Diamond Comic Distributors has announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with Kodansha Comics to exclusively distribute their products to comic book specialty markets worldwide. Diamond was also awarded the rights to exclusively distribute Kodansha Comics’ new releases to the UK and Ireland book markets under the banner of Diamond Book Distributors UK.
Effective August 1, 2020, Diamond Comic Distributors will assume exclusive sales and distribution for Kodansha Comics in traditional and non-traditional book channels. Kodansha Comics has huge pedigree in the manga market and, with the likes of Attack on Titan, Akira, Sailor Moon, Fairy Tale, Ghost in the Shell and many more within their imprint, they are a perfect fit with Diamond’s current publishing partners.
Rumors have been swirling about the impact of COVID-19’s impact on the major comic distributor Diamond Comics Distribution. The distributor is ceasing the distribution of weekly product until progress in stemming the spread of the disease is made. However, orders (such as re-orders) are still going out.
Read CEO Steve Geppi’s full statement:
CORONAVIRUS EFFECTS ON DISTRIBUTION
As everyone knows, the world faces ever-increasing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its effects on the comics & collectibles and tabletop gaming industries have been felt far and wide. We are hearing from thousands of retailers that they can no longer service their customers as they have in the past, many of them forced to close by government action or resort to in-person or curbside delivery. Even those still open are seeing reduced foot traffic in most cases, a situation that seems likely to worsen with time.
Our publishing partners are also faced with numerous issues in their supply chain, working with creators, printers, and increasing uncertainty when it comes to the production and delivery of products for us to distribute. Our freight networks are feeling the strain and are already experiencing delays, while our distribution centers in New York, California, and Pennsylvania were all closed late last week. Our own home office in Maryland instituted a work from home policy, and experts say that we can expect further closures. Therefore, my only logical conclusion is to cease the distribution of new weekly product until there is greater clarity on the progress made toward stemming the spread of this disease.
EFFECTS ON DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS
Product distributed by Diamond and slated for an on-sale date of April 1st or later will not be shipped to retailers until further notice. For the time being, however, we have been able to develop procedures with our teams at the distribution center in Olive Branch, MS to safely continue fulfillment of direct ship reorders for the retailers who are able to receive new product and need it to service their customers. It’s unlikely that orders will be filled on the same day they are placed, and these plans are subject to change if any point we no longer feel that we can safeguard our teams while fulfilling orders.
Product distributed by Diamond UK and slated for an on-sale date of March 25th or later will not be shipped to retailers until further notice. Further updates with regard to reorders and other Diamond UK-specific information will be communicated directly to their customers as information becomes available.
EFFECTS ON ALLIANCE GAME DISTRIBUTORS
Product distributed by Alliance has been shipping from our Fort Wayne, IN and Austin, TX warehouses. Both are closing at the end of the day on Tuesday, March 24th, in the interest of employee safety and to comply with direction from local governments. Any orders not shipped by that time will not be processed until further notice. Your dedicated sales team will still be working remotely and help you with any orders you’d like to place today or questions you may have.
OUR SHARED PATH FORWARD
With these changes in our distribution strategy, we will work with our publishing partners to develop programs that will address product already in the pipeline and what will happen when we resume distribution. We know that during this time you will face many challenges, and we will direct our energies toward addressing them, rather than fighting on increasingly numerous fronts to get product out. For those retailers who remain open in various forms, I encourage you let loose your own creativity. For the time being, you will be able to replenish your perennials from Diamond and/or Alliance, but you should also remember the stock you already have in your stores. If your doors remain open, it’s likely you will have customers who will continue to seek diversion from events of the world. Special sales, promotions, and even eBay can help you bring in cash during this trying time. Product for which you’ve already paid may well hold some of your answers. There have been many solid suggestions offered about how to help our retailers, and we will bring many of them together in future communications.
Besides the industry’s most immediate needs, we have been and will continue looking toward the future, when we see stores reopening, bringing staff back onboard, and getting customers in the door. We are looking at issues like debt accrued due to this crisis, what reduced ordering means for your discount tiers, and the availability of credit to help stores through and after this difficult time. We don’t have all those answers today, but we understand the many issues you are facing and look forward to addressing them as partners who all have an interest in the long-term health of the industry we love so much.
