Batman 29Comics sales continued to look anemic in March, with sales down  4.40% in dollars and 9.85% in units over a year ago for year to date. The one positive number was graphic novel sales for the quarter, which were up from last year, although still down from Q4 ‘2013. Batman once again led the periodicals, and Walking Dead led GN sales. Marvel held its share of units and dollars, while Image was up to double digits in both, with DC slipping a point or two.

Marvel  had five of the month’s top ten best-selling comics, DC four and Image one — see if you can guess what it was. In GNs, it was more mixed with Image having four titles in the top ten—including the $60 Stray Bullets Uber Alles edition—and Dark Horse and Boom! charting with Avatar: The Last Airbender Volume 7: Rift Part 1  and the third Adventure Time OGN Seeing Red. 

dollar-share unit-share

 

 TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER

DOLLAR

SHARE

UNIT

SHARE

MARVEL COMICS

34.31%

38.17%

DC COMICS

25.94%

29.02%

IMAGE COMICS

11.38%

11.04%

DARK HORSE COMICS

6.19%

5.72%

IDW PUBLISHING

5.29%

4.51%

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

2.61%

2.56%

BOOM! STUDIOS

1.99%

1.84%

EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS

1.59%

0.35%

AVATAR PRESS

1.14%

0.94%

RANDOM HOUSE

1.04%

0.26%

OTHER NON-TOP 10

8.53%

5.59%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER

COMICS SHIPPED

GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED

MAGAZINES SHIPPED

TOTAL

SHIPPED

DC COMICS

84

28

1

113

MARVEL COMICS

75

34

0

109

IMAGE COMICS

54

13

0

67

IDW PUBLISHING

42

22

0

64

DARK HORSE COMICS

42

15

0

57

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

34

5

0

39

BOOM! STUDIOS

28

7

0

35

AVATAR PRESS

11

4

0

15

RANDOM HOUSE

0

15

0

15

EAGLEMOSS

0

0

12

12

OTHER

63

104

16

183

 


COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

 

DOLLARS

UNITS

MARCH 2014 VS. FEBRUARY 2014

COMICS

4.11%

6.32%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

24.00%

25.00%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

10.22%

7.93%

MARCH 2014 VS. MARCH 2013

COMICS

-9.47%

-11.83%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

18.31%

22.85%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

-1.48%

-9.28%

FIRST QUARTER 2014 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2013

COMICS

-14.30%

-13.77%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

-11.59%

-1.59%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

-13.45%

-12.82%

FIRST QUARTER 2014 VS. FIRST QUARTER 2013

COMICS

-6.89%

-11.40%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

1.39%

10.06%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

-4.40%

-9.85%

YEAR-TO-DATE 2014 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2013

COMICS

-6.89%

-11.40%

GRAPHIC NOVELS

1.39%

10.06%

TOTAL COMICS/GN

-4.40%

-9.85%

 

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

PRICE

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

BATMAN #29

$4.99

JAN140290-M DC

2

SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #6

$3.99

OCT130160-M DC

3

FOREVER EVIL #6

$3.99

DEC130197-M DC

4

SANDMAN OVERTURE #2 (MR)

$3.99

DEC130330-M DC

5

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #29

$3.99

JAN140720-M MAR

6

DAREDEVIL #1

$3.99

JAN140630-M MAR

7

SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #30

$3.99

JAN140722 MAR

8

SILVER SURFER #1

$3.99

JAN140650-M MAR

9

THE WALKING DEAD #124 (MR)

$2.99

JAN140624 IMA

10

UNCANNY X-MEN #19.NOW

$3.99

JAN140665-M MAR

 


TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

PRICE

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 20: ALL OUT WAR PART 1 TP (MR)

$14.99

JAN140559 IMA

2

SAGA VOLUME 3 TP (MR)

$14.99

JAN140556 IMA

3

NEMO: ROSES OF BERLIN HC (MR)

$14.95

JAN141334 TOP

4

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER VOL. 7: RIFT PART 1 TP

$10.99

NOV130064 DAR

5

CHEW VOLUME 8: FAMILY RECIPES TP (MR)

$12.99

JAN140548 IMA

6

JUSTICE LEAGUE: TRINITY WAR HC (N52)

$29.99

NOV130226 DC

7

HARLEY QUINN: WELCOME TO METROPOLIS TP

$19.99

DEC130313 DC

8

ADVENTURE TIME VOL. 3: SEEING RED OGN

$11.99

JAN141027 BOO

9

MARVEL MASTERWORKS: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL. 1 TP

$24.99

NOV082434 MAR

10

STRAY BULLETS UBER ALLES EDITION TP (MR)

$59.99

JAN140530 IMA

TOP 10 BOOKS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

PRICE

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

DOCTOR WHO: 11TH DOCTOR SONIC SCREWDRIVER KIT

$12.95

JAN141487 RUN

2

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S THE EMPIRE STRIKETH BACK HC

