Thanks to Edwin for passing along this link discussing the effects of the motion pictures on the sales of the comics.

‘The Avengers’ likely to be no marvel for comic book sales

(excerpt)

A string of blockbuster movies released by Marvel Studios the past four years has given Captain America and his crew enough cachet to hawk everything from apparel to action figures to insurance.

Ironically, however, the characters’ popularity isn’t selling the comic book format that birthed them to a new generation of fans, according to local comic book sellers.

Movie releases do cause temporary upticks in sales, according to Dave Autzen, manager of Reader’s World, 1830 Stevenson Drive. But the buyers readily fall into his normal customer demographic: 20- to 40-year-old males.

“My customers are men who’ve been buying a number of years,” Autzen said. “They started in high school or college and have just kept buying since then.”

Mark Kessler, owner of Recycled Records at 625 E. Adams St., agreed.

“We aren’t expecting to see a lot of new faces, a lot of 8-year-olds coming in saying, ‘I need the Avengers’ set,’” he said. “If that was the case, they would have been in here for ‘The Hulk’ last year.

“Popularity in comic books isn’t what it used to be.”