As I mentioned in my last update, this industry has been one of the greatest joys of my life, from my days as a collector to a retailer to today. I and my Leadership Team have made these decisions knowing full-well the effect this will have on all of you, as well as our publishing partners and our own team members around the world. At the end of the day, the safety and security of our teams and yours, along with the many customers we all serve, is paramount. I again thank you for your ongoing patience and support.
BOOM! Studios has announced the BOOM! Retailer Support Services Program, a comprehensive set of initiatives effective immediately to aid comic book shops worldwide affected by the current health crisis.
The BOOM! Retailer Support Services Program will initially deliver the following benefits to qualifying accounts pending details being finalized with Diamond Comic Distributors:
Full Returnability Through June: BOOM! Studios will extend the industry’s best returnability program, the BOOM! Guarantee, by making all items that ship between March 18th through June 24th fully returnable via affidavit in order to allow retailers to order with confidence. Any retailer not already enrolled in the BOOM! Guarantee can sign up for freeright here.
#BoostYourLCS Paid Promotion: BOOM! Studios will increase targeted advertising and promotion around comic shops, and specifically spotlight stores offering Safe Services (like curbside and mail order options), using the #BoostYourLCS hashtag to reach over 360,000 fans worldwide. A full list of BOOM! Guarantee and Safe Service retailers (with regular updates) can be found right here.
Rare Variant Cover Gift Set: BOOM! Studios will offer retailers a direct cash infusion by providing previously released rare and popular variant covers for free to qualifying Diamond accounts in April. These gifts will create an opportunity for retailers to generate additional revenue and promotion at no cost. For retailers who do not normally sell variant covers at an increased price, these can be used to reward loyal pull-box subscribers or used to further incentivize customer engagement as prizes or purchasing rewards.
Monthly 1-Per Store Variant Covers: BOOM! Studios will provide a new, previously unannounced 1-per-store variant every month through December 2020 free to qualifying Diamond accounts. This program will begin with a new 1-per store variant for Faithless II #1 in April, followed by Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #51 in May, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Willow #1 in June.
Diamond Summit Variant: BOOM! Studios will deliver their promised free Diamond Summit retailer variant cover for Faithless II #1 to all qualifying stores in April so that retailers don’t miss out on this hotly anticipated issue.
Exclusive Convention Variant Opportunities: BOOM! Studios will offer select variant covers and other items previously planned for 2020 conventions direct to retailers through Diamond, as long as supplies last. Since fans can’t go to conventions, they’re bringing the conventions to the fans!
This program includes BOOM! Studios’ support and participation in future industry-wide, coordinated joint initiatives with Diamond Comic Distributors and other participating publishers to benefit and support comic book stores.
Diamond Comic Distributors and BOOM! Studios will be sharing more information directly with retailers as soon as it is finalized to clearly outline how to receive benefits from the BOOM! Retailer Support Services Program.
Diamond Comic Distributors has announce that it has signed a distribution agreement with ABLAZE to exclusively distribute their products to comic book specialty markets worldwide. Diamond was also awarded the rights to exclusively distribute ABLAZE’s new releases to the North American book market under the banner of Diamond Book Distributors.
ABLAZE is an independent publisher of original comic books, crowdfunded titles, and art books with a focus on increasing diversity and amplifying the voices of their creators. The company aims to highlight new voices in the comic book industry by bringing together some of the best content from all corners of the globe. Co-founded by Rich Young, ABLAZE promises quality above all else in their line of titles, which features a variety of formats, genres, and age ranges.
