ComicSpectrum News

Diamond Announces Top Sales for December 2019

Posted on January 17, 2020 by comicspectrum

Comics Growth for 2019 is Essentially Flat
Marvel/DC Split Top 10 for December with 5 each

2019 as a whole was pretty much a flat year for comics. 2019 vs 2018 saw an increase of 4.33% on dollar sales (which I’ll mostly attribute to higher priced “best seller” issues) and down a bit less than 1% on unit sales. Not a great year, but not a terrible year either. While no spectacular upticks occurred, there was not a crash either. Now fans can buckle in and see how the big Publishers use the data that fans do not seem shy about buying “special” issues that are priced at $7.99 or $9.99, as well as the ongoing knowledge that they can sell multiple copies of the same comic to hard core fans as long as they slap a nifty variant cover on it. It seems to me that sales have remained essentially flat, but readership of paper comics may be down since there are comic shop fans who are buying up multiple copies of many “best selling” issues, and that is a dangerous position to be in if those hard core fans decide to walk away because they have a multiplied negative effect when their deep pockets leave the fan base.

Overall, the battle between Marvel & DC continues to take market share from the other publishers. Marvel/DC accounted for 77% of the unit sales in December, up about 1% from November. As Marvel and DC blast out events, loads of variant covers, and high-priced issues there is less and less money left in the pockets of comic shop fans to dive into some diversity outside their beloved super-hero universes. DC decreased their overall output several months ago but have been steadily increasing the number of titles shipped to try to keep pace with Marvel.

In December Marvel shipped 135 items to DC’s 119. Think about that. Over 250 items blasted out to comic shops from JUST the 2 super-hero publishers in 1 single month. Many shops don’t even carry all of the items from Marvel/DC unless they are specially requested by customers. Think about that. The mid-list and lower titles from each of the Big 2 publishers may not even get any exposure on the rack of your local comic shop, so if you want to give something a try that has not been deemed a “hot best seller” you need to do some online research and ask for it. Most people do not do this, so it keeps a focus on a smaller variety and gives fans who just browse the racks a skewed view of what is actually available because they are likely not seeing everything that comes out.

Something of note is the Watchmen TPB showing up as the #3 best seller, probably because of the HBO Watchmen series, but this perennial favorite has been a cash cow for DC for over 2 decades now.

Make a comment below and let me know what you liked best about 2019 and what you’re looking forward to in 2020.

– Bob Bretall (bob@comicspectrum.com)

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (January 17, 2020) — Superman’s confrontation with Dr. Manhattan changes the DC Universe forever in Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Doomsday Clock #12 from DC, the final issue of the best-selling series and the best-selling comic book of December 2019 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was December’s top publisher, with a 37.89% dollar share and a 45.60% unit share. DC was second, at 33.55% and 31.35% respectively. In third, Image Comics had a 5.91% dollar share and a 5.93% unit share, followed by IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, and Dynamite Entertainment.

In addition to Doomsday Clock #12, DC had five titles in the top ten. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman: Last Knight on Earth #3, the finale of their Black Label series, ranked #3; Frank Miller and Rafael Granpá’s Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child one-shot ranked #4; Harley Quinn: Villain of the Year #1 ranked #5; and Brian Michael Bendis, Ivan Reis, and Joe Prado’s Superman #18, the landmark issue in which Superman reveals his secret identity to the world, ranked #10.

Marvel Comics also had five titles in the top ten. Jonathan Hickman, Leinil Francis Yu, and Gerry Alanguilan’s X-Men #3 ranked #2, Donny Cates and Mark Bagley’s Venom #21, the first chapter of “Venom Island,” ranked #5; Peter David and Greg Land’s Symbiote Spider-Man; Alien Reality #1 ranked #8; Incoming #1, the all-star one-shot that sets the stage for 2020, ranked #8; and Nick Spencer and Oscar Bazaldua’s Amazing Spider-Man #35 ranked #9.

Among the premier publishers, IDW Publishing’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100 was the publisher’s top book at #17; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 from BOOM! Studios ranked #29; Todd McFarlane and Jason Shawn Alexander’s Spawn #303 was Image Comics’ top book at #45; and Dynamite Entertainment’s Vampirella #6 ranked #61 for the month.

Marvel Comics’ House of X/Powers of X, a hardcover collection of the two mini-series by Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, and R.B. Silva that heralded a revitalization of Marvel’s mutant franchise, was the best-selling graphic novel of December and one of the publisher’s four titles among the top ten. DC’s Batman Volume 11: The Fall and the Fallen by Tom King and Mikel Janin led DC’s slate of three titles in top ten at #2. Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, and Rich Tommasco’s Black Hammer Volume 4: Age of Doom Part 2 from Dark Horse Comics ranked #5, and Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s The Boys Omnibus Volume 6 from Dynamite Entertainment ranked #6.

Zenescope Entertainment’s Grimm Fairy Tales Adult Coloring Book Volume 1 was December’s best-selling book.

Depicting a scene from Marvel Comic’s 1991 series The Infinity Gauntlet, Funko’s POP! Marvel Heroes: Thanos “Snap” 6-Inch Deluxe Vinyl Figure, a PREVIEWS exclusive, was December’s best-selling toy. Also in the top ten from Funko, the PREVIEWS exclusive POP! Dragonball Z: Super Saiyan 2 Vegeta Vinyl Figure ranked #2. Diamond Select Toys had a strong month with six products in the top ten, led by the Marvel Select: Avengers Endgame: Hero Suit Hulk Action Figure at #3.

Green Ronin Publishing’s Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting, a perennial seller, returned to the top of the sales charts as December’s best-selling game product. Paizo Publishing had eight products in the top ten, and S7 Game’s My Hero Academia: The Card Game also returned to the charts at #3 for the month.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER	DOLLAR SHARE	UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS	37.89%	45.60%
DC COMICS	33.55%	31.35%
IMAGE COMICS	5.91%	5.93%
IDW PUBLISHING	4.34%	3.51%
BOOM! STUDIOS	4.03%	3.66%
DARK HORSE COMICS	2.67%	1.87%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	2.56%	2.51%
VIZ MEDIA	1.00%	0.38%
TITAN COMICS	0.57%	0.51%
RANDOM HOUSE	0.48%	0.13%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	7.00%	4.54%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
DECEMBER 2019 VS. NOVEMBER 2019
COMICS	0.18%	-1.28%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-11.06%	-18.03%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-3.00%	-2.48%
TOYS	13.47%	16.61%
DECEMBER 2019 VS. DECEMBER 2018
COMICS	7.08%	5.36%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	15.77%	2.87%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	9.20%	5.21%
TOYS	166.96%	191.68%
YEAR 2019 VS. YEAR 2018
COMICS	4.33%	-0.92%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-2.01%	-7.95%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	2.54%	-1.44%
TOYS	25.96%	28.65%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER	COMICS SHIPPED	GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED	MAGAZINES SHIPPED	TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS	103	32	0	135
DC COMICS	86	32	1	119
IMAGE COMICS	36	7	0	43
IDW PUBLISHING	28	13	0	41
BOOM! STUDIOS	23	14	0	37
DARK HORSE COMICS	22	9	0	31
DYNAMITE	14	4	0	18
KODANSHA COMICS	0	13	0	13
TITAN COMICS	8	2	2	12
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS	9	0	0	9
OTHER NON-TOP 10	80	109	11	200
TOTAL	409	235	14	658

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DOOMSDAY CLOCK #12	$5.99	OCT190523-M	DC
2	X-MEN #3	$3.99	OCT190903-M	MAR
3	BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #3 (MR)	$5.99	SEP190478-M	DC
4	DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: THE GOLDEN CHILD #1	$5.99	OCT190471-M	DC
5	VENOM #21	$3.99	OCT191001-M	MAR
6	HARLEY QUINN: VILLAIN OF THE YEAR #1	$4.99	OCT190466-M	DC
7	SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN: ALIEN REALITY #1	$4.99	OCT190971-M	MAR
8	INCOMING #1	$9.99	OCT190860-M	MAR
9	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #35	$3.99	OCT190926-M	MAR
10	SUPERMAN #18	$3.99	OCT190580-M	DC

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DOOMSDAY CLOCK #12	$5.99	OCT190523-M	DC
2	INCOMING #1	$9.99	OCT190860-M	MAR
3	BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #3 (MR)	$5.99	SEP190478-M	DC
4	DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: THE GOLDEN CHILD #1	$5.99	OCT190471-M	DC
5	HARLEY QUINN: VILLAIN OF THE YEAR #1	$4.99	OCT190466-M	DC
6	TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #100	$7.99	SEP190620-M	IDW
7	HARLEEN #3 (MR)	$7.99	SEP190494-M	DC
8	X-MEN #3	$3.99	OCT190903-M	MAR
9	SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN: ALIEN REALITY #1	$4.99	OCT190971-M	MAR
10	VENOM #21	$3.99	OCT191001-M	MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	HOUSE OF X/POWERS OF X HC	$60.00	SEP190963-M	MAR
2	BATMAN TP VOL 11 THE FALL AND THE FALLEN	$17.99	SEP190554	DC
3	WATCHMEN TP	$24.99	JUN190614-M	DC
4	SILVER SURFER BLACK TP TREASURY EDITION	$29.99	SEP190990	MAR
5	BLACK HAMMER TP VOL 04 AGE OF DOOM PART II	$19.99	MAY190209	DAR
6	BOYS OMNIBUS TP VOL 06 (MR)	$29.99	OCT191313-M	DE
7	GREEN LANTERN TP VOL 01 INTERGALACTIC LAWMAN	$17.99	SEP190568	DC
8	DAREDEVIL BY CHIP ZDARSKY TP VOL 02 NO DEVILS ONLY GOD	$15.99	SEP190982	MAR
9	MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES TP (MR)	$12.99	AUG190092	IMA
10	STAR WARS DOCTOR APHRA TP VOL 06 UNSPEAKABLE REBEL SUPERWEAP	$15.99	SEP190997	MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	HOUSE OF X/POWERS OF X HC	$60.00	SEP190963-M	MAR
2	ANNIHILATION OMNIBUS HC	$125.00	JUL191087	MAR
3	Y THE LAST MAN OMNIBUS HC (MR)	$150.00	APR190576	DC
4	INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US OMNIBUS HC VOL 01	$125.00	MAR190580	DC
5	ABSOLUTE DARK KNIGHT III THE MASTER RACE HC	$125.00	APR190525	DC
6	ANIMAL MAN BY JEFF LEMIRE OMNIBUS HC	$99.99	APR190524	DC
7	SILVER SURFER BLACK TP TREASURY EDITION	$29.99	SEP190990	MAR
8	MMW FANTASTIC FOUR HC VOL 21	$75.00	JUN191034-M	MAR
9	WATCHMEN TP	$24.99	JUN190614-M	DC
10	BOYS OMNIBUS TP VOL 06 (MR)	$29.99	OCT191313-M	DE

TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	GRIMM FAIRY TALES ADULT COLORING BOOK VOL 01	$12.99	OCT151871	ZEN
2	OVERSTREET COMIC BK PG SC VOL 49	$29.95	APR191757-M	GEM
3	BLOODBORNE OFFICIAL ARTWORKS SC	$44.99	MAR172148	UDO
4	DARK SOULS III DESIGN WORKS HC	$49.99	JUN182173	UDO
5	MEGA MAN ZERO HC OFFICIAL COMPLETE WORKS	$44.99	APR192142	UDO
6	ART OF ATARI HC	$39.99	JUL161467	DYN
7	KONOSUBA LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 10	$14.00	OCT192327	YEN
8	OKAMI OFFICIAL COMPLETE WORKS SC	$39.99	MAY073783	UDO
9	DOCTOR WHO TARDIS TYPE FORTY INSTRUCTION MANUAL HC	$19.99	MAY188247	PEN
10	GEARS OF WAR RETROSPECTIVE HC	$49.99	MAY192131	UDO

TTOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	POP MARVEL HEROES THANOS SNAP 6IN PX DELUXE VINYL FIGURE	MAY198251	FUN
2	POP ANIMATION DBZ SUPER SAIYAN 2 VEGETA PX VIN FIG	JAN199073	FUN
3	MARVEL SELECT AVENGERS ENDGAME HERO SUIT HULK AF	JUL192664	DST
4	MARVEL MILESTONES AVENGERS 4 ARMORED THANOS STATUE	OCT188304	DST
5	MARVEL SELECT AVENGERS 4 IRON MAN MK85 AF	SEP192494	DST
6	MARVEL GALLERY AVENGERS ENDGAME CAPTAIN AMERICA PVC FIG	JUL192669	DST
7	GX-88 ARMORED FLEET DAIRUGGER XV SOUL OF CHOGOKIN (NET)	MAY198128	BLU
8	YU GI OH YAMI YUGI NENDOROID AF	DEC188202	GOO
9	IT CHAPTER 2 GALLERY PENNYWISE PVC FIGURE	JUN192381	DST
10	MARVEL PREMIER GREEN GOBLIN COMIC STATUE	MAR192445	DST

TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	CRITICAL ROLE: TAL’DOREI CAMPAIGN SETTING HC	JUN173357	GRE
2	PATHFINDER CORE RULEBOOK SPECIAL EDITON HC (P2)	MAY193228	PAI
3	MY HERO ACADEMIA: THE CARD GAME	JUL183082	S7
4	PATHFINDER ACG CORE SET	MAR198499	PAI
5	PATHFINDER LOST OMENS WORLD GUIDE HC (P2)	MAY193231	PAI
6	STARFINDER RPG ALIEN ARCHIVE 3 HC	JUN193098	PAI
7	CREATURE CODEX HC	JUL183073	PAI
8	STARFINDER RPG CORE RULEBOOK HC	JUN173371	PAI
9	STARFINDER RPG CHARACTER OPERATIONS MANUAL HC	SEP193078	PAI
10	PATHFINDER LOST OMENS CHARACTER GUIDE HC (P2)	AUG193363	PAI

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Data for Diamond’s sales charts — which includes the monthly market shares and all top product charts — are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from sales made to thousands of comic book specialty shops located in North America and around the world. Additional sales made to online merchants and other specialty retailers may be included as well.

Unit and dollar market shares are calculated based upon orders for comic books, graphic novels, and magazines invoiced and shipped to Diamond customers during any given month, which comprises pre-orders, advance reorders, and reorders, minus any copies that are received back from a title marked as returnable. Please note that comics marked with an asterisk (*) have had their reported quantities reduced due to retailer returnability, and thus may rank lower on the charts than their actual sales would reflect.

The New Titles Count Chart includes all titles that were invoiced by Diamond to retailers for the first time during the month and is not the official solicited title count for the month. Variant edition comic books and graphic novels at the same price point count as a single SKU. Variant edition comic books, lenticular covers, digital combo packs, and graphic novels at different price points count as separate SKUs for each edition.

ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS (DCD)—Diamond is at the nexus of comics and pop culture merchandise. Based in Baltimore, MD, DCD is the world’s largest distributor of English-language comic books and pop-culture related merchandise, servicing thousands of specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.

Visit the ComicSpectrum website: http://www.comicspectrum.com/
or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ComicSpectrum

Posted in Comics, Comics Sales, Diamond | Tagged 2019, comics, DC Comics, December 2019, Marvel Comics, Watchmen | Leave a comment

Diamond Announces Top Sales for November 2019

Posted on December 6, 2019 by comicspectrum

X-Men Stay On Top, as Does Marvel
Snyder/Soule Hit the Top Ten With “Undiscovered Country”

The X-Men relaunch has kept its hold on the hearts of fans, with New Mutants #1 and X-Men #2 coming in at #1 & 2 on the Top 10. X-Force #1 and Fallen Angels #1 took positions #4 & 5, with the final issue of Absolute Carnage sneaking into the #3 spot. Marvel took 8 of the top 10 spots on units, with titles related to the X-Men and Spider-Man franchises. Image Comics made the top 10 t spot #8 with the new series Undiscovered Country (written by Scott Snyder & Charles Soule) and DC snuck in at #9 with 1 title, Batman #82, a perennial Top 10 title.

I’ll be very interested to see the full top 100 next week, both issues of Batman are usually in the Top 10, in November only #82 (the one with the acetate cover overlay gimmick) was at the Top. How did all of DC’s other acetate overlay gimmick covers fare? They published quite a few of them.

It’s also worth noting the * on Undiscovered Country #1. As long time readers may recall, the * means the title is returnable and when this is the case, Diamond reduces the quantity that is credited for the statistics to take into account some projected returns, so in the end, if fewer than expected are returned the title may actually end up selling MORE copies which would move Undiscovered Country up even higher than spot #8.

November was down quite a lot from October (~25% on units), but that can be explained by the fact that November had 4 shipping weeks compare to the 5 weeks in October. Comparing apples to apples and looking at November 2018, we can see that sales are actually up ~3% on units and ~4% on dollars, though year-to-date 2019 is down 1.42% on units (while YTD 2019 is up 4.1% on $ sold, the effect of rising prices).

The lopsided (in favor of Marvel/DC) world of monthly comics was not so skewed on the collected edition front, with Marvel taking 4 spots, DC and Dark Horse with 2 each, and 1 each for Image and BOOM! In collected editions, we see interest in other pop culture hits, with TV shows Firefly and Stranger Things, movie/TV/video game sensation Star Wars, cartoon Legend of Korra, and video game League of Legends accounting for half of the Top 10.

Overall, the battle between Marvel & DC seems to be taking a bit of a toll on the other publishers. Marvel/DC account for 75% of the sales, since the size of the entire pie is not growing, that means the fan $ left over for other kinds of comics is shrinking. One thing seems clear, monthly comics remain a super-hero driven market. Other genres need to make it up on collected editions and digital (where we do not have accurate overall sales reports so the breakdown is anecdotal at best).

