphic novels in June were very strong, less than one-half of one percent below the total of May 2007, which is the highest ever recorded by ICv2 since we have been tracking comic and graphic novel sales.  May 2007’s total was driven by Y: The Last Man Vol. 9, The Walking Dead Vol.6, five Civil War-related titles, DC’s 52 Vol.1, Archaia Studios’ Mouseguard and Dynamite Entertainment’s The Boys.  Not surprisingly June 2008’s sterling performance was powered by a troika of potent releases including Y: The Last Man Vol. 10, Fables Vol. 10 and The Walking Dead Vol. 8.