ABLAZE boasts an ever-growing library of work, which ranges from comic books to graphic novels to art books and beyond, featuring tales from across a variety of genres such as horror, action-adventure, sword and sorcery, and coming-of-age, among others. Vampire State Building, written by Patrick Ange-Renault with art from The Walking Dead’s Charlie Adlard, is a horror-thriller centered around a solider, who finds himself trapped at the top of the Empire State Building by a horde of vampires, and must find a way to save himself, his friends, and the city of New York. Wild Thing Or: My Life as a Wolf, from Clayton Junior, tells the tale of an affectionate and inquisitive Labrador who wants to fill his life with adventure. Upon meeting a trio of wolves, the Labrador is enticed by their freedom, and joins their pack, leading to the discovery of love and adventure, as well as the ravages of human civilization and its impact on the animal kingdom. The Old Geezers Vol. 1, from Wilfrid Lupano with art from Paul Cauuet, is a slice-of-life story centering around three septuagenarians who have been friends since childhood, despite following different paths in life. Told through a series of cutscenes between the 1950s and present day, The Old Geezers Vol. 1 stands as the tragic-comic story of our time by underscoring the human impact of the social, political, and cultural upheavals of modern history. Indie Games, written by Bounthavy Suvilay and edited by Sarah Rodriguez, is a strikingly curated art book bursting with anecdotes, illustrations, and behind-the-scenes looks at some of the most successful independent video games to ever stand toe-to-toe with their blockbuster counterparts.
Wolverine #1 sliced its way to the top of the sales list according to Diamond Comic Distributors who released February’s sales data today.
Dollars and units were down in February 2020 compared to January 2020 decrease across the board for comics, graphic novels, and toys. Volume decreased about 10% from the previous month with 819 items shipped compared to January’s 932.
But, not all was negative. Compared to the same point last year, all were up except toys units which were down double digits.
Year to date, comics are up in sales though down in units, graphic novels are up in dollars and units, while toys are up in dollars and down in units. Overall, comics and graphic novels are up 1.35% in dollars and down 2.72% in units compared to the same point in 2019.
Marvel Comics was February’s top publisher with a 41.85% dollar market (+1.87) share and a 47.30% unit share (+0.63). DC was second, with 29.00% (-0.33) and 30.16% shares (+0.43) respectively. Image Comics was third for the month, followed by IDW Publishing, Dark Horse Comics, BOOM! Studios, VIZ Media, and Dynamite Entertainment.
Marvel Comics had eight titles in February’s top ten. DC had two titles in the top ten.
Among the premier publishers, Todd McFarlane and Jason Shawn Alexander’s Spawn #305 was Image Comics’ best-selling book in February at #38; BOOM! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 ranked #55; IDW Publishing’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Jennika #1 was their top book at #85; Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #1 was Dynamite Entertainment’s top book at #95; and Dark Horse Comics’ Stranger Things: Into the Fire #2 ranked #152.
Stjepan Sejic’s Harleen, collecting the best-selling mini-series from DC’s Black Label imprint, was February’s best-selling graphic novel. Also in the top ten from DC, Derek Fridolfs and Dustin Nguyen’s Batman Tales: Once Upon a Crime ranked #3. Image Comics’ Die Volume 2: Split the Party by Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans ranked #2. Marvel Comics had five Star Wars graphic novels in the top ten, led by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca’s Star Wars: Darth Vader Volume 4: End of Games at #4.
Fujino Omori’s light novel from Yen On, Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Volume 14, was the best-selling book of February. Also in the top ten, Gemstone Publishing’s The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Volume 49 ranked #4.
Mezco’s One:12 Collective: Marvel Comics: Cable (X-Men Edition) Action Figure, a PREVIEWS Exclusive, was February’s best-selling toy. Another PREVIEWS Exclusive toy from Mezco, the One:12 Collective: DC: Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) Figure, ranked #2. DC Collectibles’ DC Designer Series: Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy by Emanuela Luppachino Statue ranked #3. Diamond Select Toys had three products in the top ten; the Godzilla Gallery: Godzilla (1991) Deluxe PVC Figure was their top product at #6.
