Comics sales were up in double digits in nearly every comparison in July, according to figures just released by Diamond. July was a five-week month so the totals are naturally bigger; however, sales were strong even without the extra week. Graphic novel sales were up sharply vs last year, but combined comics and GN sales are up 12.71% in dollars and 10.35% in units for the year.
DC bounced back to the top of the charts with a razor thing .14% win over Marvel in dollars, but fell behind in units, 34.07% to Marvel’s 36.47%. Still it was a strong month for DC with Superman Unchained #2 toping periodicals, and six of the top ten months. Marvel had a sales success with Hawkeye Volume #2 topping the GN charts—and also, mysteriously with a Black Bolt collection? ???
For the first time, Diamond added a “unit count” table showing how many items were released each month, causing people like John Mayo and John Jackson Miller to cackle with glee.
Speaking of Miller, his preliminary reactions are out:
Orders of $46.8 million would appear to make this the best month in non-inflation-adjusted terms for total order dollars in the Direct Market in the Diamond Exclusive Era, behind only last October. It was a five week month, but graphic novel sales in particular appear to have exceeded what the extra week would have normally added.
The interesting thing Diamond added this time out was a count of actual new items shipped in each category, which really does illustrate the extent to which the middle-tier publishers have expanded their comics lines. This is different from the Top 300 Items Count that I have been doing for eons (http://www.comichron.com/vitalstatistics/itemcount.html), obviously, since it’s everything they shipped: we’ll be able to look at the two together and see how much of each publisher’s line is in the Top 300.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
|
PUBLISHER |
DOLLAR SHARE |
UNIT SHARE |
| DC COMICS |
32.50% |
34.07% |
| MARVEL COMICS |
32.34% |
36.47% |
| IMAGE COMICS |
6.56% |
6.79% |
| IDW PUBLISHING |
6.09% |
4.53% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS |
5.43% |
4.61% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT |
2.54% |
2.76% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS |
2.20% |
2.25% |
| AVATAR PRESS |
1.09% |
0.99% |
| ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT |
0.97% |
0.96% |
| VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT |
0.93% |
1.05% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 |
9.35% |
5.52% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
|
PUBLISHER |
COMICS SHIPPED |
GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED |
MAGAZINES SHIPPED |
TOTAL SHIPPED |
| DC COMICS |
91 |
29 |
1 |
121 |
| MARVEL COMICS |
81 |
37 |
0 |
118 |
| IMAGE COMICS |
42 |
14 |
0 |
56 |
| IDW PUBLISHING |
38 |
22 |
0 |
60 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS |
35 |
20 |
0 |
55 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT |
37 |
1 |
0 |
38 |
| BOOM! STUDIOS |
24 |
2 |
0 |
26 |
| AVATAR PRESS |
18 |
1 |
1 |
20 |
| ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT |
15 |
1 |
0 |
16 |
| VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT |
7 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 |
77 |
167 |
42 |
286 |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
|
|
DOLLARS |
UNITS |
|
JULY 2013 VS. JUNE 2013 |
||
| COMICS |
7.65% |
7.59% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS |
24.80% |
31.39% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN |
12.72% |
9.26% |
|
JULY 2013 VS. JULY 2012 |
||
| COMICS |
12.65% |
11.02% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS |
26.11% |
18.11% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN |
16.73% |
11.59% |
|
YEAR-TO-DATE 2013 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2012 |
||
| COMICS |
13.16% |
10.36% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS |
11.72% |
10.18% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN |
12.71% |
10.35% |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #2 |
$3.99 |
MAY130128 | DC |
|
2 |
BATMAN #22 |
$3.99 |
MAY130151 | DC |
|
3 |
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #5 |
$3.99 |
MAY130589 | MAR |
|
4 |
JUSTICE LEAGUE #22 |
$3.99 |
MAY130099 | DC |
|
5 |
BATMAN ANNUAL #2 |
$4.99 |
MAY130155 | DC |
|
6 |
BATMAN SUPERMAN #2 |
$3.99 |
MAY130147 | DC |
|
7 |
JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #6 |
$3.99 |
MAY130103 | DC |
|
8 |
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #13 |
$3.99 |
MAY130627 | MAR |
|
9 |
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #14 |
$3.99 |
MAY130628 | MAR |
|
10 |
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN TEAM UP #1 |
$3.99 |
MAY130638 | MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
HAWKEYE VOL. 2: LITTLE HITS TP |
$16.99 |
MAR130726 | MAR |
|
2 |
AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER VOL. 5: THE SEARCH PART 2 TP |
$10.99 |
MAR130020 | DAR |
|
3 |
