Overall year-to-date sales are down 4.88% (comics down 3.67%, graphic novels down 7.77%), but because of a quirk of the calendar those numbers are based on nine weeks of 2018 sales vs. eight weeks of 2017 sale.
Surprisingly, more comics and graphic novels were shipped in February 2018 than in February 2017 (793 vs. 768), with the Big Two shipping fewer titles (especially Marvel, which was down from 140 titles in February 2017 to 122 this year), and everyone else shipping more. Most striking was the increase in the number of Image titles from 61 in February 2017 to 82 last month.
DC Comics narrowed the market share gap with #1 Marvel Comics in February, with only around three share points separating the two.
February 2018 Comic Store Market Share
34.86% Marvel Comics
31.79% DC Entertainment
10.49% Image Comics
3.58% IDW Publishing
2.85% Dark Horse Comics
2.40% Dynamite Entertainment
2.37% BOOM! Studios
1.19% VIZ Media
1.01% Titan Comics
0.94% Oni Press
8.54% Other Non-Top 10
DC Comics had the #1 comic in unit sales in February with Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1.
Top 10 Comics by Units Shipped – February 2018
- Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1
- X-Men Red #1
- Batman #40
- Batman #41
- The Walking Dead #176
- Batman: White Knight #5
- Peter Parker: Spectacular Spider-Man #300
- Star Wars #43
- Infinity Countdown Prime #1
- Amazing Spider-Man #796
Marvel Comics had the top comic in dollar sales in February; its Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #300, which was #7 on the unit sale chart, rose to the top of the dollar sales chart due to its $5.99 cover price.
Top 10 Comics by Dollars Invoiced – February 2018
- Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #300
- Dark Knights Rising: The Wild Hunt #1
- X-Men Red #1
- The Walking Dead #176
- Batman: White Knight #5
- Batman #40
- Batman #41
- Infinity Countdown Prime #1
- Star Wars: Thrawn #1
- Swamp Thing Winter Special #1
Image Comics' Saga Vol. 8 was the top graphic novel in unit sales in February, a return to the top slot it occupied the month it was released in December. That’s a rare occurrence in the new release-driven world of comic shops, a sign that Saga’s an exceptional title, and that there weren’t any strong new graphic novels released in February.
Top 10 Graphic Novels by Units Shipped – February 2018
- Saga Volume 8 TP
- Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Volume 2 TP
- DC Meets Looney Tunes TP
- Teen Titans Volume 2: The Rise of Aqualad TP
- Star Wars: Jedi of the Republic: Mace Windu TP
- Justice League Volume 5: Legacy TP
- Despicable Deadpool Vol. 1: Deadpool Kills Cable TP
- Titans Vol. 3: A Judas Among Us TP
- Astonishing X-Men Volume 1: The Life of X TP
- Neil Gaiman’s American Gods Vol. 1: Shadows TP
Diamond began releasing a top graphic novel sales by dollars chart with February titles, and the difference with the best-selling titles by unit sales is striking – not a single volume appears on both charts.
Top 10 Graphic Novels by Dollars Invoiced – February 2018
- House of Secrets: The Bronze Age Omnibus HC
- Daredevil: Shadowland Omnibus HC
- Absolute Wonder Woman by Azzarello & Chiang Volume 2 HC
- Deadpool by Daniel Way Omnibus Volume 1 HC
- Batman: Secrets: Sam Kieth Gallery Edition HC
- Moebius Library: Inside Moebius Volume 1 HC
- Neil Gaiman’s American Gods Vol. 1: Shadows HC
- New Teen Titans Omnibus Volume 2 HC
- DC Meets Looney Tunes TP
- Star Wars: Doctor Aphra Volume 2 TP
For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on comic books shipped during February, see "Top 300 Comics -- February 2018."
For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on graphic novels shipped during February, see "Top 300 Graphic Novels -- February 2018."
For links to all previous Top 300 Comic and Top 300 Graphic Novel articles, see "ICv2 Top 300 Comics and Top 300 GNs Index."
