DC’s celebration of 80 years of Batman and 1000 issues of Detective Comics helped the comic book Direct Market make solid sales gains in March over last year, and sales for the first quarter of 2019 are up nearly 8% compared to 2018.
The all-star, 96-page, $9.99 Detective Comics #1000 was, of course, the best-selling title of March, according to figures released by Diamond Comic Distributors Friday morning. DC also dominated the top of the comic book charts, accounting for the top six selling titles of the month, including The Batman Who Laughs: The Grim Knight #1 (#2) and Doomsday Clock #9 (#3).
Marvel had the seventh, eighth and ninth selling titles, including Amazing Spider-Man #17 (#7).
Image Comics’ The Walking Dead #189 was the best-selling non-DC or Marvel title at #30.
The Walking Dead Volume 31: The Rotten Core was the best-selling graphic novel of March in units sold, one of six Image titles in the Top Ten. DC had the other four titles including Detective Comics: 80 Years of Batman at #2, which was the best-selling title by dollars.
Detective Comics #1000‘s $10 cover price and their top-of-the-chart dominance helped DC to a rare split of the market share categories. DC was March’s top dollar publisher with 36.20% in market share to Marvel’s 34.46%. Marvel led the industry in unit market share with 40.94% to DC’s 34%. Image was third with 9.63% in dollar share and 9.36% in unit share.
Overall, comic book and graphic novel dollar sales in March were up 13.10% over March 2018, though down 1.87% in total units sold.
For the completed first quarter of 2019, dollar sales are up 7.64% but down -1.68% in units.
The March 2019 Market Share, Comparative Sales Data, New Titles Shipped and Top 10 Comic Books Units and Dollars and Top 10 Graphic Novels Units and Dollars charts follow below.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
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COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
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DOLLARS |
UNITS |
|
MARCH 2019 VS. FEBRUARY 2019 |
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|
COMICS |
26.89% |
9.90% |
|
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
21.20% |
33.41% |
|
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
25.30% |
11.52% |
|
TOYS |
-8.40% |
-10.17% |
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MARCH 2019 VS. MARCH 2018 |
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COMICS |
15.82% |
-3.32% |
|
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
6.35% |
17.77% |
|
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
13.10% |
-1.87% |
|
TOYS |
4.67% |
8.49% |
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YEAR TO DATE 2019 VS. YEAR TO DATE 2018 |
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COMICS |
8.51% |
-2.12% |
|
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
5.46% |
3.95% |
|
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
7.64% |
-1.68% |
|
TOYS |
20.14% |
29.77% |
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FIRST QUARTER 2019 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2018 |
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COMICS |
-4.89% |
-7.30% |
|
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
0.40% |
2.03% |
|
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-3.46% |
-6.66% |
|
TOYS |
14.61% |
23.82% |
|
FIRST QUARTER 2019 VS. FIRST QUARTER 2018 |
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COMICS |
