Marvel and DC Nearly Tie for February’s Unit Share
Diamond Comic Distributors has released February’s best-selling comics and publisher stats. It continues to be a weird mix in the industry showing some volatility and that right now the market is up for grabs.
Both Marvel and DC Comics saw gains in “dollar share” compared to the previous month. Marvel increase by 0.37 percentage points and DC gained 1.3 percentage points. Unit share is where things get interesting with a near tie between the two publishers. Marvel took 33.64% of the market and DC took 33.47%. That’s a drop for Marvel of 8.98 percentage points and DC gained 2.14 points.
Marvel’s loss was Image‘s gain apparently. The company had 9.58% dollar share (down 0.34 points) and 18.13% unit shares (up 8.77 points). That unit share gain was due to The Walking Dead #163 which shipped over 750,000 copies due to its 25 cent cover price. Weirdly, that comic isn’t listed in the top ten comics.
In fourth was IDW Publishing with a 5.83% dollar share (up 0.58) and a 3.27% unit share (down 0.18), followed by Dark Horse Comics with a 2.57% dollar share (down 1.47) and a 1.45% unit share (down 1.46).
Marvel Comics had two titles in the top ten with Star Wars: Darth Maul topping the chart (we’ll need to find out how Walking Dead wasn’t at the top). DC Entertainment had seven titles among the top ten. Climbing into the top ten, Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s The Walking Dead #164 from Image Comics ranked #6. It saw a bounce from the previous 25 cent issue. Among the premier publishers, IDW Publishing’s Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 was their top book at #94, and Dark Horse Comics’ Serenity: No Power in the ‘Verse #5 was their top book at #110.
Rick Remender and Jerome Opena’s fantasy Seven to Eternity Volume 1 from Image Comics was February’s best-selling graphic novel.Image had three in the top ten. IDW Publishing had two titles in the top ten — Love Is Love, the Pulse Nightclub charity anthology collection that topped the sales chart in January, ranked #2 for the month, and Rep. John Lewis’ March Book 3, the conclusion of his graphic autobiography about the Civil Rights Movement, ranked #6. DC Entertainment had four titles in the top ten. Rounding out the top ten, Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez’s Civil War II from Marvel Comics ranked #10 for the month.
Dark Horse Comics’ The Legend of Zelda: Art & Artifacts, a compendium of artwork from Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda video game franchise, was February’s best-selling book and one of the publisher’s four books among the top ten. IDW Publishing’s Vintage Romance Comic Book Covers Coloring Book ranked #8 for the month.
Bandai’s Dragon Ball Z: Master Stars Piece Manga Dimensions: Son Gohan Figure was February’s best-selling toy product. DC Collectibles had five products in the top ten, led by the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice: Wonder Woman Statue at #2. Diamond Select Toys had two products in the top ten, with the Marvel Gallery: Dr. Strange PVC Figure as their top ranked product at #5.
USAopoly’s Pokémon Monopoly: Kanto Edition, a custom edition of the classic board game, was February’s best-selling game product.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
| PUBLISHER | DOLLAR
SHARE |
UNIT
SHARE |
| MARVEL COMICS | 37.46% | 33.64% |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 30.23% | 33.47% |
| IMAGE COMICS | 9.58% | 18.13% |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 5.83% | 3.27% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 2.57% | 1.45% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 2.08% | 1.84% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 1.52% | 2.06% |
| TITAN COMICS | 1.16% | 0.92% |
| VIZ MEDIA | 1.10% | 0.35% |
| ONI PRESS INC. | 0.86% | 0.60% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 7.62% | 4.27% |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
|
FEBRUARY 2017 VS. JANUARY 2017 |
||
| COMICS | -4.67% | 3.65% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 9.05% | 3.04% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -0.82% | 3.61% |
| TOYS | 23.91% | 3.09% |
|
FEBRUARY 2017 VS. FEBRUARY 2016 |
||
| COMICS | -4.47% | 17.29% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -3.30% | -12.98% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -4.11% | 14.70% |
| TOYS | 25.46% | 0.38% |
|
YEAR-TO-DATE 2017 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 |
||
