2017 has been a topsy-turvy year for comics and it shouldn’t be a surprise that December was such. In a flip from last month DC Entertainment took the top dollar share while Marvel won the unit share according to Diamond Comic Distributors.

DC Entertainment was December’s top publisher in dollars with a 34.54% dollar share (+0.83) and a 37.65% unit share (-1.72). DC’s increase was driven by a higher cover priced Doomsday Clock #2 and Dark Knights: Metal #4 which were the top two comics for the month. Marvel Comics was the month’s top publisher in units with 38.81% unit share (+4.29) and a 33.80% dollar share (-0.49). In third was Image Comics with an 8.69% dollar share (+0.62) and a 7.20% unit share (-1.06). In fourth was IDW Publishing with a 3.92% dollar share (-0.12) and a 2.92% unit share (-0.74), followed by Dark Horse Comics with a 2.69% dollar share (+0.61) and a 2.06% unit share (+0.53). Dark Horse moved from sixth place last month to fifth this month.

DC Entertainment had six of December’s top ten best-selling comic books. Marvel Comics had four titles in the top ten: Matthew Rosenberg and Leinil Yu’s Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #1 ranked #3. Among the premier publishers, Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead #174 was Image Comics’ top book in December at #12. Mike Mignola and Adam Hughes’ Christmas-themed Hellboy: Krampusnacht #1 was Dark Horse Comics’ top book at #96. Finally, IDW Publishing’s top book for the month was Star Wars Adventures #5 at #128.

Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ award-winning Saga returned to the top of the sales charts as Image Comics’ Saga Volume 8 was December’s best-selling graphic novel. Image had three in the top ten. DC Entertainment had three titles in the top ten. Marvel Comics had two titles in the top ten. Dark Horse Comics’ Black Hammer Volume 2: The Event ranked #5. Finally, Oni Press’ Rick and Morty Volume 6 ranked #10.

A collection of Strangers in Paradise writer/artist Terry Moore’s personal sketches and art commissions, Abstract Studios’ Terry Moore: 25th Anniversary Sketch book: 8,800 Days of Blondes, Brunettes and Bozos was December’s best-selling book. Dark Horse Comics’ Overwatch Anthology Volume 1, a hardcover collection of sketches, webcomics, and background material on the popular video game, ranked #2 for the month.

Based on Blizzard Entertainment’s immensely popular team shooter Overwatch, Good Smile’s Overwatch: Mei “Classic Skin” Nendoroid was December’s best-selling toy product. Diamond Select Toys had three products in the top ten: the Marvel Gallery: Thor Ragnarok: The Hulk PVC Figure, inspired by Marvel Studios’ cinematic blockbuster, ranked #2; the Marvel Select: Spider-Gwen PVC Figure ranked #3; and the Marvel Gallery: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Drax and Baby Groot PVC Figure ranked #10.

Star Trek fans beamed into action with WizKids/NECA’s Star Trek HeroClix: Away Team Original Series Booster Brick, an expansion for the miniatures game and the best-selling game product of December. Diamond Select Toys’ Back to the Future Monopoly, a custom edition of the popular board game based on the film trilogy, ranked #3. IDW Games’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past Board Game ranked #6.

