Don’t call it a comeback? Comics/gn sales were up 12% in dollars compared to July with new events finding an audience, it seems.Although Marvel won the month of August, DC had the top three periodicals with Dark Nights: Metal #1 the top book followed by two Tom King Batman outings. Various Secret Empire and Generations comics rounded out the Top 10.Will Legacy and Dark Nights be enough to reverse the somewhat dismal 2017 so far?
Paper Girls Vol. 3 was the top collection for the month; the rest of the top 10 was DC and Image. Marvel had alone X-men book in the Top 10. It Boy Donny Cates’ God Country was a strong #3.
In year to year comparisons, comics and GNs are still down about 10% in dollars. Comparisons to last August aren’t as germane, since as John Jackson Miller points out, August 2016 was the thick of Rebirth and a record month with more than 10 million comics shipped.
However, even glass-is-half-full Comichron acknowledges that the June-August sales slump is the worst comparative decline since 1997, when Heroes Return was in decline from Heroes Reborn. Partly this is because Rebirth was such a big boost. And Marvel slowed its decline a bit, while Image, Dark Horse, and Dynamite are all up year-to-date. DC shows real signs of staying strong with Metal, and, God Help Us, Doomsday Clock.
The last three months with Lenticular Fever are gonna be fuuuuuuunnnnnn.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
|
PUBLISHER |
DOLLAR SHARE |
UNIT SHARE |
| MARVEL COMICS |
35.01% |
39.52% |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT |
28.18% |
31.09% |
| IMAGE COMICS |
10.06% |
9.23% |
| IDW PUBLISHING |
4.81% |
3.69% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS |
3.16% |
2.18% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT |
2.50% |
3.58% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS |
2.19% |
1.88% |
| TITAN COMICS |
1.48% |
1.25% |
| VIZ MEDIA |
1.42% |
0.52% |
| ONI PRESS INC. |
1.28% |
0.82% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 |
9.91% |
6.23% |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
|
DOLLARS |
UNITS |
|
|
AUGUST 2017 VS. JULY 2017 |
||
| COMICS |
9.56% |
9.30% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS |
18.34% |
20.46% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN |
12.16% |
10.12% |
| TOYS |
52.54% |
32.90% |
|
AUGUST 2017 VS. AUGUST 2016 |
||
| COMICS |
-25.72% |
-25.91% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-6.89% |
-10.02% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-20.71% |
-24.84% |
| TOYS |
-33.47% |
-42.90% |
|
YEAR-TO-DATE 2017 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 |
||
| COMICS |
-9.94% |
-6.23% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-11.68% |
-12.77% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-10.47% |
-6.76% |
| TOYS |
-10.99% |
-16.38% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
|
PUBLISHER |
COMICS SHIPPED |
GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED |
MAGAZINES SHIPPED |
TOTAL SHIPPED |
| MARVEL COMICS |
106 |
40 |
1 |
147 |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT |
78 |
29 |
1 |
108 |
| IMAGE COMICS |
62 |
18 |
0 |
80 |
| IDW PUBLISHING |
56 |
22 |
0 |
78 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS |
20 |
16 |
0 |
36 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT |
30 |
6 |
0 |
36 |
| BOOM ENTERTAINMENT |
25 |
10 |
0 |
35 |
| TITAN COMICS |
20 |
13 |
1 |
34 |
| VIZ MEDIA |
0 |
26 |
0 |
26 |
| ONI PRESS INC. |
8 |
7 |
0 |
15 |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 |
119 |
182 |
32 |
333 |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
DARK NIGHTS: METAL #1 |
$4.99 |
JUN170232-M | DC |
|
2 |
BATMAN #28 |
$2.99 |
JUN170252-M | DC |
|
3 |
BATMAN #29 |
$2.99 |
JUN170254-M | DC |
|
4 |
SECRET EMPIRE #10 |
$4.99 |
JUN170877-M | MAR |
|
5 |
GENERATIONS: ALL-NEW WOLVERINE/WOLVERINE #1 |
$4.99 |
JUN170857-M | MAR |
|
6 |
SECRET EMPIRE #8 |
$4.99 |
JUN170865-M | MAR |
|
7 |
SECRET EMPIRE #9 |
$4.99 |
JUN170871-M | MAR |
|
8 |
GENERATIONS: THE MIGHTY THOR/UNWORTHY THOR #1 |
$4.99 |
JUN170842-M | MAR |
|
9 |
STAR WARS #34 |
$3.99 |
JUN171015-M | MAR |
|
10 |
STAR WARS #35 |
$3.99 |
JUN171018-M | MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
PAPER GIRLS VOLUME 3 TP |
$12.99 |
JUN170777 | IMA |
|
2 |
BATMAN VOLUME 3: I AM BANE TP |
$16.99 |
MAY170321 | DC |
|
3 |
GOD COUNTRY TP (MR) |
$16.99 |
MAY170624-M | IMA |
|
4 |
KILL OR BE KILLED VOLUME 2 TP (MR) |
$16.99 |
MAY170693-M | IMA |
|
5 |
WONDER WOMAN VOLUME 3: THE TRUTH TP |
$16.99 |
MAY170328 | DC |
|
6 |
X-MEN GOLD VOLUME 1: BACK TO BASICS TP |
$15.99 |
MAY170943 | MAR |
|
7 |
REBORN HC (MR) |
$24.99 |
FEB170703-M | IMA |
|
8 |
SUPERMAN VOLUME 3: MULTIPLICITY TP |
$16.99 |
MAY170327 | DC |
|
