DC drew even with Marvel in units while lagging in dollars in February’s sales charts, just released by Diamond, furthuring suspicions that Marvel’s periodical sales are slipping badly.
Since DC’s books are priced at $2.99 and Marvel’s at $3.99, the dollar gap – which is considered the “real” stat for publisher sales rankings – would be hard to shrink.
I’ve always considered units a more telling sign, for that very reason. It’s the clearest sign yet that Marvel’s sales have slipped badly and DC is happy to step in where they can.
Last month Marvel led DC by 9 points in dollars and 11 points in units – but January also saw a huge free overshipping program from Marvel…probably to avoid this very thing.
In February, Marvel led DC 37.46% to 30.23% in dollar share – a mere 7 point spread – and 33.64% to 33.47% unit shares – that’s right only .2% separated the companies in units shipped.
Image Comics was third as usual with a 9.58% dollar share and a 18.13% unit share – this last figure was because of the 750,000 copies of the 25¢ Walking Dead #163. Because Diamond doesn’t track comics that are priced at less than a dollar, TDW #163 would easily have been the #1 book of the month; however on the charts that place was taken by Darth Maul #1.
In a further ominous sign for Marvel, they placed only two titles in the top ten periodicals – both Star Wars books – and only the Civil War II hardcover in GNS, which was led by the SEVEN TO ETERNITY VOL 1. by Remender, Opena and Hollingsworth.
Overall the comparative charts showed some softening of the market. Comics are up for the year in units but down 3.76% in dollars – the units figure will remain unreliable because of the Walking Dead issue.
Comichron’s alaysis is up here.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
| PUBLISHER | DOLLAR
SHARE |
UNIT
SHARE |
| MARVEL COMICS | 37.46% | 33.64% |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 30.23% | 33.47% |
| IMAGE COMICS | 9.58% | 18.13% |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 5.83% | 3.27% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 2.57% | 1.45% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 2.08% | 1.84% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 1.52% | 2.06% |
| TITAN COMICS | 1.16% | 0.92% |
| VIZ MEDIA | 1.10% | 0.35% |
| ONI PRESS INC. | 0.86% | 0.60% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 7.62% | 4.27% |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
| FEBRUARY 2017 VS. JANUARY 2017 | ||
| COMICS | -4.67% | 3.65% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 9.05% | 3.04% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -0.82% | 3.61% |
| TOYS | 23.91% | 3.09% |
| FEBRUARY 2017 VS. FEBRUARY 2016 | ||
| COMICS | -4.47% | 17.29% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -3.30% | -12.98% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -4.11% | 14.70% |
| TOYS | 25.46% | 0.38% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2017 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 | ||
| COMICS | -2.06% | 12.11% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -7.60% | -10.88% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -3.76% | 10.26% |
| TOYS | 3.18% | -0.94% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
| PUBLISHER | COMICS SHIPPED | GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED | MAGAZINES SHIPPED | TOTAL
SHIPPED |
| MARVEL COMICS | 104 | 36 | 0 | 140 |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 82 | 33 | 1 | 116 |
| IMAGE COMICS | 46 | 14 | 1 | 61 |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 36 | 22 | 0 | 58 |
| TITAN COMICS | 24 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
| BOOM ENTERTAINMENT | 24 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 13 | 13 | 0 | 26 |
| VIZ MEDIA | 0 | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 16 | 4 | 0 | 20 |
| ONI PRESS INC. | 10 | 5 | 0 | 15 |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 94 | 138 | 20 | 252 |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | STAR WARS DARTH MAUL #1 | $4.99 | DEC161069-M | MAR |
| 2 | BATMAN #16 | $2.99 | DEC160259-M | DC |
| 3 | BATMAN #17 | $2.99 | DEC160261-M | DC |
| 4 | JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1 [*] | $2.99 | DEC160235-M | DC |
| 5 | SUPER SONS #1 [*] | $2.99 | DEC160240-M | DC |
| 6 | WALKING DEAD #164 (MR) | $2.99 | DEC160746-M | IMA |
| 7 | ALL STAR BATMAN #7 | $4.99 | DEC160246-M | DC |
| 8 | STAR WARS #28 | $3.99 | DEC161066-M | MAR |
| 9 | JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA REBIRTH #1 [*] | $2.99 | DEC160233-M | DC |
| 10 | JUSTICE LEAGUE #14 | $2.99 | DEC160297-M | DC |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | SEVEN TO ETERNITY TP VOL 01 | $9.99 | DEC160767-M | IMA |
| 2 | LOVE IS LOVE GN | $9.99 | OCT160480 | IDW |
| 3 | BATMAN DETECTIVE TP VOL 01 RISE OT BATMEN (REBIRTH) | $16.99 | NOV160317 | DC |
