May saw the highly controversial release of Secret Empire #1 from Marvel. Even though many were upset with the direction the creators took Steve Rogers, sales of the issue were enough to send Marvel to the top of the direct market charts for the month.
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | VENDOR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SECRET EMPIRE #1 | $4.99 | MAR |
| 2 | VENOM #150 | $5.99 | MAR |
| 3 | BATMAN #22 LENTICULAR EDITION | $3.99 | DC |
| 4 | THE FLASH #22 LENTICULAR EDITION | $3.99 | DC |
| 5 | GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: MISSION BREAKOUT #1 | $4.99 | MAR |
| 6 | SECRET EMPIRE #2 | $4.99 | MAR |
| 7 | BATMAN #23 | $2.99 | DC |
| 8 | SECRET EMPIRE #3 | $3.99 | MAR |
| 9 | ALL-NEW GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1 | $3.99 | MAR |
| 10 | THE WALKING DEAD #167 (MR) | $2.99 | IMA |
For the month of May, Marvel sold nearly 40% of the comics for the month (99 single issues) compared to DC’s 30% (82 single issues). This is an increase for Marvel which sold 38.2% of the comics in April. Interestingly, last month also saw Secret Empire lead the sales charts.
Overall, comic sales for May were good, as individual comic sales were up by 17% compared to April, and up 16% from the year prior. As we move into summer – a time when most retailers and business say they have a dip in sales, this bump could be the one thing that keeps us all moving forward with a positive smile on our faces (unlike those sourpusses who want to find doom and gloom in everything every publisher does).
While recent episodes of the Major Spoilers Podcast have included discussions of the industry moving to trade only sales, the graphic novel market has dropped 8% compared to last year. Keep in mind this drop is only a drop in graphic novels sold in the direct market, and does not include graphic novel sales to books stores, Amazon, and other outlets.
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
|---|---|---|
| MAY 2017 VS. APRIL 2017 | ||
| COMICS | 16.49% | 17.36% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 17.13% | 19.52% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 16.69% | 17.53% |
| TOYS | 52.15% | 52.94% |
| MAY 2017 VS. MAY 2016 | ||
| COMICS | 10.58% | 16.74% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 3.54% | 13.65% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 8.31% | 16.49% |
| TOYS | 40.46% | 29.34% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2017 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 | ||
| COMICS | 0.11% | 8.89% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -9.23% | -8.72% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -2.92% | 7.35% |
| TOYS | 1.14% | 1.10% |
I feel pretty upbeat about the data from Diamond Comic Distributors. While it would be great if the top comics were selling in the millions, seeing growth from month to month is always a good sign.
Major Spoilers will share the Top 300 Comics list on Monday.
What data did you glean from this months sales data?
