Sales to comic stores continued their recent bullish trend in April, with periodical sales up 12% and graphic novels up 44% over the previous year.  Although the graphic novel number only reflects sales of the Top 100 titles and is a less valuable proxy for the market as a result, the size of the jump in graphic novel sales is significant, with the total dollars of the Top 100 graphic novels the second largest number ever, behind October of last year by a hair. 

Civil War and Civil War: Initiative account for a major percentage of sales of both comic periodicals and graphic novels this month.  By our estimate, Civil War (including Fallen Son) and Civil War: Initiative titles totaled 13% of periodical comic sales in May, and 22% of sales on the Top 100 Graphic Novels. 

For the top 300 comics in April, see 'Top 300 Comics Actual--April 2007.'

For the top 100 graphics novels in April, see 'Top 100 Graphic Novels Actual--April 2007.'

For an overview and analysis of the best-selling comics and graphic novels in April, see ''Fallen Son' Tops Comics in April.'

For the top 300 comics in March, see 'Top 300 Comics Actual--March 2007.'

For the top 100 graphics novels in March, see 'Top 100 Graphic Novels Actual--March 2007.'

For an over-view and analysis of the best-selling comics and graphic novels in March, see 'Death Sells.'  For an analysis of the dollar trends in March, see 'Comics Up 14% in Q1.'

For our index to our reports on the top comic and graphic novel preorders for January 2000 through April 2007, see 'ICv2's Top 300 Comics and Top 100 GNs Index.'