It was kinda a three-way tie in October’s sale charts, according to Diamond’s just released statistics. THE WALKING DEAD #115 was the best selling comic, but DC won the units battle, 31.02% to Marvel’s 30.47%, behind The Sandman: Overture #1 and Batman #24. Marvel won the DOLLARS chart, however, 33.63% to 33.15%, thanks to strong showings by the Avengers: Endless Wartime graphic novel and Infinity #4 and #5.
Image had a 10% market share this month, however, marking one of their strongest showings in a while. (John Jackson Miller will give us perspective very soon I’m sure. )
DC’s Batman Volume 3: Death of the Family by new bestseller chart mainstays Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo topped the GN chart
In comparative stats, October was about level with September 2013 in comics sales, while GN sales surged. Overall sales in both channels are up 9.95% in dollars and 8.9% in units from 2012.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
|
PUBLISHER |
DOLLAR SHARE |
UNIT SHARE |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT |
31.02% |
33.15% |
| MARVEL COMICS |
30.47% |
33.63% |
| IMAGE COMICS |
9.26% |
10.85% |
| IDW PUBLISHING |
6.27% |
4.96% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS |
5.36% |
4.70% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT |
2.47% |
2.54% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS |
1.84% |
1.78% |
| EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD |
1.40% |
0.32% |
| ARCHIE COMICS |
1.01% |
1.24% |
| AVATAR PRESS |
1.01% |
0.90% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 |
9.88% |
5.94% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
|
PUBLISHER |
COMICS SHIPPED |
GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED |
MAGAZINES SHIPPED |
TOTAL SHIPPED |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT |
100 |
29 |
0 |
129 |
| MARVEL COMICS |
78 |
35 |
0 |
113 |
| IDW PUBLISHING |
48 |
29 |
0 |
77 |
| IMAGE COMICS |
59 |
17 |
0 |
76 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS |
38 |
18 |
0 |
56 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT |
40 |
2 |
0 |
42 |
| BOOM ENTERTAINMENT |
25 |
3 |
0 |
28 |
| VIZ MEDIA |
0 |
25 |
0 |
25 |
| ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS |
16 |
6 |
0 |
22 |
| RANDOM HOUSE |
0 |
21 |
1 |
22 |
| OTHER |
111 |
157 |
36 |
304 |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
|
|
DOLLARS |
UNITS |
|
OCTOBER 2013 VS. SEPTEMBER 2013 |
||
| COMICS |
0.30% |
-0.57% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS |
16.57% |
16.62% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN |
4.68% |
0.55% |
|
OCTOBER 2013 VS. OCTOBER 2012 |
||
| COMICS |
11.90% |
8.69% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-4.65% |
0.05% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN |
6.36% |
7.98% |
|
YEAR-TO-DATE 2013 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2012 |
||
| COMICS |
12.42% |
9.46% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS |
4.69% |
3.25% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN |
9.95% |
8.96% |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
THE WALKING DEAD #115 (MR) |
2.99 |
AUG130518-M | IMA |
|
2 |
BATMAN #24 |
6.99 |
AUG130235-M | DC |
|
3 |
INFINITY #4 |
3.99 |
AUG130735-M | MAR |
|
4 |
FOREVER EVIL #2 |
3.99 |
AUG130159-M | DC |
|
5 |
INFINITY #5 |
3.99 |
AUG130740-M | MAR |
|
6 |
JUSTICE LEAGUE #24 |
3.99 |
AUG130172-M | DC |
|
7 |
SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN #1 |
3.99 |
AUG130187-M | DC |
|
8 |
THE SANDMAN: OVERTURE #1 (MR) [*] |
4.99 |
AUG130325-M | DC |
|
9 |
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #20 |
3.99 |
AUG130787-M | MAR |
|
10 |
SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #19 |
3.99 |
AUG130784-M | MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
BATMAN HC VOL 03 DEATH OF THE FAMILY |
$24.99 |
MAY130216 | DC |
|
2 |
AVENGERS: ENDLESS WARTIME HC |
$24.99 |
JUN130674 | MAR |
|
3 |
THE JOKER: DEATH OF THE FAMILY HC |
$29.99 |
JUN130256 | DC |
|
4 |
BATMAN: THE COURT OF OWLS BOOK & MASK SET |
$24.99 |
MAY130220 | DC |
|
5 |
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER VOL. 6: THE SEARCH PART 3 |
$10.99 |
JUN130051 | DAR |
|
6 |
HELLBOY: MIDNIGHT CIRCUS HC |
$14.99 |
JUN130031 | DAR |
|
7 |
BATMAN VOLUME 2: THE CITY OF OWLS TP |
$16.99 |
JUL130235 | DC |
|
8 |
LAZARUS VOLUME 1 TP (MR) |
$9.99 |
AUG130621 | IMA |
|
9 |
SAGA VOLUME 1 TP (MR) |
$9.99 |
AUG120491 | IMA |
|
10 |
SAGA VOLUME 2 TP (MR) |
$14.99 |
APR130443 | IMA |
TOP 10 BOOKS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
THE WALKING DEAD: THE FALL OF THE GOVERNOR HC |
$24.99 |
JUL131515 | ST. |
|
2 |
LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC |
$34.99 |
SEP120055 | DAR |
|
3 |
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER AND SON HC |
$14.95 |
FEB121318 | CHR |
|
4 |
STAR WARS: VADER’S LITTLE PRINCESS HC |
$14.95 |
FEB131315 | CHR |