– Bob Bretall (bob@comicspectrum.com)

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (December 6, 2019) —The classic New Mutants reunite and embark on a mission in deep space with the Starjammers in Jonathan Hickman, Ed Brisson, and Rod Reis’ New Mutants #1 from Marvel Comics, the best-selling comic book in November 2019 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was November’s top publisher, taking a 37.41% dollar market share and a 42.68% unit share. DC was second, with a 30.72% dollar share and a 32.41% unit share. Image Comics placed third with 7.90% in dollars and 7.87% in units, followed by BOOM! Studios, IDW Publishing, Dark Horse Comics, and Dynamite Entertainment.

Marvel Comics had eight of November’s ten best-selling comics, including X-Men #2 at #2, Absolute Carnage #5 at #3, X-Force #1 at #4, Fallen Angels #1 at #5, Deadpool #1 at #6, Amazing Spider-Man #33 at #7, and Amazing Spider-Man #34 at #10. Image Comics’ Undiscovered Country #1, the new series from Scott Snyder, Charles Soule, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Daniele Orlandini, ranked #8. DC was also in the top ten; the “Year of the Villain” acetate cover edition of Tom King and Mikel Janin’s Batman #82 ranked #9.

Among the premier publishers’ top books for November, Matt Kindt and Matt Smith’s Folklords #1 from BOOM! Studios’ ranked #94; Dynamite Entertainment’s Vampirella #5 ranked #105; Hazel & Cha Cha Save Christmas: Tales from The Umbrella Academy, a spin-off from Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s The Umbrella Academy, from Dark Horse ranked #110; and IDW Publishing’s Sonic the Hedgehog #23 ranked #189.

The heroes of the DC universe wage a desperate war against a world corrupted by the Anti-Life Equation in Tom Taylor and Trevor Hairsine’s DCeased, November’s best-selling graphic novel, collecting the best-selling mini-series from DC and one of the publisher’s two books in the top ten, along with Frank Miller and John Romita, Jr.’s Superman: Year One at #5. BOOM! Studios’ Firefly: The Sting, an original graphic novel based on the television series, ranked #2. Marvel Comics had four titles in the top ten; The Immortal Hulk Volume 5: Breaker of Worlds, was the top book at #3. Image Comics’ November Volume 1 ranked #4. Dark Horse Comics had two titles in the top, led by The Legend of Korra Part 2: Ruins of Empire at #6.

Gemstone Publishing’s The Overstreet Price Guide to Batman, a guide to eighty years of comics and collectibles focused on the Dark Knight, was November’s best-selling book. Also of note, Dynamite Entertainment’s Vampirella: 50th Anniversary Poster Collection ranked #3 and Titan Comics’ The Philosophy of Deadpool ranked #4.

Mezco Toys’ One:12 Collective: Marvel Comics: Classic Cyclops Action Figure, a PREVIEWS exclusive, was November’s best-selling toy product. Diamond Select Toys had five products in the top ten, led by the Castlevania Gallery: Trevor Belmont PVC Figure, based on the Netflix animated series. DC Collectibles had three products in the top ten; the Dark Nights Metal: The Batman Who Laughs & Robins Deluxe Statue was their best-selling product at #6.

Paizo Publishing’s Starfinder RPG: Character Operations Manual, a sourcebook for the science-fiction role-playing game, was November’s best-selling game product and one of the seven Paizo products among the top ten.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER	DOLLAR SHARE	UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS	37.41%	42.68%
DC	30.72%	32.41%
IMAGE COMICS	7.90%	7.87%
BOOM! STUDIOS	3.46%	3.07%
IDW PUBLISHING	3.42%	3.04%
DARK HORSE COMICS	3.38%	2.37%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	2.03%	1.45%
VIZ MEDIA	1.48%	0.56%
TITAN COMICS	0.70%	0.50%
ONI PRESS INC.	0.57%	0.46%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	8.93%	5.59%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
NOVEMBER 2019 VS. OCTOBER 2019
COMICS	-28.87%	-24.86%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-12.33%	-14.39%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-24.86%	-24.19%
TOYS	-8.72%	-13.86%
NOVEMBER 2019 VS. NOVEMBER 2018
COMICS	3.12%	2.91%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	7.43%	3.94%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	4.30%	2.98%
TOYS	-1.30%	15.09%
YEAR TO DATE 2019 VS. YEAR TO DATE 2018
COMICS	4.10%	-1.42%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-3.21%	-8.65%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	2.02%	-1.96%
TOYS	19.15%	21.54%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER	COMICS SHIPPED	GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED	MAGAZINES SHIPPED	TOTAL SHIPPED
DC COMICS	96	31	0	127
MARVEL COMICS	84	36	0	120
IMAGE COMICS	40	15	0	55
IDW PUBLISHING	36	14	0	50
DARK HORSE COMICS	22	22	0	44
BOOM! STUDIOS	19	15	0	34
VIZ MEDIA LLC	0	27	0	27
DYNAMITE	14	9	0	23
TITAN COMICS	8	7	1	16
ONI PRESS INC.	3	4	0	7
OTHER NON-TOP 10	152	200	24	376
TOTAL	474	380	25	879

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	NEW MUTANTS #1	$4.99	SEP190749-M	MAR
2	X-MEN #2	$3.99	SEP190778-M	MAR
3	ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #5	$4.99	SEP190790-M	MAR
4	X-FORCE #1	$4.99	SEP190760-M	MAR
5	FALLEN ANGELS #1	$4.99	SEP190769-M	MAR
6	DEADPOOL #1	$4.99	SEP190835-M	MAR
7	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #33	$3.99	SEP190814-M	MAR
8	UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #1 (MR) [*]	$3.99	SEP190027-M	IMA
9	BATMAN #82 ACETATE COVER	$3.99	AUG190599	DC
10	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #34	$3.99	SEP190818-M	MAR

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	NEW MUTANTS #1	$4.99	SEP190749-M	MAR
2	ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #5	$4.99	SEP190790-M	MAR
3	X-FORCE #1	$4.99	SEP190760-M	MAR
4	X-MEN #2	$3.99	SEP190778-M	MAR
5	DEADPOOL #1	$4.99	SEP190835-M	MAR
6	FALLEN ANGELS #1	$4.99	SEP190769-M	MAR
7	UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #1 (MR) [*]	$3.99	SEP190027-M	IMA
8	BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT PRESENTS: VON FREEZE #1	$5.99	SEP190437-M	DC
9	SCREAM: CURSE OF CARNAGE #1	$4.99	SEP190805-M	MAR
10	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #33	$3.99	SEP190814-M	MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DCEASED HC	$29.99	AUG190650	DC
2	FIREFLY: THE STING HC	$19.99	JUL191306	BOO
3	IMMORTAL HULK VOL. 5: BREAKER OF WORLDS TP	$15.99	AUG191149	MAR
4	NOVEMBER VOL. 1 HC (MR)	$16.99	JUL190077	IMA
5	SUPERMAN: YEAR ONE HC	$29.99	AUG190687	DC
6	LEGEND OF KORRA PART 2: RUINS OF EMPIRE TP	$10.99	JUN190359	DAR
7	JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER: ALLEGIANCE TP	$15.99	SEP190991-M	MAR
8	LEAGUE OF LEGENDS: LUX TP	$15.99	JUL191064	MAR
9	SAVAGE AVENGERS VOL. 1: CITY OF SICKLES TP	$15.99	AUG191148	MAR
10	STRANGER THINGS: SIX TP	$17.99	JUL190353	DAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN: THE ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC	$125.00	MAY190943-M	MAR
2	CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS BOX SET HC	$500.00	APR190537	DC
3	ABSOLUTE SWAMP THING BY ALAN MOORE VOL. 1 HC	$99.99	MAR190601	DC
4	DCEASED HC	$29.99	AUG190650	DC
5	DOOM PATROL: THE BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS HC	$125.00	APR190538	DC
6	SUPERMAN: YEAR ONE HC	$29.99	AUG190687	DC
7	FIREFLY: THE STING HC	$19.99	JUL191306	BOO
8	BATMAN BY SNYDER & CAPULLO OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC	$125.00	APR190526	DC
9	NEW TEEN TITANS OMNIBUS VOL. 4 HC	$99.00	APR190560	DC
10	MARVEL MASTERWORKS: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL. 31 HC	$75.00	MAY190945-M	MAR

TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	THE OVERSTREET PRICE GUIDE TO BATMAN SC	$30.00	SEP191814	GEM
2	DRAGON BALL VISUAL HISTORY: THE ART OF AKIRA TORIYAMA HC	$34.99	AUG192435	VIZ
3	VAMPIRELLA 50TH ANNIVERSARY POSTER COLLECTION SC	$24.99	AUG191226	DE
4	THE PHILOSOPHY OF DEADPOOL HC (MR)	$14.99	MAR192035	TTN
5	OVERLORD LIGHT NOVEL VOLUME 11 HC	$20.00	JUL192435	YEN
6	SHIGENORI SOEJIMA & P-STUDIO ART UNIT ART WORKS 2 TP	$39.99	AUG192423	UDO
7	THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 146 SC	$14.95	SEP191953	SAN
8	TRANSFORMERS VISUAL HISTORY HC	$49.99	SEP192219	VIZ
9	DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: WINNER TAKES ALL SC	$6.99	SEP191935	RAN
10	DRAGONS CROWN: OFFICIAL ARTWORKS HC	$49.99	JUL192399	UDO

TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: MARVEL: CLASSIC CYCLOPS FIGURE	SEP188229	MEZ
2	CASTLEVANIA GALLERY: TREVOR BELMONT PVC FIGURE	JAN192540	DST
3	POP! DC HEROES: HARLEY QUINN WITH BOOMBOX VINYL FIGURE	AUG188545	FUN
4	MARVEL SELECT: CARNAGE FIGURE	NOV142179	DST
5	KINGDOM HEARTS 3 GALLERY: MALEFICENT PVC STATUE	MAY189403	DST
6	DARK NIGHTS METAL: THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS & ROBINS DELUXE STATUE	MAY190542	DC
7	DARK KNIGHTS METAL: BATMAN THE RED DEATH STATUE	APR190588	DC
8	DC PRIME: BATMAN ACTION FIGURE	MAR190627	DC
9	DC GALLERY: HARLEY QUINN REBIRTH PVC FIGURE	JUN192385	DST
10	MARVEL GALLERY: AVENGERS ENDGAME CAPTAIN AMERICA PVC FIGURE	JUL192669	DST

TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	STARFINDER RPG: CHARACTER OPERATIONS MANUAL HC	SEP193078	PAI
2	STARFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK HC	JUN173371	PAI
3	CRITICAL ROLE: TAL’DOREI CAMPAIGN SETTING HC	JUN173357	GRE
4	PATHFINDER: LOST OMENS CHARACTER GUIDE HC (P2)	AUG193363	PAI
5	PATHFINDER FLIP-MAT: BASIC NEW EDITION	MAR138328	PAI
6	PATHFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK POCKET EDITION	APR168770	PAI
7	PATHFINDER ADVENTURE PATH: AGE OF ASHES PART 5	SEP193076	PAI
8	MY HERO ACADEMIA: THE CARD GAME	JUL183082	S7
9	POP! FUNKOVERSE STRATEGY GAME: THE GOLDEN GIRLS 100 EXPANDALONE BOARD GAME	JUN198704	FUN
10	TOME OF BEASTS HC	JUN168476	PAI

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Visit the ComicSpectrum website: http://www.comicspectrum.com/
or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ComicSpectrum

Posted in Comics, Comics Sales, Diamond | Tagged Absolute Carnage, Carnage, DC Comics, Image Comics, Marvel Comics, New Mutants, spider-man, X-Men | Leave a comment

Diamond Announces Top Sales for October 2019

Posted on November 8, 2019 by comicspectrum

X-Men Drive Super-Heroes to
Overall Gains in Comic Shops

The X-Men have been super popular with super-hero fans for over 4 decades. Dedicated X-Men fans kept buying the comics even when they admitted “It hasn’t been very good for years”. But not every fan is that hardcore. Many fans dropped the X-books when they felt they “stopped being good”, but the Jonathan Hickman led relaunch seems to have rekindled the love of X-Men in dedicated fans, lapsed fans, and even new readers.

We follow that up with 3 event books, Absolute Carnage #3, a DCeased tie-in “A Good Day to Die”, and Harleen #1 a new Batman Universe tie-in.

The new X-Men #1 was the top seller in October, outselling the #6 issues of House/Powers of X that immediately preceded it, showing once again that comic shops and super-hero fans love things with a big #1 on the cover. A bunch of new #1s are rounding out the relaunched X-Men Universe at Marvel, starting with Marauders #1 that came in at #10 on the top 10, making it 4 of the top 10 for X-Men books. Marvel grabbed 4 more of the top 10 with Amazing Mary Jane #1, Absolute Carnage #4, Ghost Rider #1, and Immortal Hulk #25, giving Marvel 8 of the top 10 slots.

Making the month rarer, neither of the 2 issues of perennial fan favorite Batman made the top 10, DC’s sole entry into the top 10 being The Joker: Year of the Villain #1 (one shot) in slot #5, Batman adjacent and riding high with a very successful movie in theaters that has pretty much nothing in common with the Joker we see in comics save the name and the look in a very general fashion. Rounding out the top 10 in slot #2 was Todd McFarlane’s Spawn #301, one of the founding titles of Image Comics, continuing the resurgence of interest in the character on the heels of his recent tri-centennial.

Comic sales were up 22.22% in dollars and 16.49% in units over September, and the Marvel/DC market share increased to ~71% of every dollar spent up from ~65.5% in September. X-Men is back on top, Hickman helped put them there, and buzz around the relaunch seems overwhelmingly positive. It’s a good time to be an X-Fan.

– Bob Bretall (bob@comicspectrum.com)

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (November 8, 2019) — Dawn of X begins as Cyclops leads an all-new X-Men team in Jonathan Hickman and Leinil Francis Yu’s X-Men #1 from Marvel Comics, the best-selling comic book of October 2019 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was October’s top publisher, leading in both dollar share (39.51%) and unit share (45.20%). DC placed second for the month with a 31.67% dollar share and a 32.02% unit share. In third was Image Comics with a 7.59% dollar share and a 7.18% unit share, followed by IDW Publishing, Dark Horse Comics, BOOM! Studios, and Dynamite Entertainment.

In total, Marvel Comics had eight comics in October’s top ten, including Powers of X #6 at #3, House of X #6 at #4, The Amazing Mary Jane #1 at #6, Absolute Carnage #4 at #7, Ghost Rider #1 at #8, The Immortal Hulk #25 at #9, and Marauders #1 at #10. Image Comics’ Spawn #301 ranked #2. DC’s The Joker: Year of the Villain #1 ranked #5.

Among the premier publishers, Dynamite Entertainment’s top book Vengeance of Vampirella #1 ranked #50, BOOM! Studios’ Something Is Killing the Children #2 ranked #96, IDW Publishing’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #99 ranked #101, and Dark Horse Comics’ Black Hammer/Justice League #4 ranked #151.

DC’s Doomsday Clock Part 1, collecting the first half of Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s sequel to Watchmen, was October’s best-selling graphic novel and one of the two DC titles in the top ten. Image Comics had three titles in the top ten, with Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s The Wicked + The Divine Volume 9 as their top book at #2. Marvel Comics had two titles in the top ten, led by Chip Zdarsky and Mark Bagley’s Spider-Man: Life Story at #3. Also in the top ten, Dark Horse Comics’ Critical Role Volume 1: Vox Machina Origins ranked #8.

UDON Entertainment’s Shigenori Soejima & P-Studio Art Unit Art Works, an art book featuring work from the artists behind Persona 5, was October’s best-selling book.

Funko’s POP! Marvel: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse: Casual Miles Morales Vinyl Figure, a PREVIEWS Exclusive figure based on the award-winning animated film, was October’s best-selling toy product. Also in the top ten from Funko was the PREVIEWS Exclusive POP! DC Heroes: The Red Death Vinyl Figure at #2. Diamond Select Toys had three products in the top ten: the Marvel Select: Unleashed Hulk Action Figure at #6, the Marvel Milestones: Thor Ragnarök: Gladiator Hulk Statue at #8, and the Marvel Select: Carnage Action Figure at #10.

