Marvel remained the #1 publisher accoridng to sales figures just released by Diamond, but they lost some of their dollar share from February, as Boom gained a little market share. Boom’s big win was a #2 slot on the periodical chart for the first issue of their surprise hit Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers #1. Batman #50, was the top comic, however, and someting called The Walking Dead led the graphic novel charts.
Graphic novels were up an insane 25%-36% from last month and a year ago. March was a five Wednesday month, but that wouldn’t account for this huge rise. Perhaps tellingly, while a lot of comparisons to previous periods are in the black, and overall comics sales are up 1.32% for the year in DOLLARS, in UNITS they are down -7.53%, indicating that high cover prices and not more comics solds are keeping things level.
Random House’s DC Super Hero Girls: Wonder Woman at Super Hero High was March’s best-selling book, showing good comics shop support for this initiative aimed at young girls, a demographic once considered anathema to the LCS.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
| PUBLISHER | DOLLAR
SHARE |
UNIT
SHARE |
| MARVEL COMICS | 37.39% | 42.71% |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 26.32% | 25.94% |
| IMAGE COMICS | 8.73% | 8.63% |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 5.82% | 4.41% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 3.26% | 4.07% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 2.82% | 2.47% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 1.69% | 1.56% |
| VIZ MEDIA | 1.45% | 0.63% |
| TITAN COMICS | 1.42% | 1.48% |
| EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD | 1.21% | 0.34% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 9.88% | 7.77% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
| PUBLISHER | COMICS SHIPPED | GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED | MAGAZINES SHIPPED | TOTAL
SHIPPED |
| MARVEL COMICS | 84 | 44 | 0 | 128 |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 77 | 40 | 0 | 117 |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 50 | 32 | 0 | 82 |
| IMAGE COMICS | 54 | 19 | 0 | 73 |
| EAGLEMOSS | 0 | 0 | 47 | 47 |
| VIZ MEDIA | 0 | 43 | 0 | 43 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 23 | 16 | 0 | 39 |
| TITAN COMICS | 19 | 11 | 5 | 35 |
| BOOM ENTERTAINMENT | 23 | 11 | 0 | 34 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 18 | 2 | 0 | 20 |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 140 | 153 | 29 | 322 |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
| MARCH 2016 VS. FEBRUARY 2016 | ||
| COMICS | 3.62% | 2.59% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 31.90% | 26.24% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 12.29% | 4.61% |
| MARCH 2016 VS. MARCH 2015 | ||
| COMICS | 0.53% | -8.45% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 36.36% | 34.78% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 11.04% | -5.31% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2015 | ||
| COMICS | -3.40% | -9.16% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 12.67% | 13.56% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 1.32% | -7.53% |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | BATMAN #50 | $5.99 | JAN160227-M | DC |
| 2 | MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS #1 | $3.99 | JAN161182-M | BOO |
| 3 | STAR WARS #17 | $3.99 | JAN160915-M | MAR |
| 4 | SUPERMAN #50 | $4.99 | JAN160229-M | DC |
| 5 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #9 | $3.99 | JAN160833-M | MAR |
| 6 | DARTH VADER #17 | $3.99 | DEC150865 | MAR |
| 7 | DARTH VADER #18 | $3.99 | JAN160919 | MAR |
| 8 | DEADPOOL #8 | $3.99 | JAN160891-M | MAR |
| 9 | INTERNATIONAL IRON MAN #1 | $3.99 | JAN160720-M | MAR |
| 10 | AVENGERS STANDOFF: ASSAULT ON PLEASANT HILL ALPHA #1 | $4.99 | JAN160762-M | MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 25: NO TURNING BACK TP (MR) | $14.99 | DEC150677 | IMA |
| 2 | PAPER GIRLS VOLUME 1 TP | $9.99 | JAN160645 | IMA |
| 3 | CIVIL WAR TP | $24.99 | JAN072436 | MAR |
| 4 | TOKYO GHOST VOLUME 1: ATOMIC GARDEN TP (MR) | $9.99 | JAN160652 | IMA |
| 5 | BATMAN VOLUME 7: ENDGAME TP | $16.99 | DEC150331 | DC |
| 6 | BEAUTY VOLUME 1 TP (MR) | $9.99 | JAN160633-M | IMA |
| 7 | EAST OF WEST VOLUME 5: ALL THESE SECRETS TP | $14.99 | JAN160657 | IMA |
| 8 | SECRET WARS HC | $50.00 | AUG150873 | MAR |
| 9 | BATMAN VOLUME 8: SUPERHEAVY HC | $24.99 | NOV150271 | DC |
