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Diamond Announces Top Products for December 2014

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (January 16, 2015) — The Joker's "Endgame" ramps up in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman #37 from DC Comics, December 2014's best-selling comic book according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

December 2014 saw a rare split between the month's top publisher in units shipped and dollars invoiced, with Marvel Comics taking the top honors in the month's dollar share (32.07% to DC Comics' 31.76%) while DC took the top spot in units (36.17% to Marvel's 34.10%). Marvel Comics had seven of the month's top ten comics, led by Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel's Amazing Spider-Man #11 at #2, and DC Comics took the other three spots. Image Comics had a strong December as the month's number three with a 9.89% dollar share and 10.40% unit share. In fourth was IDW Publishing with a 6.10% dollar share and a 4.17% unit share. Dark Horse Comics was fifth with a 3.47% dollar share and a 2.95% unit share.

On the year, comics sales increased by 4.03% over 2013 and graphic novel sales increased by 5.18%. The second half of 2014 saw an increase of 19.34% in comics and 10.54% in graphic novels over the first six months of the year.

The newest collection in Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' acclaimed and award-winning sci-fi epic, Image Comics' Saga Volume 4, was December's best-selling graphic novel. In total, Image had five titles among the top ten. DC Comics had four titles, led by Scott Snyder and Jim Lee's Superman Unchained Deluxe at #6, and Marvel Comics one, Captain America: Peggy Carter: Agent of SHIELD at #2.

Dark Horse Comics' Dream Logic, the career-spanning artbook by Kabuki creator David Mack, was the best-selling book in December 2014. Also among the top ten books for the month from Dark Horse was Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia at #10.

The DC Comics Bombshells: Holiday Harley Quinn from DC Collectibles, based on the pin-up-style artwork of Ant Lucia, was the best-selling toy product in December and one of the manufacturer's six products among the top ten. Diamond Select Toys' top product in December was the Marvel Select: Venom Action Figure.

USAopoly's Monopoly: The Walking Dead Survival Edition, a special edition of the venerable board game with a custom board based on the best-selling Image Comics series by Robert Kirkman, was December's best-selling game product.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 32.07%
DC COMICS 31.76%
IMAGE COMICS 9.89%
IDW PUBLISHING 6.10%
DARK HORSE COMICS 3.47%
BOOM! STUDIOS 2.66%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.58%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD 1.22%
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS 0.88%
AVATAR PRESS INC 0.86%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 8.50%
 
UNIT MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER SHARE
DC COMICS 36.17%
MARVEL COMICS 34.10%
IMAGE COMICS 10.40%
IDW PUBLISHING 4.17%
DARK HORSE COMICS 2.95%
BOOM! STUDIOS 2.82%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.26%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC 0.91%
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS 0.91%
TITAN 0.87%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 4.43%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER COMICS SHIPPED GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED MAGAZINES SHIPPED TOTAL SHIPPED
DC COMICS 102 36 1 139
MARVEL COMICS 77 24 0 101
IMAGE COMICS 52 18 0 70
IDW PUBLISHING 44 24 0 68
BOOM! STUDIOS 42 6 0 48
DARK HORSE COMICS 30 12 0 42
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 33 3 0 36
VIZ MEDIA 0 22 0 22
ACTION LAB ENTERTAINMENT 15 1 0 16
HACHETTE BOOK GROUP USA 0 16 0 16
OTHER 94 81 31 206

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

  DOLLARS UNITS
DECEMBER 2014 VS. NOVEMBER 2014
COMICS 1.77% 0.31%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -18.50% -21.51%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -5.14% -1.64%
DECEMBER 2014 VS. DECEMBER 2013
COMICS 6.67% 4.50%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -5.41% -8.39%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 2.83% 3.46%
CALENDAR YEAR 2014 VS. CALENDAR YEAR 2013
COMICS 4.03% 0.25%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 5.18% 5.28%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 4.39% 0.64%
FOURTH QUARTER 2014 VS. THIRD QUARTER 2014
COMICS -2.90% -1.57%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 6.31% 4.02%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -0.20% -1.16%
FOURTH QUARTER 2014 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2013
COMICS 7.89% 7.05%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 7.56% 6.13%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 7.78% 6.98%
SECOND-HALF 2014 VS. FIRST-HALF 2014
COMICS 19.34% 18.58%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 10.54% 4.26%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 16.53% 17.36%

