The climatic moment of the cinematic event of 2019 has been immortalized as one of the hottest collectibles on the market. Funko and Diamond Comic Distributors have partnered to capture the most epic moment from Avengers: Endgamewith this PREVIEWS Exclusive glow-in-the-dark Iron Man Pop figure!
Featuring the signature Funko style fans have come to know and love, this dramatic battle-damaged Tony Stark kneels on a sculpted terrain base moments before the snapped that saved everything. The PREVIEWS Exclusive I Am Iron Man Glow-In-The-Dark Pop! Figure features a glow-in-the-dark Arc Reactor and Infinity stones, stands about 4” tall, and comes in a collector-friendly window box, perfect for display!
Beast Kingdom and Diamond Comic Distributors have partnered to bring fans a new line of PREVIEWS Exclusive figures from Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy, and Disney classics Chip ‘n Dale and Toy Story.
Seven years after its conclusion, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy lives on as a the most acclaimed adaptation of DC’s iconic caped crusader. Beast Kingdom is celebrating the trilogy’s iconic lineup of classic characters with new PREVIEWS Exclusive mini egg attack figures.
The new Dark Knight MEA range is launched with five classic characters each with their own distinctive costume, signature pose, weapons, and accessories! Collect two versions of The Dark Knight himself: Batman with a Grappling gun and Batman with a Batarang; along with Joker, Catwoman, Two-Face, and Bane at a convenient 3-Inch height, perfect for any shelf!
Chip and Dale’s house gets a fresh coat of paint! Spring is coming, an d what better way to spend those warmer days than with Chip ‘n Dale in their new and updated tree house? Beast Kingdom is back with a newPREVIEWS Exclusive D-Stage Pink variant of Chip ‘n Dale’s humble abode! With an updated pink theme, the tree house is filled with cherry blossom trees, adorning the roof and branches. A small, brick-clad chimney and windmill complete the set with our two furry friends ready to meet and greet. Every section is highly detailed with an exclusive base finishing off this run of D-Stage dioramas.
The Alien from Toy Story goes for a ride in a new PREVIEWS Exclusive statue from Beast Kingdom! A fully upgraded, enlarged version of Toy Story’s lovable Three Eyed Aliens, ready to rock your world! Beast Kingdom once again proudly presents the latest in the Master Craft high end series of collectibles: Toy Story Aliens. The Master Craft series continues the beauty of fine craftmanship, with an all hand painted, fully detailed 10″ tall sculpture that pops with subtle details, including a detailed flying saucer control panel, joysticks and a weathered looking base.
The PREVIEWS Exclusive Dark Knight range, featuring Batmanwith a Grappling gun (NOV198836),Batman with a Batarang (NOV198835; SRP $13.50), Joker (NOV198838; SRP $13.50), Catwoman (NOV 198837; SRP $13.50), Two-Face (NOV198839; SRP $13.50), and Bane (NOV198834; SRP $13.50), is now available for individual pre-order at comic shops, with an expected release date of August 26, 2020. The PREVIEWS Exclusive Chip ‘n Dale Treehouse Statue Cherry Version (NOV198840; SRP $29.99) and Toy Story Alien Statue (NOV198841; SRP $199.00) are also now available for pre-order at comic shops with a release date of August 26, 2020.
Diamond Comic Distributors has released their sales info for December 2019. Marvel was the top publisher in both dollars and units while DC had the top-selling comic in Doomsday #12.
December was a bit mixed as comics saw more dollars compared to November 2019 while units were down. Graphic novels were down in both dollars and units. Overall, comics and graphic novels were down in dollars and units compared to the previous month. Toys saw double-digit growth.
Compared to December 2018, comics, graphic novels, and toys were up across the board in dollars and units. Toys say a three-figure precent increase with unit sales increasing near 200%.
2019 compared to 2018 was a bit mixed. Comics were up in dollars though units was down slightly. Graphic novels were down in dollars and units. Overall, comics and graphic novels were up in dollars and down in units. Toys saw increases since the previous year up almost 26% in dollars and near 29% in units.
Marvel Comics was December’s top publisher, with a 37.89% dollar share (+0.48) and a 45.60% unit share (+2.92). DC was second, at 33.55% (+2.83) and 31.35% (-1.06) respectively. In third, Image Comics had a 5.91% dollar share (-1.99) and a 5.93% unit share (-1.94), followed by IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse Comics, and Dynamite Entertainment.
In addition to Doomsday Clock #12, DC had five titles in the top ten. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Batman: Last Knight on Earth #3, the finale of their Black Label series, ranked #3; Frank Miller and Rafael Granpá’s Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child one-shot ranked #4; Harley Quinn: Villain of the Year #1 ranked #5; and Brian Michael Bendis, Ivan Reis, and Joe Prado’s Superman #18, the landmark issue in which Superman reveals his secret identity to the world, ranked #10.