| 10 | AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER VOLUME 12: SMOKE & SHADOW PART 3 TP | $10.99 | NOV150073 | DAR |
TOP 10 BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: WONDER WOMAN AT SUPER HERO HIGH HC | $13.99 | JAN161903 | RAN |
| 2 | WORLD OF WARCRAFT CHRONICLE VOLUME 1 HC | $39.99 | NOV150039 | DAR |
| 3 | THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 104 SC | $14.95 | DEC151826 | SAN |
| 4 | DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 87 SC | $14.95 | NOV151873 | SAN |
| 5 | BATMAN V SUPERMAN: ART OF DAWN OF JUSTICE HC | $39.99 | JAN161707 | RAN |
| 6 | VISUAL FUNK STREET ART ADULT COLORING BOOK TP | $9.99 | DEC150518 | IDW |
| 7 | MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS: LIGHT UP RING & ILLUSTRATED BOOK KIT | $9.95 | DEC151823 | RUN |
| 8 | STAR WARS LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK: A NEW HOPE | $4.99 | MAY151813 | RAN |
| 9 | BOB’S BURGERS BURGER BOOK HC | $19.95 | JAN161898 | RAN |
| 10 | BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE TECH MANUAL HC | $39.95 | JAN161708 | RAN |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | DRAGONBALL Z: SON GOKU 10-INCH PVC FIGURE | APR158752 | BAN |
| 2 | POP! STAR WARS: RANCOR (6-INCH) WITH LUKE & SLAVE OOLA VINYL FIGURE 3-PACK | SEP158902 | FUN |
| 3 | MARVEL SELECT: DEADPOOL ACTION FIGURE | MAR101468 | DST |
| 4 | MARVEL UNIVERSE VARIANT PLAY ARTS KAI: CAPTAIN AMERICA FIGURE | JUL158280 | SQU |
| 5 | MARVEL: LADY DEADPOOL BISHOUJO STATUE | SEP152305 | KOT |
| 6 | DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: THE JOKER & HARLEY QUINN STATUE 2ND ED | AUG150309 | DC |
| 7 | GREEN ARROW AND BLACK CANARY STATUE | AUG150310 | DC |
| 8 | BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE: BATMAN STATUE | AUG150303 | DC |
| 9 | BATMAN PREMIUM COLLECTION: MAD LOVE HARLEY QUINN STATUE | AUG152310 | DST |
| 10 | BATMAN PREMIUM COLLECTION: MAD LOVE HARLEY QUINN VARIANT STATUE | JUL158013 | DST |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS MONOPOLY | OCT158186 | HAS |
| 2 | STAR WARS X-WING: GHOST EXPANSION PACK | OCT152855 | FAN |
| 3 | SUPERNATURAL MONOPOLY | FEB162978 | USA |
| 4 | RISK: STAR WARS EDITION | OCT158587 | HAS |
| 5 | STAR WARS X-WING: PUNISHING ONE EXPANSION PACK | OCT152859 | FAN |
| 6 | DC HEROCLIX: WORLDS FINEST BOOSTER BRICK | DEC152576 | NEC |
| 7 | V-WARS: BLOOD & FIRE BOARD GAME | SEP152626 | IDW |
| 8 | TICKET TO RIDE MAP COLLECTION 5: UNITED KINGDOM | DEC152543 | DOW |
| 9 | YU-GI-OH! TCG PREMIUM GOLD BOX | DEC158812 | KON |
| 10 | YU-GI-OH! TCG: BREAKERS OF SHADOW SPECIAL EDITION BOOSTERS | DEC158528 | KON |
I eagerly await Xavier’s analysis here later in the month to explain how that issue of Spider-Man was– yet again– a complete and utter failure. :)
“Perhaps tellingly, while a lot of comparisons to previous periods are in the black, and overall comics sales are up 1.32% for the year in DOLLARS, in UNITS they are down -7.53%, indicating that high cover prices and not more comics solds are keeping things level.”
The “year to date” comparison stats are going to be a little flakey for a while b/c of the insane Star Wars numbers that were in the charts for the beginning of 2015.
As an additional complication, March ’16 is also the month with a bunch of DC Comics priced higher than normal (those #50 issues).
Not that I’m arguing against your conclusion, just pointing out that there are a lot of unusual factors in play with the “year to date” comparisons right now.
BOOM! Studios beat Dark Horse for the month, in addition to having the #2 spot.
“I eagerly await Xavier’s analysis here later in the month to explain how that issue of Spider-Man was– yet again– a complete and utter failure.”
Even though nobody has made that claim, it’s not surprising you’re hopelessly dependent on other people’s opinions of your inability to increase sales anymore.
The “inability to increase sales anymore” dig hurt, Skottie. Fortunately the 16K+ sales bump in March eased the pain. ;-)
(But I’m sure Xavier will be able to explain that away too.) :-P
A hypothetical 16% bump still puts it far below the last volume of the title, and if even you call it a bump rather than a rise or growth, it’s probably just another variant cover gimmick.
How are those Silver Surfer numbers working out for ya?
Dan Slott, I like your writing. But every time I see these juvenile attacks, it’s like you’re hurting your own cause. Arguing with anonymous internet nobodies does nothing.
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