Batman #34I’ll post John Jackson Miller’s analysis when it comes in, but sales for the year inched up, although down from Five Wednesday July. Image had more than 10% of unit sales, always a good mark for them.

And sales analyst Miller weighs in pointing out this was the first “Normal” month in a while.

After a summer of “bombshell” covers, anniversary covers, high-profile relaunches, and giant purchases by online retailers, August appears to have been something more resembling a generic month in the comics industry. Comic-book retailers purchased more than $41 million in comic books, trade paperbacks, and magazines in August 2014, according Comichron’s analysis of data released today by Diamond Comic Distributors. Dollar sales for the month were up 7.6% year over year, bringing annual sales to $344 million, up nearly 3% over 2013.

July’s sales, the highest recorded dollar amount paid for comics and graphic novels in the seventeen-year long Diamond Exclusive Era, were boosted in part by a fifth week to the month, by the addition of thousands of Rocket Raccoon #1 copies bought by Loot Crate, and by DC’s Batman 75th Anniversary covers, among other things. August’s sales appear to have returned to a more regular pattern, with Batman#34 taking the top slot.

Batman hunts a killer lurking in the shadows of Gotham City in Scott Snyder and Matteo Scalera’s Batman #34 from DC Entertainment, the best-selling comic book of August 2014 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics had five titles among August’s top ten best-selling comics, led by Amazing Spider-Man #5 at #2. DC Entertainment placed four titles in the top ten. Image Comics had one title, The Walking Dead #130 at #6.

Marvel Comics was August’s top publisher with a 34.27% dollar market share and a 35.85% unit market share. DC Entertainment was second with a 28.71% dollar share and 32.56% unit share. Image Comics was third with a 8.83% dollar share and a 10.97% unit share. IDW Publishing’s dollar share in August was fourth at 5.43% and Dark Horse Comics was fifth at 4.73%.

Jim Starlin returns to his signature character Thanos in the original graphic novel, Thanos: The Infinity Revelation from Marvel Comics, August’s best-selling graphic novel and one of the publisher’s three books among the top ten. DC Entertainment had four titles in the top led, led by Fables Volume 20: Camelot at #2. Additionally, all three volumes of Image Comics’ Saga placed among the top ten.

The second volume of Jeffrey Brown’s young readers Star Wars series, Star Wars: Jedi Academy: The Return of the Padawan from Chronicle Books was August’s best-selling book. Also in the top ten were IDW Publishing’s Dave Gibbons: The Watchmen Artifact Edition at #2, Dark Horse Comics’ Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia at #3, and Gemstone’s The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Volume 44 remained in the top ten at #4.

The X-Men and their foes, including Wolverine and Magneto, were sculpted in the 6-inch scale for Hasbro’s X-Men Legends Action Figures, August’s best-selling toy product. DC Collectibles had eight of top ten toy products for the month, led by the Batman: Arkham Asylum: Harley Quinn Statue at #2. Diamond Select Toys’ best-selling product for August was the Godzilla 1989 Vinyl Bust Bank at #17.

The cosmic heroes of Marvel Comics’ Guardians of the Galaxy comic book are featured in NECA/WizKids’ Marvel Heroclix: Guardians of the Galaxy Booster Brick, August’s best-selling game product, and one of the manufacturer’s five titles in the top ten.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER DOLLAR

SHARE

UNIT

SHARE

MARVEL COMICS 34.27% 35.85%
DC ENTERTAINMENT 28.71% 32.56%
IMAGE COMICS 8.83% 10.97%
IDW PUBLISHING 5.43% 4.67%
DARK HORSE COMICS 4.73% 4.03%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.59% 2.40%
BOOM! STUDIOS 2.32% 2.14%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS 1.65% 0.43%
RANDOM HOUSE 1.14% 0.38%
VIZ MEDIA 1.04% 0.42%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 9.28% 6.17%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER COMICS SHIPPED GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED MAGAZINES SHIPPED TOTAL

SHIPPED

DC ENTERTAINMENT 85 22 1 108
MARVEL COMICS 78 29 0 107
IMAGE COMICS 63 5 0 68
IDW PUBLISHING 42 17 0 59
DARK HORSE COMICS 36 18 0 54
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 25 12 0 37
BOOM! STUDIOS 23 9 0 32
RANDOM HOUSE 1 27 0 28
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS 0 0 25 25
VIZ MEDIA 0 24 0 24
OTHER NON-TOP 10 98 117 21 236

 


COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

  DOLLARS UNITS
AUGUST 2014 VS. JULY 2014
COMICS -23.77% -22.73%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -22.06% -20.96%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -23.26% -22.60%
AUGUST 2014 VS. AUGUST 2013
COMICS 7.30% 4.20%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 8.31% 9.95%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 7.60% 4.63%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2014 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2013
COMICS 2.40% -2.32%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 3.81% 5.79%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 2.84% -1.69%