Paizo Publishing’s Pathfinder: Lost Dimensions Character Guide, a source book for Pathfinder Second Edtion, was the best-selling game product of October and one of the five Paizo products among the top ten.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER	DOLLAR SHARE	UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS	39.51%	45.20%
DC	31.67%	32.02%
IMAGE COMICS	7.59%	7.18%
IDW PUBLISHING	3.42%	3.16%
DARK HORSE COMICS	2.93%	2.11%
BOOM! STUDIOS	2.32%	2.21%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	2.21%	1.67%
VIZ MEDIA	1.33%	0.51%
ONI PRESS	0.56%	0.33%
TITAN COMICS	0.48%	0.42%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	7.98%	5.19%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
OCTOBER 2019 VS. SEPTEMBER 2019
COMICS	22.22%	16.49%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	12.88%	15.87%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	19.82%	16.45%
TOYS	24.94%	51.89%
OCTOBER 2019 VS. SEPTEMBER 2018
COMICS	21.05%	9.95%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-3.32%	-7.10%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	14.09%	8.68%
TOYS	15.44%	1.80%
YEAR TO DATE 2019 VS. YEAR TO DATE 2018
COMICS	4.19%	-1.81%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-4.16%	-9.71%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	1.81%	-2.40%
TOYS	21.81%	22.21%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER	COMICS SHIPPED	GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED	MAGAZINES SHIPPED	TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS	110	50	0	160
DC COMICS	107	30	1	138
IMAGE COMICS	50	12	0	62
IDW PUBLISHING	39	16	0	55
DARK HORSE COMICS	26	21	0	47
BOOM! STUDIOS	18	15	0	33
DYNAMITE	15	9	0	24
VIZ MEDIA LLC	0	22	0	22
ONI PRESS INC.	3	9	0	12
TITAN COMICS	6	4	2	12
OTHER NON-TOP 10	147	229	30	406
TOTAL	521	417	33	971

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	X-MEN #1	$4.99	AUG190845-M	MAR
2	SPAWN #301	$4.99	JUL190084-M	IMA
3	POWERS OF X #6	$5.99	AUG190879-M	MAR
4	HOUSE OF X #6	$4.99	AUG190870-M	MAR
5	THE JOKER: YEAR OF THE VILLAIN #1	$4.99	AUG190440	DC
6	AMAZING MARY JANE #1	$3.99	AUG190933-M	MAR
7	ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #4	$4.99	AUG190902-M	MAR
8	GHOST RIDER #1	$4.99	AUG190978-M	MAR
9	IMMORTAL HULK #25	$5.99	AUG191030-M	MAR
10	MARAUDERS #1	$4.99	AUG190863-M	MAR

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	X-MEN #1	$4.99	AUG190845-M	MAR
2	SPAWN #301	$4.99	JUL190084-M	IMA
3	POWERS OF X #6	$5.99	AUG190879-M	MAR
4	THE JOKER: YEAR OF THE VILLAIN #1	$4.99	AUG190440	DC
5	HOUSE OF X #6	$4.99	AUG190870-M	MAR
6	THE JOKER/HARLEY: CRIMINAL SANITY #1 [*]	$5.99	AUG190443-M	DC
7	HARLEEN #2 (MR)	$7.99	AUG190524-M	DC
8	IMMORTAL HULK #25	$5.99	AUG191030-M	MAR
9	ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #4	$4.99	AUG190902-M	MAR
10	AMAZING MARY JANE #1	$3.99	AUG190933-M	MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DOOMSDAY CLOCK PART 1 HC	$24.99	JUL190638	DC
2	THE WICKED & THE DIVINE VOL. 9 TP	$17.99	JUN190046	IMA
3	SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY TP	$24.99	JUL191106	MAR
4	THANOS: THE INFINITY ENDING HC	$24.99	JUN191038	MAR
5	ASCENDER VOLUME 1 TP (MR)	$9.99	AUG190065	IMA
6	DC SUPER HERO GIRLS AT METROPOLIS HIGH TP	$9.99	JUL190526	DC
7	THE WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM VOL. 4 TP	$59.99	JUL190111	IMA
8	CRITICAL ROLE VOL. 1: VOX MACHINA ORIGINS TP	$19.99	JUN190303	DAR
9	MY HERO ACADEMIA VOLUME 1 GN	$9.99	AUG192431	VIZ
10	GIDEON FALLS VOL. 3: STATIONS OF THE CROSS TP	$16.99	AUG190124	IMA

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	THE WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM VOL. 4 TP	$59.99	JUL190111	IMA
2	DOOMSDAY CLOCK PART 1 HC	$24.99	JUL190638	DC
3	JOHN BYRN’ES MARVEL CLASSICS ARTIFACT EDITION HC	$75.00	JUL190826	IDW
4	NAMOR SUB-MARINER BY BYRNE AND JAE LEE OMNIBUS HC	$125.00	APR190937-M	MAR
5	SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY TP	$24.99	JUL191106	MAR
6	THANOS: THE INFINITY ENDING HC	$24.99	JUN191038	MAR
7	BATMAN BY SNYDER & CAPULLO OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC	$125.00	APR190526	DC
8	THE IMMORTAL HULK VOL. 1 HC	$34.99	APR190949	MAR
9	THE BOYS OMNIBUS VOLUME 1 TP (MR)	$29.99	DEC181256-M	DE
10	MARVEL MASTERWORKS: GHOST RIDER VOLUME 1 HC	$75.00	APR190942-M	MAR

TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	SHIGENORI SOEJIMA & P-STUDIO ART UNIT ART WORKS 2 TP	$39.99	AUG192423	UDO
2	SHIGENORI SOEJIMA ART WORKS TP	$39.99	AUG192422	UDO
3	DARKSTALKERS OFFICIAL COMPLETE WORKS HC	$44.99	AUG192425	UDO
4	DRAGON’S CROWN OFFICIAL ARTWORKS HC	$49.99	JUL192399	UDO
5	OVERLORD VOLUME 11 HC	$20.00	JUL192435	YEN
6	NO GAME NO LIFE VOLUME 9 SC	$14.00	MAY192173	YEN
7	DOCTOR WHO: TALES OF TERROR SC	$11.99	APR198763	BBC
8	FRANK CHO: BALLPOINT BEAUTIES HC (MR)	$29.95	MAY191709	FLE
9	BLOODBORNE OFFICIAL ARTWORKS SC	$44.99	MAR172148	UDO
10	HARRY POTTER POP UP BOOK: GUIDE TO HOGWARTS	$75.00	AUG182035	INS

TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	POP! MARVEL: SPIDER-MAN INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE: CASUAL MILES MORALES VINYL FIGURE	JAN199071	FUN
2	POP! DC HEROES: THE RED DEATH VINYL FIGURE	JUN192566	FUN
3	OVERWATCH: D.VA FIGMA	JUL188939	GOO
4	POP! DC HEROES: BATWOMAN VINYL FIGURE	JAN199072	FUN
5	MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: FAKER 1/6-SCALE COLLECTIBLE FIGURE	NOV188738	MON
6	MARVEL SELECT: UNLEASHED HULK ACTION FIGURE	AUG118205	DST
7	ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: MARVEL: CYCLOPS ACTION FIGURE	JUL188503	MEZ
8	MARVEL MILESTONES: THOR RAGNAROK: GLADIATOR HULK STATUE	MAY182309	DST
9	MARVEL: DOMINO BISHOUJO STATUE	JAN199191	KOT
10	MARVEL SELECT: CARNAGE ACTION FIGURE	NOV142179	DST

TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	PATHFINDER: LOST OMENS CHARACTER GUIDE HC (P2)	AUG193363	PAI
2	MY HERO ACADEMIA CARD GAME	JUL183082	S7
3	CRITICAL ROLE: TAL’DOREI CAMPAIGN SETTING HC	JUN173357	GRE
4	MUTANTS & MASTERMINDS RPG GAME: MASTERS GUIDE REVISED EDITION HC	MAR198040	GRE
5	PATHFINDER CORE RULEBOOK HC (P2)	MAY193227	PAI
6	TOME OF BEASTS HC	JUN168476	PAI
7	POP! FUNKOVERSE STRATEGY GAME: DC COMICS 100 BASE SET	JUN198702	FUN
8	POP! FUNKOVERSE STRATEGY GAME: HARRY POTTER 100 BASE SET	JUN198705	FUN
9	PATHFINDER RPG: BESTIARY 6 POCKET EDITION	JUL193268	PAI
10	PATHFINDER RPG: VILLAIN CODEX POCKET EDITION	JUL193269	PAI

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Visit the ComicSpectrum website: http://www.comicspectrum.com/
or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ComicSpectrum

Posted in Comics, Comics Sales, Diamond | Tagged Batman, DC Comics, Jonathan Hickman, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Spawn, Todd McFarlane, X-Men | Leave a comment

Diamond Announces Top Sales for September 2019

Posted on October 18, 2019 by comicspectrum

Spawn #300 is the Best-selling Comic
Marvel Remains Top Publisher

Other than Spawn #300, the top sellers are the “usual suspects”. Even Spawn #300 being at the top is not much of a surprise, it’s a milestone anniversary issue and had a load of variant covers. Even people who have not bought Spawn this century picked up a copy just to see what was going on (I count myself among these people).

Beyond the $7.99 Spawn #300 landing at the top, we have Spider-Man #1 (Marvel’s #1 solo hero written by JJ Abrams, another no-brainer as something that will sell really well), and House of X #5. The X-Men reboot series and its companion Powers of X have been selling way more than comic shops expected and each issue is running through multiple printings after they sell out of the 5+ variant covers that shipped as part of the 1st printing. House + Powers issues #4 & 5 take up slots #3-6 on the Top 10.

We follow that up with 3 event books, Absolute Carnage #3, a DCeased tie-in “A Good Day to Die”, and Harleen #1 a new Batman Universe tie-in.

So, like we’ve see many times before: Events sell. Batman sells. Key popular characters sell, especially when coupled with some kind of event/stunt (I’d call getting JJ Abrams & son writing a comic a stunt, in this context).

– Bob Bretall (bob@comicspectrum.com)

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (October 18, 2019) — Todd McFarlane’s Spawn series entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest-running creator-owned comic book series and its 300^th issue was also a record winner as the top-selling comic book of September according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics remained the top publisher in September, taking 38.81% of dollars and 45.51% of units shipped. In second place was DC with a market share of 27.80% and 29.15%, respectively. Image Comics ranked third, breaking over ten-percent market share thanks to Spawn and other creator owner projects with a 11.01% dollar share and a 8.32% unit share. The top three were followed by Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Dynamite Entertainment, and BOOM! Studios, respectively.

Marvel Comics had six of the month’s top ten best-selling comic books, starting with the J. J. Abrams and son Henry Abrams penned and Sara Pichelli penciled Spider-Man #1 at number two. The latest issues of Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz’s House of X and Powers of X ranked #3-6, with Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman’s Absolute Carnage #3 rounding out Marvel top titles, coming in at #8. DC had three titles in the top ten: Geoff Johns and Garry Frank’s Doomsday Clock #11 placed at #7, DCeased: A Good Way to Die #1 at #9, and Harleen #1 ranked #10.

Among the premier publishers, IDW Publishing’s top book for September was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #98 at #44; BOOM! Studios’ Something Is Killing the Children #1 ranked #57; Dynamite Entertainment’s Vampirella/Red Sonja #1 ranked #101; and Dark Horse Comics’ Black Hammer/Justice League #3 ranked #114.

DC dominated the graphic novel charts with six best-selling titles, starting with the hardcover collection of Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo’s Batman: Damned at #1. Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba’s Umbrella Academy #3: Hotel Oblivion TP from Dark Horse Comics charted at #2. Image Comics also placed two volumes on the graphic novel chart with Paper Girls Volume 6 TP and Monstress Volume 4 TP.

Diamond Select Toys’ Marvel Gallery: Avengers Endgame: Iron Man MK85 PVC Figure, was September’s best-selling figure, with DST charting two other best-sellers, the Marvel Select: Captain Marvel Figure at #5 and the John Wick Select Figure at #10. Mattel’s DC Multiverse 6-Inch Figures: Lobo Wave was the #2 selling toy for the month, while Mezco’s One-12 Collective: Marvel Netflix: The Punisher Figure punched in at #3. DC Collectibles had three toys in the top ten: Batman Black and White by Marc Silvestri Statue (#4), Dark Nights Metal: Batman the Devastator Statue (#7), and DC Essentials: Red Hood Action Figure (#8). Rounding out the top ten at #9 was Funko’s POP! Marvel: Spider-Punk Vinyl Figure, a PREVIEWS Exclusive.

Prime Books’ The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2019 Edition was September’s best-selling book, featuring a collection of top stories from renowned Sci-fi/Fantasy authors.

Paizo Publishing’s Pathfinder Core Rulebook (2nd Edition) was September’s best-selling game product and one of Paizo’s eight products among the top ten.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER	DOLLAR SHARE	UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS	38.81%	45.51%
DC	27.80%	29.15%
IMAGE COMICS	11.01%	8.32%
DARK HORSE COMICS	3.26%	2.27%
IDW PUBLISHING	3.08%	2.92%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	2.70%	2.02%
BOOM! STUDIOS	2.48%	2.53%
VIZ MEDIA	1.57%	0.62%
ONI PRESS	0.76%	0.63%
ARCHIE COMICS	0.65%	0.63%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	7.87%	5.42%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
SEPTEMBER 2019 VS. AUGUST 2019
COMICS	5.20%	9.97%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	2.90%	-1.98%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	4.60%	9.12%
TOYS	-14.00%	-33.26%
SEPTEMBER 2019 VS. SEPTEMBER 2018
COMICS	10.87%	5.25%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-11.54%	-20.44%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	4.09%	3.13%
TOYS	9.99%	-17.90%
YEAR TO DATE 2019 VS. YEAR TO DATE 2018
COMICS	2.05%	-3.29%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-4.26%	-10.04%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	0.25%	-3.79%
TOYS	22.69%	25.47%
QUARTER 3 2019 VS. QUARTER 2 2019
COMICS	13.25%	8.20%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	1.68%	3.50%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	10.01%	7.88%
TOYS	29.24%	26.14%
QUARTER 3 2019 VS. QUARTER 3 2018
COMICS	5.41%	0.01%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-7.95%	-15.17%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	1.59%	-1.16%
TOYS	19.23%	22.45%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER	COMICS SHIPPED	GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED	MAGAZINES SHIPPED	TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS	99	43	0	142
DC	83	26	0	109
IMAGE COMICS	42	19	0	61
DARK HORSE COMICS	19	21	0	40
IDW PUBLISHING	25	15	0	40
VIZ MEDIA	0	33	0	33
BOOM! STUDIOS	18	14	0	32
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	15	5	0	20
ARCHIE COMICS	11	3	0	14
ONI PRESS	4	4	0	8
OTHER NON-TOP 10	127	186	19	332
TOTAL	443	369	19	831

JUL190833 - SPIDER-MAN #1 (OF 5) - HR_787795

JUL190857 - HOUSE OF X #5 (OF 6) - HR_787796

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	SPAWN #300	$7.99	JUN190014-M	IMA
2	SPIDER-MAN #1	$4.99	JUL190833-M	MAR
3	HOUSE OF X #5	$4.99	JUL190857-M	MAR
4	POWERS OF X #5	$4.99	JUL190873-M	MAR
5	POWERS OF X #4	$4.99	JUL190865-M	MAR
6	HOUSE OF X #4	$4.99	JUL190849-M	MAR
7	DOOMSDAY CLOCK #11	$4.99	MAR190507-M	DC
8	ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #3	$4.99	JUL190885-M	MAR
9	DCEASED: A GOOD DAY TO DIE #1	$4.99	JUL190514-M	DC
10	HARLEEN #1 (MR)	$7.99	JUL190510-M	DC

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	SPAWN #300	$7.99	JUN190014-M	IMA
2	SPIDER-MAN #1	$4.99	JUL190833-M	MAR
3	HOUSE OF X #5	$4.99	JUL190857-M	MAR
4	HARLEEN #1 (MR)	$7.99	JUL190510-M	DC
5	POWERS OF X #5	$4.99	JUL190873-M	MAR
6	POWERS OF X #4	$4.99	JUL190865-M	MAR
7	HOUSE OF X #4	$4.99	JUL190849-M	MAR
8	DOOMSDAY CLOCK #11	$4.99	MAR190507-M	DC
9	ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #3	$4.99	JUL190885-M	MAR
10	DCEASED: A GOOD DAY TO DIE #1	$4.99	JUL190514-M	DC

MAR190571 - BATMAN DAMNED HC (MR) - HR_787797

MAR190279 - UMBRELLA ACADEMY TP VOL 03 HOTEL OBLIVION (C_ 0-1-2) - HR_787798

JUL190107 - PAPER GIRLS TP VOL 06 - HR_787799

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	BATMAN: DAMNED HC (MR)	$29.99	MAR190571	DC
2	UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 3: HOTEL OBLIVION TP	$19.99	MAR190279	DAR
3	PAPER GIRLS VOLUME 6 TP	$14.99	JUL190107	IMA
4	MONSTRESS VOLUME 4 TP (MR)	$16.99	JUL190105-M	IMA
5	IMMORTAL HULK VOL. 4: ABOMINATION TP	$15.99	JUN191051	MAR
6	HEROES IN CRISIS HC	$29.99	JUN190600	DC
7	BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE HC	$17.99	JUN190574	DC
8	BATMAN VOL, 10: KNIGHTMARES TP	$17.99	JUN190562	DC
9	BATMAN: NIGHTWALKER: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL	$16.99	MAY190358	DC
10	THE JOKER: HIS GREATEST JOKES TP	$19.99	JUN190604	DC

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	BATMAN: DAMNED HC (MR)	$29.99	MAR190571	DC
2	UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 3: HOTEL OBLIVION TP	$19.99	MAR190279	DAR
3	MONSTRESS VOLUME 4 TP (MR)	$16.99	JUL190105-M	IMA
4	MARVEL HORROR OMNIBUS HC	$150.00	MAR190992	MAR
5	HEROES IN CRISIS HC	$29.99	JUN190600	DC
6	PAPER GIRLS VOLUME 6 TP	$14.99	JUL190107	IMA
7	TIMELY’S GREATEST: GOLDEN AGE SUB-MARINER BY EVERETT HC	$150.00	MAR190993-M	MAR
8	UMBRELLA ACADEMY LIBRARY EDITION VOL. 1 HC	$39.99	JUN190309	DAR
9	BATMAN ETERNAL OMNIBUS HC	$125.00	JAN190658	DC
10	SPIDER-MAN BY JOHN BYRNE OMNIBUS HC	$125.00	MAR191002	MAR

TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	THE YEAR’S BEST SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY 2019 EDITION	$19.95	NOV188362	PRI
2	FREE S$$T: THE CHARLES BURNS ZINE COLLECTION HC	$19.99	JUL191904	FAN
3	THE DARK CRYSTAL LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK	$4.99	JUL191956	GOL
4	GRIMM FAIRY TALES ADULT COLORING BOOK VOL. 1 SC	$12.99	OCT151871	ZEN
5	FRANK CHO: BALLPOINT BEAUTIES SC	$19.95	JUN191759	FLE
6	BLOODBORNE OFFICIAL ARTWORKS SC	$44.99	MAR172148	UDO
7	THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOL. 144 SC	$14.95	MAY191887	SAN
8	MY LITTLE PONY: BEST GIFT EVER PERFECT PINKIE PRESENT LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK	$4.99	JUL191958	GOL
9	CATS OF THE LOUVRE MANGA HC	$29.99	JUL192406	VIZ
10	DOCTOR WHO: RESURRECTION OF THE DALEKS HC	$16.99	JUL191682	BBC

TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	MARVEL GALLERY: AVENGERS ENDGAME: IRON MAN MK85 PVC FIGURE	FEB198521	DST
2	DC MULTIVERSE 6-INCH FIGURES: LOBO WAVE	NOV188888	MAT
3	ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: MARVEL NETFLIX: THE PUNISHER FIGURE	MAR188817	MEZ
4	BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE BY MARC SILVESTRI STATUE	FEB190627	DC
5	MARVEL SELECT: CAPTAIN MARVEL MOVIE FIGURE	JAN192554	DST
6	DC COMICSl CATWOMAN RETURNS BISHOUJO STATUE	JAN198158	KOT
7	DARK NIGHTS METAL: BATMAN THE DEVASTATOR STATUE	FEB190623	DC
8	DC ESSENTIALS: RED HOOD ACTION FIGURE	FEB190631	DC
9	POP! MARVEL: SPIDER-PUNK VINYL FIGURE	SEP188215	FUN
10	JOHN WICK SELECT FIGURE	SEP182329	DST

TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	PATHFINDER CORE RULEBOOK HC (P2)	MAY193227	PAI
2	PATHFINDER: LOST OMENS WORLD GUIDE HC (P2)	MAY193231	PAI
3	STARFINDER RPG: ALIEN ARCHIVE 3 HC	JUN193098	PAI
4	MARVEL HEROCLIX: X-MEN ANIMATED SERIES DARK PHOENIX BOOSTER BRICK	MAY193279	NEC
5	PATHFINDER BESTIARY HC (P2)	MAY193229	PAI
6	CRITICAL ROLE: TAL’DOREI CAMPAIGN SETTING HC	JUN173357	GRE
7	PATHFINDER: CORE RULEBOOK HC SPECIAL EDITION (P2)	MAY193228	PAI
8	PATHFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK POCKET EDITION	APR168770	PAI
9	PATHFINDER ADVENTURE PATH: AGE OF ASHES PART 2 (P2)	MAY198358	PAI
10	PATHFINDER GM SCREEN (P2)	MAY193238	PAI

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Visit the ComicSpectrum website: http://www.comicspectrum.com/
or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ComicSpectrum

Posted in Comics, Comics Sales, Diamond | Tagged Batman, DC Comics, Image Comics, JJ Abrams, Marvel Comics, Spawn 300, spider-man, Todd McFarlane, X-Men | Leave a comment

Diamond Announces Top Sales for August 2019

Posted on September 13, 2019 by comicspectrum

Marvel Takes 7 of Top 10 Sales Spots
Batman Grabs Other 3 Spots for DC

I feel like a broken record…. Events, new #1s, and Batman command the top of the sales charts. Comics buyers are nothing if not predictable and I cannot blame the Publishers for producing what they like to buy. The ever increasing cover prices on these books does not seem to slow down sales. The #1 book was Absolute Carnage #1 with a $7.99 price tag. #2 was Marvel Comics #1000 with a $9.99 price tag, which was essentially a new #1 since the ‘1000’ is just a marketing designation, not a number with any basis in reality. Both of these combined a marketing push for a “gotta have it” event with loads of variant covers that many fans bought multiple copies of.

Last month, July, Marvel out-shipped DC 150 items to 110 to gain a 41.38% Dollar share and 45.49% unit share with 5 items in the top 10. DC had 26.79% Dollar share and 27.63% unit share for July (keep in mind that July had 5 shipping weeks).

This month Marvel shipped 130 items to DCs 92, keeping steady at about a 40 item out-ship. Marvel had a 46.15% Dollar share and 49.96% Unit share to DCs 24.86% Dollar share and 25.96 Unit share. Marvel gained about 5% of the overall sales pie, taking 2% away from DC and 3% from the other publishers.

Marvel’s weekly X-Men relaunch (House of X / Powers of X) had all four $4.99 issues in the top 10, taking spots 4-7 on units shipped and 5-8 on dollars. Image released the final volume (v32) of The Walking Dead and grabbed the #1 spot on both dollars and units.

Putting on my reviewer hat, the top comics this month are mostly top notch. I read 9 of the top 10 books and, with the exception of Marvel Comics #1000 that I thought was disjointed and lost focus about 2/3rds of the way in, either really enjoyed them or heard LOTS of other people talking about how they really loved them. The X-Men relaunch seems to be enjoyed by most readers, it’s got me enjoying my 1st mainstream X-book in over a decade. So the top sellers are giving fans some enjoyable art and stories.

That said, I’m not a fan of variant covers that are increasing the sales on most of the Top 10 books. I think they drain money away from fans purchasing a wider variety of comics since they are sinking more dollars in their comics budget into multiple copies of the same thing. I think excessive variants are a long term detriment to the comics industry at the same time that they provides short term $ advantages to publishers who abuse variant covers to drain money from fans wallets.

Ultimately, August was a really solid month for comics, I just wish more people would be sampling books farther down the Top 300 (where some really great books can also be found) but are just not sampled by people.

– Bob Bretall (bob@comicspectrum.com)

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (September 13, 2019) — Carnage’s hunt for Venom — and all those who have carried a symbiote — threatens chaos in New York City in Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman’s Absolute Carnage #1 from Marvel Comics, the best-selling comic book of August 2019 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was August’s top publisher, taking 46.15% of dollars and 49.96% of units shipped. In second place, DC’s market share was 24.86% and 25.96% respectively. Image Comics ranked third, with a 6.32% dollar share and a 6.26% unit share, followed by IDW Publishing, Dark Horse Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, and BOOM! Studios.

Marvel Comics had seven of the month’s top ten best-selling comic books. In addition to Absolute Carnage #1, the 80th-anniversary celebration Marvel Comics #1000 ranked #2, Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz’s House of X #3 ranked #4, Hickman and R.B. Silva’s Powers of X #2 ranked #5, Hickman and Larraz’s House of X #2 ranked #6, Hickman and Silva’s Powers of X #3 ranked #7, and Cates and Stegman’s Absolute Carnage #2 ranked #8. DC had three titles in the top ten: Joshua Williamson and David Marquez’s Batman/Superman #1, spinning out of the events of The Batman Who Laughs, ranked #3, Tom King and Tony S. Daniel’s Batman #77 ranked #9, and Sean Murphy’s Black Label book, Batman: Curse of the White Knight #2, ranked #10. Among the premier publishers, IDW Publishing’s top book for August was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #97 at #44; Dynamite Entertainment’s Vampirella #2 ranked #51; BOOM! Studios’ Once and Future #1, the new series from Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora, ranked #64; Dark Horse Comics’ Black Hammer/Justice League #2 ranked #88; and Image Comics’ Die #6 ranked #95.

Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead Volume 32, the final volume of Image Comics’ best-selling series, was August’s best-selling graphic novel. DC Comics had three titles in the top ten: Scott Snyder and Jock’s The Batman Who Laughs ranked #2, Mariko Tamaki and Steve Pugh’s Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass ranked #3, and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen, reprinted to coincide with the HBO series, ranked #4. Marvel Comics had four titles in the top ten: Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman’s War of the Realms ranked #5, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season One Declassified ranked #6, Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum and Paolo Villanelli’s Star War: Vader: Dark Visions ranked #7, and Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw’s Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 1: Final Gauntlet ranked #10.

UDON Entertainment’s Neon Genesis Evangelion: TV Animation Production Art Collection, a hardcover collection of concept and production art for the acclaimed anime, was August’s best-selling book, and one of UDON’s three books in the top ten. The softcover edition of Gemstone Publishing’s Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Volume 49 ranked #3. Also in the top ten, Dynamite Entertainment’s The Art of Dejah Thoris and the Worlds of Mars Volume 2, a collection of covers and pin-ups, ranked #9.

Mezco’s One:12 Collective: DC Comics: Sovereign Knight Batman (Blue Costume) Action Figure, a PREVIEWS Exclusive version of the figure series that looks at Batman through the ages, was August’s best-selling figure. Funko had three products in the top ten, all of them PREVIEWS Exclusives: the POP! DC Heroes: Batman Damned Vinyl Figure ranked #2, the POP! DC Heroes: The Batman Who Laughs Vinyl Figure ranked #3, and the POP! Marvel: Nova Prime Vinyl Figure ranked #8. Diamond Select Toys’ Marvel Select: Psylocke Figure ranked #6. DC Collectibles had two products in the top ten: the Batman: The Animated Series: Batcycle & Figure Set ranked #7 and the DC Designer Series: Nightwing by Jim Lee Statue ranked #9.

Paizo Publishing’s Pathfinder Core Rulebook (2nd Edition) was August’s best-selling game product and one of Paizo’s eight products among the top ten.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER	DOLLAR SHARE	UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS	46.15%	49.96%
DC	24.86%	25.96%
IMAGE COMICS	6.32%	6.26%
IDW PUBLISHING	4.00%	4.18%
DARK HORSE COMICS	3.27%	2.65%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	2.51%	2.13%
BOOM! STUDIOS	2.50%	2.34%
VIZ MEDIA	1.33%	0.53%
TITAN COMICS	0.72%	0.64%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT	0.53%	0.56%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	7.81%	4.79%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
AUGUST 2019 VS. JULY 2019
COMICS	-6.01%	-9.70%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-5.13%	0.26%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-5.78%	-9.06%
TOYS	-21.40%	-20.06%
AUGUST 2019 VS. AUGUST 2018
COMICS	0.64%	-4.44%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-20.11%	-21.96%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-5.76%	-5.94%
TOYS	-9.65%	11.91%
YEAR TO DATE 2019 VS. YEAR TO DATE 2018
COMICS	0.92%	-4.37%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-3.24%	-8.55%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-0.26%	-4.68%
TOYS	24.37%	31.96%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER	COMICS SHIPPED	GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED	MAGAZINES SHIPPED	TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS	88	42	0	130
DC	64	27	1	92
IMAGE COMICS	47	9	0	56
IDW PUBLISHING	32	12	0	44
DARK HORSE COMICS	21	18	0	39
BOOM! STUDIOS	19	15	0	34
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	17	7	0	24
VIZ MEDIA	0	21	0	21
TITAN COMICS	8	6	1	15
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT	7	2	0	9
OTHER NON-TOP 10	128	169	22	319
TOTAL	431	328	24	783

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #1	$7.99	JUN190761-M	MAR
2	MARVEL COMICS #1000	$9.99	JUN190842-M	MAR
3	BATMAN/SUPERMAN #1 [*]	$3.99	JUN190450-M	DC
4	HOUSE OF X #3	$4.99	JUN190821-M	MAR
5	POWERS OF X #2	$4.99	JUN190828-M	MAR
6	HOUSE OF X #2	$4.99	JUN190814-M	MAR
7	POWERS OF X #3	$4.99	JUN190835-M	MAR
8	ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #2	$4.99	JUN190775-M	MAR
9	BATMAN #77	$3.99	JUN190479-M	DC
10	BATMAN: CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT #2	$4.99	JUN190457-M	DC

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	MARVEL COMICS #1000	$9.99	JUN190842-M	MAR
2	ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #1	$7.99	JUN190761-M	MAR
3	BATMAN/SUPERMAN #1 [*]	$3.99	JUN190450-M	DC
4	SUPERMAN: YEAR ONE #2 (MR) [*]	$7.99	JUN190465-M	DC
5	POWERS OF X #2	$4.99	JUN190828-M	MAR
6	HOUSE OF X #3	$4.99	JUN190821-M	MAR
7	HOUSE OF X #2	$4.99	JUN190814-M	MAR
8	POWERS OF X #3	$4.99	JUN190835-M	MAR
9	ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #2	$4.99	JUN190775-M	MAR
10	BATMAN: CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT #2	$4.99	JUN190457-M	DC

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 32 TP	$16.99	JUN190045	IMA
2	THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS HC	$29.99	JUN190568	DC
3	HARLEY QUINN: BREAKING GLASS TP	$16.99	APR190434	DC
4	WATCHMEN TP	$24.99	JUN190614-M	DC
5	WAR OF THE REALMS TP	$29.99	MAY190956	MAR
6	MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. DECLASSIFIED SLIPCASE HC	$49.99	APR140762	MAR
7	STAR WARS: VADER: DARK VISIONS TP	$15.99	MAY190975	MAR
8	MIRACULOUS: TALES OF LADYBUG AND CAT NOIR SEASON 2 VOL. 4: NO EVIL DOING TP	$8.99	SEP181357	ACT
9	DISNEY DESCENDANTS: EVIE’S WICKED RUNWAY VOL. 2 TP	$15.99	FEB192149	TOK
10	GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 1: FINAL GAUNTLET TP	$17.99	MAY190960	MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 32 TP	$16.99	JUN190045	IMA
2	THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS HC	$29.99	JUN190568	DC
3	SAGA COMPENDIUM VOLUME 1 TP (MR)	$59.99	MAY190044	IMA
4	WAR OF THE REALMS TP	$29.99	MAY190956	MAR
5	THE JOKER: THE BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS HC	$99.99	DEC180652	DC
6	WATCHMEN TP	$24.99	JUN190614-M	DC
7	MARVEL MASTERS OF SUSPENSE: LEE & DITKO OMNIBUS VOLUME 1 HC	$100.00	FEB190976	MAR
8	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: HUNTED TP	$39.99	MAY190964	MAR
9	THE BOYS OMNIBUS VOLUME 1 TP (MR)	$29.99	DEC181256-M	DYN
10	MISTER MIRACLE HC (MR)	$34.99	JAN198940	DC

TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	NEON GENESIS EVANGELION ART COLLECTION HC	$39.99	JUN192115	UDO
2	MEGA MAN BATTLE NETWORK OFFICIAL COMPLETE WORKS	$44.99	JUN192114	UDO
3	OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOL. 49 SC	$29.95	APR191757-M	GEM
4	THE SAGA OF TANYA THE EVIL VOL. 6 SC	$14.00	MAY192174	YEN
5	STAR WARS: REY AND PALS HC	$14.95	JUN191651	CHR
6	CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF ILLUSTRATED NOVEL SC	$18.00	JUN191761	POC
7	SO I’M A SPIDER, SO WHAT? VOL. 6 SC	$14.00	MAY192175	YEN
8	DARK SOULS DESIGN WORKS VOLUME 1 HC	$39.99	AUG131470	UDO
9	THE ART OF DEJAH THORIS & THE WORLDS OF MARS VOL. 2 HC (MR)	$39.99	JAN191259	DE
10	THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOL. 143 SC	$14.95	APR191921	SAN

TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: DC COMICS: SOVEREIGN KNIGHT BATMAN BLUE FIGURE	JUN188303	MEZ
2	POP! DC HEROES: BATMAN DAMNED VINYL FIGURE	DEC188715	FUN
3	POP! DC HEROES: THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS VINYL FIGURE	JUN188595	FUN
4	X-FORCE LEGENDS ACTION FIGURES	APR198748	HAS
5	MARVEL LEGENDS GEAR: AVENGERS ENDGAME: POWER GAUNTLET	JAN199285	HAS
6	MARVEL SELECT: PSYLOCKE FIGURE	FEB192448	DST
7	BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES: BATCYCLE & FIGURE SET	JAN190709	DC
8	POP! MARVEL: NOVA PRIME VINYL FIGURE	OCT188711	FUN
9	DC DESIGNER SERIES: NIGHTWING BY JIM LEE STATUE	JAN190712	DC
10	MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: SKELETOR 1/6-SCALE COLLECTIBLE FIGURE	SEP188638	MON

TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	PATHFINDER CORE RULEBOOK HC (P2)	MAY193227	PAI
2	PATHFINDER BESTIARY HC (P2)	MAY193229	PAI
3	PATHFINDER ADVENTURE PATH: AGE OF ASHES VOL. 1 (P2)	MAY193233	PAI
4	PATHFINDER ADVENTURE: FALL OF PLAGUESTONE (P2)	MAY193232	PAI
5	CRITICAL ROLE: TAL’DOREI CAMPAIGN SETTING HC	JUN173357	GRE
6	PATHFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK POCKET EDITION	APR168770	PAI
7	D&D: BALDUR’S GATE: DECENT INTO AVERNUS MINIATURES BRICK	JAN198568	NEC
8	PATHFINDER BESTIARY SPECIAL EDITION HC (P2)	MAY193230	PAI
9	STARFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK HC	JUN173371	PAI
10	PATHFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK	JUN091729	PAI

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Visit the ComicSpectrum website: http://www.comicspectrum.com/
or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ComicSpectrum

Posted in Comics, Comics Sales, Diamond | Tagged Batman, Batman Who Laughs, comics, comics sales, DC Comics, Image Comics, Marvel Comics, Walking Dead, X-Men | Leave a comment

Diamond Announces Top Sales for July 2019

Posted on August 9, 2019 by comicspectrum

Marvel’s X-Men Relaunch Grabs Top Sales
Total Sales Up in 5-Wednesday July,
Market Shares Remain About the Same

In June Marvel out-shipped DC 147 items to 71 to gain 43.38% Dollar share and 48.93% unit share with 4 items in the Top 10 (DC had 26.71% dollar share and 26.44 unit shar in June on those 71 items).

In July Marvel shipped 150 items to DC’s 110. Marvel’s piece of the comics pie for July was a 41.38% Dollar share and 45.49% unit share with 5 items in the top 10, including the top 3 selling comics: House of X #1 ($5.99 cover price), Powers of X #1 ($5.99 cover price), and Amazing Spider-Man #25 ($7.99 cover price). Marvel got a bit less of the pie, percentage-wise. DC got pretty much the same share as June, 26.79% Dollar share and 27.63% unit share.

To be fair, the “pie” itself was bigger in July, total comics/GN sales went UP 12.93% in dollars and 11.72% in units in July compared to June… BUT there were 5 shipping weeks in July so 5 weeks of sales instead of 4 accounts for this uptick.

Also worth noting is that the last issue of The Walking Dead hit the Top 10 at #4 in units shipped and #5 in $ invoiced. Walking Dead has long been one of the few indie books that would hit the Top 10 on a fairly regular basis, but that’s done as of July as far as comics sales go, though I suspect it will continue to appear on collected edition top sales charts now and again. Also, the [*] next to Walking Dead means it’s returnable (since the actual issue was not as originally solicited, being a surprise last issue). That said, I really doubt any retailer has any issues left to return, the issue flew off the racks on the day it was released.

