Diamond Comic Distributors has released the first wave of market share data for comics shipped to comic book and specialty stores in November 2016. The good news? Marvel and DC nearly tie in the top ten, but overall comic sales have slipped.
Marvel Comics was November’s top publisher with a 38.08% dollar share and a 39.46% unit share. DC Entertainment was the month’s number two publisher with a 26.17% dollar share and a 31.30% unit share. At number three was Image Comics with an 8.99% dollar share and a 9.06% unit share. IDW Publishing was fourth with a 5.23% dollar share and a 4.59% unit share, followed by Dark Horse Comics with a 3.65% dollar share and 2.85% units share.
| PUBLISHER | DOLLAR SHARE | UNIT SHARE |
|---|---|---|
| MARVEL COMICS | 38.08% | 39.46% |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 26.17% | 31.30% |
| IMAGE COMICS | 8.99% | 9.06% |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 5.23% | 4.59% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 3.65% | 2.85% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 1.98% | 1.66% |
| TITAN COMICS | 1.61% | 1.30% |
| VIZ MEDIA | 1.52% | 0.56% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 1.40% | 1.23% |
| ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS | 1.01% | 1.06% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 10.38% | 6.92% |
So, what titles made the top ten, and what titles didn’t?
| RANK | TITLE | PRICE | VENDOR |
| 1 | BATMAN #10 | $2.99 | DC |
| 2 | BATMAN #11 | $2.99 | DC |
| 3 | CIVIL WAR II #7 | $4.99 | MAR |
| 4 | ALL STAR BATMAN #4 | $4.99 | DC |
| 5 | INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1 | $3.99 | MAR |
| 6 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: RENEW YOUR VOWS #1 | $4.99 | MAR |
| 7 | BATMAN ANNUAL #1 | $4.99 | DC |
| 8 | VENOM #1 | $3.99 | MAR |
| 9 | THE WALKING DEAD #160 (MR) | $2.99 | IMA |
| 10 | IVX #0 | $4.99 | MAR |
Is it surprising that so many of those titles feature Batman? There isn’t a single DC book in the top ten that isn’t a Bat-title. Next week we’ll have the complete rundown and we’ll see where the rest of the DCU ranked.
Sadly, overall sales for November slipped compared to October and years past.
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
|---|---|---|
| NOVEMBER 2016 VS. OCTOBER 2016 | ||
| COMICS | -10.33% | -13.26% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 19.48% | 18.91% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -2.72% | -11.35% |
| TOYS | 28.48% | 53.60% |
| NOVEMBER 2016 VS. NOVEMBER 2015 | ||
| COMICS | -12.71% | -6.09% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 21.56% | 25.78% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -4.25% | -4.15% |
| TOYS | -9.53% | -12.99% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2015 | ||
| COMICS | 1.85% | 1.97% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 1.74% | 0.77% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 1.82% | 1.87% |
| TOYS | -5.60% | -8.56% |
Is the drop is sales due to the holidays, or something else? You have the data, so now it is up to you to draw your own conclusions and share the information in the comment section below.