Marvel Comics also had five titles in the top ten. Jonathan Hickman, Leinil Francis Yu, and Gerry Alanguilan’s X-Men #3 ranked #2, Donny Cates and Mark Bagley’s Venom #21, the first chapter of “Venom Island,” ranked #5; Peter David and Greg Land’s Symbiote Spider-Man; Alien Reality #1 ranked #8; Incoming #1, the all-star one-shot that sets the stage for 2020, ranked #8; and Nick Spencer and Oscar Bazaldua’s Amazing Spider-Man #35 ranked #9.
Among the premier publishers, IDW Publishing’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100 was the publisher’s top book at #17; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 from BOOM! Studios ranked #29; Todd McFarlane and Jason Shawn Alexander’s Spawn #303 was Image Comics’ top book at #45; and Dynamite Entertainment’s Vampirella #6 ranked #61 for the month.
Marvel Comics’ House of X/Powers of X, a hardcover collection of the two mini-series by Jonathan Hickman, Pepe Larraz, and R.B. Silva that heralded a revitalization of Marvel’s mutant franchise, was the best-selling graphic novel of December and one of the publisher’s four titles among the top ten. DC’s Batman Volume 11: The Fall and the Fallen by Tom King and Mikel Janin led DC’s slate of three titles in top ten at #2. Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, and Rich Tommasco’s Black Hammer Volume 4: Age of Doom Part 2 from Dark Horse Comics ranked #5, and Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s The Boys Omnibus Volume 6 from Dynamite Entertainment ranked #6.
Zenescope Entertainment’s Grimm Fairy Tales Adult Coloring Book Volume 1 was December’s best-selling book.
Depicting a scene from Marvel Comic’s 1991 series The Infinity Gauntlet, Funko’s POP! Marvel Heroes: Thanos “Snap” 6-Inch Deluxe Vinyl Figure, a PREVIEWS exclusive, was December’s best-selling toy. Also in the top ten from Funko, the PREVIEWS exclusive POP! Dragonball Z: Super Saiyan 2 Vegeta Vinyl Figure ranked #2. Diamond Select Toys had a strong month with six products in the top ten, led by the Marvel Select: Avengers Endgame: Hero Suit Hulk Action Figure at #3.
Green Ronin Publishing’s Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting, a perennial seller, returned to the top of the sales charts as December’s best-selling game product. Paizo Publishing had eight products in the top ten, and S7 Game’s My Hero Academia: The Card Game also returned to the charts at #3 for the month.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHER
DOLLARSHARE
UNITSHARE
MARVEL COMICS
37.89%
45.60%
DC COMICS
33.55%
31.35%
IMAGE COMICS
5.91%
5.93%
IDW PUBLISHING
4.34%
3.51%
BOOM! STUDIOS
4.03%
3.66%
DARK HORSE COMICS
2.67%
1.87%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
2.56%
2.51%
VIZ MEDIA
1.00%
0.38%
TITAN COMICS
0.57%
0.51%
RANDOM HOUSE
0.48%
0.13%
OTHER NON-TOP 10
7.00%
4.54%
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
DOLLARS
UNITS
DECEMBER 2019 VS. NOVEMBER 2019
COMICS
0.18%
-1.28%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
-11.06%
-18.03%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
-3.00%
-2.48%
TOYS
13.47%
16.61%
DECEMBER 2019 VS. DECEMBER 2018
COMICS
7.08%
5.36%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
15.77%
2.87%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
9.20%
5.21%
TOYS
166.96%
191.68%
YEAR 2019 VS. YEAR 2018
COMICS
4.33%
-0.92%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
-2.01%
-7.95%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
2.54%
-1.44%
TOYS
25.96%
28.65%
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
PUBLISHER
COMICS SHIPPED
GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED
MAGAZINES SHIPPED
TOTALSHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS
103
32
0
135
DC COMICS
86
32
1
119
IMAGE COMICS
36
7
0
43
IDW PUBLISHING
28
13
0
41
BOOM! STUDIOS
23
14
0
37
DARK HORSE COMICS
22
9
0
31
DYNAMITE
14
4
0
18
KODANSHA COMICS
0
13
0
13
TITAN COMICS
8
2
2
12
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS
9
0