All this is abstracted and imprecise, but I look at it as describing patterns of behavior, both from the Publishers as well as from comic shops/fans. The publishers keep relying on relaunches, popular characters, and special issues (be they events or anniversaries) for their bread and butter sales. They have figured out that the existing fan base absolutely LOVES #1 issues and special issues….they HAVE to have them for their collections. So they charge more for these issues. Increased dollars for the publishers with little extra effort. Nothing new here, this has been going on for a really long time and my belief is that it cannot last forever, but I’m also not Nostradamus so I cannot predict at what point the fanbase will collectively tire of this manipulation and stop buying a bunch of up-priced #1 issues.

Ultimately this does squeeze the comics industry as a whole. I have seen it on a small scale in shops that I go to: They do not order (or only order for pull list customers) a LARGE number of the lower selling Marvel/DC books and many indie books. Just last Wednesday I was looking for Crowded #8 from Image and none of the shops near me had copies for the rack on the day it was supposed to have gone on sale. I ended up getting it from MyComicShop.com… Fans are not going to discover new series or try indie comics if they’re not available to look at, but shops have to operate on really tight margins and at the shops I go to there are always piles of unsold comics that fall into these categories that the typical comic shop superhero fan has zero interest in. In many cases they have no money to try new stuff because the big publishers are extremely effective at raiding their wallets for extra money for the up-priced books that they MUST have (new #1s, special covers, events, special issues, etc.)

Oh well… I’m in one of those funks that come every now & again when I think too hard about this stuff. On one hand there is an absolute Renaissance of cool new comics from a wide variety of creators covering a wide variety of genres. I find them because I read Previews every month, follow creators I like on social media, and am active online in groups where I find out about stuff I might like. Then I order what I want in advance. Frequently when I miss ordering something in advance I find it difficult to pick it up “on the fly” because shops just don’t carry it. Crowded (from Image) is an example of this. I discovered it a couple of months ago and my pre-orders do not kick in until #9. Finding #7 & 8 as they came out was VERY difficult and I was specifically looking for them. What chance does someone have of just stumbling across a series like this?

But, I’ll try to keep positive… there are LOTS of comics to love, I read a bunch of stuff I enjoy every month and I’m always finding new stuff I like! Keep on comicing!

– Bob Bretall (bob@comicspectrum.com)

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (August 9, 2019) — A new era began for the X-Men and the Marvel Universe in Jonathan Hickman and Pepe Larraz’s House of X #1 from Marvel Comics, the best-selling comic book of July 2019 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was July’s top publisher with a 41.38% dollar share and a 45.49% unit share. DC placed second for the month with a 26.79% dollar share and a 27.63% unit share. Image Comics was third with an 8.43% share in dollars and a 8.64% share in units. IDW was fourth for the month, followed by Dark Horse Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, and BOOM! Studios.

In total, Marvel Comics had five titles in July’s top ten best-selling comics. In addition to House of X #1, Hickman and R.B. Silva’s Powers of X #1 ranked #2; Nick Spencer, Zeb Wells, Ryna Ottley, Humberto Ramos, and Dan Hipp’s Amazing Spider-Man #25 ranked #3; Jed MacKay, Clay McLeod Chapman, Travel Foreman, and Alberto Alburquerque’s Black Cat #2 ranked #8; and Al Ewing and Joe Bennett’s Immortal Hulk #20 ranked #9. Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead #193, the final issue of the long-running Image Comics zombie series, ranked #4. DC had four titles in the top ten: Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman: The Last Knight on Earth #2 at #5, Sean Murphy’s Batman: Curse of the White Knight #1 at #6, Snyder and Jock’s The Batman Who Laughs #7 at #7, and Tom King and Mikel Janin’s Batman #74 ranked #10. Among the premier publishers, Dynamite Entertainment’s Vampirella #1 from Christopher Preist and Ergun Gunduz was their top book in July at #11; Dark Horse Comics’ Black Hammer/Justice League #1, a crossover with DC by Jeff Lemire and Michael Walsh, ranked #64; IDW Publishing’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #96 was their top book at #99; and BOOM! Studios’ Buffy the Vampire Slayer #6 ranked #108.

Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo’s The Joker from DC’s Black Label imprint was July’s best-selling graphic novel. Also in the top ten for DC, Michael Northrop and Gustavo Duarte’s Dear Justice League ranked #6. Image Comics had three titles in the top ten, led by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Bad Weekend at #2. IDW Publishing’s They Called Us Enemy, an autobiographical graphic novel from Star Trek actor George Takei about Japanese internment camps during World War II, ranked #4. Marvel Comics also had three titles in the top ten, with Jason Aaron and Mahmud Asrar’s Conan the Barbarian Volume 1: The Life and Death of Conan Book One leading the way at #7.

The softcover edition of Gemstone Publishing’s Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Volume 49, the newest edition of the comic industry’s definitive price guide, was July’s best-selling book. The hardcover edition ranked #3, and the Big! Big! spiralbound edition ranked #9. Dynamite Entertainment also placed in the top ten with The Art of Tekken: A Complete Visual History, an art book about Namco’s long-running video game franchise, ranking #4.

Diamond Select Toys’ Marvel Gallery: X-Force Taco Truck Deadpool Statue, a San Diego Comic-Con 2019 exclusive, was July’s best-selling toy product, and one of the three SDCC exclusives from Diamond Select Toys among the top ten. Beast Kingdom’s Marvel Comics EAA-077: Spider-Gwen Figure, a PREVIEWS Exclusive, ranked #2 for the month. Funko also had three PREVIEWS Exclusive products among the top ten, led by the POP! Marvel: Nova Prime Vinyl Figure at #4. DC Collectibles also charted; the DC/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Michelangelo as Batman Figure, an SDCC exclusive, ranked #9.

Paizo Publishing’s Pathfinder Core Rulebook 2nd Edition, a revision of the rules for the popular role-playing game, was July’s best-selling game product and one of Paizo’s eight products among the top ten, including five additional products as part of the Pathfinder 2nd Edition launch.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER	DOLLAR SHARE	UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS	41.38%	45.49%
DC	26.79%	27.63%
IMAGE COMICS	8.43%	8.64%
IDW PUBLISHING	4.22%	3.99%
DARK HORSE COMICS	3.10%	2.42%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	2.31%	2.19%
BOOM! STUDIOS	2.05%	1.86%
VIZ MEDIA	1.51%	0.58%
TITAN COMICS	0.74%	0.68%
ARCHIE COMICS	0.68%	0.75%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	8.80%	5.77%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
JULY 2019 VS. JUNE 2019
COMICS	15.75%	12.25%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	5.58%	4.42%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	12.93%	11.72%
TOYS	48.78%	61.20%
JULY 2019 VS. JULY 2018
COMICS	4.99%	-0.73%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	12.83%	0.08%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	6.91%	-0.68%
TOYS	72.30%	84.85%
YEAR TO DATE 2019 VS. YEAR TO DATE 2018
COMICS	0.97%	-4.36%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-0.25%	-6.20%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	0.63%	-4.50%
TOYS	32.17%	35.90%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER	COMICS SHIPPED	GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED	MAGAZINES SHIPPED	TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS	105	45	0	150
DC	86	24	0	110
IDW PUBLISHING	45	20	0	65
IMAGE COMICS	50	10	0	60
DARK HORSE COMICS	18	20	0	38
BOOM! STUDIOS	15	16	0	31
VIZ MEDIA LLC	0	23	0	23
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	16	5	0	21
ARCHIE COMICS	13	3	0	16
ONI PRESS	4	5	0	9
OTHER NON-TOP 10	143	150	23	316
TOTAL	495	321	23	839

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	HOUSE OF X #1	$5.99	MAY190690	MAR
2	POWERS OF X #1	$5.99	MAY190703	MAR
3	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #25	$7.99	MAY190815	MAR
4	THE WALKING DEAD #193 (MR) [*]	$3.99	MAY190111	IMA
5	BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #2	$5.99	MAY190360	DC
6	BATMAN: CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT #1	$4.99	MAY190356	DC
7	THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #7	$4.99	JUN190448	DC
8	BLACK CAT #2	$3.99	MAY190834	MAR
9	IMMORTAL HULK #20	$3.99	MAY190775	MAR
10	BATMAN #74	$3.99	MAY190383	DC

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	HOUSE OF X #1	$5.99	MAY190690	MAR
2	POWERS OF X #1	$5.99	MAY190703	MAR
3	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #25	$7.99	MAY190815	MAR
4	BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #2	$5.99	MAY190360	DC
5	THE WALKING DEAD #193 (MR) [*]	$3.99	MAY190111	IMA
6	BATMAN: CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT #1	$4.99	MAY190356	DC
7	THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #7	$4.99	JUN190448	DC
8	BLACK CAT #2	$3.99	MAY190834	MAR
9	IMMORTAL HULK #20	$3.99	MAY190775	MAR
10	VAMPIRELLA #1 [*]	$3.99	MAY190996	DE

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	THE JOKER TP	$14.99	APR190556	DC
2	BAD WEEKEND HC (MR)	$16.99	MAY190040	IMA
3	DEADLY CLASS VOL. 8: NEVER GO BACK TP (MR)	$16.99	MAY190047	IMA
4	THEY CALLED US ENEMY TP	$19.99	MAR190630	IDW
5	ADVENTURE ZONE VOL. 2: MURDER ON ROCKPORT LIMITED GN	$19.99	MAY191698	FIR
6	DEAR JUSTICE LEAGUE TP	$9.99	MAR190470	DC
7	CONAN THE BARBARIAN VOL. 1: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF CONAN BOOK ONE TP	$19.99	APR190960	MAR
8	MILES MORALES VOL. 1: STRAIGHT OUT OF BROOKLYN TP	$17.99	APR190958	MAR
9	DIE DIE DIE VOL. 1 TP (MR)	$19.99	MAY190041	IMA
10	DAREDEVIL BY CHIP ZDARSKY VOL. 1: KNOW FEAR TP	$15.99	MAY190967	MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	CONAN THE BARBARIAN: ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC	$125.00	JAN191082-M	MAR
2	THE JOKER TP	$14.99	APR190556	DC
3	MONSTRESS VOLUME 1 HC (MR)	$49.99	APR190054-M	IMA
4	BAD WEEKEND HC (MR)	$16.99	MAY190040	IMA
5	DC UNIVERSE: BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS BY JACK KIRBY HC	$150.00	NOV180560	DC
6	ADVENTURE ZONE VOL. 2: MURDER ON ROCKPORT LIMITED GN	$19.99	MAY191698	FIR
7	THEY CALLED US ENEMY TP	$19.99	MAR190630	IDW
8	SUPERMAN: THE GOLDEN AGE OMNIBUS VOL. 6 HC	$125.00	NOV180575	DC
9	MARVEL MASTERWORKS: CAPTAIN AMERICA VOL. 11 HC	$75.00	JAN191092-M	MAR
10	THANOS BY DONNY CATES HC	$34.99	JAN191088	MAR

TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOL. 49 SC	$29.95	APR191757-M	GEM
2	GEARS OF WAR RETROSPECTIVE HC	$49.99	MAY192131	UDO
3	OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOL. 49 HC	$35.00	APR191758-M	GEM
4	THE ART OF TEKKEN: A COMPLETE VISUAL HISTORY HC	$39.99	AUG181195	DE
5	I AM SHE-RA LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK	$4.99	MAY191727	RAN
6	I AM HE-MAN LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK	$4.99	MAY191726	RAN
7	DARK SOULS DESIGN WORKS VOL. 1 HC	$39.99	AUG131470	UDO
8	ART OF DARKSIDERS III	$49.99	DEC188955	UDO
9	BIG BIG OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOL. 49	$49.50	APR191763	GEM
10	AVENGERS: BATTLE ON THE MOON LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK	$4.99	MAY191720	RAN

TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	MARVEL GALLERY: X-FORCE: TACO TRUCK DEADPOOL SDCC 2019 STATUE	JAN198204	DST
2	MARVEL COMICS EAA-077: SPIDER-GWEN FIGURE	OCT188103	BEA
3	DC GALLERY: SPEED FORCE FLASH SDCC 2019 PVC STATUE	JAN198205	DST
4	POP! MARVEL: NOVA PRIME VINYL FIGURE	OCT188711	FUN
5	MARVEL GALLERY: X-FORCE: X-23 SDCC 2019 PVC STATUE	JAN198206	DST
6	POP! DC HEROES: RED DEATH VINYL FIGURE	OCT188710	FUN
7	POP! RICK & MORTY: PICKLE RICK GLOW-IN-THE-DARK SDCC 2019 VINYL FIGURE	DEC188716	FUN
8	FALLOUT: X-01 POWER ARMOR QUANTUM VARIANT 1/6-SCALE FIGURE	NOV188441	THR
9	DC/TMNT: MICHELANGELO AS BATMAN SDCC 2019 FIGURE	JAN199284	DC
10	MARVEL: VENOM ARTFX+ STATUE	OCT188699	KOT

TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	PATHFINDER CORE RULEBOOK HC (P2)	MAY193227	PAI
2	PATHFINDER BESTIARY HC (P2)	MAY193229	PAI
3	PATHFINDER CORE RULEBOOK SPECIAL EDITION HC (P2)	MAY193228	PAI
4	THE EXPANSE RPG HC	NOV182869	GRE
5	PATHFINDER BESTIARY SPECIAL EDITION HC (P2)	MAY193230	PAI
6	PATHFINDER GM SCREEN (P2)	MAY193238	PAI
7	STARFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK HC	JUN173371	PAI
8	MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: WAR OF THE SPARK BOOSTERS	JAN198652	WZK
9	PATHFINDER CONDITION CARDS DECK (P2)	MAY193236	PAI
10	TOME OF BEASTS HC	JUN168476	PAI

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

***

Visit the ComicSpectrum website: http://www.comicspectrum.com/
or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ComicSpectrum

Posted in Comics, Comics Sales, Diamond | Tagged Amazing Spider-Man, comic sales, comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, July 2019, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Top Sales, Walking Dead, X-Men | Leave a comment

Diamond Announces Top Sales for June 2019

Posted on July 12, 2019 by comicspectrum

DC Ships Less Than Half as Many Items as Marvel
Achieves ~60% of Marvel’s Market Share

Marvel wins as top Publisher again. This is hardly news. Marvel out-shipped DC 147 items to 71. That’s more than twice as many items and they are not getting twice the market share. What DC learned is all those extra items got them into a diminishing returns situation, so they cut back and concentrated on what is selling better. For DC, that means ship a lot of Batman books, but “give the people what they want” is an old marketing aphorism.

With summer upon us, Marvel continues to hammer the marketplace with stuff. June’s 147 items from Marvel is up ~25% from the 118 items they shipped in May. There were a total of 788 items across all publishers shipped in June. That’s close to 200 items for each Wednesday in the month. Is your local shop racking 200 items each week? I know mine are not. I’ll point out again that the 2 comic shops I go to regularly don’t even buy all of “top publisher” Marvel’s items for the rack any more. Things that are not on any customer’s pull lists or books nobody has even asked about often get skipped. These are not tiny shops, but they are overwhelmed by all the material being produced and they are pushing back by not blindly ordering copies of everything. This means it is more important than ever to browse through the upcoming solicitations to see if there are things you’re interested in and ask your local shop to order a copy. This isn’t necessary for the new House of X series or crossover du jour, but if you really want a copy of a mini series not featuring really popular characters (like “Meet the Skrulls”) or a lower-tier hero (like “Unstoppable Wasp”) there’s a chance you may not see it on the rack if you don’t ask about it in advance. The same holds true for DC and indie books. Take a few minutes each month to peruse the upcoming solicits on one of the popular comic book websites and see what catches your interest. Personally, most of my favorites are outside of the huge selling blockbuster category.

Another thing I noticed this month is the dismal state of collected edition (aka Graphic Novel) sales. They’re down double digits for June 2019 vs. May 2019 and June 2019 vs. June 2018. Personally, I think this is more indicative of people moving outside of comic shops to get their reading material that is not “monthly time-sensitive”. There is a lot of competition from Amazon and other online sellers that don’t get their product via Diamond, as well as digital comics which are sold in collected volumes as well as single issues. Unfortunately, we don’t have reliable sales data for these other retail avenues, but I suspect they are growing as the dead tree versions decline.

I still love comics as much as I ever did, but my interests have changed over time. I suspect this will happen with most people who don’t give up on the medium. There’s a lot out there to enjoy, but you need to look around a bit to find what might be a good fit for you. If you’re not seeing enough that wows you sitting on the rack at your local shop (or not seeing anything at all that wows you), that does not necessarily mean that those elusive “wow factor” books are not being published. It just means your shop didn’t order copies for the rack. A first step may be to ask them what sold out before you got to the shop that week. Or even what they got for customer’s pull lists that never even made it to the racks. Someone is liking those books, asking about what other people are enjoying coupled with a few simple Google searches may help you find a new favorite.

Read what you like. When you run out of things you like to read, look for NEW things. Keep on comicing!

– Bob Bretall (bob@comicspectrum.com)

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (July 12, 2019) — Felicia Hardy, jewel thief and long-time Spider-Man foe, starred in her first ongoing series and the best-selling comic book of June 2019, Jed MacKay and Travel Foreman’s Black Cat #1 from Marvel Comics, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was June’s top publisher with a 43.38% dollar share and a 48.93% unit share. In second, DC had a 26.71% dollar share and a 26.44% unit share. Image Comics was third for the month at 7.58% in dollars and 8.01% in units, followed by Dark Horse Comics at 3.23% in dollars and 2.16% in units, IDW Publishing at 3.08% in dollars and 2.83% in units, BOOM! Studios at 2.43% in dollars and 2.31% in units, and Dynamite Entertainment at 2.15% in dollars and 2.02% in units.

