Comic Industry: Marvel Takes Nine of the Top Ten in March

Star Wars' Leia Organa must look after the needs of her people in the aftermath of Alderaan's destruction in Mark Waid and Terry Dodson's Princess Leia #1 from Marvel Comics, the best-selling comic book of March 2015 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise. Marvel Comics had nine comics among March's top ten, including Brian Michael Bendis and Arthur Adams' Guardians Team-Up #1 at #3 and Chip Zdarsky and Joe Quinones' Howard the Duck #1 at #7, and was the month's top publisher with a 38.82% dollar share and a 41.53% unit share. DC Entertainment's Batman: Arkham Knight #1 from Peter J. Tomasi and Viktor Bogdanovic, based on the best-selling video game, placed #9, and DC finished the month with a 23.01% dollar share and a 26.13% unit share. Image Comics was third for the month with a 11.39% dollar share and a 12.98% unit share. IDW Publishing came in fourth with a 6.51% dollar share and 5.16% unit share. In fifth was Dark Horse Comics with a 3.90% dollar share and a 3.07% unit share.

Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's Nemo: River of Ghosts, an original graphic novel from IDW Publishing's Top Shelf Productions imprint set in the universe of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, was March's best-selling graphic novel. Marvel Comics had four graphic novels in the top ten, led by G. Willow Wilson's Ms. Marvel Volume 2: Generation Why at #2. Also with four titles in the top ten was Image Comics; their best-selling book in March was Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini's Low Volume 1: The Delirium of Hope at #3.

Capstone Publishing's How to Draw Batman, Superman, and Other DC Heroes and Villains was March's best-selling book. Also in the top ten for March was Dark Horse Comics with two books; Buffy the Vampire Slayer Panel to Panel: Seasons 8 and 9 ranked #8 and Reflection, the artbook by Kabuki's David Mack, ranked #10.

Tim Bruckner brought an iconic Alex Ross painting to life with The Joker and Harley Quinn Statue from DC Collectibles, the best-selling toy product for March and one of the four DC Collectibles products among the top ten. Diamond Select Toys had six products in March's top ten, including the Marvel Select: Cable Action Figure at #2 and the Ghostbusters: Burnt Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man Bank #4.

Diamond Select Toys' Jay & Silent Bob Monopoly, a custom edition of the board game based on Kevin Smith's films, was March's best-selling games product.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER DOLLAR

SHARE

UNIT

SHARE

MARVEL COMICS 38.82% 41.53%
DC COMICS 23.01% 26.13%
IMAGE COMICS 11.39% 12.98%
IDW PUBLISHING 6.51% 5.16%
DARK HORSE COMICS 3.90% 3.07%
BOOM! STUDIOS 2.41% 2.44%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.37% 1.99%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS 1.83% 0.32%
TITAN COMICS 1.01% 0.77%
VIZ MEDIA 0.98% 0.37%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 7.76% 5.23%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER COMICS SHIPPED GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED MAGAZINES SHIPPED TOTAL

SHIPPED

MARVEL COMICS 79 30 0 109
DC COMICS 85 17 0 102
IMAGE COMICS 59 20 0 79
IDW PUBLISHING 52 18 0 70
DARK HORSE COMICS 27 22 0 49
BOOM! STUDIOS 40 3 0 43
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 28 6 0 34
VIZ MEDIA 0 27 0 27
TITAN COMICS 8 7 2 17
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS 0 0 14 14
OTHER NON-TOP 10 86 98 13 197

 

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

  DOLLARS UNITS
MARCH 2015 VS. FEBRUARY 2014
COMICS -3.86% -4.32%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 8.34% 10.63%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -0.58% -3.37%
MARCH 2015 VS. MARCH 2014
COMICS 11.19% 9.92%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -12.56% -22.36%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 2.99% 6.70%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2015 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2014

(FIRST QUARTER 2015 VS. FIRST QUARTER 2014)

COMICS 13.85% 13.76%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 0.65% -8.96%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 9.63% 11.76%
FIRST QUARTER 2015 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2014
COMICS -9.56% -8.37%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -17.28% -15.58%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -11.97% -8.93%

