DC Comics absolutely dominates the August graphic novel sales charts. Blind Bags are all the rage in the comic book industry. IDW gets its own Compact Comics.
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Episode Transcript:
DC dominates August graphic novel sales.
Blind bags are seeing big sales.
IDW gets its own Compact Comics.
This is Comic Book Club News for September 8, 2025.
DC Dominates August Graphic Novel Sales Charts:
DC Comics completely dominated the August graphic novel sales charts, with 16 of the Top 20 slots.
Per ICv2, Absolute Batman, Volume 1 “The Zoo” was the top seller — but that’s just the softcover version, as the hardcover came in at number four. The first softcover volumes of Absolute Wonder Woman and Absolute Superman came in at numbers two and three, in that order, with the hardcovers for both also hitting the charts.
Eight of the slots on the chart were taken up by DC’s affordable line of Compact Comics, while Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow continued to rank, and Justice League Unlimited volume 1 snuck in at number 20.
That left four slots for other publishers. Marvel took three, two for Jonathan Hickman titles with Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1 and Aliens vs. Avengers, and one for the new Premier Collection of Civil War.
However, none of the Marvel books charted as high as Image’s lone entry, Knives, the latest Criminal graphic novel, which came it at number seven.
Blind Bags Seeing Big Sales:
Blind bags are all the rage in the comic book industry. After Invincible Universe Battle Beast #1 sold 400,000 copies at least in part on the strength of the Blind Bag program, other publishers are following suit.
DC Comics has followed suit with this past week’s Batman #1, which hit a fair amount of controversy thanks to comic book store owners opening and selling the $9.99 priced Blind Bags early. However, they’ll follow suit in October with Blind Bags for DC K.O. #1.
IDW will also get in on the game with Blind Bags for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #13, which kicks off a new creative team for the title and introduces a new villain. And Marvel is launching their first Blind Bag for Ultimate Endgame #1 right at the end of December, so TBD how well that goes — though the highly anticipated title will probably end 2025 with a bang.
The surprise winner, though? Mark Spears Monsters, which has been a stealth hit for the past few months. Independently published by Keenspot, an upcoming spinoff series titled Mark Spears Monsters: The Monster & The Wolf #1 will have Trick or Treat Blind Bags coming out on October 8. The issue already has 350,000 pre-orders, powered at least in part by the massive 90 covers for the issue, all created by writer/artist Spears. The Blind Bags will also randomly include “Unholy Grails” that can be redeemed for unique comics.
Given Blind Bags are the grift — sorry, gift — that keeps on giving, expect the programs not to slow down in 2026.
IDW Gets Its Own Compact Comics Line:
DC’s Compact Comics have been a powerhouse in stores, thanks to their pocket (well, large pocket) size, cheap price point, and easy-to-get-into collections. And other publishers have followed suit in varying fashions, including Oni and Marvel, as well as Image Comics with their “Backpack Editions” for Paper Girls. Add IDW Publishing to the mix, as the publisher will be releasing their own version — titled “Classic Collections” — starting in 2026.
While IDW has yet to officially announce the collections, the news comes via Penguin Random House’s advance solicits for the publisher. The first four titles out of the gate will be Godzilla: Rulers of the Earth, Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft, The Rocketeer: Thrills, Spills, and Chills, and D4VE.
While DC’s and Oni Press’s Compact Comics are 5.5″ x 8.5″, IDW’s Classic Collections will be more in line with Marvel’s Premier Collections at 6″ x 9″. They’re also more expensive than DC’s books (which cost $9.99), but a whole buck cheaper than the Marvel collections: Marvel’s books cost $14.99, while the IDW collections will cost $13.99 each.
The Godzilla collection will hit on February 24, 2026, with each subsequent collection coming out the month after. IDW also plans on releasing the whole Locke & Key series as three Classic Collection volumes.
For Comic Book Club News, I’m Alex Zalben. And on Mondays, I’m all business!
Got tips or stories you’d like us to cover? Email us at comicbookclublive@gmail.com.
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