Paizo’s Pathfinder: Gamemastery Guide, a sourcebook for the best-selling role-playing game, was February’s best-selling game product and one of seven Paizo products in the top ten. Green Ronin’s perennial best-seller, the Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting, also charted at #2.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHER
DOLLARSHARE
UNITSHARE
MARVEL COMICS
41.85%
47.30%
DC COMICS
29.00%
30.16%
IMAGE COMICS
6.02%
5.41%
IDW PUBLISHING
3.47%
3.14%
DARK HORSE COMICS
2.93%
2.06%
BOOM! STUDIOS
2.58%
2.64%
VIZ MEDIA
2.24%
0.87%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
2.11%
2.04%
RANDOM HOUSE
0.62%
0.18%
TITAN COMICS
0.56%
0.45%
OTHER NON-TOP 10
8.61%
5.74%
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
DOLLARS
UNITS
FEBRUARY 2020 VS. JANUARY 2020
COMICS
-8.25%
-7.75%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
-27.16%
-13.89%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
-14.25%
-8.26%
TOYS
-22.37%
-34.10%
FEBRUARY 2020 VS. FEBRUARY 2019
COMICS
8.78%
2.90%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
3.56%
15.46%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
7.32%
3.77%
TOYS
0.83%
-14.97%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2020 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2019
COMICS
0.12%
-3.45%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
4.44%
6.60%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
1.35%
-2.72%
TOYS
2.59%
-15.75%
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
PUBLISHER
COMICS SHIPPED
GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED
MAGAZINES SHIPPED
TOTALSHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS
92
47
0
139
DC COMICS
102
27
1
130
IMAGE COMICS
39
8
0
47
VIZ MEDIA LLC
0
40
0
40
IDW PUBLISHING
28
10
0
38
DARK HORSE COMICS
20
17
0
37
DYNAMITE
29
4
0
33
BOOM! STUDIOS
17
8
0
25
YEN PRESS
0
18
0
18
TITAN COMICS
7
4
2
13
OTHER NON-TOP 10
141
134
24
299
TOTAL
475
317
27
819
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
WOLVERINE #1
$7.99
DEC190753-M
MAR
2
X-MEN #6
$3.99
NOV190812-M
MAR
3
X-MEN #7
$4.99
DEC190786-M
MAR
4
GWEN STACY #1
$4.99
DEC190842-M
MAR
5
GIANT SIZE X-MEN: JEAN GREY & EMMA FROST #1
$4.99
DEC190780-M
MAR
6
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #39
$3.99
DEC190863-M
MAR
7
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER #1
$4.99
DEC190965-M
MAR
8
BATMAN #88
$3.99
DEC190442
DC
9
X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR #1
$4.99
DEC190770-M
MAR
10
BATMAN #89
$3.99
DEC190444
DC
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
WOLVERINE #1
$7.99
DEC190753-M
MAR
2
X-MEN #7
$4.99
DEC190786-M
MAR
3
X-MEN #6
$3.99
NOV190812-M
MAR
4
GWEN STACY #1
$4.99
DEC190842-M
MAR
5
GIANT SIZE X-MEN: JEAN GREY & EMMA FROST #1
$4.99
DEC190780-M
MAR
6
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER #1
$4.99
DEC190965-M
MAR
7
X-MEN/FANTASTIC FOUR #1
$4.99
DEC190770-M
MAR
8
BATMAN: CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT #7
$4.99
DEC190448-M
DC
9
THE JOKER: KILLER SMILE #3 (MR)
$5.99
DEC190477-M
DC
10
DC CRIMES OF PASSION #1
$9.99
DEC190416-M
DC
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
HARLEEN HC (MR)
$29.99
OCT190670
DC
2
DIE VOL. 2: SPLIT THE PARTY TP (MR)
$16.99
DEC190086
IMA
3
BATMAN TALES: ONCE UPON A CRIME TP
$9.99
OCT190492
DC
4
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER VOL. 4: END OF GAMES TP
$19.99
JUL161076
MAR
5
STAR WARS: JOURNEY TO STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS: SHATTERED EMPIRE HC
$24.99
MAY160921
MAR
6
STAR WARS: VADER DOWN TP
$19.99
JAN160962
MAR
7
STAR WARS: CHEWBACCA TP
$16.99
NOV150951
MAR
8
STAR WARS VOLUME 2: SHOWDOWN ON THE SMUGGLER’S MOON TP
$19.99
OCT150986
MAR
9
STAR WARS VOLUME 3: REBEL JAIL TP
$19.99
MAY160922
MAR
10
