Posted in: Boom, Comics, Comics Publishers, Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, IDW, Image, Marvel Comics | Tagged: august, Comics, dc, marketshare, marvel

One In Every Two Comics Ordered in August 2019 Was From Marvel as They Double DC's Marketshare

One in every two comic books ordered by North American comic book stores in August 2019 from Diamond Comic Distributors was a Marvel comic book. And almost one in every two dollars spent on those orders was a Marvel comic book as well. While we have seen Marvel Comics mostly dominate the direct market of comic book stores, a fifty percent share is a rare thing, but it is where we are at for August. This was buoyed by Marvel Comics #1000 and the twin events of Absolute Carnage and HOXPOX with 6 lead issues in the top ten between them, both outperforming expectations. In contrast, DC Comics' Year of The Villain has seen interest drop, though with Batman/Superman as a notable exception.

However it is also notable that 2019 so far is down a quarter of a percent in dollars earned in 2018, and 5% down in comic book numbers ordered. So we have fewer comic sales but increased prices mostly make up for it.

Marvel Comics was August's top publisher, taking 46.15% of dollars and 49.96% of units shipped. In second place, DC's market share was 24.86% and 25.96% respectively. Image Comics ranked third, with a 6.32% dollar share and a 6.26% unit share, followed by IDW Publishing, Dark Horse Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, and BOOM! Studios.

This is a significant jump for Marvel on July, when they held a 41.38% dollar share and a 45.49% unit share. And DC has dropped from their 26.79% dollar share and a 27.63% unit share. Marvel has double the marketshare DC Comics has now. But it seems that other publishers have suffered more, as Image Comics 8.43% share in dollars and a 8.64% share in units fell back by over two points. That's called no longer publishing The Walking Dead.

Absolute Carnage's launch event issue topped the chart, beating out Marvel Comics #1000, in numbers if not dollars – $5.99 as opposed to $9.99. Both topped DC's best-seller, Batman/Superman #1, ove the four issues of HOXPOX which beat out Absolute Carnage #2, and all beating traditional chart topper Batman #77.

Among the other premier publishers, IDW Publishing's top book for August was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #97 at #44; Dynamite Entertainment's Vampirella #2 ranked #51; BOOM! Studios' Once and Future #1, the new series from Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora, ranked #64; Dark Horse Comics' Black Hammer/Justice League #2 ranked #88; and Image Comics' Die #6 ranked #95.

Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead Volume 32, the final volume of Image Comics' best-selling series, was August's best-selling graphic novel. DC Comics had three titles in the top ten: Scott Snyder and Jock's The Batman Who Laughs ranked #2, Mariko Tamaki and Steve Pugh's Harley Quinn: Breaking Glass ranked #3, and Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen, reprinted to coincide with the HBO series, ranked #4. Marvel Comics had four titles in the top ten: Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman's War of the Realms ranked #5, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season One Declassified ranked #6, Dennis "Hopeless" Hallum and Paolo Villanelli's Star War: Vader: Dark Visions ranked #7, and Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw's Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 1: Final Gauntlet ranked #10.

UDON Entertainment's Neon Genesis Evangelion: TV Animation Production Art Collection, a hardcover collection of concept and production art for the acclaimed anime, was August's best-selling book, and one of UDON's three books in the top ten. The softcover edition of Gemstone Publishing's Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Volume 49 ranked #3. Also in the top ten, Dynamite Entertainment's The Art of Dejah Thoris and the Worlds of Mars Volume 2, a collection of covers and pin-ups, ranked #9.

Mezco's One:12 Collective: DC Comics: Sovereign Knight Batman (Blue Costume) Action Figure, a PREVIEWS Exclusive version of the figure series that looks at Batman through the ages, was August's best-selling figure. Funko had three products in the top ten, all of them PREVIEWS Exclusives: the POP! DC Heroes: Batman Damned Vinyl Figure ranked #2, the POP! DC Heroes: The Batman Who Laughs Vinyl Figure ranked #3, and the POP! Marvel: Nova Prime Vinyl Figure ranked #8. Diamond Select Toys' Marvel Select: Psylocke Figure ranked #6. DC Collectibles had two products in the top ten: the Batman: The Animated Series: Batcycle & Figure Set ranked #7 and the DC Designer Series: Nightwing by Jim Lee Statue ranked #9.

Paizo Publishing's Pathfinder Core Rulebook (2nd Edition) was August's best-selling game product and one of Paizo's eight products among the top ten.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

 COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED

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