BOOM! Releases October’s Top Comic, While Marvel is Back on Top
The Marvel universe’s teenaged heroes form their own super-team in the wake of Civil War II in Mark Waid and Humberto Ramos’ Champions #1 from Marvel Comics, the best-selling comic book of October 2016 in terms of dollars invoiced, while BOOM! Studios’ Big Trouble in Little China/Escape from New York #1, a crossover between two classic John Carpenter films starring Kurt Russell, was October’s best-selling comic book by units sold, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.
Marvel Comics was October’s top publisher with a 35.89% dollar share and a 36.58% unit share. DC Entertainment was the month’s number two publisher with a 30.70% dollar share and a 34.76% unit share. At number three was Image Comics with a 9.45% dollar share and an 8.83% unit share. IDW Publishing was fourth with a 4.70% dollar share and a 3.44% unit share, followed by Dark Horse Comics with a 3.47% dollar share and 2.27% units share.
Marvel Comics had four titles in the top ten unit rankings including Champions #1 at #2, Robbie Thompson, Javier Rodriguez, and Alvaro Lopez’s Doctor Strange and the Sorcerers Supreme #1 at #3; Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez’s Civil War II #6 at #7; and Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larocca’s Darth Vader #25, the concluding issue of the series, at #8. DC Entertainment had four titles in the top ten, led by Frank Miller, Brian Azzarello, Andy Kubert, and Klaus Janson’s Dark Knight III: The Master Race #6 at #4, followed by Batman #8 at #5, Batman #9 at #6, and Scott Snyder and John Romita, Jr.’s All-Star Batman #3 at #9. Rounding out the top ten, Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s The Walking Dead #159 from Image Comics ranked #10 for the month. Among the premier publishers, Dark Horse Comics’ Serenity: No Power in the ‘Verse #1 was their top book at #73, and IDW Publishing’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe #2 was their top book at #130.
Published to coincide with the debut of the new Champions team, Marvel’s Champions: No Time For Losers, a collection of classic 1970s Champions tales, was October’s best-selling graphic novel. Marvel had a total of four books among the top ten including Ryan North and Erica Henderson’s original graphic novel, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe at #6; Doctor Strange: Flight of Bones at #7; and the adult coloring book, Color Your Own Star Wars, at #8. Image Comics had five titles at the top ten, led by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie’s The Wicked and the Divine Volume 4: Rising Action at #2, followed by East of West Volume 6 at #3, Tokyo Ghost Volume 2 at #4, Low Volume 3: Shore of the Dying Light at #5, and Trees Volume 2 at #9. Rounding out the top ten, DC Entertainment’s Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Book & Mask Set ranked #10.
Dark Horse Comics’ Serenity Adult Coloring Book, an adult coloring book based on the fan-favorite Joss Whedon television series and movie, was October’s best-selling book. In total, Dark Horse Comics had five titles in the top ten, including Chuck Palahniuik’s Bait: Off-Color Stories For You to Color at #2, Avatar: The Last Airbender Adult Coloring Book at #5, and The Art of Fire Emblem: Awakening at #6. Dynamite Entertainment’s The Art of Atari, an art book that looks back at the classic video game system, ranked #3. Image Comics’ The Walking Dead: Rick Grimes Adult Coloring Book ranked #4 for the month. Also among the top ten, BOOM! Studios’ Mouse Guard Coloring Book ranked #8.
DC Collectibles’ Batman: The Animated Series: Deluxe Batmobile was October’s best-selling toy product and one of the manufacturer’s three products among the top ten. Diamond Select Toys had two products in the month’s top ten, led by the Marvel Premium Collection: Spider-Gwen Statue at #6.
WizKids/NECA’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles HeroClix: Heroes in a Half Shell was October’s best-selling game product. IDW Publishing had two products among the top ten — the Back to the Future: Outatime Dice Game at #3 and Bed Wed Dead: A Game of Dirty Decisions Card Game at #6.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
| PUBLISHER | DOLLAR
SHARE |
UNIT
SHARE |
| MARVEL COMICS | 35.89% | 36.58% |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 30.70% | 34.76% |
| IMAGE COMICS | 9.45% | 8.83% |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 4.70% | 3.44% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 3.47% | 2.27% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 2.85% | 5.55% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 2.00% | 1.54% |
| TITAN COMICS | 1.23% | 1.13% |
| VIZ MEDIA | 0.88% | 0.29% |
| ONI PRESS | 0.81% | 0.58% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 8.00% | 5.02% |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
| OCTOBER 2016 VS. SEPTEMBER 2016 | ||
| COMICS | 18.42% | 18.38% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -7.01% | -9.67% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 10.69% | 16.23% |
| TOYS | -1.07% | -26.26% |
| OCTOBER 2016 VS. OCTOBER 2015 | ||
| COMICS | 5.74% | 13.61% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -10.40% | -5.82% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 1.09% | 12.23% |
| TOYS | -15.81% | -23.92% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2015 | ||