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOLUME 23 GN
$9.99
DEC192056
VIZ
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
HARLEEN HC (MR)
$29.99
OCT190670
DC
2
X-MEN VS. APOCALYPSE: THE TWELVE OMNIBUS HC
$125.00
AUG191137
MAR
3
SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES OMNIBUS HC
$100.00
AUG191136
MAR
4
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: UNCANNY X-MEN VOL. 12 HC
$100.00
AUG191143-M
MAR
5
DAREDEVIL BY BENDIS & MALEEV OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC
$100.00
JUL191089
MAR
6
DIE VOL. 2: SPLIT THE PARTY TP (MR)
$16.99
DEC190086
IMA
7
MARVEL MASTERS OF SUSPENSE: STAN LEE & STEVE DITKO OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC
$100.00
AUG191145
MAR
8
ULTIMATES BY MARK MILLAR & BRYAN HITCH OMNIBUS HC
$100.00
AUG191130
MAR
9
BERSERK DELUXE EDITION VOLUME 4 HC (MR)
$49.99
OCT190398
DAR
10
METABARONS BOX SET HC
$149.95
NOV191776
HUM
TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
IS WRONG PICK UP GIRLS IN A DUNGEON? VOL. 14 SC
$15.00
JUN192164
YEN
2
NO GAME, NO LIFE VOLUME 10 SC
$14.00
DEC192108
YEN
3
RE:ZERO: STARTING LIFE IN ANOTHER WORLD VOL. 12 SC
$14.00
DEC192110
YEN
4
THE OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOL. 49 SC
$29.95
APR191757-M
GEM
5
MY HERO ACADEMIA: SCHOOL BRIEFS VOL. 4 SC
$10.99
JAN202203
VIZ
6
DRAGON BALL: A VISUAL HISTORY HC
$34.99
AUG192435
VIZ
7
DISNEY: I AM MULAN LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK
$4.99
DEC191723
GOL
8
GRIMM FAIRY TALES ADULT COLORING BOOK VOL. 1 SC
$12.99
OCT151871
ZEN
9
COMICS JOURNAL #305
$14.99
DEC191680
FAN
10
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER: LEGACY OF FIRE NATION HC
As the impact and spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, Diamond Comic Distributors has the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Retailer Summit scheduled to take place April 14-16, originally planned to be held in conjunction with MegaCon in Orlando, FL. They have done this out of an abundance of caution and with deep disappointment. The distributors is looking at options as far as planning a new conference date.
Diamond’s top priority in this decision is the health and safety of staff, business partners, conference attendees and colleagues.
We appreciate the efforts of the Informa team and the state and local authorities they are working with to provide a safe environment for fans and vendors, and support their goal of another fun, successful convention. MegaCon Orlando is part of an international organization with dedicated health, safety, security and travel experts who are monitoring developments, sharing relevant information and providing guidance on events. At this time, we cannot ask our sponsors and retailers to commit to travel plans while the Coronavirus’ impact is so uncertain.
More updates will be made in the upcoming coming months as they determine possible attendance at other events.
Marvel expanded its market share while DC lost some ground in January 2020 according to Diamond Comic Distributors. DC’s Wonder Woman #750 took the top spot for the month, making it two months in a row that DC has had the top-selling issue. It wasn’t enough as the publisher slipped in dollarshare and unitshare. The month also saw big gains for graphic novels from the previous month.
Comics saw a slight dip from the previous month down in both dollars and units and moderately down compared to the same point the previous year. Graphic Novels saw double-digit gains from December increasing 29.62% in dollars and 36.99% in units. That’s most likely to the large increase in volume shipped for the month. Overall, comics and graphic novels were up from the previous month, 5.84% in dollars and 0.73% in units. Toys saw a slight dip from the previous month, down 1.05% in dollars and 4.04% in units.
