Late ship, late schmip: despite well documented problems getting their product out on time, Marvel still crushed it in October, according to sales figures just released by Diamond. Marvel opened up a commanding 22% lead in dollar share and a 26% lead in units…in fact Marvel 48% of units is the largest margin I remember seeing since I started doing these charts—and they only shipped 68 titles compared to 80 in September. And in another rare occurence, the entire top 10 periodical comics were Marvel. Ouchie. It’s another kick in the grass for DC’s nascent DC You line and means DKIII can’t come soon enough. DC’s unit share of 21.85% (down from 26% in September) and units of 22.92% (down from (26.32%) are also lows. Image was #3 with single digits once again.
Yet despite these unit and order drops for Marvel and DC, periodical sales were up from September more than 20% in both units and dollars! Graphic novel sales were down by a similar amount, but that is most likely due to October being a four week month as opposed to September’s five week chart. I’ll be looking for John Jackson Miller to explain all this in a bit because it makes no sense to me.
Year to year, comics and GNs are still up only 5% in dollars and 4% in units, so 2015 is still a year of slowing growth…but it is still growing.
The first Bitch Planet collection was the #3 graphic novel of the month, after two Star Wars titles, so non complaince has a lot of fans.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
| PUBLISHER | DOLLAR
SHARE |
UNIT
SHARE |
| MARVEL COMICS | 43.65% | 48.26% |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 21.85% | 22.92% |
| IMAGE COMICS | 9.17% | 9.27% |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 6.16% | 4.96% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 4.04% | 3.10% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 2.41% | 1.93% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 1.60% | 1.53% |
| TITAN COMICS | 1.21% | 1.16% |
| VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC | 0.92% | 0.99% |
| VIZ MEDIA | 0.88% | 0.34% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 8.12% | 5.54% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
| PUBLISHER | COMICS SHIPPED | GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED | MAGAZINES SHIPPED | TOTAL
SHIPPED |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 78 | 34 | 1 | 113 |
| MARVEL COMICS | 68 | 33 | 0 | 101 |
| IMAGE COMICS | 55 | 14 | 0 | 69 |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 41 | 22 | 0 | 63 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 36 | 25 | 0 | 61 |
| BOOM ENTERTAINMENT | 29 | 12 | 0 | 41 |
| TITAN COMICS | 12 | 9 | 4 | 25 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 18 | 6 | 0 | 24 |
| VIZ MEDIA | 0 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC | 10 | 5 | 0 | 15 |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 98 | 99 | 15 | 212 |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
| OCTOBER 2015 VS. SEPTEMBER 2015 | ||
| COMICS | 22.33% | 20.47% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -7.57% | -17.96% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 11.91% | 16.59% |
| OCTOBER 2015 VS. OCTOBER 2014 | ||
| COMICS | -7.49% | -12.27% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -14.27% | -14.94% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -9.55% | -12.47% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2015 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2014 | ||
| COMICS | 5.37% | 4.21% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 4.45% | 5.80% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 5.08% | 4.33% |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1 | $3.99 | JUL150696-M | MAR |
| 2 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1 | $5.99 | AUG150700-M | MAR |
| 3 | SPIDER-GWEN #1 | $3.99 | AUG150805-M | MAR |
| 4 | SECRET WARS #6 | $3.99 | JUN150680-M | MAR |
| 5 | DOCTOR STRANGE #1 | $4.99 | AUG150741-M | MAR |
| 6 | STAR WARS #10 | $3.99 | JUL150764-M | MAR |
| 7 | CHEWBACCA #1 | $3.99 | AUG150855-M | MAR |