| COMICS | 3.59% | 2.86% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -0.01% | -1.28% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 2.48% | 2.52% |
| TOYS | -5.05% | -7.94% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
| PUBLISHER | COMICS SHIPPED | GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED | MAGAZINES SHIPPED | TOTAL
SHIPPED |
| MARVEL COMICS | 89 | 39 | 0 | 128 |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 88 | 32 | 1 | 121 |
| IMAGE COMICS | 58 | 22 | 1 | 81 |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 44 | 31 | 0 | 75 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 25 | 21 | 0 | 46 |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 28 | 10 | 0 | 38 |
| TITAN COMICS | 26 | 2 | 4 | 32 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 23 | 7 | 0 | 30 |
| ONI PRESS | 13 | 4 | 0 | 17 |
| VIZ MEDIA | 0 | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 134 | 160 | 19 | 313 |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA/ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK #1 | $3.99 | AUG161297-M | BOO |
| 2 | CHAMPIONS #1 | $4.99 | AUG160733-M | MAR |
| 3 | DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE SORCERERS SUPREME #1 | $3.99 | AUG160798-M | MAR |
| 4 | DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE #6 | $5.99 | JUN160290-M | DC |
| 5 | BATMAN #8 | $2.99 | AUG160197-M | DC |
| 6 | BATMAN #9 | $2.99 | AUG160203-M | DC |
| 7 | CIVIL WAR II #6 | $4.99 | JUL160889-M | MAR |
| 8 | DARTH VADER #25 | $5.99 | JUN160929-M | MAR |
| 9 | ALL-STAR BATMAN #3 [*] | $4.99 | AUG160186-M | DC |
| 10 | THE WALKING DEAD #159 (MR) | $2.99 | AUG160675-M | IMA |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | CHAMPIONS: NO TIME FOR LOSERS #1 | $7.99 | AUG160750 | MAR |
| 2 | THE WICKED & THE DIVINE VOL. 4: RISING ACTION TP (MR) | $14.99 | JUL160868 | IMA |
| 3 | EAST OF WEST VOLUME 6 TP (MR) | $14.99 | JUL160823 | IMA |
| 4 | TOKYO GHOST VOLUME 2 TP (MR) | $14.99 | JUL160853 | IMA |
| 5 | LOW VOLUME 3: SHORE OF THE DYING LIGHT TP (MR) | $14.99 | MAY160689 | IMA |
| 6 | UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL BEATS UP THE MARVEL UNIVERSE HC | $24.99 | JUN160947 | MAR |
| 7 | DOCTOR STRANGE: FLIGHT OF BONES TP | $24.99 | JUL161070 | MAR |
| 8 | COLOR YOUR OWN STAR WARS TP | $9.99 | JUL161075 | MAR |
| 9 | TREES VOLUME 2 TP (MR) | $12.99 | NOV150698 | IMA |
| 10 | BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS BOOK & MASK SET | $39.99 | APR160376 | DC |
TOP 10 BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | SERENITY ADULT COLORING BOOK TP | $14.99 | JUL160124 | DAR |
| 2 | BAIT: OFF-COLOR STORIES FOR YOU TO COLOR HC | $19.99 | AUG160017 | DAR |
| 3 | THE ART OF ATARI HC | $39.99 | JUL161467 | DE |
| 4 | THE WALKING DEAD: RICK GRIMES ADULT COLORING BOOK (MR) | $14.99 | JUL160872 | IMA |
| 5 | AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER ADULT COLORING BOOK TP | $14.99 | JUL160111 | DAR |
| 6 | THE ART OF FIRE EMBLEM: AWAKENING HC | $39.99 | APR160139 | DAR |
| 7 | DC COMICS ENCYCLOPEDIA UPDATED HC | $40.00 | AUG162215 | DK |
| 8 | MOUSE GUARD COLORING BOOK | $14.99 | JUN161233 | BOO |
| 9 | DC SUPER HEROES: BIG BOOK OF GIRL POWER HC | $16.99 | JUN162064 | POC |
| 10 | DC SUPER HEROES: BIG BOOK OF SUPERPOWERS HC | $16.99 | JUN162065 | POC |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES: DELUXE BATMOBILE | FEB160290 | DC |
| 2 | THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK BETWEEN WORLDS: LINK FIGMA DX | NOV158470 | GOO |
| 3 | MARVEL: SPIDER-GWEN BISHOUJO STATUE | MAR162521 | KOT |
| 4 | DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: JUSTICE LEAGUE FIGURE 7-PACK BOX SET | NOV138235 | DC |
| 5 | THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LINK BETWEEN WORLDS LINK FIGMA | NOV158469 | GOO |
| 6 | MARVEL PREMIUM COLLECTION: SPIDER-GWEN STATUE | APR162612 | DST |
| 7 | MARVEL GALLERY: DEADPOOL PVC FIGURE | JUN162394 | DST |
| 8 | STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS: C-3PO & R2-D2 WITH BB-8 ARTFX+ STATUE 3-PACK | DEC152336 | KOT |
| 9 | BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES: BATMAN & ROBIN WITH BATSIGNAL 2-PACK | JUN160386 | DC |
| 10 | BATMAN V SUPERMAN: SUPERMAN MAF EX FIGURE | NOV158137 | MED |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES HEROCLIX: HEROES IN A HALF SHELL | AUG163181 | NEC |
| 2 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: KALADESH BOOSTER PACKS | AUG163175 | WIZ |
| 3 | BACK TO THE FUTURE: OUTATIME DICE GAME | MAR160336 | IDW |
| 4 | GAME OF THRONES RISK | JUN152759 | USA |
| 5 | GAME OF THRONES MONOPOLY | APR152735 | USA |
| 6 | BED WED DEAD: A GAME OF DIRTY DECISIONS CARD GAME | JUN160573 | IDW |
| 7 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: KALADESH BUNDLE PACK | AUG163176 | WIZ |
| 8 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: NICK FURY AGENT OF SHIELD BOOSTER BRICK | MAY152783 | NEC |
| 9 | TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES HEROCLIX: HEROES IN A HALF SHELL FAST FORCES 6-PACK | AUG163182 | NEC |
| 10 | ARCANE ACADEMY CARD GAME | JUN160572 | IDW |
The weekend is almost here! What are folks doing? Who’s seeing Doctor Strange for the first time? For the second or third? Sound off in the comments below! While you decide on that, here’s some comic news and reviews from around the web in our morning roundup.
