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Posted in: Comics, Recent Updates | Tagged: Comics, dc, diamond, marvel, MVL
Marvel Regains Market Share Top Spot With A Bang, As DC Falls Away
The information hasn't been officially officially released yet.
But I understand that, despite losing overall unit marketshare in December to DC Comics, Marvel has regained it in January, and then some. And their dollar marketshare is not only maintained but increased.
In December, Marvel had 32.28% of the market share of the number of comics shipped in that month to comic stores, while DC surged ahead with 33.07% for the first time in decades. However for the dollar share of the market, Marvel was on 39.9% of the market, ahead of DC's 36.99%.
I suggested that with Marvel reducing their line in terms of numbers and DC introducing the $2.99 price point across their line, that this situation could be reversed in January. Instead, Marvel has surged ahead on both points.
In January, Marvel ahead rocketed with 39.06% of the dollars in the market, while DC's share fell away, dropping to 26.38%, a relatively cripplingly small amount. But even as DC dropped prices on their comics, and Marvel cut back on their line, Marvel still sold many more comics, taking a 42.37% share of comics sold against DC's 31.8%.
These are shockingly low figures for DC, and surprisingly high figures for Marvel. Despite anecdotal evidence that DC's new price point was encouraging new sales, the opposite seems to have happened.
Now, Marvel did have comics such as Fantastic Four #587 shipping, and DC had no Batman Inc or Dark Knight issues shipping in January, but that's nothing near enough to explain this large a change.
Image Comics took a record share of 7.9% of the market, their highest for years, as Walking Dead continues to boom, the company develops a number of new successful series and Spawn #200 brought that series back to the top ten, with the second highest revenue raising book for January.
Of course having a laerger share of a falling market isn't the greatest of news. Year on year, January 2011 sold over 20% less comics and graphic novels than in January 2o10. Not good.
Here's the market share data for January in full.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
| PUBLISHER | DOLLAR SHARE |
UNIT SHARE |
| MARVEL COMICS | 39.06% | 42.37% |
| DC COMICS | 26.38% | 31.80% |
| IMAGE COMICS | 7.60% | 6.45% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 4.82% | 3.70% |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 4.75% | 4.60% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 2.82% | 2.51% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 2.01% | 1.80% |
| EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS | 1.40% | 0.31% |
| VIZ MEDIA | 1.28% | 0.58% |
| WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT | 0.68% | 0.62% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 9.19% | 5.25% |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
| JANUARY 2011 VS. DECEMBER 2010 | ||
| COMICS | -27.70% | -23.75% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -32.41% | -31.09% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -29.35% | -24.45% |
| JANUARY 2011 VS. JANUARY 2010 | ||
| COMICS | -21.98% | -23.23% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -16.53% | -19.36% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -20.24% | -22.91% |
| CURRENT 12-MONTHS ROLLING VS. PREVIOUS 12-MONTHS ROLLING | ||
| COMICS | -6.64% | -8.40% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -1.81% | -2.83% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -5.09% | -7.93% |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | FANTASTIC FOUR #587 | $3.99 | NOV100584 | MAR |
| 2 | BRIGHTEST DAY #17 | $2.99 | NOV100154-M | DC |
| 3 | BRIGHTEST DAY #18 | $2.99 | NOV100156-M | DC |
| 4 | SPAWN #200 | $3.99 | DEC090345-M | IMA |
| 5 | AVENGERS #9 | $3.99 | NOV100529 | MAR |
| 6 | X-MEN #7 | $3.99 | NOV100603-M | MAR |
| 7 | BATMAN AND ROBIN #19 | $2.99 | NOV100169-M | DC |
| 8 | NEW AVENGERS #8 | $3.99 | NOV100539 | MAR |
| 9 | BATMAN #706 | $2.99 | NOV100166 | DC |
| 10 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #651 | $3.99 | OCT100567-M | MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | JACK OF FABLES VOLUME 8: FULMINATE BLADE | $14.99 | OCT100327 | DC |
| 2 | THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 1:DAYS GONE BYE | $9.99 | JUL068351 | IMA |
| 3 | THE DARK TOWER: THE GUNSLINGER: THE JOURNEY BEGINS PREMIERE HC | $24.99 | NOV100642 | MAR |
| 4 | THE GOON VOL. 10: DEATH'S GREEDY COMEUPPANCE | $16.99 | NOV108240 | DAR |
| 5 | BATMAN: JOKER'S ASYLUM VOLUME 2 TP | $14.99 | OCT100263 | DC |
| 6 | INVINCIBLE IRON MAN VOLUME 4 TP | $15.99 | OCT100699 | MAR |
| 7 | STARMAN OMNIBUS VOLUME 6 HC | $49.99 | SEP100254 | DC |
| 8 | HOUSE OF MYSTERY VOLUME 5 TP | $14.99 | OCT100325 | DC |
| 9 | MADAME XANADU VOLUME 3 TP | $17.99 | OCT100331 | DC |
| 10 | THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 2: MILES BEHIND US TP | $14.99 | SEP088204-M | IMA |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | BLACKEST NIGHT SERIES 7 ACTION FIGURES | MAY100294 | DC |
| 2 | BLACKEST NIGHT SERIES 8 ACTION FIGURES | MAY100302 | DC |
| 3 | COVER GIRLS OF THE DCU: BATGIRL STATUE | APR100306 | DC |
| 4 | MARVEL SELECT: JUGGERNAUT ACTION FIGURE | JUN101512 | DST |
| 5 | DANGER ROOM SESSIONS: DEADPOOL FINE ART STATUE | JUN101639 | KOT |
| 6 | FATHOM: ASPEN MATTHEWS STATUE | JUL100804 | ASP |
| 7 | DC X BISHOUJO: BATGIRL BISHOUJO STATUE | AUG101655 | KOT |
| 8 | MARVEL X BISHOUJO: EMMA FROST BISHOUJO STATUE | AUG101658 | KOT |
| 9 | BATMAN (JUSTICE) 1/6-SCALE COLLECTOR FIGURE | MAY100314 | DC |
| 10 | BATMAN: BLACK & WHITE STATUE: BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM | FEB100301 | DC |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | DC HEROCLIX 75TH ANNIVERSARY BOOSTER PACK | SEP101745 | NEC |
| 2 | YU-GI-OH! TCG: 5DS DUELIST PACK YUSEI | NOV101692 | KON |
| 3 | PATHFINDER RPG BESTIARY 2 | AUG101838 | PAI |
| 4 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: SCARS OF MIRRODIN BOOSTER PACKS | AUG101862 | WIZ |
| 5 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: WEB OF SPIDER-MAN BOOSTER PACKS | JUN101864 | NEC |
| 6 | ZOMBIE STATE BOARD GAME | NOV101716 | ALL |
| 7 | THE HOBBIT BOARD GAME | NOV101682 | FAN |
| 8 | DOCTOR WHO FAMILY BOARD GAME | OCT101792 | DIA |
| 9 | HALO: REACH ACTIONCLIX: NOBLE TEAM 6-PACK | JUN108133 | NEC |
| 10 | FIREFLY 7-PIECE RED DICE SET | OCT101766 | CRY |
 |
| Dollar Market Share – January 2010 |
 |
| Unit Market Share– January 2010 |
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