| 8 | JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS: SHATTERED EMPIRE #2 | $3.99 | JUL150772-M | MAR |
| 9 | GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1 | $3.99 | AUG150760-M | MAR |
| 10 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #2 | $3.99 | AUG150712-M | MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | STAR WARS VOLUME 1: SKYWALKER STRIKES TP | $19.99 | MAY150811 | MAR |
| 2 | STAR WARS: DARTH VADER VOLUME 1: VADER TP | $19.99 | JUL150827 | MAR |
| 3 | BITCH PLANET VOL. 1: EXTRAORDINARY MACHINE TP (MR) | $9.99 | MAY150482-M | IMA |
| 4 | DEATHSTROKE BOOK AND MASK SET | $29.99 | JUN150300 | DC |
| 5 | MARVEL SUPER HERO: CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS VOL. 1 TP | $7.99 | AUG150846 | MAR |
| 6 | THE WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM VOLUME 3 TP | $59.99 | AUG150497 | IMA |
| 7 | SAGA VOLUME 5 TP (MR) | $14.99 | JUL150565 | IMA |
| 8 | OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA VOLUME 2 TP (MR) | $14.99 | JUL150633 | IMA |
| 9 | LUMBERJANES VOLUME 2 TP | $14.99 | AUG151216 | BOO |
| 10 | INJECTION VOLUME 1 TP (MR) | $9.99 | AUG150488 | IMA |
TOP 10 BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 100 SC | $15.95 | AUG151992 | SAN |
| 2 | DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 84 SC | $14.95 | JUL151868 | SAN |
| 3 | ADVENTURE TIME: THE ENCHIRIDION & MARCY’S SUPER SECRET SCRAPBOOK | $24.95 | MAY151741 | ABR |
| 4 | WINTERWORLD BOOK 1: MECHANIC’S SONG TP | $9.99 | DEC140570 | IDW |
| 5 | LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC | $34.99 | SEP120055 | DAR |
| 6 | GEORGE R.R. MARTIN’S GAME OF THRONES COLORING BOOK | $16.95 | SEP151841 | RAN |
| 7 | SWORD ART ONLINE: PROGRESSIVE VOLUME 3 NOVEL | $14.00 | AUG151853 | HAC |
| 8 | MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS ENCYCLOPEDIA HC | $40.00 | AUG151909 | DK |
| 9 | THE BIG BANG THEORY KIT | $9.95 | JUL151853 | RUN |
| 10 | NARUTO: KAKASHI’S STORY NOVEL SC | $10.99 | SEP151696 | VIZ |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT PLAY ARTS KAI: HARLEY QUINN FIGURE | MAR158227 | SQU |
| 2 | BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES: BATMOBILE | APR150335 | DC |
| 3 | DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: BATWOMAN STATUE | MAR150325 | DC |
| 4 | DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: CATWOMAN STATUE | APR150342 | DC |
| 5 | MARVEL UNIVERSE VARIANT PLAY ARTS KAI: SPIDER-MAN FIGURE | MAR158235 | SQU |
| 6 | BATMAN ANIMATED: BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES: BATMAN FIGURE | JUN150336 | DC |
| 7 | BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT: ARKHAM KNIGHT FIGURE | SEP140355 | DC |
| 8 | BATMAN ANIMATED: NEW BATMAN ADVENTURES: BATGIRL FIGURE | JUN150337 | DC |
| 9 | GOTHAM SELECT ACTION FIGURES | MAY152171 | DST |
| 10 | MARVEL: WASP BISHOUJO STATUE | APR152483 | KOT |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | SUPERFIGHT CARD GAME CORE DECK | AUG150606 | IMA |
| 2 | MOUSE GUARD: THE ROLEPLAYING GAME HC BOXED SET (2ND ED) | FEB151158 | BOO |
| 3 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: BATTLE FOR ZENDIKAR BOOSTER PACKS | AUG152925 | ALL |
| 4 | BACK TO THE FUTURE MONOPOLY | JUL152198 | DST |
| 5 | MOUSE GUARD: THE ROLEPLAYING GAME HC (2ND ED) | FEB151159 | BOO |
| 6 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: BATTLE FOR ZENDIKAR FAT PACK | AUG152927 | WIZ |
| 7 | FIREFLY PLAYING CARDS | MAR158605 | QUA |
| 8 | DC HEROCLIX: SUPERMAN/WONDER WOMAN FAST FORCES 6-PACK | SEP152649 | NEC |
| 9 | MINECRAFT: OFFICIAL MOJANG COMBAT HC (UPDATED EDITION) | JUN152753 | SCH |
| 10 | ADVENTURE TIME FLUXX CARD GAME | MAY152758 | LOO |
Better month than September, worse than last October. But the new release volumes were much, much lower than last October’s — even given the fifth week. Last October was a record month for both orders and the volume of new releases; 1,020 new comics, graphic novels, and magazines. The figure was 743 this time out. Marvel and DC had a third fewer new comics release in the month, while Dynamite, for example, had fewer than half the new comics out this October that it had last October.
