The comic book industry is dying. No one wants to admit it. Very few people are talking about. But the reality is this: compared to the booming sales of the 90s, no-one gives a flying fuck about comics anymore. Sure, the
characters themselves are popular more popular than ever, in fact - but the record breaking box-office success of movies like
The Dark Knight and
The Avengers doesnt impact individual comic books sales. There is no trickle down economics at work here. Sure, the odd person might leave the cinema and seek out a comic book shop, but it isnt enough to make a sizeable dent in sales figures, and if the industry collapses, or even just shrinks any more than it already has, then comic diversity in general is at risk. The biggest star characters will be prioritised anymore than they already are, and the number of alternative books will shrink even more than it already has. Now bear with me, while I talk numbers Based on Diamonds sales figures from the last year, which obviously saw a huge boost thanks DCs The New 52 initiative, a number one selling comic sells anywhere between 100,000 and 200,000 (which, lets be honest, is still pretty bad compared to the mediums past glory) while an average selling comic might only shift between 10-15,000. The problem is simple: the market isnt attracting new readers. Its stuck at a certain size, and that size isnt increasing by a significant amount. The New 52 was an attempt to attract new readers, but considering the fact that the majority of marketing was in comic book shops, comic book sites and comic books themselves, I think you can guess how successful that manoeuvre was. However, it only take a glance at the trade paperback chart (or, if you insist on being classed as sophisticated, graphic novel chart) to see that this is a very different market. People are actually buying these!
The Walking Dead, in part to the success of the brilliant AMC show, has continued to shift truly phenomenal numbers. Similarly, sales of the
Watchmen graphic novel saw an incredible bump after the trailer for the movie debuted and, seeming as every single comic-book reader alive already owns the book, that leads us to one simple conclusion: the graphic book market is not only much larger, but its attracting a significant amount of new readers. Its no surprise really as, in both the UK and the US, getting hold of comics is an absolute chore unless you live in a major city, whereas graphic novels are available in all good bookstores, or, thanks to sites like Amazon and Play, using the simple click of a mouse. So what does all this add up to? Well, with all this in mind, its easy to see that
Before Watchmen isnt aimed at the hardcore audience that small, core group of fans that flock to their local comic book shop every Wednesday. Sure, the books are being released as floppy singles first, but dont let that fool you. Come January, when all thirty-five books have been released, therell be a series of expensive hardcovers, followed by a slightly less expensive trade paperback, and it will be proudly displayed in the window of every Waterstones, Foyles and W.H.Smiths in the country, as well as featured on the main page of Amazon, Play and every other online retailer going. Because DCs endgame is simple theyre going after Johnny Casual, the reader that will happily buy graphic novels but doesnt see the worth in single issues. The reader who, whether for reasons of practicality or otherwise, doesnt set foot in a comic book shop on a regular basis, if ever. Click "next" below to read our final part...