COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
DOLLARS
UNITS
YEAR 2018 VS. YEAR 2017
COMICS
2.04%
-5.67%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
-8.22%
-9.71%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
-1.08%
-5.98%
TOYS
-6.39%
-6.48%
***
(BALTIMORE, MD) — (January 18, 2019) — Spinning out of the events of Dark Nights: Metal, a twisted version of Batman is on the loose in Gotham City in Scott Snyder and Jock’s The Batman Who Laughs #1 from DC Entertainment, the best-selling comic book of December 2018 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.
In total, DC Entertainment had seven titles in the top ten, including Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo’s Batman: Damned #2 at #2, Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Doomsday Clock #8 at #3, Tom King and Mikel Janin’s Batman #60 at #4, King and Travis Moore’s Batman #61 at #5, Tom Taylor and Otto Schmidt’s Batman Annual #3 at #9, and Johns and Dale Eaglesham’s SHAZAM! #1 at #10. Marvel Comics had three titles in the top ten: Nick Spencer, Ryan Ottley, and Cliff Rathburn’sAmazing Spider-Man #11 at #7; Dan Slott, Mike Allred, Adam Hughes, and Aaron Kuder’s Fantastic Four #5, featuring the wedding of Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters, at #8, and Spencer, Ottley, and Rathburn’s Amazing Spider-Man #12 at #9. Among the premier publishers, Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead #186 was Image Comics’ top book in December at #18; BOOM! Studios’ Firefly #2, based on Joss Whedon’s television series, was their best-selling comic at #60; Marvel Action: Avengers #1 was IDW Publishing’s top book at #86; Dark Horse Comics’ Hellboy Winter Special 2018 ranked #112; and Dynamite Entertainment’s John Wick #4 was their top book at #145.
Marvel Comics was the top publisher in December, with a 38.57% dollar share and 44.09% unit share. DC Entertainment was second, with a 31.51% dollar share and a 30.75% unit share. In third was Image Comics at 8.73% in dollars and 9.06% in units, followed by IDW Publishing at 4.10% in dollars and 3.55% in units, BOOM! Studios with 2.98% in dollars and 2.38% in units, Dark Horse Comics with 2.82% in dollars and 2.37% in units, and Dynamite Entertainment with 2.11% in dollars and 2.10% in units.
Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang’s Paper Girls Volume 5 from Image Comics was December’s best-selling graphic novel. DC Entertainment had three titles in the top ten, led by Batman Volume 8: Cold Days at #2. Dark Horse Comics’ Avatar: The Last Airbender: Imbalance Part 1 ranked #3. BOOM! Studios was also in the top ten; Saban’s Power Rangers: Soul Dragon, an original graphic novel, ranked #4. Marvel Comics also had three titles in the top ten; Star Wars Volume 9: Hope Dies was their top charting book for the month at #5.
Inspired by the long-running BBC series, BBC Books’ Doctor Who: TARDIS Type-40 Instruction Manual, a technical manual that explores the Doctor’s time and space vessel, was the best-selling book in December. Gemstone Publishing’s The Overstreet Price Guide to Star Wars Collectiblesranked #7 for the month.
Diamond Select Toys’ Ghostbusters Series 9 Action Figures, featuring characters from the late 1980s animated television series The Real Ghostbusters, was December’s best-selling toy product and one of three products from the manufacturer in the top ten. DC Collectibles had three products among the top ten, as well, led by the DC Artists Alley: The Flash by Uminga Vinyl Figure at #5. Mezco also had three products in the top ten, including the PREVIEWS Exclusive One:12 Collective: Marvel Comics: Dr. Strange (Defenders) Action Figure at #2.