0
9
OTHER NON-TOP 10
80
109
11
200
TOTAL
409
235
14
658
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
DOOMSDAY CLOCK #12
$5.99
OCT190523-M
DC
2
X-MEN #3
$3.99
OCT190903-M
MAR
3
BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #3 (MR)
$5.99
SEP190478-M
DC
4
DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: THE GOLDEN CHILD #1
$5.99
OCT190471-M
DC
5
VENOM #21
$3.99
OCT191001-M
MAR
6
HARLEY QUINN: VILLAIN OF THE YEAR #1
$4.99
OCT190466-M
DC
7
SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN: ALIEN REALITY #1
$4.99
OCT190971-M
MAR
8
INCOMING #1
$9.99
OCT190860-M
MAR
9
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #35
$3.99
OCT190926-M
MAR
10
SUPERMAN #18
$3.99
OCT190580-M
DC
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
DOOMSDAY CLOCK #12
$5.99
OCT190523-M
DC
2
INCOMING #1
$9.99
OCT190860-M
MAR
3
BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH #3 (MR)
$5.99
SEP190478-M
DC
4
DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: THE GOLDEN CHILD #1
$5.99
OCT190471-M
DC
5
HARLEY QUINN: VILLAIN OF THE YEAR #1
$4.99
OCT190466-M
DC
6
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #100
$7.99
SEP190620-M
IDW
7
HARLEEN #3 (MR)
$7.99
SEP190494-M
DC
8
X-MEN #3
$3.99
OCT190903-M
MAR
9
SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN: ALIEN REALITY #1
$4.99
OCT190971-M
MAR
10
VENOM #21
$3.99
OCT191001-M
MAR
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
HOUSE OF X/POWERS OF X HC
$60.00
SEP190963-M
MAR
2
BATMAN TP VOL 11 THE FALL AND THE FALLEN
$17.99
SEP190554
DC
3
WATCHMEN TP
$24.99
JUN190614-M
DC
4
SILVER SURFER BLACK TP TREASURY EDITION
$29.99
SEP190990
MAR
5
BLACK HAMMER TP VOL 04 AGE OF DOOM PART II
$19.99
MAY190209
DAR
6
BOYS OMNIBUS TP VOL 06 (MR)
$29.99
OCT191313-M
DE
7
GREEN LANTERN TP VOL 01 INTERGALACTIC LAWMAN
$17.99
SEP190568
DC
8
DAREDEVIL BY CHIP ZDARSKY TP VOL 02 NO DEVILS ONLY GOD
$15.99
SEP190982
MAR
9
MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN JUNKIES TP (MR)
$12.99
AUG190092
IMA
10
STAR WARS DOCTOR APHRA TP VOL 06 UNSPEAKABLE REBEL SUPERWEAP
$15.99
SEP190997
MAR
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
HOUSE OF X/POWERS OF X HC
$60.00
SEP190963-M
MAR
2
ANNIHILATION OMNIBUS HC
$125.00
JUL191087
MAR
3
Y THE LAST MAN OMNIBUS HC (MR)
$150.00
APR190576
DC
4
INJUSTICE GODS AMONG US OMNIBUS HC VOL 01
$125.00
MAR190580
DC
5
ABSOLUTE DARK KNIGHT III THE MASTER RACE HC
$125.00
APR190525
DC
6
ANIMAL MAN BY JEFF LEMIRE OMNIBUS HC
$99.99
APR190524
DC
7
SILVER SURFER BLACK TP TREASURY EDITION
$29.99
SEP190990
MAR
8
MMW FANTASTIC FOUR HC VOL 21
$75.00
JUN191034-M
MAR
9
WATCHMEN TP
$24.99
JUN190614-M
DC
10
BOYS OMNIBUS TP VOL 06 (MR)
$29.99
OCT191313-M
DE
TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
GRIMM FAIRY TALES ADULT COLORING BOOK VOL 01
$12.99
OCT151871
ZEN
2
OVERSTREET COMIC BK PG SC VOL 49
$29.95
APR191757-M
GEM
3
BLOODBORNE OFFICIAL ARTWORKS SC
$44.99
MAR172148
UDO
4
DARK SOULS III DESIGN WORKS HC
$49.99
JUN182173
UDO
5
MEGA MAN ZERO HC OFFICIAL COMPLETE WORKS
$44.99
APR192142
UDO
6
ART OF ATARI HC
$39.99
JUL161467
DYN
7
KONOSUBA LIGHT NOVEL SC VOL 10
$14.00
OCT192327
YEN
8
OKAMI OFFICIAL COMPLETE WORKS SC
$39.99
MAY073783
UDO
9
DOCTOR WHO TARDIS TYPE FORTY INSTRUCTION MANUAL HC
$19.99
MAY188247
PEN
10
GEARS OF WAR RETROSPECTIVE HC
$49.99
MAY192131
UDO
TTOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
POP MARVEL HEROES THANOS SNAP 6IN PX DELUXE VINYL FIGURE
MAY198251
FUN
2
POP ANIMATION DBZ SUPER SAIYAN 2 VEGETA PX VIN FIG
Diamond Comic Distributors has revealed the artwork for the commemorative artist T-shirts available for Free Comic Book Day 2020. Award-winning artist and illustrator, Jeffrey Brown, has created a one-of-kind design emphasizing the timelessness of comic books for this year’s Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) 2020 T-shirt. The T-shirt is available for pre-order at comic book shops starting December 20 and is featured in the January issue of Diamond’s PREVIEWS catalog.