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 PRINCESS LEIA #1 $3.99 JAN150727-M MAR
2 STAR WARS #3 $3.99 JAN150742-M MAR
3 GUARDIANS TEAM-UP #1 $3.99 DEC140815-M MAR
4 SPIDER-GWEN #2 $3.99 JAN150785-M MAR
5 PRINCESS LEIA #2 $3.99 JAN150738-M MAR
6 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #16 $3.99 JAN150779-M MAR
7 HOWARD THE DUCK #1 $3.99 JAN150769-M MAR
8 DARTH VADER #3 $3.99 JAN150740-M MAR
9 BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT #1 $3.99 JAN150229-M DC
10 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #16.1 $3.99 JAN150781-M MAR

 

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 NEMO: RIVER OF GHOSTS HC (MR) $14.95 JAN151622 IDW
2 MS. MARVEL VOL. 2: GENERATION WHY TP $15.99 DEC140970 MAR
3 LOW VOL. 1: THE DELIRIUM OF HOPE TP (MR) $9.99 DEC140670 IMA
4 HAWKEYE VS. DEADPOOL TP $16.99 DEC140975 MAR
5 SAGA VOLUME 4 TP (MR) $14.99 OCT140644 IMA
6 DEADPOOL VOLUME 7: AXIS TP $17.99 DEC140987 MAR
7 DEADPOOL'S THE ART OF WAR TP $12.99 DEC140974 MAR
8 DEADLY CLASS VOL. 2: KIDS OF THE BLACK HOLE TP (MR) $14.99 DEC140657 IMA
9 BIRTHRIGHT VOL. 1: HOMECOMING TP (MR) $9.99 JAN150622 IMA
10 BOB'S BURGERS VOLUME 1 TP $17.99 JAN151278-M DE

TOP 10 BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 HOW TO DRAW BATMAN, SUPERMAN & OTHER DC HEROES & VILLAINS SC $14.95 NOV141845 CAP
2 MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS: ULTIMATE CHARACTER GUIDE UPDATED & EXPANDED $16.99 JAN151807 DK
3 DC SUPER HEROES: ABC 123 BOARD BOOK $9.99 SEP148147 POC
4 THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 93 SC $14.95 JAN151844 SAN
5 MY FIRST SUPERMAN BOOK BOARD BOOK $10.99 SEP148149 POC
6 DC SUPER HEROES: MY FIRST BOOK OF SUPER VILLAINS BOARD BOOK $9.99 SEP148144 POC
7 DC SUPER HEROES: COLORS SHAPES & MORE BOARD BOOK $9.99 SEP148148 POC
8 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER PANEL TO PANEL: SEASONS 8 & 9 TP $24.99 OCT140022 DAR
9 DC SUPER HEROES: BUSY BODIES BOARD BOOK $9.99 SEP148146 POC
10 DAVID MACK: REFLECTIONS TP $24.99 NOV140015 DAR

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 THE JOKER AND HARLEY QUINN STATUE AUG140385 DC
2 MARVEL SELECT: CABLE ACTION FIGURE OCT142189 DST
3 ARROW: DEATHSTROKE ACTION FIGURE OCT140412 DC
4 GHOSTBUSTERS: BURNT STAY-PUFT MARSHMALLOW MAN BANK MAY142237 DST
5 STAR TREK SELECT: WORF ACTION FIGURE NOV142174 DST
6 JAY & SILENT BOB: BUDDY CHRIST BANK JUN142094 DST
7 BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY: CLAYFACE DELUXE ACTION FIGURE NOV140359 DC
8 GODZILLA: BURNING GODZILLA VINYL FIGURAL BANK OCT142184 DST
9 MY LITTLE PONY: APPLEJACK BANK JUL142032 DST
10 BATMAN: ARKHAM KNIGHT: BATMAN STATUE SEP140354 DC

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 JAY & SILENT BOB STRIKE BACK MONOPOLY DEC142209 DST
2 D&D DICE MASTERS FOIL PACKS SEP142615 NEC
3 D&D DICE MASTERS STARTER SET SEP142616 NEC
4 D&D MINIATURES SET TWO BOOSTER BRICK JAN152658 NEC
5 MONOPOLY: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION OCT128266 USA
6 STAR WARS: X-WING MOST WANTED EXPANSION PACK OCT142777 FAN
7 DC HEROCLIX: JUSTICE LEAGUE TRINITY WAR BOOSTER BRICK DEC142573 NEC
8 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: FATE REFORGED BOOSTER PACKS JAN152654 WIZ
9 STAR WARS: X-WING IG-2000 EXPANSION PACK OCT142775 FAN
10 STAR WARS: X-WING STARVIPER EXPANSION PACK OCT142778 FAN