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 BATMAN #37 $3.99 OCT140293-M DC
2 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #11 $3.99 OCT140829-M MAR
3 S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 $4.99 OCT140813-M MAR
4 BATMAN ANNUAL #3 $4.99 OCT140297 DC
5 THOR #3 $3.99 OCT140862-M MAR
6 JUSTICE LEAGUE #37 $3.99 OCT140223-M DC
7 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #1 $4.99 OCT140824-M MAR
8 AVENGERS AND X-MEN: AXIS #7 $3.99 OCT140781-M MAR
9 AVENGERS AND X-MEN: AXIS #9 $4.99 OCT140787-M MAR
10 AVENGERS AND X-MEN: AXIS #8 $3.99 OCT140784-M MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 SAGA VOLUME 4 TP (MR) $14.99 OCT140644 IMA
2 CAPTAIN AMERICA: PEGGY CARTER: AGENT OF SHIELD $7.99 OCT140823 MAR
3 JUST THE TIPS HC (MR) $12.99 SEP140590 IMA
4 THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS VOL. 5: THE COLD WAR TP $14.99 SEP140630 IMA
5 SUNSTONE VOLUME 1 TP (MR) $14.99 OCT140613 IMA
6 SUPERMAN UNCHAINED DELUXE EDITION HC $29.99 AUG140334 DC
7 BATMAN: THE JIRO KUWATA BATMANGA VOLUME 1 TP $14.99 SEP140283 DC
8 NEW 52: FUTURES END VOLUME 1 TP (N52) $39.99 SEP140303 DC
9 NIGHTWING VOLME 5: SETTING SON TP (N52) $16.99 SEP140309 DC
10 THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 1: DAYS GONE BYE TP $14.99 NOV128157 IMA

TOP 10 BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 DREAM LOGIC HC $34.99 AUG140029 DAR
2 THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 89 SC $14.95 SEP141909 SAN
3 THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 90 SC $14.95 OCT141853 SAN
4 DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 78 SC $14.95 SEP141908 SAN
5 DOCTOR WHO VISUAL DICTIONARY: UPDATED EXPANDED HC $25.00 OCT141845 DK
6 STAR TREK: SHIPS OF THE LINE: REVISED & UPDATED HC $30.00 SEP141911 POC
7 DOCTOR WHO: 12 DOCTORS 12 STORIES SLIPCASE EDITIOIN $24.99 JUN148309 PEN
8 SWORD ART ONLINE VOLUME 3: FAIRY DANCE $13.00 OCT141784 HAC
9 CATS OF TANGLEWOOD FOREST SC $8.00 OCT141850 HAC
10 LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC $34.99 SEP120055 DAR

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: HOLIDAY HARLEY QUINN STATUE JUL140302 DC
2 DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: ZATANNA STATUE JUN140324 DC
3 DC COMICS DESIGNER SERIES 2: CAPULLO DELUXE BATMAN THRASHER ACTION FIGURE MAY140428 DC
4 LEGEND OF ZELA: WIND WAKER LINK NENDOROID MAY142613 GOO
5 BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS ACTION FIGURE 4-PACK JUL140295 DC
6 BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE BY MICHAEL TURNER JUN140319 DC
7 METROID: OTHER M: SAMUS ARAN FIGMA ACTION FIGURE JUN132073 GOO
8 MARVEL SELECT: VENOM ACTION FIGURE AUG121762 DIA
9 DC COMICS DESIGNER SERIES 3: ZERO YEAR BATMAN ACTION FIGURE AUG140379 DC
10 GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY PLATINUM LEGENDS ACTION FIGURES MAY142325 HAS

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 MONOPOLY: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION OCT128266 USA
2 MINECRAFT: OFFICIAL MOJANG COMBAT HANDBOOK HC FEB142547 SCH
3 MINECRAFT: OFFICIAL MOJANG CONSTRUCTION HANDBOOK HC FEB142548 SCH
4 LEGEND OF ZELDA MONOPOLY JUL142617 USA
5 MARVEL DICE MASTERS UNCANNY X-MEN AUG142843 NEC
6 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES RETRO MONOPOLY OCT142798 USA
7 FIREFLY CLUE OCT142797 USA
8 THE WALKING DEAD: YAHTZEE COLLECTOR'S EDITION OCT142799 USA
9 DC DECK BUILDING GAME 3: FOREVER EVIL JUN142618 CRY
10 DOCTOR WHO: DALEK YAHTZEE COLLECTOR'S EDITION OCT142796 USA

 

Dollar Market Shares for December 2014

Dollar Market Share – December 2014

Unit Market Shares for December 2014

Unit Market Share– December 2014

 

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Data for Diamond’s sales charts — which includes the monthly market shares and all top product charts — are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from sales made to thousands of comic book specialty shops located in North America and around the world.  Additional sales made to online merchants and other specialty stores may be included as well.

Unit and dollar market shares are calculated based upon orders for comic books, graphic novels, and magazines invoiced and shipped to Diamond customers during any given month, which comprises pre-orders, advance reorders, and reorders, minus any copies that are received back from a title marked as returnable. Please note that comics marked with an asterisk (*) have had their reported quantities reduced due to retailer returnability, and thus may rank lower on the charts than their actual sales would reflect.

The New Titles Count Chart includes all titles that were invoiced by Diamond to retailers for the first time during the month and is not the official solicited title count for the month. Variant edition comic books and graphic novels at the same price point count as a single SKU. Variant edition comic books, lenticular covers, digital combo packs, and graphic novels at different price points count as separate SKUs for each edition.

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