Jeffrey Brown began his comics career alternating between intimate, sincere auto-biographical works including the critically acclaimed Clumsy and humorous parodies such as Incredible Change-Bots. Jeffrey combined his personal style and deep fan knowledge of Star Wars into the New York Times bestsellers Darth Vader and Son and Vader’s Little Princess, and followed up with the middle grade series Jedi Academy. Jeffrey has also explored prehistoric cave-kid life with Lucy & Andy Neanderthal andelementary school with his picture book My Teacher Is A Robot. Jeffrey returned to everyday life in the Star Wars universe with Rey and Pals, and the first volume of his new science fiction series Space-Time! launches in June 2020, with a preview available at participating comic shops as a Free Comic Book Day 2020 Gold sponsor title!
Brown’s artwork for the FCBD 2020 Commemorative T-Shirt captures the timelessness of comic books while highlighting the enduring ability of comic book shops to bring together pop culture fans and forge a sense of community.
The FCBD 2020 T-shirt will be available in men’s sizes (MSRP: $14.99-$17.99) in black and navy, in women’s sizes (MSRP: $14.99-$17.99) in black and forest green, and in youth sizes (MSRP: $11.99) in black and light blue. The shirt, along with a complete listing of all the FCBD 2020 comic book titles, can be found in the January issue of PREVIEWS, available in comic shops on January 1, 2020.
Free Comic Book Day has announced the upcoming release of this year’s Free Comic Book Day PREVIEWS Exclusive (PX) collectible merchandise available only during the event on Saturday, May 2, 2020!
Funko leads the way for Free Comic Book Day 2020 exclusive collectibles with their first-ever PREVIEWS ExclusiveMystery Box (JAN200050-64; SRP: $34.99)! The mystery box features a brand-new Marvel Comics POP! PX bobble-head figure, an exclusive PX Marvel Funko Variant Comic Book (title TBA) and a PX Funko POP! Character Tee! POP!figure comes in standard Funko window box packaging for easy display, while the Marvel comic book features cover art in the Funko style, depicting the Mystery Box’s featured POP! character in three randomly distributed designs: Main Variant Cover (65%), No Logo Variant (25%), Gold Logo Cover (10%)! There are three Mystery boxes to choose from, A, B, and C, each with its own exclusive T-Shirt design of the featured POP! character. The featured character in the box is a mystery for now, but Funko and Free Comic Book Day will be announcing the featured character in mid-March!
Try to keep your mind clear when you look at FCBD’s Diamond Select Toys sculpture of the X-Men’s resident Femme Fatale, Emma Frost (OCT190014; SRP $49.99)! Shipping exclusively to stores participating in Free Comic Book Day, this approximately 12-inch PREVIEWS Exclusive PVC diorama features detailed sculpting and paint applications and comes packaged in a full-color window box for display.
Miles Morales, the Ultimate Spider-Man, thrilled audiences in the animated blockbuster Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Now, this PREVIEWS Exclusive this 1.2″ hardenamel pin of Miles Morales (OCT190015; SRP $10.00) from Mondo Tees will be just as exciting to your customers on Free Comic Book Day! The butterfly clutch pin comes on an Into the Spider-Verse backing card.
The PREVIEWS Exclusive Black Widow HeroClix Figure from Wizkids/NECA is based on Marvel Studios’ upcoming Black Widow movie! The Exclusive FCBD 2020 Marvel HeroClix Exclusive Figure will include an exclusive HeroClix figure and character card in a polybag with a hangtag.
WizKids/NECA! have also paired up with Marvel and DC to offer fans a selection of PREVIEWS Exclusive Dice Masters Team Packs. The Dice Masters Marvel and DC FCBD 2020 promotion offers gamers deal pricing on three backlist Dice Masters Team Packs, giving retailers an opportunity to introduce the Marvel and DC Dice Masters game to their customers at a low price point. The Dice Masters Team Pack from Marvel (OCT190017; SRP $11.25) includes the Dark X-Men Team Pack, Defenders Team Pack, and the Kree Invasion Team Pack. The Dice Masters Team Pack from DC (OCT190016; SRP $11.25) includes the Harley Quinn Team Pack, Mystics Team Pack, and the Doom Patrol Team Pack.
These PREVIEWS Exclusive collectibles will only be available in extremely limited quantities on Saturday, May 2, 2020 from participating Free Comic Book Day stores.
Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) 2020 features an amazing selection of comic book titles for the industry’s most anticipated annual event which will take place Saturday, May 2, 2020 at participating comic book shops worldwide.
A committee made up of comic shop retailers chose fourty-seven titles overall to be available on Free Comic Book Day: twelve Gold Sponsor comics and thirty-five Silver Sponsor comics that give fans a great opportunity to discover new titles and genres. There will also be two educational support titles from the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and Gemstone Publishing. This year’s announcement of Silver Sponsor comics includes such great titles as Stranger Things & Minecraft, Mean Girls: Senior Year, Spider-Man/ Venom, Disney Masters: Donald Duck, Blade Runner, Naurto/ Samurai 8, and more.
A complete listing of all fourty-seven FCBD titles, including the twelve Gold Sponsor and thirty-five Silver Sponsor comic books, can be found in the January issue of Diamond Comic Distributors’ PREVIEWS catalog, on sale at comic book shops on January 1, 2020.
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2020: GOLD COMICS
Archie Comics | ARCHIE BLUE RIBBON PRESENTS
BOOM! Studios | POWER RANGERS: RANGER SLAYER
Dark Horse Comics | NORSE MYTHOLOGY/ CRITICAL ROLE
DC Comics | DC COMICS TOP SECRET GOLD BOOK
IDW Publishing | MY LITTLE PONY: FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC
Image Comics | FIRE POWER #1 – ROBERT KIRKMAN & CHRIS SAMNEE
Macmillan/ First Second Books| INVESTIGATORS: TAKE THE PLUNGE SNEAK PEEK
Marvel Comics | X-MEN
Random House Children’s Books | ONLY A MATTER OF SPACE TIME
Ten Speed Press | JACK KIRBY: THE EPIC LIFE OF THE KING OF COMICS
Valiant Entertainment | VALIANT 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
VIZ Media | THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS / SPLATOON: SQUID KIDS COMEDY SHOW
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2020: SILVER COMICS
AfterShock Comics | DARK ARK: INSTINCT
Albatross Funnybooks | HILLBILLY: THE LIZARD OF RUSTY CREEK CAVE
Artists, Writers & Artisans | THE RESISTANCE
Benitez Productions | LADY MECHANIKA
BOOM! Studios | LUMBERJANES: FAREWELL TO SUMMER
Chapterhouse Publishing | CAPTAIN CANUCK BEYOND AND CAPTAIN BATTLE
Dark Horse Comics | STRANGER THINGS/ MINECRAFT
DC Comics | DC TOP SECRET SILVER TITLE
Drawn & Quarterly | LITTLE LULU: NO BOYS ALLOWED
Drawn & Quarterly | MANHWA: CONTEMPORARY KOREAN COMICS
Dynamite Entertainment | THE BOYS #1
Fantagraphics Books | DISNEY MASTERS: DONALD DUCK
Golden Apple Books | RICHARD FAIRGRAY’S MONSTER SHOWCASE
Diamond Comic Distributors, the leading distributor of comics, graphic novels and pop-culture merchandise, is introducing a redesigned shipping box, set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2019. The redesign focuses on Diamond’s 200-count, 400-count, and 200/400-count combo box boxes for shipping comic books and other merchandise, with the goal to drastically reduce the amount of shipper-related damages through a stronger structural integrity of the box.
The new boxes will be in use starting with retailer shipments for December 18 release items. Retailers may see a mixed shipment of old and new boxes for a few weeks, as old inventory is depleted, with all shipments by late December using the new, stronger box structure.
Featuring a completely flat interior, with no flaps or tape on the bottom, the new box design allows comics to sit evenly inside the box, thus reducing the potential for bends and other damages to comic books. Furthermore, the new design boasts a considerable structural improvement over the existing box when compared in a burst test. A burst test is a pressure test used to determine the maximum weight at which a component will “burst” or fail. The new design’s point of failure came under much more weight than the existing box: the existing shipping box reaches its first point of failure at 737 pounds of pressure, whereas the new boxes reach its first point of failure at 3,200 pounds of pressure, representing a 335% structural improvement. The existing box reaches its second point of failure at 2,200 pounds of pressure, whereas the new design reaches its second point of failure at 3,500 pounds of pressure, representing a 56% structural improvement.
Diamond Comic Distributors has announced that its 2020 Retailer Summit for comic book specialty retailers will take place Tuesday, April 14 through Thursday, April 16 in Orlando, FL ahead of MegaCon Orlando, which is set to run from Thursday, April 16 through Sunday, April 19 at the Orange County Convention Center.
