The March sales numbers from Diamond have several headline worthy metrics: DC surpassed Marvel in units – but not dollars – for the first time in a non-relaunch period. True it was just a tad – DC had 35.4% of the months units compared to Marvel’s 34.3% – but given that Marvel was 18 points ahead in units when Rebirth launched, you can see why The Big M is having sales conferences. Marvel retained its 7 point dollar lead same as February.
Part of that lead may have been due to the #1 comic, Amazing Spider-Man #25, that $9.99 comics David Gabriel was telling us about last week. At more than 70 pages, this was sort of a mini-graphic novel in itself. Marvel had four books in the top ten, including Iron Fist #1, showing that media tie ins do work.
The top graphic novel was Saga Vol 7, followed by The Walking Dead. Old Man Logan also made the chart, reflecting the strong sales in the wake of the Logan movie. With these and a Harley Quinn GN you’d think graphic novels would have been up in most comparisons but they were down by double digits. Was that just the lack of the Killing Joke effect from 2016?
Indeed, the other big number is a bit harder to quantify: comics and GN sales are down overall 3% in dollars from the same period last year, but up 8.89% in units. DC’s lower cover price strikes again? The first quarter is way down from Q4 2016 but that was the holiday season. March was also a five week month to February’s four weeks.
I think the pros called these kinds of numbers “mixed.” Sales aren’t in free fall but we’ve hit a slow patch. And Marvel Now 2016 was a huge dud.
As usualy I’ll link to Comichron with its more number crunchy analysis when it’s out.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
|
PUBLISHER |
DOLLAR SHARE |
UNIT SHARE |
| MARVEL COMICS |
35.41% |
34.34% |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT |
28.75% |
35.46% |
| IMAGE COMICS |
10.71% |
10.02% |
| IDW PUBLISHING |
5.68% |
4.72% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS |
3.48% |
3.09% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS |
2.15% |
1.86% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT |
1.76% |
2.00% |
| TITAN COMICS |
1.15% |
1.06% |
| VIZ MEDIA |
1.14% |
0.43% |
| VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC |
1.14% |
1.37% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 |
8.62% |
5.64% |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
|
DOLLARS |
UNITS |
|
|
MARCH 2017 VS. FEBRUARY 2017 |
||
| COMICS |
15.00% |
-4.72% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS |
15.44% |
19.72% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN |
15.14% |
-3.13% |
| TOYS |
34.66% |
55.98% |
|
MARCH 2017 VS. MARCH 2016 |
||
| COMICS |
6.02% |
8.93% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-15.36% |
-17.47% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-1.68% |
6.21% |
| TOYS |
-9.24% |
0.51% |
|
YEAR-TO-DATE 2017 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 |
||
| COMICS |
0.70% |
11.05% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-10.68% |
-13.49% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-3.01% |
8.89% |
| TOYS |
-2.52% |
-0.31% |
|
FIRST QUARTER 2017 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2016 |
||
| COMICS |
-15.15% |
-12.69% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-11.42% |
-16.73% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-14.06% |
-12.98% |
| TOYS |
-20.45% |
-23.92% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
|
PUBLISHER |
COMICS SHIPPED |
GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED |
MAGAZINES SHIPPED |
TOTAL SHIPPED |
| MARVEL COMICS |
92 |
39 |
0 |
131 |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT |
92 |
31 |
0 |
123 |
| IMAGE COMICS |
61 |
16 |
2 |
79 |
| IDW PUBLISHING |
60 |
19 |
0 |
79 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS |
25 |
14 |
0 |
39 |
| TITAN COMICS |
24 |
6 |
5 |
35 |
| BOOM ENTERTAINMENT |
24 |
10 |
0 |
34 |
| VIZ MEDIA |
0 |
26 |
0 |
26 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT |
21 |
1 |
0 |
22 |
| VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC |
7 |
2 |
0 |
9 |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 |
130 |
161 |
20 |
311 |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #25 |
$9.99 |
JAN170988-M | MAR |
|
2 |
DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE #8 |
$5.99 |
JAN170324-M | DC |
|
3 |
BATMAN #18 |
$2.99 |
JAN170237-M | DC |
|
4 |
BATMAN #19 |
$2.99 |
JAN170239-M | DC |
|
5 |
IRON FIST #1 |
$3.99 |
JAN170951-M | MAR |
|
6 |
X-MEN PRIME #1 |
$4.99 |
JAN170940 | MAR |
|
7 |
STAR WARS #29 |
$3.99 |
JAN171083-M | MAR |
|
8 |
ALL-STAR BATMAN #8 |
$4.99 |
JAN170228-M | DC |
|
9 |
THE WALKING DEAD #165 (MR) |
$2.99 |
JAN170772 | IMA |
|
10 |
JUSTICE LEAGUE #16 |
$2.99 |
JAN170285-M | DC |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
SAGA VOLUME 7 TP (MR) |
$14.99 |
JAN170850 | IMA |
|
2 |
THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 27: THE WHISPERER WAR TP |
$14.99 |
AUG168569 | IMA |
|
3 |
HARLEY QUINN VOLUME 1: DIE LAUGHING TP |
$16.99 |
DEC160373 | DC |
|
4 |
SUICIDE SQUAD VOLUME 1: THE BLACK VAULT TP |
$16.99 |
DEC160375 | DC |
|
5 |
DEATH OF X TP |
$17.99 |
DEC161096 | MAR |
|
6 |
TITANS VOLUME 1: THE RETURN OF WALLY WEST TP |
$16.99 |
DEC160376 | DC |
|
7 |
WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN TP |
$29.99 |
JUL100692 | MAR |
|
8 |
DEATHSTROKE VOLUME 1: THE PROFESSIONAL TP |
$16.99 |
DEC160372 | DC |
|
9 |
BATGIRL VOLUME 1: BEYOND BURNSIDE TP |
$16.99 |
DEC160370 | DC |
|
10 |
DEADLY CLASS VOLUME 5: CAROUSEL TP (MR) |
$14.99 |
JAN170822 | IMA |
TOP 10 BOOKS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER & FAMILY COLORING BOOK |
$14.95 |
JAN172321 | CHR |
|
2 |
WORLD OF WARCRAFT CHRONICLE VOLUME 2 HC |
$39.99 |
NOV160049 | DAR |
|
3 |
LEGEND OF ZELDA: ART & ARTIFACTS HC |
$39.99 |
JUL168360 | DAR |
|
4 |
THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 115 SC |
$14.95 |
DEC162213 | SAN |
|
5 |
THE LEGION OF REGRETTABLE SUPERVILLAINS HC |
$24.95 |
JAN172281 | RAN |
|
6 |
THE ART OF MASS EFFECT: ANDROMEDA HC |
$39.99 |
NOV160081 | DAR |
|
7 |
DOCTOR WHO: T IS FOR TARDIS HC |
$9.99 |
SEP168058 | PEN |
|
8 |
ICHI-F: A WORKER’S GRAPHIC MEMOIR OF THE FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR PLANT SC |
$24.99 |
JAN171863 | RAN |
|
9 |
OTOMO: GLOBAL TRIBUTE TO THE GENIUS BEHIND AKIRA HC |
$29.99 |
OCT168151 | RAN |
|
10 |
BATGIRL: NEW HERO OF THE NIGHT SC |
$5.99 |
JAN172287 | SCH |
TOP 10 TOYS
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
DC REBIRTH: JUSTICE LEAGUE ACTION FIGURE 7-PACK | AUG160372 | DC |
|
2 |
POWER RANGERS LEGACY 6-INCH ACTION FIGURES | NOV169036 | BAN |
|
3 |
ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: MARVEL: THE PUNISHER DELUXE ACTION FIGURE | JUN168911 | MEZ |
|
4 |
BATMAN ANIMATED: BATMAN EXPRESSIONS PACK | SEP160384 | DC |
|
5 |
DC DESIGNER SERIES: BOMBSHELLS HARLEY QUINN ACTION FIGURE | OCT160334 | DC |
|
6 |
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG: SONIC NENDOROID EZ | AUG169297 | GOO |
|
7 |
MARVEL: LADY LOKI BISHOUJO STATUE | SEP162765 | KOT |
|
8 |
DC DESIGNER SERIES: SUPERMAN & LOIS LANE BY GARY FRANK STATUE | AUG160368 | DC |
|
9 |
DC COMICS: BATMAN & ROBIN ARTFX+ STATUE 2-PACK | OCT162923 | KOT |
|
10 |
ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: DC: REVERSE FLASH ACTION FIGURE | MAY168197 | MEZ |
TOP 10 GAMES
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