Marvel Comics had four books in the top ten. In addition to Black Cat #1, Donny Cates and Tradd Moore’s Silver Surfer: Black #1 ranked #3, Amazing Spider-Man #24 ranked #6, and The Immortal Hulk #19 ranked #7. DC had five titles in the top ten: Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, and Stefano Guadiano’s DCeased #2 ranked #2; Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo’s Batman: Damned #3 ranked #4; The Batman Who Laughs #6 ranked #5; Batman #73 ranked #9; and Batman #72 ranked #10. Image Comics’ The Walking Dead #192, the penultimate issue of Robert Kirkman’s long-running zombie series, ranked #8. Among the premier publishers, Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo #1 was IDW Publishing’s top book for June at 61; BOOM! Studios’ Buffy the Vampire Slayer #5 ranked #85; Stranger Things: Six #2, a prequel to the Netflix series, was Dark Horse Comics’ top book at #110; and Dynamite Entertainment’s Red Sonja: Birth of the She-Devil #1, telling the origin of the sword-and-sorcery character, was their top book at #125.

Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans’ Die Volume 1: Fantasy Heartbreaker from Image Comics, the first volume of their modern fantasy series about adults facing the same monstrous evil they faced as teenaged role-players, was June’s best-selling graphic novel. DC had five titles in the top ten: the Detective Comics #1000 Deluxe Edition ranked #2; the DC Poster Portfolio: Stanley “Artgerm” Lau, a collection of his covers for DC, ranked #3; DC Super-Hero Girls: Search for Atlantis ranked #4; Teen Titans: Raven, the original graphic novel from the DC Ink imprint, ranked #7; and Batman/The Flash: The Button, a softcover edition of the best-selling storyline, ranked #8.

UDON Entertainment’s Mega Man Zero: Official Complete Works, an artbook that looks at the Capcom video game, was June’s best-selling book and one of the four UDON books among the top ten. Also in the top ten, BOOM! Studios’ Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal, the novelization of the beloved film, ranked #10.

Funko’s POP! DC Heroes: Harley Quinn with Boombox Vinyl Figure, a PREVIEWS Exclusive, was June’s best-selling toy product. Diamond Select Toys had two items in the top ten: the Marvel Gallery: Carnage Comic PVC Figure ranked #2 and the Marvel Gallery: Avengers Endgame: Hulkbuster Deluxe PVC Figure ranked #4. DC Collectibles also had two products in the top ten: the DC Designer Series: Supergirl by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau Statue ranked #8 and the Batman Animated Series: Batcycle & Figure Set ranked #10.

Paizo Publishing’s Pathfinder Adventure Card Game Core Set was June’s best-selling game product and one of the six products from Paizo in the top ten. Green Ronin Publishing’s Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting rulebook placed in the top ten for the third consecutive month and the fourth time in the past six months, ranking #2 for the month.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER	DOLLAR SHARE	UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS	43.38%	48.93%
DC	26.71%	26.44%
IMAGE COMICS	7.58%	8.01%
DARK HORSE COMICS	3.23%	2.16%
IDW PUBLISHING	3.08%	2.83%
BOOM! STUDIOS	2.43%	2.31%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	2.15%	2.02%
VIZ MEDIA	1.61%	0.59%
ONI PRESS	0.74%	0.53%
ARCHIE COMICS	0.57%	0.60%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	8.52%	5.59%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
JUNE 2019 VS. MAY 2019
COMICS	-6.44%	-6.55%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-18.39%	-15.92%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-10.09%	-7.26%
TOYS	-2.86%	-15.02%
JUNE 2019 VS. JUNE 2018
COMICS	3.56%	-4.63%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-7.11%	-13.13%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	0.36%	-5.27%
TOYS	35.23%	14.34%
YEAR TO DATE 2019 VS. YEAR TO DATE 2018
COMICS	0.21%	-5.03%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-2.25%	-7.19%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-0.49%	-5.19%
TOYS	24.92%	27.33%
SECOND QUARTER 2019 VS. FIRST QUARTER 2019
COMICS	3.15%	6.51%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	3.01%	-3.86%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	3.11%	5.72%
TOYS	-9.68%	-11.18%
SECOND QUARTER 2019 VS. SECOND QUARTER 2018
COMICS	-6.71%	-7.62%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-8.72%	-16.49%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-7.28%	-8.29%
TOYS	30.69%	24.68%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER	COMICS SHIPPED	GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED	MAGAZINES SHIPPED	TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS	104	43	0	147
DC	50	20	1	71
IMAGE COMICS	46	11	0	57
IDW PUBLISHING	30	17	0	47
DARK HORSE COMICS	19	22	0	41
BOOM! STUDIOS	20	11	0	31
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	18	7	0	25
VIZ MEDIA	0	23	0	23
ARCHIE COMICS	11	2	0	13
ONI PRESS	5	5	0	10
OTHER NON-TOP 10	121	184	18	323
TOTAL	424	345	19	788

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	BLACK CAT #1	$4.99	APR190773-M	MAR
2	DCEASED #2	$3.99	APR190459-M	DC
3	SILVER SURFER: BLACK #1	$3.99	APR190783-M	MAR
4	BATMAN: DAMNED #3 (MR)	$6.99	MAR190493-M	DC
5	THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #6	$4.99	APR190454-M	DC
6	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #24	$3.99	APR190824-M	MAR
7	THE IMMORTAL HULK #19	$3.99	APR190792-M	MAR
8	THE WALKING DEAD #192 (MR)	$3.99	APR190202-M	IMA
9	BATMAN #73	$3.99	APR190448-M	DC
10	BATMAN #72	$3.99	APR190446-M	DC

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	BLACK CAT #1	$4.99	APR190773-M	MAR
2	BATMAN: DAMNED #3 (MR)	$6.99	MAR190493-M	DC
3	SUPERMAN: YEAR ONE #1 (MR) [*]	$7.99	APR190432-M	DC
4	DCEASED #2	$3.99	APR190459-M	DC
5	SILVER SURFER: BLACK #1	$3.99	APR190783-M	MAR
6	THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #6	$4.99	APR190454-M	DC
7	WAR OF THE REALMS #6	$5.99	APR190726-M	MAR
8	THE IMMORTAL HULK #19	$3.99	APR190792-M	MAR
9	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #24	$3.99	APR190824-M	MAR
10	THE WALKING DEAD #192 (MR)	$3.99	APR190202-M	IMA

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DIE VOL. 1: FANTASY HEARTBREAKER TP (MR)	$9.99	MAR190080	IMA
2	DETECTIVE COMICS #1000 DELUXE EDITION HC	$19.99	MAR190576	DC
3	DC POSTER PORTFOLIO: STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU TP	$24.99	OCT180551	DC
4	DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: SEARCH FOR ATLANTIS TP	$9.99	JUN180439	DC
5	DISNEY DESCENDANTS: EVIE’S WICKED RUNWAY VOL. 2 TP	$15.99	FEB192149	TOK
6	DISNEY DESCENDANTS: EVIE’S WICKED RUNWAY VOL. 1 TP	$15.99	JAN192254	TOK
7	TEEN TITANS: RAVEN TP (DC INK)	$16.99	FEB190469	DC
8	BATMAN/THE FLASH: THE BUTTON TP	$14.99	MAR190568-M	DC
9	MIRACULOUS TALES: LADYBUG AND CAT NOIR SEASON 2 VOL. 4 TP	$8.99	SEP181357	ACT
10	MY HERO ACADEMIA VOLUME 19 GN	$9.99	APR192159	VIZ

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	BLACKEST NIGHT OMNIBUS: 10TH-ANNIVERSARY EDITION HC	$150.00	NOV180548	DC
2	DC POSTER PORTFOLIO: STANLEY “ARTGERM” LAU TP	$24.99	OCT180551	DC
3	BATMAN BY GRANT MORRISON OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC	$75.00	NOV180534	DC
4	DETECTIVE COMICS #1000 DELUXE EDITION HC	$19.99	MAR190576	DC
5	BATMAN: THE GOLDEN AGE OMNIBUS VOL. 7 HC	$125.00	OCT180558	DC
6	DISNEY DESCENDANTS: EVIE’S WICKED RUNWAY VOL. 2 TP	$15.99	FEB192149	TOK
7	MARVEL MASTERWORKS: SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN VOL. 2 HC	$75.00	DEC181027-M	MAR
8	BERSERK DELUXE EDITION VOL. 2 HC (MR)	$49.99	FEB190389	DAR
9	DIE VOL. 1: FANTASY HEARTBREAKER TP (MR)	$9.99	MAR190080	IMA
10	HULK BY LOEB & MCGUINNESS OMNIBUS HC	$100.00	DEC181029	MAR

TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	MEGA MAN ZERO: OFFICIAL COMPLETE WORKS HC	$44.99	APR192142	UDO
2	THE ART OF DARKSIDERS HC	$49.99	FEB192162	UDO
3	ROLLED AND TOLD VOL. 1 HC	$39.99	APR191818	LIO
4	THE ART OF DARKSIDERS II HC	$49.99	MAR192161	UDO
5	THE ART OF DARKSIDERS III HC	$49.99	DEC188955	UDO
6	PHOTO JOURNAL GUIDE TO MARVEL COMICS VOL III: A-J	$29.95	STAR00178	GEM
7	PHOTO JOURNAL GUIDE TO MARVEL COMICS VOL 3 & 4 SET	$50.00	STAR18847	GEM
8	NEIL GAIMAN: THE SLEEPER & THE SPINDLE SC	$9.99	JAN198509	HAR
9	THE GOLDEN AGE OF DC COMICS HC	$20.00	JAN192102	TAS
10	JIM HENSON’S THE DARK CRYSTAL SC	$14.99	FEB191275	BOO

TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	POP! DC HEROES: HARLEY QUINN WITH BOOMBOX VINYL FIGURE	AUG188545	FUN
2	MARVEL GALLERY: CARNAGE COMIC PVC FIGURE	JAN192550	DST
3	X-MEN LEGENDS 6-INCH ACTION FIGURES	NOV188066	HAS
4	MARVEL GALLERY: AVENGERS ENDGAME: HULKBUSTER PVC FIGURE	JAN192549	DST
5	CAPTAIN MARVEL LEGENDS 6-INCH ACTION FIGURES	JUL188377	HAS
6	SPIDER-MAN LEGENDS 6-INCH ACTION FIGURES	MAY198658	HAS
7	ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: GHOSTBUSTERS DELUXE 4-PIECE FIGURE SET	FEB188377	MEZ
8	DC DESIGNER SERIES: SUPERGIRL BY STANLEY LAU STATUE	NOV180595	DC
9	ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: DC SOVEREIGN KNIGHT BATMAN FIGURE	MAR188642	MEZ
10	BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES: BATCYCLE & FIGURE SET	JAN190709	DC

TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	PATHFINDER ADVENTURE CARD GAME CORE SET	MAR198499	PAI
2	CRITICAL ROLE: TAL’DOREI CAMPAIGN SETTING HC	JUN173357	GRE
3	MARVEL HEROCLIX: AVENGERS: BLACK PANTHER AND THE ILLUMINATI BOOSTER BRICK	FEB193072	NEC
4	STARFINDER RPG: BEGINNER BOX	FEB193069	PAI
5	PATHFINDER RPG: OCCULT ADVENTURES POCKET EDITION	MAR193051	PAI
6	PATHFINDER ACG ADVENTURE PATH: CURSE OF THE CRIMSON THRONE	MAR198498	PAI
7	STARFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK HC	JUN173371	PAI
8	PATHFINDER RPG: ULTIMATE WILDERNESS POCKET EDITION	MAR193052	PAI
9	THE EXPANSE RPG HC	NOV182869	GRE
10	MARVEL HEROCLIX: WOLVERINE VS. CYCLOPS REGENESIS	DEC188863	NEC

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

***

Visit the ComicSpectrum website: http://www.comicspectrum.com/
or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ComicSpectrum

Posted in Comics, Comics Sales, Diamond | Tagged Batman, comics, comics sales, DC Comics, June 2018, Marvel Comics, Top Sales | Leave a comment

Diamond Announces Top Sales for May 2019

Posted on June 7, 2019 by comicspectrum

DC is Coming on Strong with Comics Fans
Marvel Wins Sales by Flooding the Market with Books

In May, Marvel beat DC on unit share by only ~1% -> 39.75% for Marvel, 38.58% for DC. While Marvel won by ~12% on dollar share (because they are selling more expensive products overall) they are almost on par with DC on the number of comics being bought by shops. The thing to consider here is that Marvel had to ship more that 50% more items to comics shops to win by that meager 1%! Marvel shipped 154 total items to DC’s 93. For comic books, Marvel almost doubled DC’s output, 118 to 60.

This tells me that Marvel is flooding the racks with lower selling books in an attempt to crowd out the competition. I have noticed (at the comic shops I frequent here in SoCal) that they are not even racking all the items Marvel is blasting out each month. They treat the bottom 30% of Marvel’s title list like low-end indie books… they order copies for people who have them on their pull list and maybe 1 copy for the rack that goes in a single pile as opposed to getting a solo rack slot.

It’s getting to be too much. Marvel did this back in the 1990s as well, crowding out the competition with loads of reprints and titles with low circulation. Today the reprints (and Marvel puts out a lot of them) are augmented by tremendous amounts of event tie-in books and multiple issues per month of popular titles.

The fact that DC can be at pretty much the same unit share shipping only 2/3rds of what Marvel ships tells me that concentrating on the DC core titles works. I always point out that DC has a reliance on Batman, but that works for them AND for their fans. The Batman Who Laughs is a hit (at spot #5), outselling the core Batman title (at spots #8+9). The new Black Label “Batman: Last Knight on Earth” outsold even that (coming in at spot #3). DC held 6 of the top 10, 4 of those are Batman and the other 2 are events.

I’d love to see Marvel concentrating on putting out books that give Batman a run for his money at the top of the sales charts (which theoretically equates to fan interest) as opposed to going for the numerical win by putting out a large quantity of filler material.

– Bob Bretall (bob@comicspectrum.com)

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (June 10, 2019) — A techno-virus turns a tenth of Earth’s population into monstrous creatures and the Justice League is all that stands in the way of total disaster in Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, and Stefano Gaudiano’s DCeased #1 from DC Comics, the best-selling comic book of May 2019 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was May’s top publisher with a dollar share of 40.46% and a unit share of 39.75%. DC placed second with a 28.22% dollar share and a 38.58% unit share. In third was Image Comics with a 6.88% dollar share and a 5.53% unit share. Dark Horse Comics ranked fourth with a 3.78% dollar share and 2.19% unit share, followed by IDW Publishing with a 3.61% dollar share and a 2.98% unit share, then BOOM! Studios with a 2.21% dollar share and a 1.76% unit share, VIZ Media with a 1.84% dollar share and a 0.65% unit share, and Dynamite Entertainment with a 1.78% dollar share and a 1.50% unit share.

In total, DC had six titles in the top ten including Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Doomsday Clock #10 at #2, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman: Last Knight on Earth #1 at #3, Snyder and Jock’s The Batman Who Laughs #5 at #5, Batman #70 at #8, and Batman #71 at #9. Marvel Comics had four titles in the top ten: Gerry Duggan and Mike Deodato’s Savage Avengers #1 ranked #4; Nick Spencer, Gerardo Sandoval, and Victor Nava’s Amazing Spider-Man #21 ranked #6; Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, and Ruy Jose’s The Immortal Hulk #17 ranked #7; and Spencer and Humberto Ramos’ Amazing Spider-Man #22 ranked #10. Among the premier publishers, Image Comics’ The Walking Dead #191 ranked #27; Dark Horse Comics’ Stranger Things: Six #1, a prequel to the Netflix series, ranked #82; BOOM! Studios’ Firefly #6 ranked #98; Dynamite Entertainment’s Red Sonja and Vampirella Meet Betty & Veronica #1, a crossover with Archie Comics, ranked #107; and IDW Publishing’s Transformers #4 ranked #156.

Lauren Myracle and Issac Goodhart’s Under the Moon: A Catwoman Tale, an original graphic novel from DC’s DC Ink imprint, was May’s best-selling graphic novel. Also in the top ten for DC, DC Super Hero Girls: Spaced Out ranked #6. Dark Horse Comics had three titles in the top ten: The Umbrella Academy volumes 1 and 2 ranked #2 and #4 respectively, and The Legend of Korra Part 1: Ruins of Empire ranked #8. Image Comics had four titles in the top ten: Skottie Young and Jorge Corona’s Middlewest Book 1 ranked #3, East of West Volume 9 ranked #5, Rat Queens Volume 6 ranked #9, and Saga Deluxe Edition Volume 3 ranked #10. Also in the top ten, Al Ewing and Joe Bennett’s The Immortal Hulk Volume 3: Hulk in Hell ranked #7.

VIZ Media’s My Hero Academia: School Briefs Volume 1 was May’s best-selling book.

1000 Toys’ Hellboy: Standard Version 1/12-Scale Figure was May’s best-selling toy. Funko’s PREVIEWS Exclusive POP! Marvel: Spider-Punk Vinyl Figure ranked #2 for the month. Diamond Select Toys had four products in the top ten, led by the Marvel Select: Rogue Action Figure at #3. DC Collectibles had three products in the top ten; their top-selling product, the DC Cover Girls: Wonder Woman by Joëlle Jones Statue, ranked #5.

