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Comic Shop Sales Fell 10% In 2017 – As DC and Doomsday Clock #2 Top December 2017 Marketshare Chart

For the second month in a row, Doomsday Clock has taken the top spot on the Diamond Comics rankings for December 2017.

Comic Shop Sales Fell 10% In 2017 – As DC and Doomsday Clock #2 Top December 2017 Marketshare Chart

However, it's an overall smaller market than last year to have a share of. Annual sales from Diamond to comic stores in North America have decreased 10% over the previous year, with comic book sales and graphic novel sales both down around 10% year on year.

The Diamond spin is that this is still the 4th highest year of sell-in to comic shops by the distributor, with over 89 million comic books and 7.4 million graphic novels sold to comic stores. But year on year, that's a 10% drop.

DC was December's top publisher in dollars with a 34.54% dollar share and a 37.65% unit share, the former slightly up on November's 33.71% dollar share but a big drop on their 39.37% unit share. However, both are significantly up on October's  30.58% dollar share and a 35.48% unit share.

Marvel Comics was the month's top publisher in units with 38.81% unit share and a 33.80% dollar share, the former significantly up on November's 34.29% dollar share but down on their 34.52% unit share, above October's 36.38% dollar share and below the 38.63% unit share. This may be a sign that Marvel has stopped doing tiered discounts and overshipping which bump up units but reduce dollar revenue for each of those units.

Image Comics also had a mixed picture with an 8.69% dollar share and a 7.20% unit share compared to November's 8.07% dollar share and an 8.26% unit share. In fourth was IDW Publishing with a 3.92% dollar share and a 2.92% unit share, followed by Dark Horse Comics with a 2.69% dollar share and a 2.06% unit share.

The top ten saw DC take six and Marvel take 4. Outside of the top ten, The Walking Dead #174 was at #12. Mike Mignola and Adam Hughes' Christmas-themed Hellboy: Krampusnacht #1 was at #96. and IDW Publishing's Star Wars Adventures #5 at #128.

Image did well in the graphic novel charts as Saga Volume 8 was December's best-selling graphic novel with Shirtless Bear-Fighter and Deadly Class Volume 6 at #8. DC had three titles in the top ten: Batman Volume 4: The War of Jokes and Riddles,Batman: Detective Comics Volume 4: Deus Ex Machina and Justice League vs. Suicide Squad at #6. Marvel Comics had two, Star Wars Volume 6: Out Among the Stars and Venomverse at #9. Dark Horse Comics had  Black Hammer Volume 2: The Event  and Oni Press had Rick and Morty Volume 6.

A collection of Strangers in Paradise writer/artist Terry Moore's personal sketches and art commissions, Abstract Studios' Terry Moore: 25th Anniversary Sketch book: 8,800 Days of Blondes, Brunettes and Bozos was December's best-selling book. Dark Horse Comics' Overwatch Anthology Volume 1, a hardcover collection of sketches, webcomics, and background material on the popular video game, ranked #2 for the month.

 

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER DOLLAR

SHARE

UNIT

SHARE

DC ENTERTAINMENT 34.54% 37.65%
MARVEL COMICS 33.80% 38.81%
IMAGE COMICS 8.69% 7.20%
IDW PUBLISHING 3.92% 2.92%
DARK HORSE COMICS 2.69% 2.06%
BOOM! STUDIOS 2.28% 1.98%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.08% 1.84%
ONI PRESS 1.00% 0.52%
VIZ MEDIA 0.96% 0.35%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC 0.96% 1.08%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 9.08% 5.59%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

  DOLLARS UNITS
DECEMBER 2017 VS. NOVEMBER 2017
COMICS -16.13% -14.05%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -21.95% -10.88%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -18.11% -13.77%
TOYS -33.23% -30.05%
DECEMBER 2017 VS. DECEMBER 2016
COMICS -16.54% -24.11%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -10.17% -13.37%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -14.57% -23.23%
TOYS -27.60% -37.11%
FOURTH QUARTER 2017 VS. THIRD QUARTER 2017
COMICS -2.41% -5.19%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 8.49% 7.61%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 0.82% -4.24%
TOYS 9.14% 2.15%
FOURTH QUARTER 2017 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2016
COMICS -13.90% -19.53%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -1.77% -7.71%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -10.37% -18.66%
TOYS -15.67% -24.40%
YEAR 2017 VS. YEAR 2016
COMICS -10.40% -9.69%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -9.38% -11.86%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -10.09% -9.86%
TOYS -12.55% -19.90%

 


NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER COMICS SHIPPED GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED MAGAZINES SHIPPED TOTAL

SHIPPED

MARVEL COMICS 85 43 0 128
DC ENTERTAINMENT 80 38 1 119
IDW PUBLISHING 35 32 0 67
IMAGE COMICS 55 10 0 65
BOOM! STUDIOS 24 7 0 31
DARK HORSE COMICS 19 9 0 28
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 21 5 0 26
VIZ MEDIA 0 16 0 16
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT 6 2 0 8
ONI PRESS 4 3 0 7
OTHER NON-TOP 10 118 164 27 309

