DC Entertainment took the market share crown in December, narrowly topping Marvel’s share by less than a point, but the joy in Burbank must be tempered by the fact that DC Comic's win is as much a measure of Marvel’s weakness as it is of DC’s strength.

Comics and graphic novel sales to comic stores declined 14.57% in December 2017 vs. December 2016, according to numbers released by Diamond comic Distributors, a weak finish to a weak year.  Comic sales were down 16.54%, while graphic novel sales were down 10.17% vs. the year ago period.

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Q4 sales in 2017 were down 10.37% vs. Q4 2016, reflecting comic sales declines of 13.9% and graphic novel declines of 1.77%.

Even more alarming is the fact that Q4 sales in 2016 were already weak, down 6.11% vs. Q4 2015.  That brings the two-year decline for Q4 to 16.48%, or roughly one-sixth.

For the year, comics and graphic novel sales to comic stores were down 10.09%, reflecting roughly parallel declines of 10.40% in comics and 9.38% in graphic novels.

December 2017 Comic Store Market Share

34.54%                         DC Entertainment     
33.80%                         Marvel Comics
  8.69%                         Image Comics
  3.92%                         IDW Publishing           
  2.69%                         Dark Horse Comics   
  2.28%                         BOOM! Studios         
  2.08%                         Dynamite Entertainment      
  1.00%                         Oni Press               
  0.96%                         VIZ Media
  0.96%                         Valiant Entertainment
  9.08%                         Other Non-Top 10      

DC had six of the top ten comics in December, led by Doomsday Clock and Dark Nights: Metal, DC’s two big Fall publishing programs.  Marvel’s top book, Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #1, was the #3 comic, Marvel’s only title in the Top Five.

Top 10 Comics – December 2017

  1. Doomsday Clock #2
  2. Dark Nights: Metal #4
  3. Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #1
  4. Batman #36
  5. Batman #37
  6. Batman: White Knight #3
  7. Amazing Spider-Man / Venom: Venom Inc. Alpha #1
  8. Marvel Two-in-One #1
  9. Hawkman Found #1
  10. Amazing Spider-Man #792

The latest volume of Brian K. Vaughan's Saga, from Image Comics, was the top graphic novel in comic stores in December.  Only half the slots were taken up by Marvel and DC, with the rest including titles from Image, Dark Horse Comics (Jeff Lemire’s Black Hammer), and Oni Press, whose Rick and Morty is a property on fire.

To 10 Graphic Novels – December 2017

  1. Saga Vol. 8 TP
  2. Batman Vol. 4: The War of Jokes & Riddles TP
  3. Star Wars Vol. 6: Out Among the Stars TP
  4. Batman: Detective Comics Vol. 4: Dues Ex Machina TP
  5. Black Hammer Vol. 2: The Event TP
  6. Justice League Vs. Suicide Squad TP
  7. Shirtless Bear-Fighter TP
  8. Deadly Class Vol. 6 TP
  9. Venomverse TP
  10. Rick and Morty Vol. 6 TP

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on comic books shipped during December, see "Top 300 Comics -- December 2017."

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on graphic novels shipped during December, see "Top 300 Graphic Novels -- December 2017."

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on comic books shipped during November, see “Top 300 Comics -- November 2017.”

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on graphic novels shipped during November, see “Top 300 Graphic Novels -- November 2017.”

​For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. to comic specialty stores on comic books shipped during 2017 see "Top 1000 Comic Books--2017, Part 1."

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. to comic specialty stores on graphic novels shipped during 2017 see "Top 1000 Graphic Novels--2017, Part 1."

For links to all previous Top 300 Comic and Top 300 Graphic Novel articles, see "ICv2 Top 300 Comics and Top 300 GNs Index."