SAGA VOLUME 2 TP (MR) |
$14.99 |
APR130443 | IMA |
|
4 |
SAGA VOLUME 1 TP (MR) |
$9.99 |
AUG120491 | IMA |
|
5 |
BLACK BOLT: SOMETHING INHUMAN THIS WAY COMES |
$7.99 |
MAY130610 | MAR |
|
6 |
KICK-ASS 2 PRELUDE: HIT-GIRL TP (MR) |
$19.99 |
MAY130706 | MAR |
|
7 |
FAIREST VOLUME 2: HIDDEN KINGDOM TP (MR) |
$14.99 |
APR130255 | DC |
|
8 |
BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN/RORSCHACH DELUXE HC (MR) |
$29.99 |
MAR130265 | DC |
|
9 |
INVINCIBLE VOL. 18: THE DEATH OF EVERYONE TP |
$16.99 |
MAY130459 | IMA |
|
10 |
BEFORE WATCHMEN: NITE OWL/DR. MANHATTAN DELUXE HC (MR) |
$29.99 |
MAR130266 | DC |
TOP 10 TOYS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
GREEN LANTERN 1:1-SCALE POWER BATTERY PROP WITH RING | FEB130261 | DC |
|
2 |
THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY PLAY ARTS ~KAI~: THE JOKER ACTION FIGURE | JAN131785 | SQU |
|
3 |
MARVEL SELECT IRON MAN 3: WAR MACHINE FIGURE | DEC121591 | DST |
|
4 |
BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY PLAY ARTS ~KAI~: HARLEY QUINN ACTION FIGURE | FEB131687 | SQU |
|
5 |
THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY PLAY ARTS ~KAI~: CATWOMAN ACTION FIGURE | JAN131784 | SQU |
|
6 |
THE WALKING DEAD SERIES 2: THE GOVERNOR/PENNY ACTION FIGURE 2-PACK | JAN138175 | TMP |
|
7 |
BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY PLAY ARTS ~KAI~: POISON IVY ACTION FIGURE | FEB131688 | SQU |
|
8 |
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES: BATMAN MAF EX | SEP128116 | MED |
|
9 |
MARVEL: KITTY PRYDE BISHOUJO STATUE | JAN131764 | KOT |
|
10 |
DC: THE NEW 52 — MARTIAN MANHUNTER ACTION FIGURE | APR130278 | DC |
TOP 10 GAMES
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: 2014 CORE SET BOOSTERS | MAY132333 | WIZ |
|
2 |
MARVEL HEROCLIX: WOLVERINE & THE X-MEN | JUN132402 | NEC |
|
3 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: 2014 CORE SET FAT PACK | MAY132335 | WIZ |
|
4 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: MODERN MASTERS BOOSTERS | APR132231 | WIZ |
|
5 |
YU-GI-OH! TCG: NUMBER HUNTERS BOOSTERS | MAR138416 | KON |
|
6 |
CLUE: THE BIG BANG THEORY EDITION | MAR132256 | USA |
|
7 |
PACIFIC RIM HEROCLIX | MAR138261 | NEC |
|
8 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: 2014 CORE SET INTRO DECKS | MAY132336 | WIZ |
|
9 |
STAR WARS RPG: EDGE OF THE EMPIRE CORE RULEBOOK | MAR132242 | FAN |
|
10 |
YU-GI-OH! TCG: EPIC DAWN 2 WAR OF THE GIANTS BOOSTERS | FEB138643 | KON |
Hawkeye at number one on the graphic novel chart blows my mind…in a very happy good way! :)
The “units offered” table is actually one that we’ve been able to do by hand before (and it could be done retroactively) but it’s a lot of work. The other question is what counts as a distinct item — my guess is they’re fusing item codes on variants, but I could see some falling into a gray area.
Glad to see Saga taking two spots in the top ten graphic novels. Well deserved sales for an excellent comic book series.
The Black Bolt “collection” is simply an expensive comic book — it is even saddle-stitched! Diamond programatically calls any comic book priced at over $6.99 a “book”, regardless of format or page count or binding. That’s a rule, as I recall, from the late 90s.
-B
http://marvel.com/comics/issue/47352/black_bolt_something_inhuman_this_way_comes_2013_1
“Black Bolt, monarch of the Inhumans, wanders the streets of San Francisco ? his memory stolen and his identity forgotten! Maximus the Mad has usurped the throne ? and Medusa, Gorgon and Karnak are forced to flee the Inhumans’ hidden city! What strange new force has wiped Black Bolt’s mind? When he’s targeted by criminals, revolutionaries and the mutant called Magneto, will his fellow Inhumans find him in time? Guest-starring Thor and the Avengers! Collecting AMAZING ADVENTURES (1970) #5-10 and AVENGERS (1963) #95.”
Black Bolt mystery solved.
UPC, not EAN, on the front cover = magazine.
P.S. Formatting problem… Drop the third column on the right and it should be okay.
Looks like DC Monthly Sales charts disappeared again. Weird how that keeps happening….
Pretty sad that all the top ten books are all $3.99.
The market share race between the Big Two is close in July. Marvel should clearly take August with the debut of Infinity. But September to December will be very interesting to watch because DC have tons of high profile launches and events including Villains month, Forever Evil, Superman/Wonder Woman, Son of Batman, Zero Year, Lighs out, Krypton Returns, Harley Quinn and several Vertigo launches including Neil Gaiman’s Sandman project. They also have a lot of big titles on their graphic novels release schedule.
One would assume the DC news is too positive for Marc-Oliver to doom and gloom it like he does every month.
But the man can doom and gloom world peace breaking out.
Big two: 64 and 70 percent share.
Is this within normal patterns, or are we seeing a stronger market for “third party” publishers?
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