Secret Wars thumped Convergence in May’s sales, according to numbers just released by Diamond. Secret Wars #1 was the top comic for the month, and overall Marvel achieved market share dominance of DC ~40% to ~25%. However Batman Earth One Vol. Two was the top graphic novel. Image was #3, breaking 10% of unit share again.
I’m a bit surprised by the #2 titles in both categories. Boom’s BRAVEST WARRIORS: TALES OF HOLO JOHN #1 was the #2 periodical overall beating out many issues of Secret Wars and Convergence—I’m told this was a Loot Crate comic, but Secret Wars dominated even Loot Crate.
The #2 graphic novel was even more surprising: NIGHT NURSE??? This was a one shot reprinting the cult 70s comic by Linda Fite and Win Mortimer, and it was more a big comic than a true GN, but still…I guess the Daredevil Netflix show had some influence here, as Rosario Dawson’s character was based on Night Nurse.
Sales remain robust for the year over 2014. (May is down against April as it was a five week month.) YTD sales are up 15% overall in units and 12% overall in dollars—perhaps this is evidence of the “Variant Era” sales?
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
| PUBLISHER | DOLLARSHARE | UNITSHARE |
| MARVEL COMICS | 40.17% | 41.11% |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 25.43% | 26.04% |
| IMAGE COMICS | 8.89% | 10.28% |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 5.06% | 3.82% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 3.96% | 7.16% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 3.83% | 3.43% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 2.22% | 1.82% |
| EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD | 1.16% | 0.27% |
| VIZ MEDIA | 1.01% | 0.33% |
| VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC | 0.85% | 0.92% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 7.43% | 4.81% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
| PUBLISHER | COMICS SHIPPED | GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED | MAGAZINES SHIPPED | TOTALSHIPPED |
| MARVEL COMICS | 71 | 35 | 0 | 106 |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 74 | 25 | 0 | 99 |
| IMAGE COMICS | 58 | 10 | 0 | 68 |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 42 | 21 | 0 | 63 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 33 | 17 | 0 | 50 |
| BOOM ENTERTAINMENT | 28 | 6 | 0 | 34 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 26 | 2 | 0 | 28 |
| EAGLEMOSS | 0 | 0 | 27 | 27 |
| VIZ MEDIA | 0 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS | 11 | 2 | 0 | 13 |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 93 | 91 | 17 | 201 |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
| MAY 2015 VS. APRIL 2014 | ||
| COMICS | -10.58% | -9.60% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -21.11% | -19.41% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -13.81% | -10.38% |
| MAY 2015 VS. MAY 2014 | ||
| COMICS | 19.94% | 19.53% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -0.29% | 9.90% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 13.49% | 18.78% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2015 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2014 | ||
| COMICS | 16.48% | 16.90% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 3.41% | -1.13% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 12.31% | 15.35% |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | SECRET WARS #1 | $4.99 | FEB150650-M | MAR |
| 2 | BRAVEST WARRIORS: TALES OF HOLO JOHN #1 | $4.99 | MAR151109-M | BOO |
| 3 | SECRET WARS #2 | $4.99 | MAR150618-M | MAR |
| 4 | STAR WARS #5 | $3.99 | MAR150683-M | MAR |
| 5 | DEADPOOL’S SECRET SECRET WARS #1 | $4.99 | MAR150644-M | MAR |
| 6 | A-FORCE #1 | $3.99 | MAR150665-M | MAR |
| 7 | OLD MAN LOGAN #1 | $4.99 | MAR150656-M | MAR |
| 8 | DARTH VADER #5 | $3.99 | MAR150688-M | MAR |
| 9 | CONVERGENCE #5 [*] | $3.99 | MAR150155-M | DC |
| 10 | CONVERGENCE #6 [*] | $3.99 | MAR150159-M | DC |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | BATMAN: EARTH-ONE VOLUME 2 HC | $24.99 | JAN150232 | DC |
| 2 | NIGHT NURSE | $7.99 | MAR150754 | MAR |
| 3 | RAT QUEENS VOLUME 2: THE FAR REACHING TENTACLES OF N’RYGOTH TP (MR) | $14.99 | SEP140647 | IMA |
| 4 | SOUTHERN BASTARDS VOLUME 2: GRIDIRON TP (MR) | $9.99 | FEB150542 | IMA |
| 5 | CIVIL WAR TP | $24.99 | JAN072436 | MAR |
| 6 | SAGA VOLUME 4 TP (MR) | $14.99 | OCT140644 | IMA |
| 7 | LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST GN | $19.99 | MAR151495 | VIZ |