9 |
OLD GUARD BOOK 1: OPENING FIRE TP (MR) |
$16.99 |
JUN170687-M | IMA |
|
10 |
X-MEN BLUE VOLUME 1: STRANGEST TP |
$15.99 |
MAY170944 | MAR |
TOP 10 BOOKS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
HELLBOY: AN ASSORTMENT OF HORRORS SC NOVEL |
$14.99 |
APR170061 | DAR |
|
2 |
BATMAN & ROBIN ADVENTURES: HARLEY QUINN’S CRAZY CREEPER CAPER TP |
$5.95 |
MAY172127 | CAP |
|
3 |
CINEGEEK HC |
$14.99 |
FEB170487 | IDW |
|
4 |
DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: WELCOME TO SUPER HERO HIGH |
$4.99 |
MAY172134 | RAN |
|
5 |
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS ADULT COLORING BOOK TP |
$16.99 |
JUN171326 | BOO |
|
6 |
DC SUPER PETS: KRYPTO ORIGIN OF SUPERMAN’S DOG |
$4.95 |
MAY172138 | CAP |
|
7 |
DC SUPER PETS: STREAKY ORIGIN OF SUPERGIRL’S CAT |
$4.95 |
MAY172139 | CAP |
|
8 |
OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOLME 47 SC |
$29.95 |
APR171765-M | GEM |
|
9 |
BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: BIG BADS & MONSTERS ADULT COLORING BOOK TP |
$14.99 |
MAY170055 | DAR |
|
10 |
DC SUPER PETS: ACE ORIGIN OF BATMAN’S DOG |
$4.95 |
MAY172136 | CAP |
TOP 10 TOYS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD: LINK NENDOROID DX | DEC168626 | GOO |
|
2 |
BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE BY NORM BREYFOGLE | FEB170345 | DC |
|
3 |
DRAGONBALL SUPER DRAGON STARS ACTION FIGURES | DEC168377 | BAN |
|
4 |
MARVEL SELECT: LADY DEADPOOL ACTION FIGURE | DEC162578 | DST |
|
5 |
DC COVER GIRLS: ZATANNA STATUE | FEB170343 | DC |
|
6 |
MARVEL PREMIUM COLLECTION: THANOS STATUE | DEC162576 | DST |
|
7 |
ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: DC COMICS: ARSENAL ACTION FIGURE | AUG168742 | MEZ |
|
8 |
MEGA MAN X FULL ARMOR NENDOROID | SEP168170 | GOO |
|
9 |
MARVEL NOW: CARNAGE ARTFX+ STATUE | FEB172861 | KOT |
|
10 |
MARVEL GALLERY: LUKE CAGE NETFLIX PVC FIGURE | JAN172647 | DST |
TOP 10 GAMES
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
MARVEL HEROCLIX: THE MIGHTY THOR BOOSTER BRICK | APR173304 | NEC |
|
2 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: AMONKHET BOOSTER PACKS | DEC168751 | WIZ |
|
3 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: AETHER REVOLT BUNDLE PACK | NOV162989 | WIZ |
|
4 |
MONOPOLY: STAR WARS 40TH-ANNIVERSARY EDITION | FEB178728 | HAS |
|
5 |
STARFINDER RPG CORE RULEBOOK HC | JUN173371 | PAI |
|
6 |
MACHI KORO CARD GAME | MAY142831 | IDW |
|
7 |
CHOCOBO PLAYING CARDS | NOV168553 | SQU |
|
8 |
MARVEL HEROCLIX: THE MIGHTY THOR STARTER SET | APR173305 | NEC |
|
9 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: COMMANDER 2017 | JUN173402 | WIZ |
|
10 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: AMONKHET BUNDLE PACK | DEC168752 | WIZ |
So two “regular” titles (BATMAN and STAR WARS) and three short-term “events” make up the top 10. Marvel reportedly is going to delay their next “event” until 2019 and focus on building up their core super-hero titles. Not a moment too soon — THOR, AVENGERS, IRON MAN, CAPTAIN AMERICA, DEADPOOL, HULK, and SPIDER-MAN all need to be revitalized. Marvel also needs to cut production by about 20 percent, but they’re still trying to crowd the other publishers off the racks so there’s little chance of that. Exhibit A: POWER PACK and DARKHAWK one-shots coming in November 2017.
LL
Both POWER PACK and DARKHAWK have a history of some sales success, so I can’t criticize them for running those books up the flag pole and seeing who salutes. And there are probably some books that do well enough outside the Direct Market to keep publishing them, though that only proves how important the DM still is to even those books. But any glance at the sales charts finds a bunch of Marvel titles that can’t really be profitable on their own.
I know nothing about these things but I’ve long suspected that Marvel has agreements with advertisers to get their ads into X number of books a month and just have to hit that number no matter how poorly the books themselves sell.
Mike
Retailers will order cautiously on these moldy one shots; anybody who wants them should notify their LCS as soon as possible. To be fair, DC did something similar a few years ago. The difference is that DC continued the old series numbering and didn’t go out of their way to alienate store owners the month before orders were due.
LL
I”m curious to see where Tom King’s Mister Miracle #1 will land on the full chart, as well as how those Kirby one-shots charted
Marvel is #1? Well, when they produce 40 (Forty!) more comics and trades for the month, it’d be hard for them not to be.
Its great to see a Superman trade in the Top 10. With both Superman and Action Comics its the best his books have been in about 12 years!
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