I'll be saving the more lengthy analysis for the Newsarama column coming up, but the tables with my raw estimates for March can be found here. I will say here that while it is a soft month, it's one that's following a year after a blockbuster March — and the first quarter has historically been slow in most normal years. In the widest category, the quarter is only off by almost exactly $1 million — less than the revenue of a single product, last year's Captain America #25. And the five-year comparatives are way up.
So it's our first slower quarter in a while — but it takes two down quarters in a row in the general economy to make a recession. And in this business, I'd make that two not including the first quarter!
TOP 300 COMICS UNIT SALES
March 2008: 6.08 million copies
Versus 1 year ago this month: -13%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +9%
Versus 10 years ago this month: -15%
YEAR TO DATE: 19.11 million copies, -6% vs. 2007
TOP 300 COMICS DOLLAR SALES
March 2008: $19.14 million
Versus 1 year ago this month: -15%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +22%
Versus 10 years ago this month: +10%
YEAR TO DATE: $64.14 million, -7% vs. 2007
TOP 100 TRADE PAPERBACK DOLLAR SALES
March 2008: $4.33 million
Versus 1 year ago this month: +5%
Versus 5 years ago this month, just the Top 50 vs. the Top 50: +17%
YEAR TO DATE: $12.47 million, +5% vs. 2007
TOP 300 COMICS + TOP 100 TRADE PAPERBACK DOLLAR SALES
March 2008: $23.47 million
Versus 1 year ago this month: -12%
Versus 5 years ago this month, counting just the Top 50 TPBs: +21%
YEAR TO DATE: $72.23, -5% vs. 2007
OVERALL DIAMOND SALES (including all comics, trades, and magazines)
March 2008: $31.21 million ($34.67 million with UK)
Versus 1 year ago this month: -7%
Versus 5 years ago this month: +27%
YEAR TO DATE: $98.3 million, -1% vs. 2007, +46% vs. 2003