Green Ronin Publishing’s Critical Role: Tal’Dorei Campaign Setting, a sourcebook for the Critical Role role-playing game, was December’s best-selling game product. Paizo had a strong month, with seven products in the top ten, led by the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook at #2.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHER
DOLLAR
SHARE
UNIT
SHARE
MARVEL COMICS
38.57%
44.09%
DC ENTERTAINMENT
31.51%
30.75%
IMAGE COMICS
8.73%
9.06%
IDW PUBLISHING
4.10%
3.66%
BOOM! STUDIOS
2.98%
2.38%
DARK HORSE COMICS
2.82%
2.37%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
2.11%
2.10%
VIZ MEDIA
1.03%
0.38%
TITAN COMICS
0.82%
0.59%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC
0.71%
0.78%
OTHER NON-TOP 10
6.62%
3.85%
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
DOLLARS
UNITS
DECEMBER 2018 VS. NOVEMBER 2018
COMICS
-3.53%
-3.58%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
-17.46%
-17.18%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
-7.35%
-4.55%
TOYS
-58.05%
-53.99%
DECEMBER 2018 VS. DECEMBER 2017
COMICS
9.29%
-0.42%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
-26.35%
-35.98%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
-2.26%
-3.72%
TOYS
-44.01%
-47.06%
YEAR 2018 VS. YEAR 2017
COMICS
2.04%
-5.67%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
-8.22%
-9.71%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
-1.08%
-5.98%
TOYS
-6.39%
-6.48%
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
PUBLISHER
COMICS SHIPPED
GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED
MAGAZINES SHIPPED
TOTAL
SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS
90
38
0
128
DC COMICS
52
37
1
90
IMAGE COMICS
52
10
0
62
IDW PUBLISHING
32
10
0
42
BOOM! STUDIOS
24
16
0
40
DARK HORSE COMICS
21
11
0
32
VIZ MEDIA LLC
0
23
0
23
TITAN COMICS
8
7
2
17
DYNAMITE
13
1
0
14
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC
5
2
0
7
OTHER NON-TOP 10
101
113
9
223
TOTAL
398
268
12
678
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #1
$4.99
OCT180464-M DC
2
BATMAN: DAMNED #2 (MR)
$6.99
SEP180424-M DC
3
DOOMSDAY CLOCK #8
$4.99
SEP180426-M DC
4
BATMAN #60
$3.99
OCT180483-M DC
5
BATMAN #61
$3.99
OCT180485-M DC
6
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #11
$3.99
OCT180921-M MAR
7
FANTASTIC FOUR #5
$7.99
OCT180766-M MAR
8
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #12
$3.99
OCT180925-M MAR
9
BATMAN ANNUAL #3
$4.99
OCT180487 DC
10
SHAZAM #1
$4.99
SEP180436-M DC
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #1
$4.99
OCT180464-M DC
2
BATMAN: DAMNED #2 (MR)
$6.99
SEP180424-M DC
3
DOOMSDAY CLOCK #8
$4.99
SEP180426-M DC
4
FANTASTIC FOUR #5
$7.99
OCT180766-M MAR
5
BATMAN #60
$3.99
OCT180483-M DC
6
BATMAN #61
$3.99
OCT180485-M DC
7
BATMAN ANNUAL #3
$4.99
OCT180487 DC
8
SHAZAM #1
$4.99
SEP180436-M DC
9
INFINITY WARS #6
$5.99
OCT180866-M MAR
10
FANTASTIC FOUR WEDDING SPECIAL #1
$4.99
OCT180778-M MAR
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
PAPER GIRLS VOLUME 5 TP
$14.99
OCT180099 IMA
2
BATMAN VOLUME 8: COLD DAYS TP
$16.99
SEP180545 DC
3
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER: IMBALANCE PART ONE TP
$10.99
JUN180347 DAR
4
SABAN’S POWER RANGERS: SOUL DRAGON ORIGINAL GN
$19.99
AUG181366 BOO
5
STAR WARS VOLUME 9: HOPE DIES TP
$19.99
SEP180996 MAR
6
THE FLASH VOLUME 8: FLASH WAR TP
$16.99
SEP180570 DC
7
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOLUME 16 GN
$9.99
OCT182065 VIZ
8
THOR VOLUME 1: GOD OF THUNDER REBORN TP
$17.99
SEP181005 MAR
9
VENOM: FIRST HOST TP
$15.99
SEP181007 MAR
10
BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOL. 8: ON THE OUTSIDE TP
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