MARVEL HEROCLIX: DEADPOOL AND X-FORCE BOOSTER BRICK | NOV162996 | NEC |
|
2 |
LEGEND OF ZELDA CHESS | DEC163202 | USA |
|
3 |
MACHI KORO CARD GAME | MAY142831 | IDW |
|
4 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: ELDRITCH MOON BOOSTER PACKS | MAY163104 | WIZ |
|
5 |
MARVEL HEROCLIX: DEADPOOL AND X-FORCE FAST FORCES 6-PACK | NOV162997 | NEC |
|
6 |
D&D: MONSTER MENAGERIE MINIATURE BOOSTER BRICK | AUG169525 | NEC |
|
7 |
FINDING DORY: DON’T WAKE HANK GAME | JUL158674 | BAN |
|
8 |
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: STAR WARS GAME | OCT168253 | HAS |
|
9 |
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SHADOWS OF THE PAST BOARD GAME | APR160482 | IDW |
|
10 |
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: SHADOWS OF THE PAST: APRIL O’NEIL ADVENTURE PACK | AUG160440 | IDW |
New graphic novel releases were many fewer in quantity, almost enough to account for the drop. I discuss it here:
http://blog.comichron.com/2017/04/some-improvement-in-march-2017-comics.html
Marvel passes DC in the race to the bottom.
One thing I don’t see discussed enough in terms of the poor sales of the industry over the last four or five months is the bankruptcy and closure of the Hastings Entertainment chain in September/October.
That is 120 comic book stores. that all closed near the end of the year for non-comic book reasons.
Doesn’t that explain most of these low numbers?
Or is it not as big a deal as I think?
Levi, having formerly lived where there were several Hastings stores, I know that Hastings closed back in July or August. It probably was a hit to sales totals, but occurred several months earlier. I picked up a few issues a week at mine but got most of my comics through DCBS at the time, so I at least had another way to keep getting comics without them.
To follow up on my last comment, apparently 120 stores is about 3-4% of the industry. So if the industry is down 3% in dollars from last year, doesn’t that mean (when factoring in the Hastings closures) that the industry is fairly healthy? Or if not necessarily healthy, just not in a bad spot?
Obviously Marvel and DC (and maybe Image or Valiant to some extent, but Hastings was mostly Big 2 focused) would be hurting losing roughly 3% of their sales, but theoretically doesn’t that mean that the comic book stores themselves are in basically the same spot they were last year?
Definitely not an expert here, just curious if anyone (The Beat, ICV2, whoever) has looked into how Hastings effected the comic industry and whether or not their closure is making things look better/worse than they actually are.
This was a summary of Diamond’s sentiments and assessment of the market last summer, written by Heidi for Publishers Weekly. http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/71400-after-slow-start-comics-sales-bounce-back-at-2016-diamond-summit.html
I’m not familiar with Hastings stores or their closure, but I would think that just because stores close doesn’t necessarily mean that those consumer dollars disappear. The readers that shopped at those locations could have started patronizing other stores, or switched to digital, DCBS or other ways of purchasing.
“I’m not familiar with Hastings stores or their closure, but I would think that just because stores close doesn’t necessarily mean that those consumer dollars disappear. The readers that shopped at those locations could have started patronizing other stores, or switched to digital, DCBS or other ways of purchasing.”
This was pre-internet, but historical research showed that ~80% of sales disappeared from the market when a local comic store disappears. I can vouch for this anecdotally, as well.
-B
Comments are closed.