After a 2.98% decline in the market for comics and graphic novels in comic stores in Q3 (see "Comic Sales Slide in Q3"), the decline continued in October with a 9.55% decline.  Both formats were down, with comics down 7.49% and graphic novels down 14.27% vs. October 2014.

Year-to-date sales remain strongly positive, however, with a 5.37% increase in comics sales and a 4.45% increase in graphic novel sales bringing overalls sales to a 5.08% growth rate vs. the first ten months of 2014.

Marvel’s market share rebounded to over 43% in October, as the All-New All-Different launches started  to hit the market.  Its share was roughly twice the share of #2 DC.

October 2015 Comic Store Market Share

43.65%                  Marvel Comics
21.85%                  DC Entertainment
  9.17%                  Image Comics
  6.16%                  IDW Publishing
  4.04%                  Dark Horse Comics
  2.41%                  BOOM! Studios
  1.60%                  Dynamite Entertainment
  1.21%                  Titan Comics
  0.92%                  Valiant Entertainment
  0.88%                  VIZ Media

Marvel occupied the top 10 comics list, taking every slot, behind the All-New All-Different launches, three Star Wars titles, and the sixth issue of the nine-issue Secret Wars series.  The All-New All-Different launches were led by Invincible Iron Man, the linchpin title in the new line.

Top 10 Comics – October 2015

  1. Invincible Iron Man #1
  2. Amazing Spider-Man #1
  3. Spider-Gwen #1
  4. Secret Wars #6
  5. Doctor Strange #1
  6. Star Wars #10
  7. Chewbacca #1
  8. Journey to Star Wars:  The Force Awakens:  Shattered Empire #2
  9. Guardians of the Galaxy #1
  10. Amazing Spider-Man #2  

Star Wars volumes took the top two slots on the top 10 graphic novel list, with the publisher taking three of the top five slots.  Image Comics had half of the top ten graphic novels in October, with Image and BOOM! Studios each ranking one title.

Top 10 Graphic Novels – October 2015

  1. Star Wars Vol. 1
  2. Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 1
  3. Bitch Planet Vol. 1
  4. Deathstroke Book and Mask Set
  5. Marvel Super Hero: Contest of Champions Vol. 1
  6. The Walking Dead Compendium Vol. 3
  7. Saga Vol. 5
  8. Outcast by Kirkman & Azaceta Vol. 2
  9. Lumberjanes Vol. 2
  10. Injection Vol. 1

For an overview of comic sales in October, see "Fourteen Comic Titles Over 100,000!."

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on comic books shipped during October, see "Top 300 Comics Actual--October 2015."

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on graphic novels shipped during October, see "Top 300 Graphic Novels Actual--October 2015."

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 2015."

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 Actual--September 2015."

For an overview and analysis of the best-selling comics and graphic novels in September, see "N/A."  For an analysis of the dollar trends in September, see "Comic Sales Slide in Q3."

​For our index to our reports on the top comic and graphic novel preorders for January 2000 through October 2015, see "ICv2's Top 300 Comics and Top 300 GNs Index."