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Marvel Returns to Dominate November 2018 Marketshare as Spider-Man Goes Head-To-Head With Batman
That's a turnaround for Marvel Comics. While claiming the leading comics marketshare in the North American direct market of late, their lead over DC Comics had been chipped away in recent months.
In August, Marvel Comics had a 40.87% dollar share and a 43.12% unit share of the North American direct market. In September, the dollars were down with a 39.86% dollar share and a 43.24% unit share. In October, a massive drop by five and a half points to a 34.22% dollar share and a 37.89% unit share. That's huge. But not huge enough to stop them having the lead. Over three months, Marvel lost six-and-a-half points in marketshare.
Meanwhile, in August, DC Comics had a 27.51% dollar share and a 31.02% unit share. In September, that built to 29.06% dollar share and a 32.76% unit share. In October, that jumped to 30.48% dollar share and a 32.99% unit share. They'd gained a few points, with Image Comics and others getting the rest.
In November 2018, the tanker has been turned. With help from the launch of a new Uncanny X-Men #1, Marvel Comics was November's top publisher with a 40.80% dollar share and a 43.75% unit share. That's six points up in one month, and level pegging to where they were in August.
While DC dropped back under the psychologically important 30% mark, with 26.74% dollar share and a 29.51% unit share.
Image Comics also suffered from Marvel's rise, and well past October's Walking Dead Day Image Comics was third with a 8.57% dollar share and a 8.50% unit share. In fourth was IDW Publishing with a 3.62% dollar share and a 3.39% unit share, followed by Dark Horse Comics with a 3.37% dollar share and a 2.58% unit share, BOOM! Studios with a 2.95% dollar share and a 2.49% unit share, and Dynamite Entertainment with a 2.24% dollar share and a 2.11% unit share.
It's also notable that Amazing Spider-Man #10 beat out Batman #58 and #59, though not #9. That's not a normal thing for a non-launch Marvel title to do and Batman has dominated standard Amazing Spider-Man sales for years. It appears there was a slight Batman slump after the non-wedding and Spider-Man has been gaining a Nick Spencer bump. Is this a blip or will it continue?
November was a four Wednesday month compared to October's five Wednesday month, and sales are down around the usual 20%. But as November 2017 was also a five Wednesday month, that has been enough to turn a slight dollar growth year-on-year of 0.38% in October 2018 has slipped into a deficit of -0.98%. Will December 2018 be able to push it into the black for the end of the year? Either way total comics sales are down even if revenue may be ever so slightly up…
Among the premier publishers, Image Comics' The Walking Dead #185 ranked #18; BOOM! Studios' Firefly #1, ranked #22; IDW's Marvel Action: Spider-Man #1 ranked #48; Dark Horse Comics' Stranger Things #3 ranked #67; and Dynamite Entertainment's Elvira: Mistress of the Dark #3 ranked #156. Venom Volume 1: Rex by Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman was the best-selling graphic novel of November. Dark Horse Comics' The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Creating a Champion was the best-selling book of November. DC Collectibles' DC Comics Bombshells: Batman & Catwoman Statue, based on Ant Lucia's pin-up styled artwork and sculpted by Jack Mathews, was November's best-selling toy product. And Shinobi 7's My Hero Academia Card Game, based on the popular manga and anime, was November's best-selling game.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHER |
DOLLAR SHARE |
UNIT SHARE |
MARVEL COMICS |
40.80% |
43.75% |
DC ENTERTAINMENT |
26.74% |
29.51% |
IMAGE COMICS |
8.57% |
8.50% |
IDW PUBLISHING |
3.62% |
3.39% |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
3.37% |
2.58% |
BOOM! STUDIOS |
2.95% |
2.49% |
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT |
2.24% |
2.11% |
VIZ MEDIA |
1.26% |
0.48% |
TITAN COMICS |
1.20% |
0.80% |
ONI PRESS INC. |
0.97% |
0.80% |
OTHER NON-TOP 10 |
8.28% |
5.58% |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
|
DOLLARS |
UNITS |
NOVEMBER 2018 VS. OCTOBER 2018 |
||
COMICS |
-16.49% |
-19.71% |
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-21.10% |
-23.49% |
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-17.81% |
-19.99% |
TOYS |
6.76% |
-23.81% |
NOVEMBER 2018 VS. NOVEMBER 2017 |
||
COMICS |
-4.98% |
-11.24% |
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-30.36% |
-31.11% |
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-13.61% |
-13.02% |
TOYS |
-10.88% |
-19.52% |
YEAR-TO-DATE 2018 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2017 |
||
COMICS |
1.48% |
-6.06% |
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-6.67% |
-7.25% |
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-0.98% |
-6.15% |
TOYS |
-3.25% |
-3.25% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
PUBLISHER |
COMICS SHIPPED |
GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED |
MAGAZINES SHIPPED |
TOTAL SHIPPED |
MARVEL COMICS |
79 |
39 |
0 |
118 |
DC COMICS |
67 |
40 |
0 |
107 |
IMAGE COMICS |
57 |
18 |
0 |
75 |
IDW PUBLISHING |
33 |
14 |
0 |
47 |
BOOM! STUDIOS |
23 |
16 |
0 |
39 |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
16 |
19 |
0 |
35 |
TITAN COMICS |
10 |
13 |
5 |
28 |
VIZ MEDIA LLC |
0 |
26 |
0 |
26 |
DYNAMITE |
17 |
4 |
0 |
21 |
ONI PRESS INC. |
8 |
4 |
0 |
12 |
OTHER NON-TOP 10 |
113 |
206 |
17 |
336 |
TOTAL |
423 |
399 |
22 |
844 |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
UNCANNY X-MEN #1 |
$7.99 |
SEP180791-M | MAR |
2 |
THE GREEN LANTERN #1 |
$4.99 |
SEP180430-M | DC |
3 |
WEB OF VENOM: CARNAGE BORN #1 |
$4.99 |
SEP180855-M | MAR |
4 |
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #10 |
$3.99 |
SEP180916-M | MAR |
5 |
BATMAN #58 |
$3.99 |
SEP180450-M | DC |
6 |
BATMAN #59 |
$3.99 |
SEP180452-M | DC |
7 |
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #9 |
$3.99 |
SEP180914-M | MAR |
8 |
HEROES IN CRISIS #3 |
$3.99 |
SEP180434-M | DC |
9 |
AVENGERS #10 |
$5.99 |
SEP180829-M | MAR |
10 |
VENOM #8 |
$3.99 |
SEP180918-M | MAR |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
UNCANNY X-MEN #1 |
$7.99 |
SEP180791-M | MAR |
2 |
WEB OF VENOM: CARNAGE BORN #1 |
$4.99 |
SEP180855-M | MAR |
3 |
THE GREEN LANTERN #1 |
$4.99 |
SEP180430-M | DC |
4 |
AVENGERS #10 |
$5.99 |
SEP180829-M | MAR |
5 |
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #10 |
$3.99 |
SEP180916-M | MAR |
6 |
BATMAN #58 |
$3.99 |
SEP180450-M | DC |
7 |
BATMAN #59 |
$3.99 |
SEP180452-M | DC |
8 |
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #9 |
$3.99 |
SEP180914-M | MAR |
9 |
HEROES IN CRISIS #3 |
$3.99 |
SEP180434-M | DC |
10 |
VENOM #8 |
$3.99 |
SEP180918-M | MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
VENOM BY DONNY CATES VOLUME 1: REX TP |
$17.99 |
AUG181081 | MAR |
2 |
THANOS: THE INFINITY CONFLICT HC |
$24.99 |
AUG181076 | MAR |
3 |
JUSTICE LEAGUE VOLUME 1: THE TOTALITY TP |
$17.99 |
AUG180630 | DC |
4 |
BLACK EYED PEAS PRESENTS: MASTERS OF THE SUN: THE ZOMBIE CHRONICLES TP |
$24.99 |
APR171143 | MAR |
5 |
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY NICK SPENCER VOLUME 1: BACK TO BASICS TP |
$15.99 |