The number of units ship was up sharply to 932 compared to 658 the previous month. Graphic novels nearly doubled from 235 to 411.
Compared to the same time the previous year, comics were down 6.7% in dollars and 8.64% in units. Graphic novels are up in dollars by 5.09% by saw no change in units. Overall, the two are down 3.26% in dollars and 7.99% un units. Toys meanwhile are up 4% in dollars and down 16.26% in units.
Marvel Comics was January’s top publisher with a 39.98% dollar share (+2.09) and a 46.67% unit share (+1.07). DC placed second at 29.33% (-4.22) and 29.73% (-1.62), respectively. Image Comics was third, with a market share of 5.60% in both categories (-0.31 and -0.33), followed by IDW Publishing, Dark Horse Comics, BOOM! Studios, VIZ Media, and Dynamite Entertainment. BOOM! saw a boost passing Dark Horse as the #5 publisher for the month.
Marvel Comics had eight titles in the top ten. Donny Cates and Nic Klein’s Thor #1, beginning a new era of Thor as the Herald of Galactus, was their top book at #2. DC had two titles in the top ten; in addition to Wonder Woman #750, James Tynion IV, Tony S. Daniel, and Danny Miki’s Batman #86 ranked #7.
Among the premier publishers, Image Comics’ top book, Spawn #304, ranked #40 for the month; BOOM! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 ranked #54; Dynamite Entertainment’s Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #1, beginning a crossover with the characters from Chaos! Comics, ranked #86; IDW Publishing’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #101 ranked #89; and Dark Horse Comics’ Stranger Things: Into the Fire #1 ranked #134.
Donny Cates and Ryan Stegman’s Absolute Carnage, collecting Marvel Comics’ crossover event, was January’s best-selling graphic novel. Also in the top ten from Marvel Comics, League of Legends: Lux ranked #4 and House of X/Powers of X ranked #5. DC had four titles in the top ten; Shannon Hale, Dean Hale, and Victoria Yang’s Diana: Princess of the Amazons, the young readers graphic novel about Wonder Woman’s childhood, was their top book at #2. Dark Horse Comics had two titles in the top ten; their best-selling book, Stranger Things: Zombie Boys, ranked #6.
BBC Books’ Doctor Who: Star Tales, an anthology in which the Doctor meets celebrities in her travels through time and space, was January’s best-selling book.
Inspired by George Perez’s artwork from 1991’s The Infinity Gauntlet, Funko’s POP! Marvel Heroes: Thanos Snap 6-Inch Deluxe Vinyl Figure, a PREVIEWS exclusive, repeated at the top of the sales charts in January as the month’s best-selling toy product. DC Collectibles had two products in the top ten, the Dark Nights Metal: The Batman Who Laughs & Robins Deluxe Statue at #2 and the DC Bombshells: Death Statue, inspired by Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, at #3. Diamond Select Toys had four products in the top ten; their top product, the Marvel Animated: Venom & Spider-Man Statue, ranked #7.