So the slates are smaller — and may be punching their weights better. 28% fewer releases, but sales were only off less than 10%. Better than if it were the other way around…
http://blog.comichron.com/2015/11/marvel-sweeps-october-2015-top-10.html
And I looked back at the numbers on market share: Marvel’s is its highest since December 2009, when it posted 44.57%; and DC’s lowest dollar share since March 1998, which was 21.83% — its low water-mark for the Diamond Exclusive Era. Marvel’s high for the era was September 2008, and 45.31%.
With many key titles relaunching, Secret Wars still going on AND Star Wars doing its thing, it’s hardly a surprise Marvel killed it in October, especially with DC running out the status quo. If anything, this type of month will make DC feel like another relaunch is necessary, but I hope they let more than a month guide their way.
I’ll be really interested to see what happens once the relaunch hype wears out and Marvel’s in status quo again. I hope the ANAD books don’t fall off, but I feel like they will in a big way. Time will tell, I suppose.
I neglected to mention the other thing that’s going to start impacting the annual comparatives on the unit sales side — Loot Crate. Last October was the Walking Dead issue, around about the time the numbers on those really started impacting the charts. They don’t inflate things on the dollar side by nearly as much.
In specific response to Heidi’s other question above, the 20% gains were over last month, not last year — and Marvel’s slate wasn’t that much smaller in October than in September. Lower-selling offerings were replaced with higher-selling ones, hence the increase seen there.
DC shipped 10 more books than Marvel? Those numbers must really be soul crushing. If DC were doing 52 books instead of 78…yikes. There goes that whole ‘flooding the market’ argument.
“DC shipped 10 more books than Marvel? Those numbers must really be soul crushing. ”
Count the number of #1s that Marvel released. Though, well, it is kinda soul crushing that releasing tons of #1 books still sell.
More noteworthy… Unless I missed something and Batman didn’t ship in October, all titles in the top 10 sold more than 100k copies, and even some outside the top 10 did.
Congrats to Marvel
Batman #45 shipped 10/14
Oof, and then the sales for Iron Man #2 come in… http://www.previewsworld.com/Home/1/1/71/977?articleID=170881
DC sales are on par with earlier in the year, it’s just that there was more pie this month for Marvel:
DC sales:
January:
Comics: 1,940,726 units; $6,605,661.74
Trades: 82,233 units; $1,781,582.73
February:
Comics: 2,103,024 units; $7,202,448.76
Trades: 87,655 units; $1,745,358.45
March:
Comics:1,853,431 units; $6,178,118.46
Trades: 70,054 units; $1,356,172.46
and then:
August :
Comics 1,952,784 units; $7,020,187.16
Trades 104,969 units; $2,194,915.71
September:
Comics 1,841,987 units; $7,156,519.13
Trades 127,388 units; $2,640,316.11
October:
Comics 1,975,093 units; $7,042,146.10
Trades 100,837 units; $2,380,921.63
Granted that in 2013 and 2014 they were averaging about 2,700,000 monthly. What DC needs is more events; Convergence brought them closer to that number.
Iron Man #2 is ahead of a ton of books that are considered good sellers.
what the f u c k is this dumb a s s saying? we speak english here you filthy immagrant
Is it really important that Marvel crushes it? “It’s another kick in the grass for DC” – wow, Comicsbeat, you really have got it against DC, haven’t you, that you have to make a dig at them everytime you talk Marvel.
“What DC needs is more events; Convergence brought them closer to that number.” Seriously?? Is that you think makes good comics these days, Eli?
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