|
5 |
DC COMICS GUIDE TO CREATING COMICS SC |
$24.99 |
AUG131609 | RAN |
|
6 |
CAPCOM 30TH-ANNIVERSARY CHARACTER ENCYCLOPEDIA |
$16.99 |
AUG131666 | DK |
|
7 |
THE ART OF CHARLIE ADLARD HC (MR) |
$39.99 |
AUG130532 | IMA |
|
8 |
MY LITTLE PONY: MINI PONY COLLECTOR’S GUIDE |
$19.00 |
AUG131583 | HAC |
|
9 |
THE SECRET HISTORY OF MARVEL COMICS: THE KIRBY EMPIRE HC |
$39.99 |
AUG131307 | FAN |
|
10 |
WORLD OF WARCRAFT TRIBUTE SC |
$44.99 |
JUL131300 | UDO |
TOP 10 TOYS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
THE WALKING DEAD SERIES 4 ACTION FIGURES | FEB138479-M | TMP |
|
2 |
BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY: BATMAN VS. BANE 2-PACK | JUN130320 | DC |
|
3 |
WOLVERINE LEGENDS 6-INCH ACTION FIGURES | MAR138356 | HAS |
|
4 |
THE WALKING DEAD: MERLE & DARYL DIXON 2-PACK | FEB138485 | TMP |
|
5 |
BATMAN VS. KILLER CROC STATUE (2ND EDITION) | MAY130282 | DC |
|
6 |
DC COMICS SUPER VILLAINS: THE JOKER ACTION FIGURE | MAY130285 | DC |
|
7 |
DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: POISON IVY STATUE | MAY130275 | DC |
|
8 |
DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: WONDER WOMAN STATUE | MAR130316 | DC |
|
9 |
DC COMICS COVER GIRLS: SUPERGIRL STATUE | MAY130276 | DC |
|
10 |
DC COMICS COVER GIRLS: BATWOMAN STATUE | JUN130314 | DC |
TOP 10 GAMES
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
MONOPOLY: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION | OCT128266 | USA |
|
2 |
RISK: THE WALKING DEAD SUVIVAL EDITION | OCT128267 | USA |
|
3 |
RISK LEGACY | JUN118204 | HAS |
|
4 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: THEROS BOOSTER PACKS | JUN132398 | WZK |
|
5 |
MARVEL HEROCLIX: THOR: THE DARK WORLD | JUL138260 | NEC |
|
6 |
STAR TREK TACTICS HEROCLIX SERIES III | JUL138333 | NEC |
|
7 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: THEROS FAT PACK | JUN132400 | WZK |
|
8 |
MARVEL HEROCLIX: THOR: THE DARK WORLD MOVIE STARTER SET | JUL138261 | NEC |
|
9 |
PATHFINDER BATTLES: LEGENDS OF GOLARION BOOSTER BRICK | JUL138263 | NEC |
|
10 |
YU-GI-OH! TCG: LEGENDARY COLLECTION: JOEY’S WORLD | MAY138406 | KON |
I think a much better headline would be…
“ARCHIE COMICS breaks in to Top 10 Publishers”
…seriously.
It looks like Units and Dollars were mixed up in the first paragraph. Marvel won the Units and DC won the Dollars, not the other way around.
Here’s to Archie cracking the Top 10!
Archie Comics in the direct market isn’t JUST Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man anymore — Afterlife, Red Circle and more are here to stay in a big way!
My take is here:
http://blog.comichron.com/2013/11/october-2013-first-50-million-comics.html
Headline is clearly the first $50 million month for orders in the Diamond Exclusive Era; we’re looking to be up about $45 million or so for the whole year.
For the curious about Archie’s past rankings, I find it last entered the Top 10 in dollar share in August 2012. May 2013 for unit share.
I can never figure out why Diamond’s charts are considered authoritative. The sales data that Diamond shares with the press is based on the publishers and markets that Diamond handles. All others are ignored as though they doesn’t exist.
I also can never figure out why the Manga University Girl icon appears on my posts on so many different sites!
@Glenn
It’s a snapshot. A glimpse at one segment of the comics market, with data going back quite a ways. (Wow… December 28, 1994… Where were you when…)
Most other market segments don’t give out detailed info like this.
—
As for your avatar… you set that up on some service, and it automatically inserts it whenever you use your registered email in the comment form. I can’t remember what service I used…
Congrats to Archie comics! I currently don’t read any Archie titles, but it’s good to see a publisher that’s been around since the 40s NOT named DC or Marvel surviving in this day and age.
Thanks for the feedback, Torsten :-)
I realize that it’s a snapshot, and that’s what gives me pause. Too often, the industry regurgitates these Diamond sales charts as though they were a sort of “Billboard Top 10” for comics.
“As Diamond goes, so goes the nation” might have been true 10 years ago. But plenty of publishers and marketplaces have long since eliminated the middleman.
—
It looks like the avatar is managed through WordPress and Gravatar. Mine should be sorted out by now.
Glenn – when it comes to the comics, it is pretty accurate, the only sales not included are UK and European sales. Certainly the bulk of sales from the big five are included here. It probably is more representative of the overall market than the Billboard chart is, which is a very narrow US-centric chart. Books not so much, but that’s why we don’t analyse that side of things to the same level.
Isn’t newsstand another portion not accounted for here, Paul?
A full month since the last sales chart? What gives?
Comments are closed.