Batman, Transformers among top sellers in book format in 2024
Word Balloons #1249: Compact Classics line moved in significant numbers in store tally
Two-fisted vigilantes, military heroes, and robotic aliens were among the stars of the top-selling graphic novels and comic-book collections in 2024.
With the announcement of a sequel to “Batman: Hush” coming in 2025, perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the new low-priced reprint of “Batman: Hush” from Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee took the top sales spot at Norman, Oklahoma’s Speeding Bullet Comics in 2024.
Of the initial 10 “Compact Comics” line released from DC, eight made the store’s top 100 sales list, and five were among the top 12.
According to a news release from DC, the new format pulls bestselling, new-reader-friendly titles from DC’s evergreen library retailing at $9.99 US.
Coming in at #4 is the compact comics edition of “Watchmen.” Coming in at 8, 9 and 12 respectively are the compact comics edition of “Batman: The Court of Owls,” “All-Star Superman,” and “American Vampire.” Interest in “All-Star Superman” ahead of the 2025 movie caused the book to chart twice in two different editions; the Black Label version charted at #20.
Interest in the Energon Universe of titles from Skybound maintained strong interest in graphic novel format. The comic periodicals were among the store’s best-sellers in that format. In the collected edition format, “Transformers” Vol. 1 landed at #2, followed by “Duke” Vol. 1 at #6, “Void Rivals” Vol. 2 at #10, “Cobra Commander” Vol. 1 at #16, and “Scarlett” Vol. 1 at #19.
An original crime hardcover edition from Image Comics, the Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips “Houses of the Unholy” came in at #3. The long-awaited reprint, the “DC Versus Marvel” omnibus, was the top seller as far as dollars, but came in at #5 in unit sales.
Marvel’s top seller in the collected edition format at Speeding Bullet was the new “Ultimate Spider-Man Vol. 1: Married With Children” by Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto at #18.
Matthew Price, matthew@matthewLprice.com, has written about the comics industry for more than two decades. He is the co-owner of Speeding Bullet Comics in Norman.