7th month of sales decline

ICV2 reports that comics sales continue to go down (via The Beat):

Sales of periodical comics by Diamond Comic Distributors declined again in August, the seventh consecutive month of declines. The 9% drop (based on sales to comic stores of the Top 300 comics) was the third largest drop since a two year climb in comic sales ended last September.

Although it was relatively easy to explain declines earlier this year based on tough comparables against Civil War and its spin-off titles in the corresponding months in 2007, the competition a year ago was less powerful in August, with World War Hulk the major Marvel event in August 2007.

Nine percent is surely a lot, and is not likely to get much better soon.