September numbers from Diamond Comic Distributors are in, and they confirm that the comic shop market turned positive in Q3, after a flat first half. Total comics and graphic novel sales to comic shops in Q3 were up 9.33%, according to Diamond’s numbers, with comics up 10.3% and graphic novels up 7.04%. That’s behind September increases on comics and graphic novels combined of 5.64% vs. September of 2013, with a 4.58% increase for comics and 8.49% for graphic novels.
Combined comics and graphic novel sales in the first half were near flat (down .08%), but year-to-date sales after the up Q3 are now up 3.19% overall vs. the first three quarters of 2013, with a 2.69% increase in comics and a 4.33 % increase in graphic novels.
DC was tops in market share for the first time since last October (see "DC Wins Three of Four"), with a 36.58% share vs. Marvel’s 32.04% share, behind its "Future’s End" marketing event, which included 3-D lenticular covers and storylines that provide snapshots of DC heroes five years in the future (see "DC Releases September 'Future's End' Solicitations").
DC had three months in which it topped market share in the comic shop market by this time last year; this is its first win in 2014. It was pretty happy about it though, touting the win and revealing that it had sold nearly 3.5 million books in September in a press release.
September Comic Store Market Share
36.58% DC Comics
32.04% Marvel Comics
7.49% Image Comics
4.52% IDW
4.11% Dark Horse
2.34% Boom! Studios
2.18% Dynamite
1.29% Eaglemoss Productions
1.15% Random House
0.96% Viz Media
Marvel’s Death of Wolverine #1 and #2 were the top two comics in September; we’re expecting a big number when we do our analysis of actual piece sales. Five DC Futures End #1s took the #3 and #4 slots and three others in the top ten.
Top 10 Comics--September, 2014
- Death of Wolverine #1 Marvel
- Death of Wolverine #2 Marvel
- Batman: Futures End #1 DC Comics
- Harley Quinn: Futures End #1 DC Comics
- Amazing Spider-Man #6 Marvel
- Justice League: Futures End #1 DC Comics
- Original Sin #8 Marvel
- Detective Comics: Futures End #1 DC Comics
- Justice League #33 DC Comics
- Batman/ Superman: Futures End #1 DC Comics
DC was stronger on the graphic novel chart, with the top two titles and three of the top ten (vs. two for Marvel).
Viz’s Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds Vol. 6 placed at an unusually strong #3 spot, we suspect due to a special card insert.
Marvel’s new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Angela took the #4 slot, showing legs for the property (as we’re also seeing in the book channel, see "September BookScan—Top 20 Graphic Novels").
Top 10 Graphic Novels--September, 2014
1. Batman: Death of the Family Book & Mask Set DC Comics
2. Forever Evil HC DC Comics
3. Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds Vol. 6 Viz Media
4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2: Angela Marvel
5. The Walking Dead Vol. 10 Image
6. Harley Quinn: Vengeance Unlimited TP DC Comics
7. Saga Volume 1 HC Image
8. Kick-Ass 3 Premiere HC Marvel
9. Fatale Vol 5: Curse of the Demon TP Image
10. Saga Volume 3 TP Image
For an overview and analysis of comic sales in September, see "Four Titles Over 100K in September"
For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on comic books shipped during September, see "Top 300 Comics Actual--September 2014."
For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on graphic novels shipped during September, see "Top 300 Graphic Novels--September 2014."
For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on comic books shipped during August, see "Top 300 Comics Actual--August 2014."
For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on graphic novels shipped during August, see "Top 300 Graphic Novels--August 2014."
For an overview and analysis of the best-selling comics and graphic novels in August, see "Comics & GNs Up Again in August." For an analysis of the dollar trends in August, see "Only Two Comics Over 100K in August."
For our index to our reports on the top comic and graphic novel preorders for January 2000 through September 2014, see "ICv2's Top 300 Comics and Top 300 GNs Index."