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 DOOMSDAY CLOCK #2 $4.99 OCT170204-M DC
2 DARK NIGHTS: METAL #4 $3.99 SEP170248-M DC
3 PHOENIX RESURRECTION: THE RETURN OF JEAN GREY #1 $4.99 OCT170824-M MAR
4 BATMAN #36 $2.99 OCT170225-M DC
5 BATMAN #37 $2.99 OCT170227-M DC
6 BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT #3 $3.99 OCT170238-M DC
7 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN/VENOM: VENOM INC. ALPHA #1 $4.99 OCT170876-M MAR
8 MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #1 $3.99 OCT170834-M MAR
9 HAWKMAN FOUND #1 $3.99 SEP170253-M DC
10 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #792 $3.99 OCT170879-M MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 SAGA VOLUME 8 TP (MR) $14.99 OCT170715 IMA
2 BATMAN VOL. 4: THE WAR OF JOKES & RIDDLES TP $19.99 SEP170400 DC
3 STAR WARS VOL. 6: OUT AMONG THE STARS TP $19.99 AUG171044 MAR
4 BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOL. 4: DEUS EX MACHINA TP $16.99 SEP170399 DC
5 BLACK HAMMER VOL. 2: THE EVENT TP $19.99 AUG170013 DAR
6 JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD TP $24.99 SEP170405 DC
7 SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER TP (MR) $16.99 SEP170681-M IMA
8 DEADLY CLASS VOLUME 6 TP (MR) $16.99 AUG170634 IMA
9 VENOMVERSE TP $15.99 OCT171003 MAR
10 RICK AND MORTY VOLUME 6 TP (MR) $19.99 SEP171801 ONI


TOP 10 BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 TERRY MOORE 25TH-ANNIVERSARY SKETCHBOOK $16.99 OCT171030 ABS
2 OVERWATCH ANTHOLOGY VOLUME 1 HC $19.99 JUN170080 DAR
3 LITTLE BOOK OF SPIDER-MAN FLEXICOVER $9.99 AUG172292 TAS
4 LITTLE BOOK OF AVENGERS FLEXICOVER $9.99 AUG172289 TAS
5 LITTLE BOOK OF CAPTAIN AMERICA FLEXICOVER $9.99 AUG172290 TAS
6 THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 124 SC $14.95 SEP172221 SAN
7 LITTLE BOOK OF FANTASTIC FOUR FLEXICOVER $9.99 AUG172291 TAS
8 ROBOTECH VISUAL ARCHIVE: MACROSS SAGA HC $44.99 JUN172052 UDO
9 DOCTOR WHO: T IS FOR TARDIS HC $9.99 SEP168058 PEN
10 THE ART OF STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI HC $40.00 OCT172093 ABR

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 OVERWATCH: MEI "CLASSIC SKIN" NENDOROID FEB178956 GOO
2 MARVEL GALLERY: THOR RAGNAROK: THE HULK PVC FIGURE AUG172642 DST
3 MARVEL SELECT: SPIDER-GWEN FIGURE MAY172533 DST
4 DBZ: GOKU SUPER KAMEHAME-HA PREMIUM COLOR FIGURE JAN178994 BAN
5 ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: DC COMICS: BLACK ADAM FIGURE AUG168741 MEZ
6 ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: DC COMICS: SUPERMAN RED SON FIGURE AUG168743 MEZ
7 BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS: BORUTO FIGURE MAY178021 BAN
8 DRAGONBALL Z SCULTURES: TRUNKS SHINING FIGURE JAN178996 BAN
9 DRAGONBALL SUPER DRAGON STARS ACTION FIGURES DEC168933 BAN
10 MARVEL GALLERY: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2: DRAX & BABY GROOT PVC FIGURE MAY172524 DST

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 STAR TREK HEROCLIX: AWAY TEAM: ORIGINAL SERIES BOOSTER BRICK JUL173390 NEC
2 VALERIAN ALPHA MISSIONS BOARD GAME APR178031 ULT
3 BACK TO THE FUTURE MONOPOLY JUL152198 DST
4 DC HEROCLIX: HARLEY QUINN AND THE GOTHAM GIRLS BOOSTER BRICK JUN173406 NEC
5 STARFINDER RPG CORE RULEBOOK HC JUN173371 PAI
6 TMNT: SHADOWS OF THE PAST BOARD GAME APR160482 IDW
7 MOUSE GUARD ROLEPLAYING GAME BOXED SET (2ND EDITION) FEB151158 BOO
8 DOCTOR WHO: TIME OF THE DALEKS BOARD GAME JUL173367 GAL
9 STAR TREK HEROCLIX: AWAY TEAM: ORIGINAL SERIES STARTER SET JUL173391 NEC
10 YU-GI-OH!: CIRCUIT BREAK SPECIAL EDITION OCT172955 KON

 


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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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