Publishers Weekly is reporting astounding sales of the 21-year old graphic novel collection Watchmen, owing to the buzz surrounding the trailer of the upcoming feature film. The series, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, was first published as a 12-issue comic book series in 1986, and then released as a trade paperback collection. PW says the collection is “a perennial backlist bestseller,” but the interest generated by the film (which won’t open until 6 March 2009) has been phenomenal. The film also saw massive promotion efforts at the recently concluded San Diego Comic-Con.
“I don’t think there’s a record of a trailer moving books with this velocity,” said DC Comics President Paul Levitz. “Bookscan [the publishing industry’s book sales tracking system] records Watchmen selling 10,000 copies in one week. We’ve put more than 300,000 copies in print in the last two weeks. That’s a pretty amazing record for a 21-year-old book. PW notes that the book sold about 100,000 copies in 2007.
Levitz explained the book’s long life: “Comic shop retailers have used Watchmen for the last 20 years to introduce graphic novels to curious new readers and they know it creates repeat buyers. They sell a copy of Watchmen to a consumer curious about all the fuss and that reader returns for a copy of V for Vendetta by the same author. We believe this book is significantly expanding the readership for graphic novels.”
The trailer is available at watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com. The film, directed by Zack Snyder, carries the tag line “Who watches the Watchmen?” For a plot synopsis, they offer “When an ex-superhero is murdered, a vigilante named Rorschach begins an investigation into the murder, which begins to lead to a much more terrifying conclusion.” Stars include Malin Akerman, Carla Gugino, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Billy Crudup, Jackie Earle Haley, and Matt Frewer.