| 8 | DEADPOOL VOLUME 8: ALL GOOD THINGS TP | $24.99 | MAR150804 | MAR |
| 9 | THE VALIANT TP | $9.99 | MAR151614 | VAL |
| 10 | SAGA VOLUME 1 TP (MR) | $9.99 | AUG120491 | IMA |
TOP 10 BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | DRAGON AGE: THE WORLD OF THEDAS VOLUME 2 HC | $39.99 | DEC140101 | DAR |
| 2 | ATTACK ON TITAN: BEFORE THE FALL: KYKLO NOVEL | $14.95 | MAR151665 | RAN |
| 3 | ESSENTIAL EVANGELION CHRONICLE: SIDE A SC | $39.99 | JAN151635 | UDO |
| 4 | LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC | $34.99 | SEP120055 | DAR |
| 5 | THE WORLD OF THE WITCHER HC | $39.99 | OCT140122 | DAR |
| 6 | MARVEL: AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON POP-UP BOOK HC | $14.99 | MAR151735 | HAC |
| 7 | THE FANGIRL’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY: A HANDBOOK FOR GIRL GEEKS HC | $15.95 | MAR151759 | RAN |
| 8 | TH ECOMPLETE GUIDE TO SELF PUBLISHING COMICS SC | $24.99 | MAR151750 | RAN |
| 9 | WOMEN OF WONDER: CELEBRATING WOMEN CREATORS OF FANTASTIC ART | $24.95 | MAR151727 | PUB |
| 10 | BRAVEST WARRIORS: THINGS TO DOODLE & DO SC | $12.99 | MAR151492 | VIZ |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | MARVEL NOW: DEADPOOL ARTFX+ STATUE | SEP142328 | KOT |
| 2 | THE DARK KNIGHT: THE JOKER MAF EX FIGURE | APR148224 | MED |
| 3 | DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: HARLEY QUINN ACTION FIGURE | DEC140434 | DC |
| 4 | BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT: BATMAN ACTION FIGURE | SEP140356 | DC |
| 5 | BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT: HARLEY QUINN ACTION FIGURE | SEP140357 | DC |
| 6 | MARVEL: WOLVERINE DANGER ROOM SESSIONS STATUE | AUG142465 | KOT |
| 7 | DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: MERA STATUE | NOV140352 | DC |
| 8 | BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT: SCARECROW ACTION FIGURE | SEP140358 | DC |
| 9 | THE FLASH ACTION FIGURE | OCT140413 | DC |
| 10 | DC COMICS: SUPERMAN & BATMAN BOOKENDS | NOV140347 | DC |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE BOOSTER BRICK | MAR152655 | NEC |
| 2 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: DRAGONS OF TARKIR BOOSTER PACKS | JAN158366 | WIZ |
| 3 | YU-GI-OH! HEROCLIX SERIES THREE | SEP142619 | NEC |
| 4 | HARLEY QUINN PUZZLE | MAR152470 | NMR |
| 5 | THE WALKING DEAD: PRISON BOARD GAME | JUN142630 | MEG |
| 6 | STAR WARS ARMADA: VICTORY CLASS STAR DESTROYER EXPANSION | JAN152641 | FAN |
| 7 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: DRAGONS OF TARKIR FAT PACK | JAN158368 | WIZ |
| 8 | STAR WARS ARMADA: ASSAULT FRIGATE MARK II EXPANSION | JAN152634 | FAN |
| 9 | MINECRAFT: OFFICIAL MOJANG COMBAT HANDBOOK HC | FEB142547 | SCH |
| 10 | MINECRAFT: OFFICIAL MOJANG CONSTRUCTION HANDBOOK HC | FEB142548 | SCH |
Night Nurse should be categorized as a comic book. Folded with staples. And it was in the comic part of the Previews, not in the Graphic Novel section, so it was ordered as a comic.
Colin,
https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=29701562
It has an EAN barcode, not a UPC. Yes, the barcode is on the front cover, and it wasn’t distributed via bookstores, but Marvel has done that before. (For example, the Marvel Premier Classic collections have DM-only editions.)
There are many comics with EANs, most notably the Gemstone Disney titles. (Used so that those squarebound issues could be sold via bookstores.) DC has done the same for finite series, such as The Dark Knight Strikes Again (9781563898709, 9781563898716, 9781563898723).
Binding and length do not define where something is sold.
Even serials (usually defined by an ISSN) can be sold like books, such as societal annuals or guidebooks (like Fodor’s New York City ISSN: 2328-3106).
Saga v.1 continues to sell in trade! Over 150,000 copies sold to comics shops since October 2012!
I understand that. I’m just saying it was presented, ordered and sold as a comic book. That’s why it is so high on the chart. Most stores wouldn’t have ordered 5-10 copies of a Night Nurse GN, but as a comic, sure. The title of the article indicated it was a surprise top seller. Just explaining why. I guess at $7.99 its kind of in between collection. But I still go with, if it is folded and has staples, its a comic more than a GN.
It’s a comic, not a book, even with the EAN.
Diamond has a purely arbitrary line (either $6.99 or $7.99, I think?) which determines what chart an item places.
-B
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