Green Ronin Publishing’s Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting was, for the second month in the row, the best-selling game product in January. Paizo also had a strong month, with eight of the month’s top ten best-selling products, led by the Starfinder RPG Core Rulebook at #2.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHER
DOLLARSHARE
UNITSHARE
MARVEL COMICS
39.98%
46.67%
DC COMICS
29.33%
29.73%
IMAGE COMICS
5.60%
5.60%
IDW PUBLISHING
4.05%
3.28%
DARK HORSE COMICS
3.09%
2.28%
BOOM! STUDIOS
3.04%
3.10%
VIZ MEDIA
2.59%
1.04%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
2.21%
2.08%
RANDOM HOUSE
0.76%
0.22%
TITAN COMICS
0.57%
0.41%
OTHER NON-TOP 10
8.77%
5.59%
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
DOLLARS
UNITS
JANUARY 2020 VS. DECEMBER 2019
COMICS
-2.48%
-1.59%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
29.62%
36.99%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
5.84%
0.73%
TOYS
-1.05%
-4.04%
JANUARY 2020 VS. JANUARY 2019
COMICS
-6.70%
-8.64%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
5.09%
0.00%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
-3.26%
-7.99%
TOYS
4.00%
-16.26%
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
PUBLISHER
COMICS SHIPPED
GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED
MAGAZINES SHIPPED
TOTALSHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS
101
56
0
157
DC COMICS
98
30
0
128
IDW PUBLISHING
35
16
0
51
IMAGE COMICS
43
7
0
50
VIZ MEDIA LLC
0
43
0
43
DARK HORSE COMICS
25
9
0
34
BOOM! STUDIOS
22
6
0
28
SOURCE POINT PRESS
16
3
0
19
DYNAMITE
14
4
0
18
TITAN COMICS
6
2
3
11
OTHER NON-TOP 10
130
235
28
393
TOTAL
490
411
31
932
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
WONDER WOMAN #750
$9.99
NOV190399-M
DC
2
THOR #1
$4.99
AUG199016-M
MAR
3
STAR WARS #1
$4.99
AUG199000-M
MAR
4
X-MEN #4
$3.99
OCT190906-M
MAR
5
X-MEN #5
$3.99
AUG199030-M
MAR
6
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1
$4.99
NOV190742-M
MAR
7
BATMAN #86
$3.99
NOV190411-M
DC
8
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #38
$3.99
NOV190915-M
MAR
9
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #37
$3.99
NOV190913-M
MAR
10
STAR #1
$3.99
NOV190799-M
MAR
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
WONDER WOMAN #750
$9.99
NOV190399-M
DC
2
THOR #1
$4.99
AUG199016-M
MAR
3
STAR WARS #1
$4.99
AUG199000-M
MAR
4
X-MEN #4
$3.99
OCT190906-M
MAR
5
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1
$4.99
NOV190742-M
MAR
6
X-MEN #5
$3.99
AUG199030-M
MAR
7
THE JOKER/HARLEY: CRIMINAL SANITY #2 (MR) [*]
$5.99
SEP190500-M
DC
8
BATMAN: CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT #6
$4.99
NOV190433-M
DC
9
IRON MAN 2020 #1
$4.99
NOV190753-M
MAR
10
VENOM: THE END #1
$4.99
NOV190795-M
MAR
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
ABSOLUTE CARNAGE TP
$29.99
OCT191107
MAR
2
DIANA: PRINCESS OF THE AMAZONS TP
$9.99
SEP190470
DC
3
WATCHMEN TP
$24.99
JUN190614-M
DC
4
LEAGUE OF LEGENDS: LUX TP
$15.99
JUL191064
MAR
5
HOUSE OF X/POWERS OF X HC
$60.00
SEP190963-M
MAR
6
STRANGER THINGS: ZOMBIE BOYS TP
$10.99
OCT190311
DAR
7
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOLUME 22 GN
$9.99
OCT192290
VIZ
8
BLACK HAMMER VOL. 4: AGE OF DOOM PART II TP
$19.99
MAY190209
DAR
9
GREEN LANTERN: LEGACY TP
$9.99
SEP190471
DC
10
WONDER WOMAN: WARBRINGER TP
$16.99
SEP190472
DC
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
INCREDIBLE HULK BY PETER DAVID OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
$125.00
JUL191095-M
MAR
2
CONAN THE BARBARIAN: THE ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS VOL. 3 HC
$125.00
JUL191093-M
MAR
3
HOUSE OF X/POWERS OF X HC
$60.00
SEP190963-M
MAR
4
ABSOLUTE CARNAGE TP
$29.99
OCT191107
MAR
5
DAREDEVIL BY BENDIS & MALEEV OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC
$100.00
JUL191088
MAR
6
JUNJI ITO: NO LONGER HUMAN HC (MR)
$34.99
OCT192289
VIZ
7
WATCHMEN TP
$24.99
JUN190614-M
DC
8
BATMAN: BLACK & WHITE OMNIBUS HC
$125.00
MAY190477
DC
9
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: DAREDEVIL VOL. 14 HC
$75.00
JUL191091-M
MAR
10
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN EPIC COLLECTION: MAXIMUM CARNAGE TP
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