After achieving all-time highs in 2015 and 2016, the comic book specialty market dipped in 2017 but still recorded its 4th highest year of sell-in to comic shops. Annual sales decreased -10.09% over the previous year; with comic book sales down -10.40%, while graphic novel sales were off by -9.38%. Over 89 million comic books were sold to comic book specialty stores in 2017, with over 7.4 million graphic novels units shipped.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER	DOLLAR SHARE	UNIT SHARE
DC ENTERTAINMENT	34.54%	37.65%
MARVEL COMICS	33.80%	38.81%
IMAGE COMICS	8.69%	7.20%
IDW PUBLISHING	3.92%	2.92%
DARK HORSE COMICS	2.69%	2.06%
BOOM! STUDIOS	2.28%	1.98%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	2.08%	1.84%
ONI PRESS	1.00%	0.52%
VIZ MEDIA	0.96%	0.35%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC	0.96%	1.08%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	9.08%	5.59%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
DECEMBER 2017 VS. NOVEMBER 2017
COMICS	-16.13%	-14.05%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-21.95%	-10.88%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-18.11%	-13.77%
TOYS	-33.23%	-30.05%
DECEMBER 2017 VS. DECEMBER 2016
COMICS	-16.54%	-24.11%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-10.17%	-13.37%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-14.57%	-23.23%
TOYS	-27.60%	-37.11%
FOURTH QUARTER 2017 VS. THIRD QUARTER 2017
COMICS	-2.41%	-5.19%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	8.49%	7.61%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	0.82%	-4.24%
TOYS	9.14%	2.15%
FOURTH QUARTER 2017 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2016
COMICS	-13.90%	-19.53%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-1.77%	-7.71%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-10.37%	-18.66%
TOYS	-15.67%	-24.40%
YEAR 2017 VS. YEAR 2016
COMICS	-10.40%	-9.69%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-9.38%	-11.86%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-10.09%	-9.86%
TOYS	-12.55%	-19.90%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER	COMICS SHIPPED	GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED	MAGAZINES SHIPPED	TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS	85	43	0	128
DC ENTERTAINMENT	80	38	1	119
IDW PUBLISHING	35	32	0	67
IMAGE COMICS	55	10	0	65
BOOM! STUDIOS	24	7	0	31
DARK HORSE COMICS	19	9	0	28
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	21	5	0	26
VIZ MEDIA	0	16	0	16
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT	6	2	0	8
ONI PRESS	4	3	0	7
OTHER NON-TOP 10	118	164	27	309

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	DOOMSDAY CLOCK #2	$4.99	OCT170204-M	DC
2	DARK NIGHTS: METAL #4	$3.99	SEP170248-M	DC
3	PHOENIX RESURRECTION: THE RETURN OF JEAN GREY #1	$4.99	OCT170824-M	MAR
4	BATMAN #36	$2.99	OCT170225-M	DC
5	BATMAN #37	$2.99	OCT170227-M	DC
6	BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT #3	$3.99	OCT170238-M	DC
7	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN/VENOM: VENOM INC. ALPHA #1	$4.99	OCT170876-M	MAR
8	MARVEL TWO-IN-ONE #1	$3.99	OCT170834-M	MAR
9	HAWKMAN FOUND #1	$3.99	SEP170253-M	DC
10	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #792	$3.99	OCT170879-M	MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	SAGA VOLUME 8 TP (MR)	$14.99	OCT170715	IMA
2	BATMAN VOL. 4: THE WAR OF JOKES & RIDDLES TP	$19.99	SEP170400	DC
3	STAR WARS VOL. 6: OUT AMONG THE STARS TP	$19.99	AUG171044	MAR
4	BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOL. 4: DEUS EX MACHINA TP	$16.99	SEP170399	DC
5	BLACK HAMMER VOL. 2: THE EVENT TP	$19.99	AUG170013	DAR
6	JUSTICE LEAGUE VS. SUICIDE SQUAD TP	$24.99	SEP170405	DC
7	SHIRTLESS BEAR-FIGHTER TP (MR)	$16.99	SEP170681-M	IMA
8	DEADLY CLASS VOLUME 6 TP (MR)	$16.99	AUG170634	IMA
9	VENOMVERSE TP	$15.99	OCT171003	MAR
10	RICK AND MORTY VOLUME 6 TP (MR)	$19.99	SEP171801	ONI