| 4 | SNOTGIRL TP VOL 01 GREEN HAIR DONT CARE | $9.99 | DEC160774 | IMA |
| 5 | WONDER WOMAN TP VOL 01 THE LIES (REBIRTH) | $16.99 | NOV160320 | DC |
| 6 | MARCH GN BOOK 03 | $19.99 | JUN160408 | IDW |
| 7 | SUPERMAN ACTION COMICS TP VOL 01 PATH OF DOOM (REBIRTH) | $16.99 | NOV160319 | DC |
| 8 | HAL JORDAN & THE GLC TP VOL 01 SINESTROS LAW (REBIRTH) | $17.99 | NOV160318 | DC |
| 9 | OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA TP VOL 04 (MR) | $14.99 | DEC160821 | IMA |
| 10 | CIVIL WAR II HC | $50.00 | OCT160999 | MAR |
TOP 10 BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | LEGEND OF ZELDA ART & ARTIFACTS HC | $39.99 | JUL168360 | DAR |
| 2 | NEIL GAIMAN NORSE MYTHOLOGY HC | $25.95 | DEC162208 | WW |
| 3 | SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOL 114 DEATH BY PROXY & LOOT OF DEATH | $14.95 | NOV162123 | SAN |
| 4 | LEGO BATMAN MOVIE ACTIVITY BOOK WITH MINIFIGURE | $8.99 | NOV162102 | SCH |
| 5 | DRAGON AGE ADULT COLORING BOOK SC | $14.99 | OCT160028 | DAR |
| 6 | UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL SQUIRREL MEETS WORLD HC | $13.99 | DEC162185 | HAC |
| 7 | LEGEND OF ZELDA ART & ARTIFACTS HC LTD ED | $79.99 | OCT168812 | DAR |
| 8 | VINTAGE ROMANCE COMIC BOOK COVERS COLORING BOOK TP | $9.99 | DEC160595 | IDW |
| 9 | DOCTOR WHO GOOD BAD & ALIEN SC | $9.99 | NOV158049 | PEN |
| 10 | VAMPIRE HUNTER D NOVEL SC VOL 25 (MR) | $11.99 | OCT160081 | DAR |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | DBZ MS PIECE MANGA DIMENSIONS SON GOHAN FIG | MAY168161 | BAN |
| 2 | BATMAN V SUPERMAN DOJ WONDER WOMAN STATUE | NOV150319 | DC |
| 3 | BATMAN ANIMATED BATMAN BEYOND AF 3 PACK | JUL160450 | DC |
| 4 | DC BOMBSHELLS KATANA STATUE | JUL160448 | DC |
| 5 | MARVEL GALLERY DR STRANGE PVC FIG | JUL162621 | DST |
| 6 | SUICIDE SQUAD MOVIE JOKER & HARLEY QUINN STATUE | AUG160374 | DC |
| 7 | MARVEL FEMALE THOR BISHOUJO STATUE | AUG162818 | KOT |
| 8 | BATMAN ANIMATED NBA GIRLS NIGHT OUT AF 5 PACK (RES) | NOV160375 | DC |
| 9 | BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES PREM COLL NURSE HARLEY STAT | AUG162553 | DST |
| 10 | WALKING DEAD TV DARYL DIXON LTD ED STATUE | MAY160736 | TMP |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | POKEMON KANTO MONOPOLY | DEC163203 | USA |
| 2 | HARRY POTTER DECK BUILDING GAME | DEC163201 | USA |
| 3 | MTG TCG OATH OF THE GATEWATCH BOOSTER DIS | NOV158284 | WIZ |
| 4 | MTG TCG CONSPIRACY TAKE THE CROWN BOOSTER DIS | JUL168216 | WIZ |
| 5 | YU GI OH TCG RAGING TEMPEST BOOSTER DIS | SEP168277 | KON |
| 6 | TMNT DICE MASTERS HEROES IN A HALF SHELL BOX SET | SEP163197 | NEC |
| 7 | D&D MINIATURES SET FIVE 8CT BOOSTER BRICK | JUN169191 | NEC |
| 8 | CLUE STAR WARS CLUE GAME CS | OCT168250 | HAS |
| 9 | MARVEL HEROCLIX SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN BOOSTER BRICK | MAY163107 | NEC |
| 10 | MTG TCG 2016 COMMANDER CASE | AUG168994 | WIZ |
Not surprised by these results not enough overships in February to hide the truth about Marvel’s flagging numbers. Unfortunately from the sound of it Marvel is going to take the wrong message from this and think that the issue was to overt push for Diversity and politically driven storytelling when the real issue was just plain old poor storytelling which no amount of diversity or politics can make up for.
Marvel’s non-stop replacement of legacy characters (w/ boring (IMHO!) young characters), the forced diversity, trying to replace the X-Men/mutants with the boring ass Inhumans, forcing movie continuity into the comics, the constant renumbering of titles, AND Marvel’s left-leaning political agenda really has alienated this longtime Marvel reader.
Ignoring mini-series and first issues the “house of ideas” placed one super-hero title in the top 40 in February 2017 (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN at number 13.) AVENGERS, which should be a top 10 book, charted at number 53. The Marvel braintrust also has effectively destroyed the X-MEN franchise with EXTRAORDINARY X-MEN plummeting to number 68.
“Evil Steve Rogers” would be a perfectly fine three issue arc in CAPTAIN AMERICA; however, Marvel is going to beat it to death all Summer.
Fall can’t get here soon enough.
Steve
Darth Maul being #1 was a twist I didn’t see coming. Can’t really get my head around it but I guess the kids who were too young to realise Phantom Menace was a terrible film when it came out are now old enough to be feeling the pull of sweet lady nostalgia.
Dennis V – you nailed it.
Looks like Marvel is practicing the Dilbert brand of diversity – “da longer you stick around, diverse it gets.”
DC’s stories are no better than Marvel’s IMO – they may even be worse – but at least their characters are still the same characters that everyone is expecting. Between that, the price point, and the liberal activism now sprinkled throughout, they are alienating many.
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