The 2020 Retailer Summit will offer a wealth of entertaining, educational and informative activities, bringing together the industry’s retailers, publishers, key vendors, and Diamond staff for the 3-day trade-only event. The Retailer Summit will feature key supplier presentations, a trade-only Exhibit Hall, retailer workshops, publisher forums, and more fun and informative events for comic book specialty retailers.
Diamond’s Retailer Summit is the leading annual event for comic book specialty retailers to meet with publishers and suppliers who come together to discuss the industry and their businesses. Top publishers sponsor the event and share exciting new projects, while retailers get to network and learn about new and proven business practices to help them succeed in today’s retailing environment.
Additional details and registration information to come.
Things remained relatively steady when it comes to market share for publishers while comics as a whole continue to make gains on the year according to data released by Diamond Comic Distributors today.
Compared to the previous month, comics, graphic novels, and toys were down in both dollars and units with almost all dropping double digits.
Compared to the same time the previous year, things look much better. Comics and graphic novels both saw gains combining for a 4.3% increase in dollars and 2.98% in units. Individually they also saw gains. Toys were a bit mixed seeing a decrease of 1.3% in dollars but an increase in 15.09% in units compared to the previous year.
When it comes year to date, comics are up 4.1% in dollars but down 1.42% in units. Graphic novels are still down, 3.21% in dollars and 8.65% in units. The two combined are up 2.02% in dollars and down 1.96% in units. Toys are still seeing major gains up 19.15% in dollars and down 21.54% in units.
Marvel Comics was November’s top publisher, taking a 37.41% dollar market share (-2.10) and a 42.68% unit share (-2.52) DC was second, with a 30.72% dollar share (-0.95) and a 32.41% unit share (+0.39). Image Comics placed third with 7.90% in dollars (+0.31) and 7.87% in units (+0.69), followed by BOOM! Studios, IDW Publishing, Dark Horse Comics, and Dynamite Entertainment.
Marvel Comics had eight of November’s ten best-selling comics including the top selling comic, New Mutants #1. They had the top five comics for the month. Image Comics’ Undiscovered Country #1, the new series from Scott Snyder, Charles Soule, Giuseppe Camuncoli, and Daniele Orlandini, ranked #8. DC was also in the top ten; the “Year of the Villain” acetate cover edition of Tom King and Mikel Janin’s Batman #82 ranked #9.
Among the premier publishers’ top books for November, Matt Kindt and Matt Smith’s Folklords #1 from BOOM! Studios’ ranked #94; Dynamite Entertainment’s Vampirella #5 ranked #105; Hazel & Cha Cha Save Christmas: Tales from The Umbrella Academy, a spin-off from Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá’s The Umbrella Academy, from Dark Horse ranked #110; and IDW Publishing’s Sonic the Hedgehog #23 ranked #189.
The heroes of the DC universe wage a desperate war against a world corrupted by the Anti-Life Equation in Tom Taylor and Trevor Hairsine’s DCeased, November’s best-selling graphic novel, collecting the best-selling mini-series from DC and one of the publisher’s two books in the top ten, along with Frank Miller and John Romita, Jr.’s Superman: Year One at #5. BOOM! Studios’ Firefly: The Sting, an original graphic novel based on the television series, ranked #2. Marvel Comics had four titles in the top ten; The Immortal Hulk Volume 5: Breaker of Worlds, was the top book at #3. Image Comics’ November Volume 1 ranked #4. Dark Horse Comics had two titles in the top, led by The Legend of Korra Part 2: Ruins of Empire at #6.
Gemstone Publishing’s The Overstreet Price Guide to Batman, a guide to eighty years of comics and collectibles focused on the Dark Knight, was November’s best-selling book. Also of note, Dynamite Entertainment’s Vampirella: 50th Anniversary Poster Collection ranked #3 and Titan Comics’ The Philosophy of Deadpool ranked #4.
Mezco Toys’ One:12 Collective: Marvel Comics: Classic Cyclops Action Figure, a PREVIEWS exclusive, was November’s best-selling toy product. Diamond Select Toys had five products in the top ten, led by the Castlevania Gallery: Trevor Belmont PVC Figure, based on the Netflix animated series. DC Collectibles had three products in the top ten; the Dark Nights Metal: The Batman Who Laughs & Robins Deluxe Statue was their best-selling product at #6.
Paizo Publishing’s Starfinder RPG: Character Operations Manual, a sourcebook for the science-fiction role-playing game, was November’s best-selling game product and one of the seven Paizo products among the top ten.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHER
DOLLARSHARE
UNITSHARE
MARVEL COMICS
37.41%
42.68%
DC
30.72%
32.41%
IMAGE COMICS
7.90%
7.87%
BOOM! STUDIOS
3.46%
3.07%
IDW PUBLISHING
3.42%
3.04%
DARK HORSE COMICS
3.38%
2.37%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
2.03%
1.45%
VIZ MEDIA
1.48%
0.56%
TITAN COMICS
0.70%
0.50%
ONI PRESS INC.