 

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 BATMAN #34 $3.99 JUN140215-M DC
2 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #5 $3.99 JUN140613-M MAR
3 ORIGINAL SIN #7 $3.99 JUN140605-M MAR
4 MULTIVERSITY #1 $4.99 JUN140145-M DC
5 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #32 $4.99 JUN140643-M MAR
6 THE WALKING DEAD #130 (MR) $2.99 JUN140586 IMA
7 HARLEY QUINN #9 $2.99 JUN140228-M DC
8 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1.4 $3.99 JUN140645-M MAR
9 GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #18 $3.99 JUN140622-M MAR
10 BATMAN ETERNAL #18 $2.99 JUN140207 DC


TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 THANOS: THE INFINITY REVELATION OGN HC $24.99 APR140765 MAR
2 FABLES VOLUME 20: CAMELOT TP (MR) $19.99 MAY140403 DC
3 DEADPOOL VS. CARNAGE TP $16.99 MAY140932 MAR
4 TRILLIUM TP (MR) $16.99 MAY140407 DC
5 BATMAN: EARTH-ONE TP $12.99 MAY140376 DC
6 GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 1: COSMIC AVENGERS TP $19.99 JAN140800 MAR
7 SAGA VOLUME 3 TP (MR) $14.99 JAN140556 IMA
8 WATCHMEN HC $39.99 JUL080172 DC
9 SAGA VOLUME 1 TP (MR) $9.99 AUG120491 IMA
10 SAGA VOLUME 2 TP (MR) $14.99 APR130443 IMA

TOP 10 BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 STAR WARS: JEDI ACADEMY VOLUME 2: RETURN OF THE PADAWAN HC $12.99 MAY141839 SCH
2 DAVE GIBBONS: WATCHMEN ARTIFACT EDITION HC $75.00 APR140347 IDW
3 LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC $34.99 SEP120055 DAR
4 THE OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOL. 44 SC $29.95 APR141239-M GEM
5 THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 86 SC $14.95 JUN141674 SAN
6 DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 76 SC $14.95 MAY141830 SAN
7 JIM HENSON’S THE STORYTELLER HC $19.99 JUN140971 BOO
8 THE BOUNTY HUNTER CODE: REVELATIONS OF BOBA FETT HC $19.95 JUN141675 CHR
9 SWORD ART ONLINE VOLUME 2: AINCRAD SC $13.00 JUN141575 HAC
10 THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN: BATTLE OF THE SUPER-HEROES SC $3.95 JUN141629 CAP

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 X-MEN LEGENDS 6-INCH ACTION FIGURES MAR148025 HAS
2 BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM: HARLEY QUINN STATUE FEB140310 DC
3 DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: STARGIRL STATUE FEB140309 DC
4 DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: RED HOOD ACTION FIGURE FEB140306 DC
5 DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: EARTH-2 BATMAN ACTION FIGURE MAR140310 DC
6 DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: STARFIRE ACTION FIGURE FEB140307 DC
7 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES CLASSIC COLLECTOR FIGURES MAY142439 PLA
8 DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: ARSENAL ACTION FIGURE FEB140308 DC
9 DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: EARTH-2 SUPERMAN ACTION FIGURE MAR140308 DC
10 ARKHAM ASYLUM: THE JOKER/HARLEY QUINN/BATMAN/THE SCARECROW ACTION FIGURE 4-PACK MAR140312 DC


TOP 10 GAMES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 MARVEL HEROCLIX: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY COMIC BOOSTER BRICK JUN142657 NEC
2 DC HEROCLIX: WAR OF LIGHT BOOSTER BRICK WAVE 2 MAY142842 NEC
3 MONOPOLY: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION OCT128266 USA
4 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS MINIATURES SET ONE APR142391 NEC
5 MARVEL HEROCLIX: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY COMIC BOOSTERS JUN142656 NEC
6 RISK LEGACY JUN118204 HAS
7 MARVEL HEROCLIX: INHUMANS FAST FORCES PACK JUN142659 NEC
8 MUNCHKIN ADVENTURE TIME JUN142638 PSI
9 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES MONOPOLY APR142388 USA
10 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: 2015 CORE SET INTRO DECKS JUN142652 WIZ

 

5 COMMENTS

  1. Jedi Academy should be classified as a graphic novel.

    Sure, it’s a diary novel, but the entire book is comics, with the occasional text inserted as diary entries, newsletters, web pages, and class schedules.

    170 pages… 77 text-centric pages. I wonder if there’s an index attached to it to calculate/compare sales for graphic novels?

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