Internal Correspondence #70 is a flip book that covers graphic novels, manga, movies, DVDs, and TV on one side and the hobby game market on the other.  The graphic novel side includes a market report “Requiem for a Tough Year” that recaps the market trends in a down year and takes a quick glance at some of the challenges the future will pose.

The new issue also includes the results of ICv2’s latest survey of manga publishers, which indicates that manga publishers are planning to publish 13% few volumes of manga than they released in 2009.  It appears likely (see chart) that the number of volumes of manga released in 2010 will be under 1,000 for the first time since 2004. While most manga publishers told ICv2 that they plan to publish about the same or slightly fewer volumes (Yen Press, which continues to expand its list, is the major exception), a number of publishers such as Aurora, Go Comi, and Dr. Master have either pulled out or drastically curtailed their publishing efforts.

Even with DC Comics’ Watchmen setting all sorts of sales records in both the direct and bookstore markets in 2009, graphic novel sales declined in both markets.  With Watchmen sales understandably sliding back toward pre-movie levels in 2010, ICv2 asks the question “will the Twilight Graphic Novel (that was released this week) be able to replace those Watchmen sales?”

In its “Best in Shows” feature ICv2 looks at the 2010 movies that have the potential to influence graphic novel and merchandise sales including Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Kick Ass,  Iron Man 2, The Losers, The A-Team, Jonah Hex, Toy Story 3, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Predators, Priest, Scott Pilgrim, Red, and The Green Hornet to name just the most prominent.

The new Internal Correspondence also includes lists of the top graphic novel properties in a number of categories for the full year 2009:
"Top 10 Genre Properties--2009"
"Top 10 Fiction & Reality GN Properties--2009"
"Top 10 Superhero Properties--2009"
"Top 5 Comic Strip Properties--2009"
"Top 10 Kids & Tweens GN Properties--2009"
"Top 10 Shojo Properties--2009"
"Top 10 Shonen Properties--2009"
"Top 25 Manga Properties--2009"

This issue also includes “Pick Hits to Click” in all our graphic novel and manga categories as well as a full complement of reviews.

For information on how to get Internal Correspondence #70, see "ICv2 Releases Internal Correspondence."