Watchmen 2007's #1 selling trade paperback

[Shifty]

“Big Figure” For Graphic Novel
Watchmen movie adaptation helps boost trade paperback sales in 2007

Regardless of how faithful Zack Snyder’s movie will end up being to the original comic, there’s one thing most fans are happy about — that the movie will get more people to read and recognize the genius that is Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen.

According to sales figures released by Diamond, one of the largest comics distributors in the U.S., it certainly seems like that is the case.

Please note that the following sales numbers below are estimates, and only covers the direct market served by Diamond. It does not include newsstands, book stores or overseas markets.

As of November 2007, the Watchmen trade paperback, distributed by DC Comics, has sold approximately 58,168 units year-to-date. That’s more units than any other trade paperback in 2007 so far.

To put those numbers in perspective, during the same time period, Marvel's Civil War sold 44,714 units and IDW’s 30 Days of Night sales came in at around 31,270 units. Alan Moore’s highly anticipated The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier sold an incredible 20,711 units in November 2007 alone.

Watchmen’s biggest sales month came in August 2007 on the heels of July’s Comic-Con announcement of Warner Brother’s planned movie adaptation helmed by Zack Snyder. That month, the trade paperback was in rank #13 with 3,617 units of reorder activity. Watchmen’s sales rank during all the other months of 2007 averaged at around the #57 position with 1,928 units of reorder activity.

News of Watchmen’s increased sales activity might be bittersweet to some fans who would prefer that the rights of the graphic novel revert back to its creators — Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. According to the deal they signed with DC back in 1985, this can only happen after the comic has been out of print for 18 months. The graphic novel’s cult status combined with the fact that a major Watchmen motion will be released soon, makes it very unlikely that this will happen in the near future.

1.11.2008
Source: Sales figures gathered form Comic Book Resources

They still have another 14 months until the movie is out and sales should be high for the rest of 2009 a$ well.

 

[JTStarkiller]

That's great to hear. I got mine in 2007 as well.

 

[The Amazing Lee]

Also a 2007 buyer.

 

[little_ceeg]

Watchmen is also #2 among all other forms of literature and fiction on Amazon. For a while it was #1.

 

[Shifty]

Just last week my girlfriend's friend who works at a book store bought the last copy in the city. Since the trailer came out they've been flying out of stores. I noticed that at a different one, that all the copies were gone. You can always find at least two copies in a bookstore with graphic novels.

 

[Shifty]

Watchmen was the dominate #1 graphic novel last month. 20 years later and going strong.

http://www.diamondcomics.com/public/default.asp?t=1&m=1&c=3&s=5&ai=73527&ssd=

 

[Dark Victory]

Got my copy in 2005. t:

Great to hear it was #1 in 07.