| COMICS | -2.06% | 12.11% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -7.60% | -10.88% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -3.76% | 10.26% |
| TOYS | 3.18% | -0.94% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
| PUBLISHER | COMICS SHIPPED | GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED | MAGAZINES SHIPPED | TOTAL
SHIPPED |
| MARVEL COMICS | 104 | 36 | 0 | 140 |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 82 | 33 | 1 | 116 |
| IMAGE COMICS | 46 | 14 | 1 | 61 |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 36 | 22 | 0 | 58 |
| TITAN COMICS | 24 | 6 | 0 | 30 |
| BOOM ENTERTAINMENT | 24 | 3 | 0 | 27 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 13 | 13 | 0 | 26 |
| VIZ MEDIA | 0 | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 16 | 4 | 0 | 20 |
| ONI PRESS INC. | 10 | 5 | 0 | 15 |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 94 | 138 | 20 | 252 |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | STAR WARS DARTH MAUL #1 | $4.99 | DEC161069-M | MAR |
| 2 | BATMAN #16 | $2.99 | DEC160259-M | DC |
| 3 | BATMAN #17 | $2.99 | DEC160261-M | DC |
| 4 | JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #1 [*] | $2.99 | DEC160235-M | DC |
| 5 | SUPER SONS #1 [*] | $2.99 | DEC160240-M | DC |
| 6 | WALKING DEAD #164 (MR) | $2.99 | DEC160746-M | IMA |
| 7 | ALL STAR BATMAN #7 | $4.99 | DEC160246-M | DC |
| 8 | STAR WARS #28 | $3.99 | DEC161066-M | MAR |
| 9 | JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA REBIRTH #1 [*] | $2.99 | DEC160233-M | DC |
| 10 | JUSTICE LEAGUE #14 | $2.99 | DEC160297-M | DC |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | SEVEN TO ETERNITY TP VOL 01 | $9.99 | DEC160767-M | IMA |
| 2 | LOVE IS LOVE GN | $9.99 | OCT160480 | IDW |
| 3 | BATMAN DETECTIVE TP VOL 01 RISE OT BATMEN (REBIRTH) | $16.99 | NOV160317 | DC |
| 4 | SNOTGIRL TP VOL 01 GREEN HAIR DONT CARE | $9.99 | DEC160774 | IMA |
| 5 | WONDER WOMAN TP VOL 01 THE LIES (REBIRTH) | $16.99 | NOV160320 | DC |
| 6 | MARCH GN BOOK 03 | $19.99 | JUN160408 | IDW |
| 7 | SUPERMAN ACTION COMICS TP VOL 01 PATH OF DOOM (REBIRTH) | $16.99 | NOV160319 | DC |
| 8 | HAL JORDAN & THE GLC TP VOL 01 SINESTROS LAW (REBIRTH) | $17.99 | NOV160318 | DC |
| 9 | OUTCAST BY KIRKMAN & AZACETA TP VOL 04 (MR) | $14.99 | DEC160821 | IMA |
| 10 | CIVIL WAR II HC | $50.00 | OCT160999 | MAR |
TOP 10 BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | LEGEND OF ZELDA ART & ARTIFACTS HC | $39.99 | JUL168360 | DAR |
| 2 | NEIL GAIMAN NORSE MYTHOLOGY HC | $25.95 | DEC162208 | WW |
| 3 | SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOL 114 DEATH BY PROXY & LOOT OF DEATH | $14.95 | NOV162123 | SAN |
| 4 | LEGO BATMAN MOVIE ACTIVITY BOOK WITH MINIFIGURE | $8.99 | NOV162102 | SCH |
| 5 | DRAGON AGE ADULT COLORING BOOK SC | $14.99 | OCT160028 | DAR |
| 6 | UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL SQUIRREL MEETS WORLD HC | $13.99 | DEC162185 | HAC |
| 7 | LEGEND OF ZELDA ART & ARTIFACTS HC LTD ED | $79.99 | OCT168812 | DAR |
| 8 | VINTAGE ROMANCE COMIC BOOK COVERS COLORING BOOK TP | $9.99 | DEC160595 | IDW |
| 9 | DOCTOR WHO GOOD BAD & ALIEN SC | $9.99 | NOV158049 | PEN |
| 10 | VAMPIRE HUNTER D NOVEL SC VOL 25 (MR) | $11.99 | OCT160081 | DAR |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | DBZ MS PIECE MANGA DIMENSIONS SON GOHAN FIG | MAY168161 | BAN |
| 2 | BATMAN V SUPERMAN DOJ WONDER WOMAN STATUE | NOV150319 | DC |
| 3 | BATMAN ANIMATED BATMAN BEYOND AF 3 PACK | JUL160450 | DC |
| 4 | DC BOMBSHELLS KATANA STATUE | JUL160448 | DC |
| 5 | MARVEL GALLERY DR STRANGE PVC FIG | JUL162621 | DST |
| 6 | SUICIDE SQUAD MOVIE JOKER & HARLEY QUINN STATUE | AUG160374 | DC |
| 7 | MARVEL FEMALE THOR BISHOUJO STATUE | AUG162818 | KOT |
| 8 | BATMAN ANIMATED NBA GIRLS NIGHT OUT AF 5 PACK (RES) | NOV160375 | DC |
| 9 | BATMAN ANIMATED SERIES PREM COLL NURSE HARLEY STAT | AUG162553 | DST |
| 10 | WALKING DEAD TV DARYL DIXON LTD ED STATUE | MAY160736 | TMP |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | POKEMON KANTO MONOPOLY | DEC163203 | USA |
| 2 | HARRY POTTER DECK BUILDING GAME | DEC163201 | USA |
| 3 | MTG TCG OATH OF THE GATEWATCH BOOSTER DIS | NOV158284 | WIZ |
| 4 | MTG TCG CONSPIRACY TAKE THE CROWN BOOSTER DIS | JUL168216 | WIZ |
| 5 | YU GI OH TCG RAGING TEMPEST BOOSTER DIS | SEP168277 | KON |
| 6 | TMNT DICE MASTERS HEROES IN A HALF SHELL BOX SET | SEP163197 | NEC |
| 7 | D&D MINIATURES SET FIVE 8CT BOOSTER BRICK | JUN169191 | NEC |
| 8 | CLUE STAR WARS CLUE GAME CS | OCT168250 | HAS |
| 9 | MARVEL HEROCLIX SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN BOOSTER BRICK | MAY163107 | NEC |
| 10 | MTG TCG 2016 COMMANDER CASE | AUG168994 | WIZ |
