There’s been a lot of rumbling about a slow down in comics sales of late, and while we’ll have to wait for the drill down from veteran chart watchers, a few clues are visible in the November sales charts just released by Diamond.
Comics periodical and graphic novels flip-flopped in month to month comparisons in the November sales figures. GNs were up in double digits from the previous month, while periodical were down in double digits – the opposite of October. While total sales are still up for the year, it’s by a slim margin – just under 2% for both units and dollars. Hopefully December will hold the line on this, but it’s still a pretty stagnant picture.
Batman was the top periodical while Paper Girls Vol. 2 was the top GN. Overall, Marvel was #1 again, gaining a few percentage points while DC dropped by similar numbers.
The month to month periodical drop – down 10% in dollars and 13%in units – is odd because November was a five Wednesday month and October had only four. This could be explained by a couple of things: the big Loot Crate numbers for Boom’s Big Trouble in Little China/Escape from New York book and the end of returnability for DC’s Rebirth. The surge in GNs – up nearly 20% in dollars and 19% in units – is also a little hard to parse, although people do love their Paper Girls.
DC Superhero Girls Vol. 2 was the #3 GN, while Marvel had six titles in the top ten, including The Visions Vol 2, Gwenpool and Moonknight, a pretty healthy showing for some of their newish titles. DC’s other top ten titles were the Sandman Overture paperback and a deluxe Rebirth collection The Individual Rebirth trades won’t start hitting for a while, and DC could use a few GN hits there. Aside from Batman and The Flash, there haven’t been many backlist stars from the New 52 onwards. The fact that DC Superhero Girls is one of their strongest launches in the last few years is very notable.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
| PUBLISHER | DOLLAR
SHARE |
UNIT
SHARE |
| MARVEL COMICS | 38.08% | 39.46% |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 26.17% | 31.30% |
| IMAGE COMICS | 8.99% | 9.06% |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 5.23% | 4.59% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 3.65% | 2.85% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 1.98% | 1.66% |
| TITAN COMICS | 1.61% | 1.30% |
| VIZ MEDIA | 1.52% | 0.56% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 1.40% | 1.23% |
| ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS | 1.01% | 1.06% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 10.38% | 6.92% |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
| NOVEMBER 2016 VS. OCTOBER 2016 | ||
| COMICS | -10.33% | -13.26% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 19.48% | 18.91% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -2.72% | -11.35% |
| TOYS | 28.48% | 53.60% |
| NOVEMBER 2016 VS. NOVEMBER 2015 | ||
| COMICS | -12.71% | -6.09% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 21.56% | 25.78% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -4.25% | -4.15% |
| TOYS | -9.53% | -12.99% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2015 | ||
| COMICS | 1.85% | 1.97% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 1.74% | 0.77% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 1.82% | 1.87% |
| TOYS | -5.60% | -8.56% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
| PUBLISHER | COMICS SHIPPED | GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED | MAGAZINES SHIPPED | TOTAL
SHIPPED |
| MARVEL COMICS | 88 | 44 | 0 | 132 |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 84 | 35 | 0 | 119 |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 46 | 25 | 0 | 71 |
| IMAGE COMICS | 50 | 9 | 1 | 60 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 28 | 26 | 0 | 54 |
| VIZ MEDIA | 0 | 45 | 0 | 45 |
| TITAN COMICS | 23 | 18 | 2 | 43 |
| BOOM ENTERTAINMENT | 23 | 8 | 0 | 31 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 25 | 5 | 0 | 30 |
| ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS | 15 | 4 | 0 | 19 |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 136 | 217 | 30 | 383 |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | BATMAN #10 | $2.99 | SEP160227-M | DC |
| 2 | BATMAN #11 | $2.99 | SEP160229-M | DC |
| 3 | CIVIL WAR II #7 | $4.99 | AUG160866-M | MAR |
| 4 | ALL STAR BATMAN #4 | $4.99 | SEP160214-M | DC |
| 5 | INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1 | $3.99 | SEP160893-M | MAR |
| 6 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: RENEW YOUR VOWS #1 | $4.99 | SEP160946-M | MAR |
| 7 | BATMAN ANNUAL #1 | $4.99 | SEP160231 | DC |
| 8 | VENOM #1 | $3.99 | SEP160951-M | MAR |
| 9 | THE WALKING DEAD #160 (MR) | $2.99 | SEP160763-M | IMA |
| 10 | IVX #0 | $4.99 | SEP160882-M | MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | PAPER GIRLS VOLUME 2 TP | $12.99 | SEP160815 | IMA |
| 2 | MARVEL: THE HIP-HOP COVERS VOLUME 1 HC | $34.99 | MAR160927 | MAR |
| 3 | DC SUPER HERO GIRLS VOL. 2: HITS AND MYTHS TP | $9.99 | AUG160270 | DC |
| 4 | STAR WARS: DARTH VADER VOL. 4: END OF GAMES TP | $19.99 | JUL161076 | MAR |
| 5 | UNBELIEVABLE GWENPOOL VOL. 1: BELIEVE IT TP | $16.99 | AUG161009 | MAR |
| 6 | SANDMAN OVERTURE TP (MR) | $19.99 | AUG160359 | DC |
| 7 | DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH DELUXE EDITION HC | $17.99 | AUG160316 | DC |
| 8 | VISION VOL. 2: LITTLE BETTER THAN BEAST TP | $17.99 | SEP161139 | MAR |
| 9 | MOON KNIGHT VOLUME 1: LUNATIC TP | $15.99 | SEP161128 | MAR |
| 10 | DEADPOOL V. GAMBIT: V IS FOR VS TP | $16.99 | AUG161011 | MAR |
TOP 10 BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | JIM HENSON’S LABYRINTH ARTIST TRIBUTE HC | $24.99 | AUG161305 | BOO |
| 2 | MOUSE GUARD COLORING BOOK | $14.99 | JUN161233 | BOO |
| 3 | JOHN BYRNE’S STOWAWAY TO THE STARS GRAPHIC ALBUM TO COLOR TP | $12.99 | SEP160610 | IDW |
| 4 | TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE SCRIPTS BY JOE HILL HC | $17.99 | AUG160478 | IDW |
| 5 | DOCTOR WHO: THE TWELVE DOCTORS OF CHRISTMAS HC | $14.99 | JUN168322 | PEN |
| 6 | THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 111 SC | $14.95 | AUG162275 | SAN |
| 7 | CHEW ADULT COLORING BOOK TP (MR) | $14.99 | SEP160767 | IMA |
| 8 | SPECTRUM ART BOOK 23 SC | $35.00 | SEP162204 | PUB |
| 9 | DC COMICS: WONDER WOMAN COLORING BOOK SC | $14.99 | AUG162253 | POC |
| 10 | THE SHADOW NOVEL ANNUAL VOLUME 2 SC | $19.95 | JUL162277 | SAN |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES: BATWING VEHICLE | APR160436 | DC |
| 2 | MARVEL GALLERY: DEADPOOL PVC FIGURE | JUN162394 | DST |
| 3 | DC COMICS: HARLEY QUINN “NEW 52” BISHOUJO STATUE | APR162878 | KOT |
| 4 | GOTHAM CITY GARAGE: HARLEY QUINN DELUXE STATUE | AUG150301 | DC |
| 5 | DC ICONS: BATGIRL OF BURNSIDE DELUXE ACTION FIGURE | MAY160364 | DC |
| 6 | HARLEY QUINN: RED, BLACK & WHITE HOLIDAY STATUE | MAY160361 | DC |
| 7 | BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES: NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES: THE JOKER ACTION FIGURE | MAR160321 | DC |
| 8 | STAR WARS: DARTH VADER “EPISODE IV” ARTFX+ STATUE | MAY162719 | KOT |
| 9 | MARVEL PREMIER COLLECTION: SPIDER-GWEN STATUE | APR162612 | DST |
| 10 | SAGA: ALANA & MARKO ACTION FIGURE 2-PACK | SEP160830 | SKY |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | DC HEROCLIX: THE JOKER’S WILD BOOSTER BRICK | JUL163367 | NEC |
| 2 | TMNT: SHADOWS OF THE PAST BOARD GAME | APR160482 | IDW |
| 3 | JIM HENSON’S LABYRINTH BOARD GAME | JUN163091 | RIV |
| 4 | MARVEL DICE MASTERS: DEADPOOL | AUG163179 | NEC |
| 5 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: CONSPIRACY: TAKE THE CROWN BOOSTER PACKS | JUL168216 | WIZ |
| 6 | BACK TO THE FUTURE MONOPOLY | JUL152198 | DST |
| 7 | PANDEMIC: REIGN OF CTHULHU EDITION BOARD GAME | JUN163096 | ZMA |
| 8 | DC HEROCLIX: THE JOKER’S WILD FAST FORCES 6-PACK | JUL163368 | NEC |
| 9 | THE GAME CARD GAME | SEP152625 | IDW |
| 10 | THE WALKING DEAD TRIVIAL PURSUIT | JUL163366 | USA |
My drilldown is here. Fewer new comics and a huge graphic novel slate look like relevant factors: http://blog.comichron.com/2016/12/graphic-novels-monopolize-publisher.html
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