0.57%
0.46%
OTHER NON-TOP 10
8.93%
5.59%
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
DOLLARS
UNITS
NOVEMBER 2019 VS. OCTOBER 2019
COMICS
-28.87%
-24.86%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
-12.33%
-14.39%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
-24.86%
-24.19%
TOYS
-8.72%
-13.86%
NOVEMBER 2019 VS. NOVEMBER 2018
COMICS
3.12%
2.91%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
7.43%
3.94%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
4.30%
2.98%
TOYS
-1.30%
15.09%
YEAR TO DATE 2019 VS. YEAR TO DATE 2018
COMICS
4.10%
-1.42%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
-3.21%
-8.65%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
2.02%
-1.96%
TOYS
19.15%
21.54%
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
PUBLISHER
COMICS SHIPPED
GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED
MAGAZINES SHIPPED
TOTALSHIPPED
DC COMICS
96
31
0
127
MARVEL COMICS
84
36
0
120
IMAGE COMICS
40
15
0
55
IDW PUBLISHING
36
14
0
50
DARK HORSE COMICS
22
22
0
44
BOOM! STUDIOS
19
15
0
34
VIZ MEDIA LLC
0
27
0
27
DYNAMITE
14
9
0
23
TITAN COMICS
8
7
1
16
ONI PRESS INC.
3
4
0
7
OTHER NON-TOP 10
152
200
24
376
TOTAL
474
380
25
879
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
NEW MUTANTS #1
$4.99
SEP190749-M
MAR
2
X-MEN #2
$3.99
SEP190778-M
MAR
3
ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #5
$4.99
SEP190790-M
MAR
4
X-FORCE #1
$4.99
SEP190760-M
MAR
5
FALLEN ANGELS #1
$4.99
SEP190769-M
MAR
6
DEADPOOL #1
$4.99
SEP190835-M
MAR
7
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #33
$3.99
SEP190814-M
MAR
8
UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #1 (MR) [*]
$3.99
SEP190027-M
IMA
9
BATMAN #82 ACETATE COVER
$3.99
AUG190599
DC
10
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #34
$3.99
SEP190818-M
MAR
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
NEW MUTANTS #1
$4.99
SEP190749-M
MAR
2
ABSOLUTE CARNAGE #5
$4.99
SEP190790-M
MAR
3
X-FORCE #1
$4.99
SEP190760-M
MAR
4
X-MEN #2
$3.99
SEP190778-M
MAR
5
DEADPOOL #1
$4.99
SEP190835-M
MAR
6
FALLEN ANGELS #1
$4.99
SEP190769-M
MAR
7
UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY #1 (MR) [*]
$3.99
SEP190027-M
IMA
8
BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT PRESENTS: VON FREEZE #1
$5.99
SEP190437-M
DC
9
SCREAM: CURSE OF CARNAGE #1
$4.99
SEP190805-M
MAR
10
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #33
$3.99
SEP190814-M
MAR
TOP 10 TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
DCEASED HC
$29.99
AUG190650
DC
2
FIREFLY: THE STING HC
$19.99
JUL191306
BOO
3
IMMORTAL HULK VOL. 5: BREAKER OF WORLDS TP
$15.99
AUG191149
MAR
4
NOVEMBER VOL. 1 HC (MR)
$16.99
JUL190077
IMA
5
SUPERMAN: YEAR ONE HC
$29.99
AUG190687
DC
6
LEGEND OF KORRA PART 2: RUINS OF EMPIRE TP
$10.99
JUN190359
DAR
7
JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER: ALLEGIANCE TP
$15.99
SEP190991-M
MAR
8
LEAGUE OF LEGENDS: LUX TP
$15.99
JUL191064
MAR
9
SAVAGE AVENGERS VOL. 1: CITY OF SICKLES TP
$15.99
AUG191148
MAR
10
STRANGER THINGS: SIX TP
$17.99
JUL190353
DAR
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN: THE ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC
$125.00
MAY190943-M
MAR
2
CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS BOX SET HC
$500.00
APR190537
DC
3
ABSOLUTE SWAMP THING BY ALAN MOORE VOL. 1 HC
$99.99
MAR190601
DC
4
DCEASED HC
$29.99
AUG190650
DC
5
DOOM PATROL: THE BRONZE AGE OMNIBUS HC
$125.00
APR190538
DC
6
SUPERMAN: YEAR ONE HC
$29.99
AUG190687
DC
7
FIREFLY: THE STING HC
$19.99
JUL191306
BOO
8
BATMAN BY SNYDER & CAPULLO OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
$125.00
APR190526
DC
9
NEW TEEN TITANS OMNIBUS VOL. 4 HC