$14.95

JAN141522 RAN

3

PAUL POPE’S MONSTERS & TITANS: BATTLING BOY ART ON TOUR SC

$24.99

JAN140554 IMA

4

LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC

$34.99

SEP120055 DAR

5

THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 82: SPY RING SC

$14.95

JAN141518 SAN

6

HATSUNE MIKU GRAPHICS VOCALOID VOLUME 1 SC

$34.99

AUG131474 UDO

7

DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 73: LAND OF LONG JUJU SC

$14.95

JAN141517 SAN

8

BATMAN SCIENCE: THE REAL WORLD SCIENCE BEHIND BATMAN’S GEAR SC

$9.95

NOV131374 CAP

9

DRAGON’S DOGMA OFFICIAL DESIGN WORKS SC

$44.99

AUG131471 UDO

10

ADVENTURE TIME: TOTALLY MATH POSTER COLLECTION SC

$19.95

JAN141468 ABR

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

THE WALKING DEAD TV SERIES 5 ACTION FIGURES JUL138243 TMP

2

BATMAN HUSH: BATMAN & CATWOMAN KISS STATUE SEP130322 DC

3

ARROW: OLIVER QUEEN/DEATHSTROKE ACTION FIGURE 2-PACK NOV130293 DC

4

DC COMICS COVER GIRLS HUNTRESS STATUE OCT130308 DC

5

BATMAN ARKHAM CITY: TWO-FACE ACTION FIGURE NOV130290 DC

6

BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE BY GARY FRANK OCT130310 DC

7

WONDER WOMAN ART OF WAR STATUE BY JIM LEE SEP130317 DC

8

SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL STATUE BY ROCAFORT OCT130309 DC

9

DC COMICS SUPER VILLAINS: OWLMAN ACTION FIGURE OCT130307 DC

10

DC COMICS SUPERGIRL “NEW 52” ARTFX+ STATUE SEP132026 KOT


TOP 10 GAMES

RANK

DESCRIPTION

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

MONOPOLY: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION OCT128266 USA

2

MARVEL HEROCLIX: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER DEC132341 NEC

3

DC HEROCLIX: LEGION OF SUPERHEROES BOOSTER BRICK OCT132418 NEC

4

RISK LEGACY JUN118204 HAS

5

MARVEL HEROCLIX: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER STARTER SET DEC132343 NEC

6

DC HEROCLIX: LEGION OF DOOM FAST FORCES 6-PACK OCT132416 NEC

7

MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: BORN OF THE GODS BOOSTER PACK DEC132337 WZK

8

RISK: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION OCT128267 USA

9

MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: BORN OF THE GODS FAT PACK DEC132339 WZK

10

MAGIC THE GATHERING CCG: DUEL DECKS JACE VS. VRASKA JAN148058 WZK

 

14 COMMENTS

  1. When are we going to see digital numbers? We may have reached the point where digital is cannibalizing bricks and mortar. I’m buying more comics than I have in a long time. On Comixology. Am I alone?

  2. Sometimes you folks really have to watch your headlines. Mr. Miller here and others have talked repeatedly about the severe weather as a major reason for less than stellar sales early this year. To call them “blah” misrepresents what the actual outcome is. I don’t think any retailer in the United States had a good Jan Feb sales period. So why I understand the need to find a catchy by line to get folks to click on your article, please create them with some objectivity, thanks.

  3. It’s certainly fair to look at the quarter as having no major breakaway successes to point to — so if blah is unexciting, then yes, this winter probably was. (Qualified, as you say, by the weather.)

    A truly blah YEAR would have been 1999, when Uncanny X-Men was the #1 book 11 months out of 12 by default because there were no launches, events, or breakout titles that shook things up. The whole year ended up being down by about the percentage that Q1 2014 was. It’s been a long time since the top of the charts was that static, though, so I wouldn’t expect to see any title topping the charts 10 months in a row in today’s market.

  4. Only one book in the Top Ten with a $2.99 price point. Sadly, I look for that price to be extinct by fall. $3.99 will be the lowest comic book price anywhere. According to the sales charts, fans have proven they’ll pay that price, no matter what they say online.

  5. @Doctor Comix
    No, you’re not alone. I’m buying more comics now than I ever have, but all of my purchases are through Comixology. I haven’t set foot in a brick-and-mortar comic store in at least two years and can’t see ever going back to one for any of my future purchases.

  6. “fans have proven they’ll pay that price”

    I’ll pay it for smaller publishers but not Marvel or DC. And if it goes up from 3.99, I’m not sure how long I can keep buying new comics. I often think I’d get much better value in buying old comics that I know I can at least enjoy nostalgically.

    Mike

  7. I’ll pay it for smaller publishers but not Marvel or DC.
    ——————————————————————————————–
    Agree with you there, but according to the sales charts, people will happily pay $3.99 for DC and Marvel titles.
    ——————————————————————————————–
    And if it goes up from 3.99, I’m not sure how long I can keep buying new comics. I often think I’d get much better value in buying old comics that I know I can at least enjoy nostalgically.
    —————————————————————————————————
    I build complete runs of titles and read very few new titles these days. I find tons of back issues priced anywhere from 25 cents to $1.00. When you can complete a 70 issue series for less than $20, why give 4 dollars for one book?

  8. It is true that $3.99 seems to be the rule of thumb. However I think the sales of ‘non-Top 10/25’ paints a telling tale. Individuals may be willing to pay $3.99, but they are cutting titles or not taking a chance on things. Franchises are having difficultly sustaining multiple titles at the $3.99 price point, and they are cannalbilizing each other.

  9. 3.99 is an addict’s price. It’s not a casual reader’s price and it is not a new reader’s price. It’s a squeeze the fanboys price. Plus there are those of us who don’t live near a comic book store and don’t always have time to make the trek for the privilege of paying four dollars for a quarter of a story. I feel there’s something very elitist about bricks and mortar fandom these days. It seems to be a lot of single middle aged guys with a lot of disposable income. That’s great for keeping the stores open but it’s not the future. I certainly can’t justify spending 4 dollars on a comic when I have bills to pay, never mind the travel time I have to factor into my day to get to the store and back.

Comments are closed.