Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: , , ,


DC Comics Increases Marketshare In September, Marvel Keeps Avengers Vs X-Men At The Very Top, And The Market Slips From Last September's Performance

Last month saw both Marvel and DC benefiting from Walking Dead #100 not taking away their marketshare, and saw DC again beat Marvel on marketshare by dollar but also saw Marvel claw back the volume marketshare. But that was a five week month, in which Marvel generally does better by increasing product to fit the extra week.

September was a four week month and DC's now-traditional dominance returned. DC's dollar marketshare rose from August's 33.32% to 36.41% while Marvel's fell from 32.42% to 31.04%. On volume marketshare, Marvel fell from 37.18% to 33.65% while DC's dominated from 37.12% to 41.10%.

And aside from Avengers Vs X-Men #12, DC dominated the rest of the Top Ten.

Overall the direct market saw a fall in sales from last month, but again that could be explained by the five week-four week difference. However, for the first time in an age, there was a fall in the monthly comics market from now and the same time a year ago, both four week months. That may have been down to the launch of the DC New 52 in September 2011, which hasn't quite been matched by the industry's performance in September 2012. However graphic novels sales are up on a year ago, pushing the entire market still up, if only by one percent in dollar terms if not in actual sales terms. And in the year to date, the market is still a good sixth up on 2011 so far.

PUBLISHER MARKET SHARES

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER SHARE
DC COMICS 36.41%
MARVEL COMICS 31.04%
IDW PUBLISHING 6.36%
IMAGE COMICS 6.09%
DARK HORSE COMICS 4.49%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.97%
BOOM! STUDIOS 1.40%
AVATAR PRESS INC 1.11%
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC 0.96%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD 0.92%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 8.25%
UNIT MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER SHARE
DC COMICS 41.10%
MARVEL COMICS 33.65%
IMAGE COMICS 5.56%
IDW PUBLISHING 4.82%
DARK HORSE COMICS 3.69%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.97%
BOOM! STUDIOS 1.50%
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC 1.00%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC 0.98%
AVATAR PRESS INC 0.87%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 3.88%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

  DOLLARS UNITS
SEPTEMBER 2012 VS. AUGUST 2012
COMICS -11.89% -9.62%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -14.31% -15.83%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -12.69% -10.17%
SEPTEMBER 2012 VS. SEPTEMBER 2011
COMICS -4.42% -8.72%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 14.43% 20.18%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 1.02% -6.85%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2012 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2011
COMICS 17.12% 14.26%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 14.16% 13.60%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 16.16% 14.21%
THIRD QUARTER 2012 VS. SECOND QUARTER 2012
COMICS 2.36% 0.41%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 1.46% 8.75%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 2.07% 1.06%
THIRD QUARTER 2012 VS. THIRD QUARTER 2011
COMICS 8.25% 6.06%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 7.84% 21.21%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 8.12% 14.21%

TOP 10 COMICS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE VENDOR
1 AVENGERS VS X-MEN #11 $3.99 MAR
2 BATMAN #0 $3.99 DC
3 JUSTICE LEAGUE #0 $3.99 DC
4 GREEN LANTERN #0 $2.99 DC
5 DETECTIVE COMICS #0 $3.99 DC
6 ACTION COMICS #0 $3.99 DC
7 BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #0 $2.99 DC
8 BATMAN AND ROBIN #0 $2.99 DC
9 EARTH 2 #0 $2.99 DC
10 BATMAN INCORPORATED #0 $2.99 DC

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE VENDOR
1 THANOS QUEST #1 $7.99 MAR
2 JUDAS COIN HC $22.99 DC
3 WALKING DEAD HC VOL 08 (MR) $34.99 IMA
4 AVATAR LAST AIRBENDER TP VOL 03 PROMISE PART 3 $10.99 DAR
5 AQUAMAN HC VOL 01 THE TRENCH $22.99 DC
6 TOWER CHRONICLES GN VOL 01 GEISTHAWK $7.99 LEG
7 MANHATTAN PROJECTS TP VOL 01 SCIENCE BAD $14.99 IMA
8 THIEF OF THIEVES TP VOL 01 $14.99 IMA
9 BATMAN ARKHAM CITY TP $16.99 DC
10 BATMAN KNIGHTFALL TP NEW ED VOL 03 KNIGHTSEND $29.99 DC

DC Comics Increases Marketshare In September, Marvel Keeps Avengers Vs X-Men At The Very Top, And The Market Slips From Last September's PerformanceDC Comics Increases Marketshare In September, Marvel Keeps Avengers Vs X-Men At The Very Top, And The Market Slips From Last September's Performance


Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!

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.
twitterfacebookinstagramwebsite
Comments will load 20 seconds after page. Click here to load them now.