Diamond Comic Distributers released the Direct Market figures Friday morning, and while Marvel Comics still tops the market share categories, Action Comics #1000 selling over 500,000 copies at $7.99 a piece helped propel April into a positive month for comics.
Marvel faired a bit better than DC this month with Marvel having six comics in the top 10 compared to DC’s three. DC’s representation with Action Comics #1000 at #1, Batman #44 at #5 and Batman #45 at #7 was an impressive showing, but it was little compared to Marvel Comics that had Dan Slott and Stuart Immonen’s Amazing Spider-Man #798 at #2 and #799 at #3, Charles Soule and David Marquez’s Hunt for Wolverine #1 at #4, Cullen Bunn and Iban Coello’s Venomized #1 at #6, Gail Simone and David Baldeon’s Domino #1at #8, and Mark Waid and Chris Samnee’s Captain America #700 at #9. Image Comics also had Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s The Walking Dead #178 make #10.
When it came to graphic novels, DC faired even worse. While DC took the top spot with the Action Comics #1000 companion hardcover Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman, their only other representation in the top 10 was Batman Vol. 5 Rule of Engagement at #5. Meanwhile, Brian K. Vaughn and Image Comics took four spots with Paper Girls Volume 4 at #2, Saga Volume 1 at #4, Sage Volume 8 at #8, and Paper Girls Volume 1 at #10. Marvel rounded out the remaining four spots with Thanos: The Infinity Sibilings at #3, The Infinity Gauntlet at #6, Star Wars: Darth Vader Vol. 2: Legacy’s End at #7, and Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey at #9.
In overall sales, Marvel took the top spot with a 37.59% dollar share and a 42.21% unit share, DC took second with a 32.39% dollar share and a 33.02% unit share, and Image came in third with a 9.16% dollar share and a 9.47% unit share.
Thanks to Action Comics #1000 and Marvel’s impressive April lineup, its clear that April 2018 can be categorized as a win for comics. Comic book sales increased by 15.67% in dollars and 4.11% in units when compared to April 2017. This can be attributed, in part, to Action Comics #1000’s high price point of $7.99. Graphic Novel sales were also up 11.08% in total dollars sales and 3.64% in total unit sales from last April, something that has been relatively unusual lately.
The rest of the April 2018 sales data can be seen below:
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
|
APRIL 2018 VS. MARCH 2018 |
||
| COMICS | 20.64% | 12.39% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 15.40% | 24.13% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 19.13% | 13.20% |
| TOYS | -19.63% | -16.16% |
|
APRIL 2018 VS. APRIL 2017 |
||
| COMICS | 15.67% | 4.11% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 0.72% | -1.79% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 11.08% | 3.64% |
| TOYS | 3.47% | -14.60% |
|
YEAR-TO-DATE 2018 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2017 |
||
| COMICS | -1.51% | -10.12% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -9.68% | -9.53% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -3.97% | -10.08% |
| TOYS | -7.30% | -12.84% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
| PUBLISHER | COMICS SHIPPED | GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED | MAGAZINES SHIPPED | TOTAL SHIPPED |
| MARVEL COMICS | 86 | 37 | 0 | 123 |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 81 | 30 | 1 | 112 |
| IMAGE COMICS | 62 | 22 | 0 | 84 |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 47 | 19 | 0 | 66 |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 23 | 14 | 0 | 37 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 16 | 10 | 0 | 26 |
| TITAN COMICS | 13 | 8 | 1 | 22 |
| VIZ MEDIA | 0 | 22 | 0 | 22 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 16 | 5 | 0 | 21 |
| ONI PRESS | 3 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 131 | 180 | 19 | 330 |
| TOTAL | 478 | 351 | 21 | 850 |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | VENDOR |
| 1 | ACTION COMICS #1000 | $7.99 | DC |
| 2 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #798 | $3.99 | MAR |
| 3 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #799 | $3.99 | MAR |
| 4 | HUNT FOR WOLVERINE #1 | $5.99 | MAR |
| 5 | BATMAN #44 | $2.99 | DC |
| 6 | VENOMIZED #1 | $4.99 | MAR |
| 7 | BATMAN #45 | $2.99 | DC |
| 8 | DOMINO #1 | $3.99 | MAR |
| 9 | CAPTAIN AMERICA #700 | $5.99 | MAR |
| 10 | THE WALKING DEAD #178 (MR) | $3.99 | IMA |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | VENDOR |
| 1 | ACTION COMICS #1000 | $7.99 | DC |
| 2 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #798 | $3.99 | MAR |
| 3 | HUNT FOR WOLVERINE #1 | $5.99 | MAR |
| 4 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #799 | $3.99 | MAR |
| 5 | VENOMIZED #1 | $4.99 | MAR |
| 6 | CAPTAIN AMERICA #700 | $5.99 | MAR |
| 7 | DOMINO #1 | $3.99 | MAR |
| 8 | BATMAN #44 | $2.99 | DC |
| 9 | INFINITY COUNTDOWN #2 | $4.99 | MAR |
| 10 | THE WALKING DEAD #178 (MR) | $3.99 | IMA |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | VENDOR |
| 1 | ACTION COMICS: 80 YEARS OF SUPERMAN HC | $29.99 | DC |
| 2 | PAPER GIRLS VOLUME 4 TP | $14.99 | IMA |
| 3 | THANOS: THE INFINITY SIBLINGS OGN HC | $24.99 | MAR |
| 4 | SAGA VOLUME 1 TP (MR) | $9.99 | IMA |
| 5 | BATMAN VOL. 5: RULES OF ENGAGEMENT TP | $16.99 | DC |
| 6 | THE INFINITY GAUNTLET TP | $24.99 | MAR |
| 7 | STAR WARS: DARTH VADER VOL. 2: LEGACY’S END TP | $17.99 | MAR |
| 8 | SAGA VOLUME 8 TP (MR) | $14.99 | IMA |
| 9 | PHOENIX RESURRECTION: THE RETURN OF JEAN GREY TP | $17.99 | MAR |
| 10 | PAPER GIRLS VOLUME 1 TP | $9.99 | IMA |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | VENDOR |
| 1 | ACTION COMICS: 80 YEARS OF SUPERMAN HC | $29.99 | DC |
| 2 | PAPER GIRLS VOLUME 4 TP | $14.99 | IMA |
| 3 | THANOS: THE INFINITY SIBLINGS OGN HC | $24.99 | MAR |
| 4 | THE INFINITY GAUNTLET TP | $24.99 | MAR |
| 5 | X-MEN: GRAND DESIGN TP | $29.99 | MAR |
| 6 | BATMAN VOL. 5: RULES OF ENGAGEMENT TP | $16.99 | DC |
| 7 | HARLEY QUINN & THE GOTHAM CITY SIRENS OMNIBUS HC | $75.00 | DC |
| 8 | MARVEL MASTERWORKS: AVENGERS VOLUME 18 HC | $75.00 | MAR |
| 9 | STAR WARS: DARTH VADER VOL. 2: LEGACY’S END TP | $17.99 | MAR |
| 10 | SUPERMAN: EXILE AND OTHER STORIES OMNIBUS HC | $125.00 | DC |