SEP181008 | MAR |
6 |
THE IMMORTAL HULK VOLUME 1: OR IS HE BOTH? TP |
$15.99 |
AUG181082 | MAR |
7 |
BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT TP |
$19.99 |
JUL180733 | DC |
8 |
UNNATURAL VOLUME 1: AWAKENING TP (MR) |
$9.99 |
SEP180132 | IMA |
9 |
STAR WARS: LANDO: DOUBLE OR NOTHING TP |
$15.99 |
JUL181171 | MAR |
10 |
DOMINO VOLUME 1: KILLER INSTINCT TP |
$17.99 |
AUG181085 | MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
X-MEN MUTANT: MASSACRE OMNIBUS HC |
$100.00 |
MAY180951 | MAR |
2 |
THANOS: THE INFINITY CONFLICT HC |
$24.99 |
AUG181076 | MAR |
3 |
ABSOLUTE TRANSMETROPOLITAN VOLUME 3 HC (MR) |
$125.00 |
MAR180362 | DC |
4 |
SILVER SURFER BY SLOTT AND ALLRED OMNIBUS HC |
$75.00 |
MAY180954 | MAR |
5 |
BLACK EYED PEAS PRESENTS: MASTERS OF THE SUN: THE ZOMBIE CHRONICLES TP |
$24.99 |
APR171143 | MAR |
6 |
VENOM BY DONNY CATES VOLUME 1: REX TP |
$17.99 |
AUG181081 | MAR |
7 |
FIREFLY: BIG DAMN HEROES BOX SET |
$150.00 |
SEP181294 | BOO |
8 |
WONDER WOMAN: THE GOLDEN AGE OMNIBUS VOL. 3 HC |
$125.00 |
APR180285 | DC |
9 |
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: THE MIGHTY THOR VOLUME 17 HC |
$75.00 |
MAY180957-M | MAR |
10 |
JUSTICE LEAGUE VOLUME 1: THE TOTALITY TP |
$17.99 |
AUG180630 | DC |
TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD: CREATING A CHAMPION HC |
$39.99 |
JUL180425 | DAR |
2 |
BLACK PANTHER LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK |
$4.99 |
NOV172179 | GOL |
3 |
GIGER HC |
$15.00 |
SEP181990 | TAS |
4 |
ART MATTERS: BECAUSE YOUR IMAGINATION CAN CHANGE WORLD |
$19.99 |
OCT182016 | WIL |
5 |
DARK SOULS III DESIGN WORKS HC |
$49.99 |
JUN182173 | UDO |
6 |
SPECTRUM ART BOOK 25 SC |
$35.00 |
SEP181796 | FLE |
7 |
FIREFLY: BIG DAMN HERO HC |
$22.95 |
AUG182286 | TTN |
8 |
GHOSTBUSTERS LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK |
$4.99 |
JUL162266 | GOL |
9 |
FINAL FANTASY VII: ON THE WAY TO A SMILE SC |
$14.00 |
AUG182452 | YEN |
10 |
MARVEL STUDIOS: THE FIRST 10 YEARS HC |
$24.99 |
SEP182051 | TTN |
TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: BATMAN & CATWOMAN STATUE | MAY180613 | DC |
2 |
BATMAN BLACK & WHITE: THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS STATUE | MAY180609 | DC |
3 |
MARVEL GALLERY: VENOM COMIC PVC FIGURE | MAY182304 | DST |
4 |
MARVEL GALLERY: AVENGERS INFINITY WAR: DR. STRANGE PVC FIGURE | AUG178008 | DST |
5 |
LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD: GUARDIAN NENDOROID | JAN188701 | GOO |
6 |
EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN: ASH WILLIAMS BISHOUJO STATUE | MAY182647 | KOT |
7 |
MARVEL UNIVERSE: BLACK PANTHER ARTFX+ STATUE | MAY182646 | KOT |
8 |
MARVEL GALLERY: BLACK PANTHER MOVIE (VER. 2) PVC FIGURE | MAY182305 | DST |
9 |
MARVEL SELECT: JUGGERNAUT FIGURE | JUN101512 | DST |
10 |
DC COVER GIRLS: CATWOMAN BY JOELLE JONES STATUE | MAY180610 | DC |
TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA CARD GAME | JUL183082 | SHI |
2 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: GUILDS OF RAVNICA BOOSTERS | AUG183192 | WIZ |
3 |
D&D ICONS OF THE REALM SET 10 | AUG183199 | NEC |
4 |
BATMAN THE ANIMATED SERIES: GOTHAM UNDER SIEGE GAME | JUN180756 | IDW |
5 |
RISK RICK & MORTY BOARD GAME | OCT182927 | USA |
6 |
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MUNCHKIN | MAY180770 | IDW |
7 |
PATHFINDER BATTLES: KINGMAKER BOOSTER BRICK | AUG183201 | NEC |
8 |
RICK AND MORTY DBG: THE RICKSHANK RICKDEMPTION | MAY188741 | PSI |
9 |
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDYS MONOPOLY BOARD GAME | SEP182828 | USA |
10 |
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS RPG: WATERDEEP DRAGON HEIST HC | AUG183190 | WIZ |