Comics 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.
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 |
I think the key thought remains that lower volumes make the first quarter less predictive, both on the upside and the downside. Last winter was up 20% (making it a tough comparative for this year), but the year overall was only up 9%. (My preliminary report, here: http://blog.comichron.com/2014/04/march-2014-data-comics-market-soldiers.html)
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?
I’ve given up on floppies. Not worth the cost.
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.
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.
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.
@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.
“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
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?
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.
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.
No, it’s just THE PRICE. Buy it or don’t.
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