8.51% |
-2.12% |
|
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
5.46% |
3.95% |
|
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
7.64% |
-1.68% |
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TOYS |
20.14% |
29.77% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
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PUBLISHER |
COMICS |
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
MAGAZINES |
TOTAL |
|
MARVEL COMICS |
99 |
44 |
0 |
143 |
|
DC COMICS |
66 |
35 |
0 |
101 |
|
IMAGE COMICS |
66 |
27 |
0 |
93 |
|
DARK HORSE COMICS |
25 |
21 |
0 |
46 |
|
IDW PUBLISHING |
29 |
10 |
0 |
39 |
|
BOOM! STUDIOS |
25 |
10 |
0 |
35 |
|
VIZ MEDIA |
0 |
21 |
0 |
21 |
|
ONI PRESS |
9 |
7 |
0 |
16 |
|
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT |
12 |
3 |
0 |
15 |
|
ARCHIE COMICS |
8 |
2 |
0 |
10 |
|
OTHER NON-TOP 10 |
138 |
207 |
17 |
362 |
|
TOTAL |
477 |
387 |
17 |
881 |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
DETECTIVE COMICS #1000 |
$9.99 |
DC |
|
2 |
THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS: THE GRIM KNIGHT #1 |
$4.99 |
DC |
|
3 |
DOOMSDAY CLOCK #9 |
$4.99 |
DC |
|
4 |
BATMAN #67 |
$3.99 |
DC |
|
5 |
BATMAN #66 |
$3.99 |
DC |
|
6 |
HEROES IN CRISIS #7 |
$3.99 |
DC |
|
7 |
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #17 |
$4.99 |
MAR |
|
8 |
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #18 |
$3.99 |
MAR |
|
9 |
SPIDER-MAN: CITY AT WAR #1 |
$3.99 |
MAR |
|
10 |
JUSTICE LEAGUE #20 |
$3.99 |
DC |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
DETECTIVE COMICS #1000 |
$9.99 |
DC |
|
2 |
THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS: THE GRIM KNIGHT #1 |
$4.99 |
DC |
|
3 |
DOOMSDAY CLOCK #9 |
$4.99 |
DC |
|
4 |
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #17 |
$4.99 |
MAR |
|
5 |
BATMAN #67 |
$3.99 |
DC |
|
6 |
SPIDER-MAN: CITY AT WAR #1 |
$3.99 |
MAR |
|
7 |
BATMAN #66 |
$3.99 |
DC |
|
8 |
HEROES IN CRISIS #7 |
$3.99 |
DC |
|
9 |
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #18 |
$3.99 |
MAR |
|
10 |
SPIDER-MAN: LIFE STORY #1 |
$4.99 |
MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 31 TP (MR) |
$16.99 |
IMA |
|
2 |
DETECTIVE COMICS: 80 YEARS OF BATMAN HC |
$29.99 |
DC |
|
3 |
SAGA VOLUME 1 TP (MR) |
$9.99 |
IMA |
|
4 |
MONSTRESS VOLUME 1 TP (MR) |
$9.99 |
IMA |
|
5 |
THE WICKED & THE DIVINE VOL. 8: OLD IS THE NEW NEW TP |
$17.99 |
IMA |
|
6 |
SEVEN TO ETERNITY VOLUME 3 TP |
$16.99 |
IMA |
|
7 |
BATMAN VOLUME 9: THE TYRANT WING TP |
$16.99 |
DC |
|
8 |
SUPER SONS: THE POLARSHIELD PROJECT TP |
$9.99 |
DC |
|
9 |
SAGA VOLUME 9 TP (MR) |
$14.99 |
IMA |
|
10 |
MERA: TIDEBREAKER TP |
$16.99 |
DC |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
|
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
VENDOR |
|
1 |
DETECTIVE COMICS: 80 YEARS OF BATMAN HC |
$29.99 |
DC |
|
2 |
SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN: THE ORIGINAL MARVEL YEARS OMNIBUS VOLUME 1 HC |
$125.00 |
MAR |
|
3 |
THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 31 TP (MR) |
$16.99 |
IMA |
|
4 |
AVENGERS OMNIBUS VOLUME 4 HC |
$100.00 |
MAR |
|
5 |
THANOS WARS: THE INFINITY ORIGIN OMNIBUS HC |
$100.00 |
MAR |
|
6 |
UNCANNY X-MEN VOL. 1: X-MEN DISASSEMBLED TP |
$39.99 |
MAR |
|
7 |
DARK NIGHTS METAL: DARK KNIGHTS RISING TP |
$24.99 |
DC |
|
8 |
THE WICKED & THE DIVINE VOL. 8: OLD IS THE NEW NEW TP |
$17.99 |
IMA |
|
9 |
EARTH X TRILOGY OMNIBUS OMEGA HC |
$100.00 |
MAR |
|
10 |
SEVEN TO ETERNITY VOLUME 3 TP |
$16.99 |
IMA |