TOP 10 BOOKS

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	TERRY MOORE 25TH-ANNIVERSARY SKETCHBOOK	$16.99	OCT171030	ABS
2	OVERWATCH ANTHOLOGY VOLUME 1 HC	$19.99	JUN170080	DAR
3	LITTLE BOOK OF SPIDER-MAN FLEXICOVER	$9.99	AUG172292	TAS
4	LITTLE BOOK OF AVENGERS FLEXICOVER	$9.99	AUG172289	TAS
5	LITTLE BOOK OF CAPTAIN AMERICA FLEXICOVER	$9.99	AUG172290	TAS
6	THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 124 SC	$14.95	SEP172221	SAN
7	LITTLE BOOK OF FANTASTIC FOUR FLEXICOVER	$9.99	AUG172291	TAS
8	ROBOTECH VISUAL ARCHIVE: MACROSS SAGA HC	$44.99	JUN172052	UDO
9	DOCTOR WHO: T IS FOR TARDIS HC	$9.99	SEP168058	PEN
10	THE ART OF STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI HC	$40.00	OCT172093	ABR

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	OVERWATCH: MEI “CLASSIC SKIN” NENDOROID	FEB178956	GOO
2	MARVEL GALLERY: THOR RAGNAROK: THE HULK PVC FIGURE	AUG172642	DST
3	MARVEL SELECT: SPIDER-GWEN FIGURE	MAY172533	DST
4	DBZ: GOKU SUPER KAMEHAME-HA PREMIUM COLOR FIGURE	JAN178994	BAN
5	ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: DC COMICS: BLACK ADAM FIGURE	AUG168741	MEZ
6	ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: DC COMICS: SUPERMAN RED SON FIGURE	AUG168743	MEZ
7	BORUTO: NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONS: BORUTO FIGURE	MAY178021	BAN
8	DRAGONBALL Z SCULTURES: TRUNKS SHINING FIGURE	JAN178996	BAN
9	DRAGONBALL SUPER DRAGON STARS ACTION FIGURES	DEC168933	BAN
10	MARVEL GALLERY: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2: DRAX & BABY GROOT PVC FIGURE	MAY172524	DST

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK	DESCRIPTION	ITEM CODE	VENDOR
1	STAR TREK HEROCLIX: AWAY TEAM: ORIGINAL SERIES BOOSTER BRICK	JUL173390	NEC
2	VALERIAN ALPHA MISSIONS BOARD GAME	APR178031	ULT
3	BACK TO THE FUTURE MONOPOLY	JUL152198	DST
4	DC HEROCLIX: HARLEY QUINN AND THE GOTHAM GIRLS BOOSTER BRICK	JUN173406	NEC
5	STARFINDER RPG CORE RULEBOOK HC	JUN173371	PAI
6	TMNT: SHADOWS OF THE PAST BOARD GAME	APR160482	IDW
7	MOUSE GUARD ROLEPLAYING GAME BOXED SET (2ND EDITION)	FEB151158	BOO
8	DOCTOR WHO: TIME OF THE DALEKS BOARD GAME	JUL173367	GAL
9	STAR TREK HEROCLIX: AWAY TEAM: ORIGINAL SERIES STARTER SET	JUL173391	NEC
10	YU-GI-OH!: CIRCUIT BREAK SPECIAL EDITION	OCT172955	KON

 

 

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How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Data for Diamond’s sales charts — which includes the monthly market shares and all top product charts — are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from sales made to thousands of comic book specialty shops located in North America and around the world. Additional sales made to online merchants and other specialty retailers may be included as well.

Unit and dollar market shares are calculated based upon orders for comic books, graphic novels, and magazines invoiced and shipped to Diamond customers during any given month, which comprises pre-orders, advance reorders, and reorders, minus any copies that are received back from a title marked as returnable. Please note that comics marked with an asterisk (*) have had their reported quantities reduced due to retailer returnability, and thus may rank lower on the charts than their actual sales would reflect.

The category tables in this press release are ranked by units sold by Diamond to its accounts for the comic books, graphic novels, and books categories and by the dollars invoiced by Diamond for the toys and games categories.

The New Titles Count Chart includes all titles that were invoiced by Diamond to retailers for the first time during the month and is not the official solicited title count for the month. Variant edition comic books and graphic novels at the same price point count as a single SKU. Variant edition comic books, lenticular covers, digital combo packs, and graphic novels at different price points count as separate SKUs for each edition.