Posted in: Boom, Comics, Comics Publishers, Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, IDW, Image, Marvel Comics, Oni Press, Titan | Tagged: bestseller list, comic shop

Marvel, DC And Image Comics All Want A Comic Store Sales Chart

Marvel Comics, DC and Image Comics, have let it be known that they would like a comic store sales chart. But no one trusts anyone enough.

Last week, Bleeding Cool ran an article looking at the current industry desire for a proper comic store sales chart in the way that Diamond Comic Distributors used to be able to provide before the monopoly fell and comic book publishers went their separate ways. I understand it was passed around a number of private Facebook groups, publisher Slack channels and, according to IP traffic reports, staff at Diamond, Lunar, Penguin Random House, Hollywood Reporter, Variety and Entertainment Weekly. So discussion is in the air.

Especially since, I have been reliably informed that the three biggest direct market publishers, Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Image Comics, have let it be known that they would like those numbers out there for the many reasons given. But Marvel and DC especially won't share any data unless they are all sharing data. And neither is willing to go first or to trust anyone to be an impartial third party.

Bleeding Cool has been mentioned as someone who would be utterly independent of all three, and I'd happily offer my services in this regard, but political matters at both Warner Bros. and Disney seem to make that a no-go right now. And no one else with a reputation, from Heidi MacDonald to Graeme McMillan to James Viscardi, is seen as independent enough. So we're stuck.

I understand that the comic book retailer association ComicsPRO is working on something with Bookscan. But that's at least two to three years out because they believe they need data standards just to get started.

As it stands, Bleeding Cool will be running monthly and weekly top ten Bestseller Lists covering comic book stores, courtesy of data shared by ComicHub, which represents around 3% of the direct market and is seen as representative. DCBS, as the largest online store, has also been suggested, but their orders are skewed to just people who don't go to comic book stores.

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