Sales of comics and graphic novels skidded 16% in October 2004 vs. the previous year period.  Comics were down 20% while graphic novels were up 12%.  The tough comparisons ranged from the top to the bottom of the list.  At the top, October 2003 included JLA/Avengers #2 and Amazing Spider-Man #500, both up-priced titles that sold a lot of copies.  And at the bottom, the 300th title in October 2003 sold over three times as many copies as the 300th title in October 2004. 

We looked at comparisons by publisher to get a better feel for the changes.  Both Marvel and DC were down by double digits, with Marvel down 11% and DC down 14%.  Image was down 65%, and CrossGen, which accounted for 3.4% market share in 2003, was gone in 2004.  Publishers with an emphasis on manga were up by a lot in October 2004, bucking the trend.  Dark Horse, for example, was up 20%; and Tokyopop was up 65%.

But even dramatic changes like this are not definitive for a period as short as one month.  A relatively small number of titles and changes in reporting periods can have a big impact on a period this short.  Once we have a look at all of the months in Q4 2004, we'll have a better idea as to whether this is a trend or an aberration.