Paizo Publishing’s Starfinder RPG Beginner Box, an introductory set to the space opera role-playing game, was May’s best-selling game product. Also, Hasbro’s Dungeons & Dragons: Stranger Things Edition, the best-selling game of April, remained in the top ten at #10 for the month.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER	DOLLAR SHARE	UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS	40.46%	39.75%
DC COMICS	28.22%	38.58%
IMAGE COMICS	6.88%	5.53%
DARK HORSE COMICS	3.78%	2.19%
IDW PUBLISHING	3.61%	2.98%
BOOM! STUDIOS	2.21%	1.76%
VIZ MEDIA	1.84%	0.65%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	1.78%	1.50%
ONI PRESS	0.84%	0.56%
TITAN COMICS	0.67%	0.49%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	9.72%	9.72%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
MAY 2019 VS. APRIL 2019
COMICS	15.60%	14.51%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	50.97%	44.63%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	24.51%	16.35%
TOYS	27.91%	46.27%
MAY 2019 VS. MAY 2018
COMICS	-7.81%	-4.30%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	5.36%	-5.36%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-4.15%	-4.38%
TOYS	40.65%	40.25%
YEAR TO DATE 2019 VS. YEAR TO DATE 2018
COMICS	-0.45%	-5.12%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-1.21%	-5.94%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-0.66%	-5.18%
TOYS	23.04%	30.09%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER	COMICS SHIPPED	GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED	MAGAZINES SHIPPED	TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS	118	36	0	154
DC COMICS	60	33	0	93
IMAGE COMICS	38	23	0	61
IDW PUBLISHING	37	18	0	55
DARK HORSE COMICS	22	30	0	52
VIZ MEDIA	0	45	0	45
BOOM! STUDIOS	22	13	0	35
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	19	4	0	23
TITAN COMICS	10	6	2	18
ONI PRESS	9	5	0	14
OTHER NON-TOP 10	151	190	27	368
TOTAL	486	403	29	918

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DCEASED #1	$3.99	MAR190464-M	DC
2	DOOMSDAY CLOCK #10	$4.99	JAN190585-M	DC
3	BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #1 (MR)	$5.99	MAR190458-M	DC
4	SAVAGE AVENGERS #1	$4.99	MAR190757-M	MAR
5	THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #5	$4.99	MAR190495-M	DC
6	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #21	$3.99	MAR190831-M	MAR
7	THE IMMORTAL HULK #17	$3.99	MAR190845-M	MAR
8	BATMAN #70	$3.99	MAR190487-M	DC
9	BATMAN #71	$3.99	MAR190489-M	DC
10	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #22	$3.99	MAR190835-M	MAR

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DCEASED #1	$3.99	MAR190464-M	DC
2	BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #1 (MR)	$5.99	MAR190458-M	DC
3	DOOMSDAY CLOCK #10	$4.99	JAN190585-M	DC
4	THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #5	$4.99	MAR190495-M	DC
5	SAVAGE AVENGERS #1	$4.99	MAR190757-M	MAR
6	THE IMMORTAL HULK #17	$3.99	MAR190845-M	MAR
7	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #21	$3.99	MAR190831-M	MAR
8	WAR OF REALMS #3	$4.99	MAR190765-M	MAR
9	WAR OF REALMS #4	$4.99	MAR190773-M	MAR
10	BATMAN #70	$3.99	MAR190487-M	DC

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	UNDER THE MOON: A CATWOMAN TALE TP	$16.99	JAN190554	DC
2	THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 1: THE APOCALYPSE SUITE TP	$17.99	SEP108136	DAR
3	MIDDLEWEST BOOK 1 TP (MR)	$9.99	MAR190092-M	IMA
4	THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 2: DALLAS TP	$17.99	DEC098005	DAR
5	EAST OF WEST VOL. 9 TP	$16.99	FEB190059	IMA
6	DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: SPACED OUT TP	$9.99	JAN190555	DC
7	THE IMMORTAL HULK VOL. 3: HULK IN HELL TP	$15.99	FEB190998	MAR
8	LEGEND OF KORRA PART 1: RUINS OF EMPIRE TP	$10.99	JAN190482	DAR
9	RAT QUEENS VOL. 6: INFERNAL PATH TP (MR)	$16.99	MAR190119	IMA
10	SAGA DELUXE EDITION VOL. 3 HC (MR)	$49.99	MAR190127	IMA

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS VOL. 4 HC	$125.00	NOV181004-M	MAR
2	SAGA DELUXE EDITION VOL. 3 HC (MR)	$49.99	MAR190127	IMA
3	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC	$125.00	NOV181006	MAR
4	THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 1: THE APOCALYPSE SUITE TP	$17.99	SEP108136	DAR
5	UNDER THE MOON: A CATWOMAN TALE TP DC INK	$16.99	JAN190554	DC
6	THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 2: DALLAS TP	$17.99	DEC098005	DAR
7	EAST OF WEST VOL. 9 TP	$16.99	FEB190059	IMA
8	SIX DAYS: THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF D-DAY’S LOST CHAPTER HC	$24.99	FEB190468	DC
9	ABSOLUTE BATMAN: THE BLACK MIRROR HC	$99.99	AUG180594	DC
10	BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT HC	$29.99	JAN198939	DC

TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	MY HERO ACADEMIA: SCHOOL BRIEFS VOL. 1 SC	$10.99	FEB192175	VIZ
2	LULU IS A RHINOCEROS	$16.99	FEB188267	WIC
3	DOCTOR WHO: SCRATCHMAN HC	$23.99	DEC181681	PEN
4	OVERLORD VOLUME 10 HC (MR)	$20.00	MAR192224	YEN
5	BLOODBORNE: OFFICIAL ARTWORKS SC	$44.99	MAR172148	UDO
6	TALES OF THE LOST CITADEL PROSE ANTHOLOGY SC	$15.99	JAN193197	GRE
7	THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOL. 141 SC	$14.95	FEB191942	SAN
8	AVENGERS ENDGAME: OFFICIAL MOVIE SPECIAL HC	$19.99	JAN192125	TTN
9	DOCTOR WHO: 13 DOCTORS 13 STORIES SC	$17.99	DEC181677	PEN
10	DOCTOR WHO: THE WOMEN WHO LIVED HC	$23.99	FEB188707	PEN

TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	HELLBOY: STANDARD VERSION 1/12-SCALE FIGURE	MAY189233	100
2	POP! MARVEL: SPIDER-PUNK VINYL FIGURE	SEP188215	FUN
3	MARVEL SELECT: ROGUE ACTION FIGURE	SEP182338	DST
4	MARVEL GALLERY: SPIDER-MAN COMIC PVC FIGURE	SEP182341	DST
5	DC COVER GIRLS: WONDER WOMAN BY JOELLE JONES STATUE	OCT180633	DC
6	DARK KNIGHTS METAL: BATMAN THE DAWNBREAKER STATUE	OCT180626	DC
7	MARVEL SELECT: JUGGERNAUT ACTION FIGURE	JUN101512	DST
8	DC GALLERY METAL: THE RED DEATH PVC FIGURE	OCT182228	DST
9	ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: MARVEL: BLADE ACTION FIGURE	MAR188185	MEZ
10	BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE: WHITE KNIGHT JOKER BY SEAN MURPHY	NOV180600	DC

TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	STARFINDER RPG BEGINNER BOX	FEB193069	PAI
2	CRITICAL ROLE: TAL’DOREI CAMPAIGN SETTING HC	JUN173357	GRE
3	THE EXPANSE RPG HC	NOV182869	GRE
4	MY HERO ACADEMIA CARD GAME	JUL183082	S7
5	STARFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK HC	JUN173371	PAI
6	PATHFINDER PAWNS BESTIARY BOX	FEB168541	PAI
7	TOME OF BEASTS HC	JUN168476	PAI
8	THE EXPANSE RPG: GAME MASTERS KIT HC	NOV182870	GRE
9	PATHFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK POCKET EDITION	APR168770	PAI
10	DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: STRANGER THINGS EDITION	JAN198565	HAS

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

***

Visit the ComicSpectrum website: http://www.comicspectrum.com/
or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ComicSpectrum

Posted in Comics, Comics Sales, Diamond, Uncategorized | Tagged Batman, Batman Who Laughs, comic sales, DC Comics, Diamond Comics Distributors, Marvel Comics, May 2019, Top Sales | Leave a comment

Diamond Announces Top Sales for April 2019

Posted on May 10, 2019 by comicspectrum

Detective Comics #1000 Variants Gave Comics a HUGE Bump in March
April Sales Show the “No Big Book” slump

In March, the plethora of variant covers for the $9.99 cover price Detective Comics #1000 drove DC to a rare win in $ sales, and also gave comics overall a very solid month. With no similar big book for DC in April, they dropped back down to a far distant 2nd place (20% behind Marvel in $ sales, 25% behind in unit sales). This is partially due to the DC cutback on total titles, they shipped 85 total items to Marvel’s 143. That said, the March sales show us that DC can win BIG by using the triple threat of Batman + Significant Anniversary + Variant covers, because fans ate that up with many people buying multiple copies of the $9.99 #1000 issue in March.

Lacking the stunt driven sales, total sales for April were down 13.26% over March 2019 and down 17.65% over last year, April 2018.

The top 10 of comics is yet again dominated by events (War of the Realms #1, Heroes in Crisis #7), Batman (Batman Who Laughs #4, Batman #68 & 69), and Spider-Man family (Symbiote Spider-Man #1, Web of Venom: Cult of Carnage #1, Amazing Spider-Man #20). The two exceptions to the Event/batman/Spider-Man triumvirate were Thanos #1 (coming in at #7) and The Immortal Hulk #16 (coming in at #4). Thanos is not surprising given the box office results for Avengers: Endgame. The Immortal Hulk is a rare example of a book selling really well because of solid fan word of mouth, this book has been selling strongly for the entire run and is one of the most popular takes on the Hulk since World War Hulk over a decade ago.

In collected editions, there is a pretty even mix of Publishers with Image and Marvel both holding 3 spots, DC 2 spots, and Dark Horse making a rare appearance with both volumes of The Umbrella Academy hitting the top 10 in the wake of the team’s Netflix series debut.

– Bob Bretall (bob@comicspectrum.com)

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (May 10, 2019) — Malekith and his armies, fresh from conquering nine of the cosmic realms, invades Midgard, better known as Earth, in Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman’s War of the Realms #1, the first chapter of the new crossover event from Marvel Comics and the best-selling comic book of April 2019 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was April’s top publisher with a dollar share of 45.50% and a unit share of 50.70%. DC Comics placed second with a 24.73% dollar share and a 25.89% unit share. In third was Image Comics with a 7.93% dollar share and a 7.60% unit share. IDW Publishing ranked fourth with a 3.26% dollar share and 2.76% unit share, followed by Dark Horse Comics with a 2.89% dollar share and a 1.92% unit share, then BOOM! Studios with a 2.46% dollar share and a 2.75% unit share, and Dynamite Entertainment with a 1.71% dollar share and a 1.53% unit share.

Marvel Comics had six of the month’s top ten best-selling comic books. In addition to War of the Realms #1, Peter David and Greg Land’s Symbiote Spider-Man #1 ranked #2, The Immortal Hulk #16 ranked #4, Thanos #1 ranked #7, Web of Venom: Cult of Carnage #1 ranked #9, and Amazing Spider-Man #20 ranked #10. DC Comics had four titles in the top ten: Scott Snyder and Jock’s The Batman Who Laughs #4 ranked #3, Batman #69 ranked #5, Batman #68 ranked #6, and Heroes in Crisis #8 ranked #8. Among the premier publishers, Image Comics’ The Walking Dead #190 ranked #31, BOOM! Studios’ Buffy the Vampire Slayer #4 ranked #78, IDW Publishing’s Marvel Action: Black Panther #1 ranked #115, Dynamite Entertainment’s Red Sonja #3 ranked #136, and Dark Horse Comics’ Neil Gaiman’s American Gods: The Moment of the Storm #1 ranked #150.

Mark Millar and Olivier Coipel’s The Magic Order Volume 1 from Image Comics was the best-selling graphic novel of April. Also in the top ten from Image Comics was Gideon Falls Volume 2: Original Sins at #3 and Unnatural Volume 2 at #9. Marvel Comics had three titles in the top ten: Venom by Donny Cates Volume 2 at #2, Star Wars Volume 10: Escape at #6, and Jessica Jones: Purple Daughter at #10. Dark Horse Comics had two titles in the top ten, Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s The Umbrella Academy Volume 1: The Apocalypse Suite at #4 and The Umbrella Academy Volume 2: Dallas at #8, thanks to the new Umbrella Academy television series on Netflix. DC Comics also had two titles in the top ten: Catwoman Volume 1: Copycats at #5 and Batman: Detective Comics Volume 9: Deface the Face at #7.

No Game No Life Volume 8, a light novel from Yen Press, was April’s best-selling book. Graphix’s Share Your Smile: Raina’s Guide to Telling Your Own Story, a how-to book on writing and drawing from best-selling graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier, ranked #2. Marvel Comics’ The Road to Avengers: Endgame — The Art of the Cinematic Universe ranked #7. Dark Horse Comics’ Hellboy: The Art of the Motion Picture ranked #9.

Based on Blizzard Entertainment’s best-selling video game, the Overwatch: Torbjörn “Classic Skin” Nendoroid was the best-selling toy of April. Funko’s POP! DC Heroes: John Constantine Vinyl Figure, a PREVIEWS exclusive figure of the hard-boiled mage released for Free Comic Book Day, ranked #2 for the month. DC Collectibles had three products in the top ten: the Batman Black & White: White Knight Batman Statue by Sean Murphy ranked #3, the DC Bombshells: Batwoman “Away Uniform” Statue ranked #8, and the DC Designer Series: Green Lantern by Ivan Reis Statue ranked #10. Diamond Select Toys also had three products in the top ten: the Marvel Gallery: Symbiote Spider-Man Statue, a PREVIEWS exclusive statue released for Free Comic Book Day, ranked #4; the Aliens Colonial marines: Armored Personnel Carrier 1/18-Scale Vehicle ranked #4; and the John Wick 2 Gallery PVC Figure ranked #9.

Hasbro’s Dungeons & Dragons: Stranger Things Edition, a version of the classic tabletop role-playing game inspired by the events of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, was the best-selling game product of April.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER	DOLLAR SHARE	UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS	45.50%	50.70%
DC COMICS	25.73%	25.89%
IMAGE COMICS	7.93%	7.60%
IDW PUBLISHING	3.26%	2.76%
DARK HORSE COMICS	2.89%	1.92%
BOOM! STUDIOS	2.46%	2.75%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	1.71%	1.53%
VIZ MEDIA	1.07%	0.40%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT	0.76%	0.91%
AFTERSHOCK COMICS	0.70%	0.71%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	7.99%	4.83%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
APRIL 2019 VS. MARCH 2019
COMICS	-11.12%	0.07%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-19.02%	-27.69%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-13.26%	-2.22%
TOYS	-11.38%	-8.24%
APRIL 2019 VS. APRIL 2018
COMICS	-14.67%	-13.92%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-25.37%	-31.39%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-17.65%	-15.24%
TOYS	15.41%	18.74%
YEAR TO DATE 2019 VS. YEAR TO DATE 2018
COMICS	1.83%	-5.35%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-3.18%	-6.11%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	0.41%	-5.40%
TOYS	19.14%	27.48%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER	COMICS SHIPPED	GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED	MAGAZINES SHIPPED	TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS	106	37	0	143
DC COMICS	52	32	1	85
IMAGE COMICS	47	13	0	60
IDW PUBLISHING	32	9	0	41
BOOM! STUDIOS	20	11	0	31
DARK HORSE COMICS	19	7	0	26
YEN PRESS	0	24	0	24
DYNAMITE	16	4	0	20
AFTERSHOCK COMICS	11	4	0	15
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC	9	1	0	10
OTHER	101	133	18	252
TOTAL	413	275	19	707

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	WAR OF THE REALMS #1	$5.99	JAN190870-M	MAR
2	SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN #1	$4.99	FEB190822-M	MAR
3	THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #4	$4.99	FEB190484-M	DC
4	THE IMMORTAL HULK #16	$3.99	FEB190849-M	MAR
5	BATMAN #69	$3.99	FEB190480-M	DC
6	BATMAN #68	$3.99	FEB190478-M	DC
7	THANOS #1	$4.99	FEB190810-M	MAR
8	HEROES IN CRISIS #8	$3.99	FEB190462-M	DC
9	WEB OF VENOM: CULT OF CARNAGE #1	$4.99	FEB190858-M	MAR
10	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #20	$3.99	FEB190837-M	MAR

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	WAR OF THE REALMS #1	$5.99	JAN190870-M	MAR
2	SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN #1	$4.99	FEB190822-M	MAR
3	THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #4	$4.99	FEB190484-M	DC
4	DETECTIVE COMICS #1000	$9.99	JAN190542-M	DC
5	WEB OF VENOM: CULT OF CARNAGE #1	$4.99	FEB190858-M	MAR
6	THANOS #1	$4.99	FEB190810-M	MAR
7	THE IMMORTAL HULK #16	$3.99	FEB190849-M	MAR
8	BATMAN #69	$3.99	FEB190480-M	DC
9	BATMAN #68	$3.99	FEB190478-M	DC
10	WAR OF THE REALMS #2	$4.99	FEB190759-M	MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	THE MAGIC ORDER VOLUME 1 TP (MR)	$19.99	FEB190095-M	IMA
2	VENOM BY DONNY CATES VOLUME 2 TP	$17.99	JAN191101	MAR
3	GIDEON FALLS VOLUME 2: ORIGINAL SINS TP (MR)	$16.99	FEB190077	IMA
4	THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 1: APOCALYPSE SUITE TP	$17.99	SEP108136	DAR
5	CATWOMAN VOLUME 1: COPYCATS TP	$16.99	JAN190665	DC
6	STAR WARS VOLUME 10: ESCAPE TP	$17.99	JAN191095	MAR
7	BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOL. 9: DEFACE THE FACE TP	$16.99	JAN190661	DC
8	THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 2: DALLAS TP	$17.99	DEC098005	DAR
9	UNNATURAL VOLUME 2 TP (MR)	$16.99	FEB190120	IMA
10	JESSICA JONES: PURPLE DAUGHTER TP	$19.99	JAN191027	MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	INFINITY WAR OMNIBUS HC	$125.00	OCT181002	MAR
2	THE DEATH & RETURN OF SUPERMAN OMNIBUS HC	$150.00	SEP180566	DC
3	THE MAGIC ORDER VOLUME 1 TP (MR)	$19.99	FEB190095-M	IMA
4	INFINITY BY STARLIN & HICKMAN OMNIBUS HC	$125.00	OCT181005	MAR
5	AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST BOX SET SLIPCASE	$500.00	OCT181006	MAR
6	MARVEL MASTERWORKS: AVENGERS VOL. 19 HC	$75.00	OCT181009-M	MAR
7	VENOM BY DONNY CATES VOLUME 2 TP	$17.99	JAN191101	MAR
8	PAPER GIRLS DELUXE EDITION VOLUME 2 HC	$34.99	NOV180079	IMA
9	GIDEON FALLS VOLUME 2: ORIGINAL SINS TP (MR)	$16.99	FEB190077	IMA
10	BATMAN/SUPERMAN SILVER AGE OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC	$99.99	SEP180539	DC

TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	NO GAME NO LIFE VOLUME 8 LIGHT NOVEL SC	$14.00	DEC182289	YEN
2	SHARE YOUR SMILE: RAINA’S GUIDE TO TELLING YOUR OWN STORY HC	$12.99	FEB191785	SCH
3	BLOODBORNE OFFICIAL ARTWORKS SC	$44.99	MAR172148	UDO
4	THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 140 SC	$14.95	JAN192066	SAN
5	MARVEL ENCYCLOPEDIA HC (NEW EDITION)	$40.00	JAN191813	DK
6	SAMURAI PIZZA CATS OFFICIAL FAN BOOK SC	$39.99	NOV182128	UDO
7	THE ROAD TO MARVEL’SS AVENGERS: ENDGAME: THE ART OF THE CINEMATIC UNIV HC SLIPCASE	$50.00	JAN191086	MAR
8	FAMILY TRAITS HC	$29.99	DEC182218	UDO
9	HELLBOY: THE ART OF THE MOTION PICTURE HC	$39.99	JAN190452	DAR
10	FLCL ARCHIVES TP	$39.99	DEC182217	UDO

TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	OVERWATCH: TORBJRN NENDOROID	SEP188531	GOO
2	POP! DC HEROES: JOHN CONSTANTINE FCBD 2019 VINYL FIGURE	NOV180015	FUN
3	BATMAN BLACK & WHITE: WHITE KNIGHT STATUE BY SEAN MURPHY	SEP180641	DC
4	MARVEL GALLERY: SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN FCBD 2019 PVC STATUE	AUG188000	DST
5	ALIENS COLONIAL MARINES: ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER 1/18-SCALE VEHICLE	APR182281	DST
6	HELLRAISER 3: HELL ON EARTH: PINHEAD BISHOUJO STATUE	JUL189121	KOT
7	SPIDER-MAN LEGENDS 6-INCH ACTION FIGURES	NOV188096	HAS
8	DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: BATWOMAN “AWAY UNIFORM” STATUE	SEP180642	DC
9	JOHN WICK 2 GALLERY PVC FIGURE	JUN182313	DST
10	DC DESIGNER SERIES: GREEN LANTERN BY IVAN REIS STATUE	SEP180631	DC

TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: STRANGER THINGS EDITION	JAN198565	HAS
2	DC HEROCLIX REBIRTH BOOSTER BRICK	NOV182895	NEC
3	MY HERO ACADEMIA CARD GAME	JUL183082	SHI
4	STARFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK HC	JUN173371	PAI
5	PATHFINDER PAWNS: BESTIARY BOX	FEB168541	PAI
6	PATHFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK	JUN091729	PAI
7	STARFINDER ADVENTURE PATH: DAWN OF FLAME PART 2	JAN193202	PAI
8	CREATURE CODEX HC	JUL183073	PAI
9	CRITICAL ROLE: TAL’DOREI CAMPAIGN SETTING HC	JUN173357	GRE
10	STARFINDER RPG: CRITICAL FUMBLE DECK	JAN193205	PAI

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

***

Visit the ComicSpectrum website: http://www.comicspectrum.com/
or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ComicSpectrum

Posted in Comics, Comics Sales, Diamond | Tagged Amazing Spider-Man, April 2019, Batman, comics sales, DC Comics, Diamond Comics Distributors, Image Comics, Marvel, Top 10, War of the Realms | Leave a comment

Diamond Announces Top Sales for March 2019

Posted on April 26, 2019 by comicspectrum

Sales on $9.99 Detective Comics #1000
Lead DC to a win in March

Even though DC published 101 items to Marvel’s 143, they beat Marvel in dollars in March on the strength of the hue push for Batman’s 80th birthday which included a LOT of variant covers on the $9.99 Detective Comics #1000, as well as 2 regular issues of Batman and a #1 featuring the fan favorite “Batman Who Laughs”.

Batman is DC’s crown jewel, their top sales live and die on the character, so his 80th birthday understandably brought out numerous people to open their wallets and throw money in DC’s direction.

Variant cover sales continue to be a solid revenue stream for Marvel/DC. It makes me wonder when this will stop being an easy way to reach into fan’s wallets (in the single issue market) and what it will mean for the comic book direct market when it does.

Collected editions were more normal, with Image taking 6 of the top 10 by unit sales, DC making up the other 4 spots. Readers of non-super-hero comics tend to skew in the direction of collections, while the super-hero market has a strong pull in sales for events, variant covers, #1 issues… all things which have a perceived monetary collectible value. While this is certainly not a characteristic of every reader of single issues, it is definitely an element of the community that exists far less, if at all, for collected editions.

– Bob Bretall (bob@comicspectrum.com)

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (April 26, 2019) — An all-star roster of writers and artists celebrate 80 years of Batman in DC Comics’ Detective Comics #1000, the best-selling comic book of March 2019 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

DC was March’s top publisher in dollars with a 36.20% market share and second in units with a 34.00% market share. Marvel Comics was the month’s top publisher in units with a 40.94% market share and second in dollars with a 34.46% market share. Image Comics was third in market share with a 9.63% dollar share and a 9.36% unit share, followed by Dark Horse Comics with a 3.26% dollar share and a 2.45% unit share, IDW Publishing with a 3.19% market share in both dollars and units, BOOM! Studios with a 2.19% dollar share and a 2.13% unit share, and Dynamite Entertainment with a 1.24% dollar share and a 1.08% unit share.

DC had seven titles in March’s top ten comics. In addition to Detective Comics #1000, Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, and Eduardo Risso’s The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight #1 ranked #2; Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Doomsday Clock #9 ranked #3; Tom King, Lee Weeks, and Jorge Fornes’ Batman #67 ranked #4; King and Fornes’ Batman #66 ranked #5; King and Clay Mann’s Heroes in Crisis #7 ranked #6; and Snyder and Jorge Jimenez’s Justice League #20 ranked #10. Marvel Comics had three titles in the top ten: Nick Spencer, Humberto Ramos, and Victor Olazaba’s Amazing Spider-Man #17, the first chapter of the “Hunted” storyline featuring Kraven the Hunter, ranked #7; Spencer, Ramos, and Olazaba’s Amazing Spider-Man #18 ranked #8; and Dennis “Hopeless” Hallum and Michele Bandini’s Spider-Man: City at War #1, based on the best-selling Spider-Man game for the PlayStation 4, ranked #9. Among the premier publishers, their top books were Image Comics’ The Walking Dead #189 at #30, BOOM! Studios’ Buffy the Vampire Slayer #3 at #76, IDW Publishing’s Transformers #1 at #90, Dark Horse Comics’ The Umbrella Academy: Hotel Oblivion #6 at #131, and Dynamite Entertainment’s Red Sonja #2 at #135.

Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, and Cliff Rathburn’s The Walking Dead Volume 31: The Rotten Core from Image Comics was the best-selling graphic novel of March. In total, Image Comics had six titles in the top ten. DC had four titles in the top ten, led by Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman, an anthology of stories from the past eight decades, at #2.

BBC Books’ Doctor Who: Thirteen Doctors 13 Stories, a young readers anthology of short stories featuring each of the Doctor’s incarnation, was the best-selling book of March. Gemstone Publishing’s Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Volume 48 returned to the top ten at #5. Also in the top ten, Dark Horse Comics’ Middle-Earth: Journeys in Myth and Legend, an art book featuring Donato Giancola’s work based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, ranked #7 for the month.

Good Smile’s Overwatch: Reaper Figma, based on the best-selling video game from Blizzard Entertainment, was the best-selling toy product of March. Diamond Select Toys had three products in the month’s top ten, led by the Marvel Gallery: Avengers Infinity War: Iron Spider-Man PVC Statue at #2. DC Collectibles also had three products among the top ten, with the Batman Family: Batman Multi-Part Statue, the first piece in a new statue line, as their best-selling product at #6.

The Creature Codex, a sourcebook for Paizo’s Pathfinder role-playing game, was the best-selling game product of March and one of Paizo’s eight products among the month’s top ten.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER	DOLLAR SHARE	UNIT SHARE
DC	36.20%	34.00%
MARVEL COMICS	34.46%	40.94%
IMAGE COMICS	9.63%	9.36%
DARK HORSE COMICS	3.26%	2.45%
IDW PUBLISHING	3.19%	3.19%
BOOM! STUDIOS	2.19%	2.13%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	1.24%	1.08%
VIZ MEDIA	1.23%	0.50%
ARCHIE COMICS	0.80%	0.86%
ONI PRESS	0.74%	0.64%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	7.07%	4.85%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
MARCH 2019 VS. FEBRUARY 2019
COMICS	26.89%	9.90%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	21.20%	33.41%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	25.30%	11.52%
TOYS	-8.40%	-10.17%
MARCH 2019 VS. MARCH 2018
COMICS	15.82%	-3.32%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	6.35%	17.77%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	13.10%	-1.87%
TOYS	4.67%	8.49%
YEAR TO DATE 2019 VS. YEAR TO DATE 2018
COMICS	8.51%	-2.12%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	5.46%	3.95%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	7.64%	-1.68%
TOYS	20.14%	29.77%
FIRST QUARTER 2019 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2018
COMICS	-4.89%	-7.30%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	0.40%	2.03%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-3.46%	-6.66%
TOYS	14.61%	23.82%
FIRST QUARTER 2019 VS. FIRST QUARTER 2018
COMICS	8.51%	-2.12%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	5.46%	3.95%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	7.64%	-1.68%
TOYS	20.14%	29.77%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER	COMICS SHIPPED	GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED	MAGAZINES SHIPPED	TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS	99	44	0	143
DC	66	35	0	101
IMAGE COMICS	66	27	0	93
DARK HORSE COMICS	25	21	0	46
IDW PUBLISHING	29	10	0	39
BOOM! STUDIOS	25	10	0	35
VIZ MEDIA	0	21	0	21
ONI PRESS	9	7	0	16
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	12	3	0	15
ARCHIE COMICS	8	2	0	10
OTHER NON-TOP 10	138	207	17	362
TOTAL	477	387	17	881

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DETECTIVE COMICS #1000	$9.99	JAN190542-M	DC
2	THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS: THE GRIM KNIGHT #1	$4.99	JAN190535-M	DC
3	DOOMSDAY CLOCK #9	$4.99	NOV180434-M	DC
4	BATMAN #67	$3.99	JAN190576-M	DC
5	BATMAN #66	$3.99	JAN190574-M	DC
6	HEROES IN CRISIS #7	$3.99	JAN190558-M	DC
7	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #17	$4.99	JAN190896-M	MAR
8	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #18	$3.99	JAN190901-M	MAR
9	SPIDER-MAN: CITY AT WAR #1	$3.99	JAN190967-M	MAR
10	JUSTICE LEAGUE #20	$3.99	JAN190609-M	DC

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DETECTIVE COMICS #1000	$9.99	JAN190542-M	DC
2	THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS: THE GRIM KNIGHT #1	$4.99	JAN190535-M	DC
3	DOOMSDAY CLOCK #9	$4.99	NOV180434-M	DC
4	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #17	$4.99	JAN190896-M	MAR
5	BATMAN #67	$3.99	JAN190576-M	DC
6	SPIDER-MAN: CITY AT WAR #1	$3.99	JAN190967-M	MAR
7	BATMAN #66	$3.99	JAN190574-M	DC
8	HEROES IN CRISIS #7	$3.99	JAN190558-M	DC
9	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #18	$3.99	JAN190901-M	MAR
10	SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY #1	$4.99	JAN190927-M	MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 31 TP (MR)	$16.99	JAN190186	IMA
2	DETECTIVE COMICS: 80 YEARS OF BATMAN HC	$29.99	DEC180641	DC
3	SAGA VOLUME 1 TP (MR)	$9.99	AUG120491	IMA
4	MONSTRESS VOLUME 1 TP (MR)	$9.99	APR160803	IMA
5	THE WICKED & THE DIVINE VOL. 8: OLD IS THE NEW NEW TP	$17.99	JAN190247	IMA
6	SEVEN TO ETERNITY VOLUME 3 TP	$16.99	OCT180111	IMA
7	BATMAN VOLUME 9: THE TYRANT WING TP	$16.99	DEC180627	DC
8	SUPER SONS: THE POLARSHIELD PROJECT TP	$9.99	DEC180509	DC
9	SAGA VOLUME 9 TP (MR)	$14.99	JUL180297	IMA
10	MERA: TIDEBREAKER TP	$16.99	DEC180508	DC

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DETECTIVE COMICS: 80 YEARS OF BATMAN HC	$29.99	DEC180641	DC
2	SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN: THE ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS VOLUME 1 HC	$125.00	SEP181003-M	MAR
3	THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 31 TP (MR)	$16.99	JAN190186	IMA
4	AVENGERS OMNIBUS VOLUME 4 HC	$100.00	SEP180999-M	MAR
5	THANOS WARS: THE INFINITY ORIGIN OMNIBUS HC	$100.00	OCT181003-M	MAR
6	UNCANNY X-MEN VOL. 1: X-MEN DISASSEMBLED TP	$39.99	DEC181034	MAR
7	DARK NIGHTS METAL: DARK KNIGHTS RISING TP	$24.99	DEC180638	DC
8	THE WICKED & THE DIVINE VOL. 8: OLD IS THE NEW NEW TP	$17.99	JAN190247	IMA
9	EARTH X TRILOGY OMNIBUS OMEGA HC	$100.00	SEP180998	MAR
10	SEVEN TO ETERNITY VOLUME 3 TP	$16.99	OCT180111	IMA

TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DOCTOR WHO: THIRTEEN DOCTORS 13 STORIES SC	$17.99	DEC181677	BBC
2	FLCL ARCHIVES TP	$39.99	DEC182217	UDO
3	SAMURAI PIZZA CATS OFFICIAL FAN BOOK SC	$39.99	NOV182128	UDO
4	FAMILY TRAITS HC	$29.99	DEC182218	UDO
5	THE OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOLUME 48 SC	$29.95	APR181580	GEM
6	THE SAGA OF TANYA THE EVIL VOLUME 5 SC	$14.00	JAN192356	YEN
7	MIDDLE-EARTH: JOURNEYS IN MYTH AND LEGEND HC	$39.99	SEP180284	DAR
8	THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 139 SC	$14.95	DEC182026	SAN
9	BLOODBORNE OFFICIAL ARTWORKS SC	$44.99	MAR172148	UDO
10	GRIMM FAIRY TALES ADULT COLORING BOOK VOLUME 1 SC	$12.99	OCT151871	ZEN

TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	OVERWATCH: REAPER FIGMA	MAR188251	GOO
2	MARVEL GALLERY: AVENGERS INFINITY WAR: IRON SPIDER-MAN PVC STATUE	JUN182325	DST
3	ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: DC COMICS: DARKSEID FIGURE	MAR188264	MEZ
4	KINGDOM HEARTS: SORA NENDOROID	JUN188352	GOO
5	MARVEL SELECT: AVENGERS INFINITY WAR: THOR FIGURE	APR182167	DST
6	BATMAN FAMILY: BATMAN MULTI PART STATUE	AUG180672	DC
7	BLACK PANTHER LEGENDS 6-INCH ACTION FIGURES	JUL188376	HAS
8	MARVEL SELECT: AVENGERS INFINITY WAR: CAPTAIN AMERICA FIGURE	APR182168	DST
9	DC COVER GIRLS: MERA BY JOELLE JONES STATUE	AUG180678	DC
10	BATMAN BLACK & WHITE: STATUE BY KLAUS JANSON	AUG180679	DC

TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	CREATURE CODEX HC	JUL183073	PAI
2	STARFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK HC	JUN173371	PAI
3	PATHFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK	JUN091729	PAI
4	PATHFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK POCKET EDITION	APR168770	PAI
5	TOME OF BEASTS HC	JUN168476	PAI
6	PATHFINDER ADVENTURE PATH: RISE OF THE RUNELORDS ANNIVERSARY EDITION	APR121968	PAI
7	STARFINDER RPG: ARMORY HC	MAY182931	PAI
8	PATHFINDER FLIP-MAT: BASIC (NEW EDITION)	MAR138328	PAI
9	D&D ICONS OF THE REALM WATERDEEP: MAD MAGE BOOSTER BRICK	NOV182893	NEC
10	DRAGON AGE RPG: FACES OF THEDAS SOURCEBOOK	JAN182843	GRE

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

***

Visit the ComicSpectrum website: http://www.comicspectrum.com/
or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ComicSpectrum

Posted in Comics, Comics Sales, Diamond | Tagged comic sales, comics, Diamond Comics Distributors, March 2019, Top 10 | Leave a comment

ComicSpectrum News

Diamond Announces Top Sales for December 2019

Diamond Announces Top Sales for November 2019

Diamond Announces Top Sales for October 2019

Diamond Announces Top Sales for September 2019

Diamond Announces Top Sales for August 2019

Diamond Announces Top Sales for July 2019

Diamond Announces Top Sales for June 2019

Diamond Announces Top Sales for May 2019

Diamond Announces Top Sales for April 2019

Diamond Announces Top Sales for March 2019

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Meta

	American Mythology T… on Days Missing Volume 3: Enox co…
	Top Comic Book Sales… on Diamond Announces Top Sales fo…
	Neal Adams Made Me D… on Diamond Announces Top Sales fo…
	Top 500 Best Selling… on Diamond Announces 2015 Diamond…
	INTERVIEW: 2015 Guin… on 60th Anniversary – 2015…