Thanksgiving Week Graphic Novel Sales Drop 14.7%

Bookstores and other retailers tracked by Nielsen’s BookScan service sold 14.7% fewer graphic novels in Thanksgiving week 2008 as compared to Thanksgiving week in 2007. Unit sales tracked by the service for the week ending November 30, 2008 were around 244,000, as compared to sales of 286,000 for the week ending November 25, 2007, according to information provided to ICv2 by Nielsen.

The drop in graphic novel sales compares to an increase of 6.0% for books over-all from BookScan (as reported by Publishers Weekly). That increase was in the midst of steep declines in book sales in the weeks running up to Thanksgiving week, so wasn’t a sign of health as much as a sign that eventually consumers will have to do some holiday shopping.

A couple of caveats on these graphic novel numbers. First, pieces aren’t dollars. As the top of the graphic novel bestseller list has become more accommodating to non-manga titles recently, the mix has moved toward higher cover prices, which may mean an increase in the average cover price that could help offset some declines in piece sales. Second, there’s an increasing amount of graphic novel activity off the graphic novel charts, as publishers seek to group their kids or young adult titles in those departments, rather than in the graphic novel department. Third, the comic store market appears to be behaving differently from the bookstores. And last, one week does not a season make.

But despite those caveats, there have definitely been some declines in graphic novel sales in bookstores this fall as the economic crisis has taken hold, and these numbers from the kickoff of the holiday shopping season confirm it.

We asked a number of industry figures to give their comments on these numbers and the over-all trends. Kuo-Yu Liang, VP Sales and Marketing at Diamond Book Distributors, shared his view, which includes a number of key publishers (see “DBD’s Liang on Holiday Graphic Novel Sales”), with more to come tomorrow. Del Rey declined comment.

Source: icv2.com

Manga, Graphic Novels To Get Hugo Award Category

Manga and other forms of graphic novels will have their own category in the Hugo Awards, the most prestigious honors voted on by science-fiction and fantasy readers, for the first time next year. At the Denvention 3 event in Colorado earlier this month, the World Science Fiction Society (WSFS) moved to add a Best Graphic Story category in the Hugo Awards at its annual business meeting. The category cannot be permanently added to the awards until 2010 at the earliest, since the move must be officially ratified at the next year’s convention. Read more

Review: Irredeemable Ant-Man, Small Minded Digest

Moe Zilla over at Helium has an interesting take on the Ant-Man graphic novel by Robert Kirkman…

There was one graphic novel in 2007 with a special fascination. “Irredeemable Ant-Man Volume 2: Small-Minded Digest” collected the last six issues of the Marvel comic book. The book’s ill-fated publishing history ultimately affected its plot, both in good ways and bad.

The last six issues continued the original story from Volume 1. The new Ant-Man was Eric O’Grady, who was young, irresponsible, and able to shrink himself to the size of an ant. In an exciting premise, he’s a fugitive from the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents (from whom he stole the suit). Living on the run – and trying to hustle dates – he audaciously finds work by posing as an entirely different superhero, named “Slaying Mantis.” There’s a final reckoning at the end, but it only proves what an effective anti-hero Eric was. There’s a real question as to whether he’ll do the right thing – and since he’s been such a consistent jerk, it’s a much more interesting dilemma.

But the comic book’s low sales also led the plot into several unexpected gimmicks. The first story in this collection finds Ant-Man sneaking into Ms. Marvel’s headquarters, and stumbling into the middle of a fight with the Avengers. (“The world’s most shameless tie-in” the cover art promised.) The next issue’s cover tried an even more desperate gimmick, using an especially sexy cover that showed Ant-Man peeping on a woman in a shower. Two issues later came the tie-in issue with Marvel’s popular “World War Hulk” series. (Ant-Man fights the Incredible Hulk by diving down his throat.) These gimmicks worked with the ongoing story arc about Eric’s gradual transformation. “It’s time to play hero!” he says at one point. “For a little while at least. Then it’s time to play looter…”

There’s a rush in the final issues to tie up hanging storylines – but some new characters had also been introduced to complement Eric’s new life. He encounters a rival looter named the Grey Fox, an aging jewel thief who later bonds with Eric over games on the Wii. Eric also gets into a healthy romantic relationship with a superpowered co-worker named the Visioneer. (“I can read your emotions, you jackass. I know you’re in love with me…”) Even characters from the early stories reveal new facets to their personalities – for example, agent Mitch Carson, who’s pursuit of the fugitive left him disfigured and vengeful. And the final issue re-visits Eric’s rejected girlfriend from the earliest issues. Through these encounters, Eric comes to a surprising decision about what he has to do.

The answer finally arrived in “Avengers: Initiative” (issue 8). But for those who want to see how the irresponsible superhero got there, his early adventures wait in “Irredeemable Ant-Man Volume 2: Small-Minded Digest.”

Source: Helium

Disney Studios Launches Graphic Novel Program