$99.00
APR190560
DC
10
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL. 31 HC
$75.00
MAY190945-M
MAR
TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
THE OVERSTREET PRICE GUIDE TO BATMAN SC
$30.00
SEP191814
GEM
2
DRAGON BALL VISUAL HISTORY: THE ART OF AKIRA TORIYAMA HC
$34.99
AUG192435
VIZ
3
VAMPIRELLA 50TH ANNIVERSARY POSTER COLLECTION SC
$24.99
AUG191226
DE
4
THE PHILOSOPHY OF DEADPOOL HC (MR)
$14.99
MAR192035
TTN
5
OVERLORD LIGHT NOVEL VOLUME 11 HC
$20.00
JUL192435
YEN
6
SHIGENORI SOEJIMA & P-STUDIO ART UNIT ART WORKS 2 TP
$39.99
AUG192423
UDO
7
THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 146 SC
$14.95
SEP191953
SAN
8
TRANSFORMERS VISUAL HISTORY HC
$49.99
SEP192219
VIZ
9
DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: WINNER TAKES ALL SC
$6.99
SEP191935
RAN
10
DRAGONS CROWN: OFFICIAL ARTWORKS HC
$49.99
JUL192399
UDO
TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
ONE-12 COLLECTIVE: MARVEL: CLASSIC CYCLOPS FIGURE
SEP188229
MEZ
2
CASTLEVANIA GALLERY: TREVOR BELMONT PVC FIGURE
JAN192540
DST
3
POP! DC HEROES: HARLEY QUINN WITH BOOMBOX VINYL FIGURE
AUG188545
FUN
4
MARVEL SELECT: CARNAGE FIGURE
NOV142179
DST
5
KINGDOM HEARTS 3 GALLERY: MALEFICENT PVC STATUE
MAY189403
DST
6
DARK NIGHTS METAL: THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS & ROBINS DELUXE STATUE
MAY190542
DC
7
DARK KNIGHTS METAL: BATMAN THE RED DEATH STATUE
APR190588
DC
8
DC PRIME: BATMAN ACTION FIGURE
MAR190627
DC
9
DC GALLERY: HARLEY QUINN REBIRTH PVC FIGURE
JUN192385
DST
10
MARVEL GALLERY: AVENGERS ENDGAME CAPTAIN AMERICA PVC FIGURE
JUL192669
DST
TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
STARFINDER RPG: CHARACTER OPERATIONS MANUAL HC
SEP193078
PAI
2
STARFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK HC
JUN173371
PAI
3
CRITICAL ROLE: TAL’DOREI CAMPAIGN SETTING HC
JUN173357
GRE
4
PATHFINDER: LOST OMENS CHARACTER GUIDE HC (P2)
AUG193363
PAI
5
PATHFINDER FLIP-MAT: BASIC NEW EDITION
MAR138328
PAI
6
PATHFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK POCKET EDITION
APR168770
PAI
7
PATHFINDER ADVENTURE PATH: AGE OF ASHES PART 5
SEP193076
PAI
8
MY HERO ACADEMIA: THE CARD GAME
JUL183082
S7
9
POP! FUNKOVERSE STRATEGY GAME: THE GOLDEN GIRLS 100 EXPANDALONE BOARD GAME
Diamond Comic Distributors has partnered with Beast Kingdom to bring fans an all-new selection of PREVIEWS Exclusive figures, available only at local comic shops! Beast Kingdom is offering a selection of figures featuring Anna and Elsa from Frozen II.
Disney’s popular animated classic is back once again with the release of Frozen II! The icy wonderland from the first movie is now expanded with a new world full of Autumn maple. The PREVIEWS Exclusive Frozen II D-Stage series from Beast Kingdom combines your favorite characters with the beautiful charm of the settings of the new film. At nearly 6″ in height, the statues are vividly painted and accurately detailed, featuring Elsa summoning an elemental Water Spirit and the ever-optimistic Anna gazing into the Autumn wind!
In Beast Kingdom’s third PREVIEWS Exclusive figure from Frozen II, Anna is now geared up with her latest costume in this new Master Craft Statue! With a real clothed dark shawl, including actual wiring for posing, Master Craft Anna stands about 15″ tall, making her the ultimate collectible for Frozen fans.
The PREVIEWS Exclusive Disney Frozen II Elsa DS-038 D-Stage Figure (OCT198592; SRP $29.99), Disney Frozen II Anna DS-039 D-Stage Figure (OCT198591; SRP $29.99), and Disney Frozen II MC-017 Master Craft Anna Statue (OCT198593; SRP $229.00) are now available for pre-order at comic shops, with an expected release date of May 27, 2020.
