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DC Comics' Weeklies Grabbed Back Marketshare In May 2014, But Marvel Stays Top With Original Sin And Spider-Man

These are the official statistics for comic books as distributed in North America by Diamond Comic Distributors in the month of May 2014. So what have we learned?

After month after month after month of seeing DC Comics losing marketshare to Marvel Comics, things ust changed. Last month their dollar share fell from 25.94% to 23.65%, sixteen points behind Marvel's 39.27%, the greatest gap and the lowest level since before the New 52 relaunch. In June however, DC are on 30.04% and Marvel are on 34.38%, narrowing that lead to less than four-and-a-half points.

While on share of actual numbers of comics sold, DC, who had slipped from 29.02% to 27.24%, a whopping fourteen points behind Marvel's 41.15%, now see DC with a 33.52% and Marvel on 36.46% , just under three points difference.

This is a remarkable turn around for DC, helped by a) no Amazing Spider-Man relaunch and b) the continuing strong performance of Batman Eternal four or five times a month and the launch of Futures End weekly as well.

Marvel placed the top three titles with Original Sin and Amazing Spider-Man, but had only one other in the top ten. DC however, even though Batman was knocked back from its traditional-of-late top spot, took four slots with Walking Dead taking the other, cementing that Image book as a regular top ten title now.

Performance was down across the industry from April that was a five day month compared to May's four week. It was also down on May 2013's five week month.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 34.38%
DC COMICS 30.04%
IMAGE COMICS 8.86%
IDW PUBLISHING 6.38%
DARK HORSE COMICS 5.96%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.30%
BOOM! STUDIOS 1.97%
AVATAR PRESS 1.03%
RANDOM HOUSE 0.88%
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC 0.81%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 7.39%
UNIT MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 36.46%
DC COMICS 33.52%
IMAGE COMICS 9.96%
DARK HORSE COMICS 5.50%
IDW PUBLISHING 4.18%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.29%
BOOM! STUDIOS 1.84%
ARCHIE COMICS 0.97%
AVATAR PRESS 0.88%
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC 0.84%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 3.56%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER COMICS SHIPPED GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED MAGAZINES SHIPPED TOTAL SHIPPED
DC COMICS 87 30 0 117
MARVEL COMICS 74 38 0 112
IDW PUBLISHING 45 21 0 66
IMAGE COMICS 54 11 0 65
DARK HORSE COMICS 36 23 0 59
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 35 1 0 36
BOOM ENTERTAINMENT 20 7 0 27
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC 13 2 0 15
RANDOM HOUSE 0 14 0 14
AVATAR PRESS INC 8 1 0 9
OTHER PUBLISHERS 55 98 18 171

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

  DOLLARS UNITS
MAY 2014 VS. APRIL 2014
COMICS -10.72% -7.35%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -10.24% -19.32%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -10.57% -8.41%
MAY 2014 VS. MAY 2013
COMICS -2.01% -6.00%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -9.47% -15.27%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -4.52% -6.79%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2014 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2013
COMICS -1.13% -6.72%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 1.96% 4.54%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -0.16% -5.85%

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE VENDOR
1 ORIGINAL SIN #1 $4.99 MAR
2 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #2 $3.99 MAR
3 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #1.1 $3.99 MAR
4 BATMAN #31 $3.99 DC
5 FOREVER EVIL #7 $4.99 DC
6 ORIGINAL SIN #2 $3.99 MAR
7 JUSTICE LEAGUE #30 $3.99 DC
8 The WALKING DEAD #127 (MR) $2.99 IMA
9 NEW 52 FUTURES END #1 [*] $2.99 DC
10 BATMAN ETERNAL #5 [*] $2.99 DC

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE VENDOR
1 BATMAN VOLUME 4: ZERO YEAR: SECRET CITY HC (N52) $24.99 DC
2 BATMAN VOLUME 3: DEATH OF THE FAMILY TP (N52) $16.99 DC
3 BLACK SCIENCE VOL. 1: HOW TO FALL FOREVER TP (MR) $9.99 IMA
4 X-MEN: NO MORE HUMANS HC $24.99 MAR
5 BLACK CANARY AND ZATANNA: BLOODSPELL HC $22.99 DC
6 MANIFEST DESTINY VOLUME 1 TP $9.99 IMA
7 HELLBOY IN HELL VOLUME 1: DESCENT TP $17.99 DAR
8 SAGA VOLUME 3 TP (MR) $14.99 IMA
9 MANHATTAN PROJECTS VOL. 4: FOUR DISCIPLINES TP $14.99 IMA
10 GODZILLA: AWAKENING HC $19.99 DC

TOP 10 BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE VENDOR
1 TRANSFORMERS: LIGHT-UP OPTIMUS PRIME BUST & BOOK $12.95 RUN
2 LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC $34.99 DAR
3 GODZILLA: LIGHT & SOUND MINIATURE BOOK KIT $12.95 RUN
4 THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 84 SC $14.95 SAN
5 DOCTOR WHO: WHEN'S THE DOCTOR SC $7.99 PEN
6 DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 74 SC $14.95 SAN
7 WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S STAR WARS HC $14.95 RAN
8 X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST PROSE NOVEL HC $24.99 MAR
9 AMERICAN COMIC BOOK CHRONICLES 1965-1969 HC $41.95 TWO
10 ART OF NEIL GAIMAN: A VISUAL BIOGRAPHY HC $39.99 HAR

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK DESCRIPTION VENDOR
1 DC COMICS DESIGNER SERIES 1 BY CAPULLO: BATMAN FIGURE DC
2 DC COMICS: NEW 52 JUSTICE LEAGUE 7-PACK BOX SET DC
3 MARVEL SELECT: DEADPOOL ACTION FIGURE DST
4 DC COMICS DESIGNER SERIES 1 BY CAPULLO: TALON FIGURE DC
5 DC COMICS DESIGNER SERIES 1 BY CAPULLO: RIDDLER FIGURE DC
6 DC COMICS VARIANT PLAY ARTS KAI: BATGIRL ACTION FIGURE SQU
7 DC COMICS: NIGHTWING "NEW 52" ARTFX+ STATUE KOT
8 DC COMICS DESIGNER SERIES 1 BY CAPULLO: NIGHTWING FIGURE DC
9 X-FORCE: PSYLOCKE FINE ART STATUE KOT
10 ROBOCOP "1987 VERSION" PLAY ARTS KAI ACTION FIGURE SQU

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK DESCRIPTION VENDOR
1 MARVEL HEROCLIX: DEADPOOL BOOSTER BRICK NEC
2 MARVEL HEROCLIX: X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST BOOSTERS NEC
3 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: JOURNEY INTO NYX BOOSTERS WIZ
4 MARVEL HEROCLIX: X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST: SENTINEL PACK NEC
5 MONOPOLY: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION USA
6 DC HEROCLIX: WAR OF LIGHT: SINESTRO CORPS WAR SCENARIO PACK NEC
7 RISK: DOCTOR WHO COLLECTOR'S EDITION USA
8 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: JOURNEY INTO NYX FAT PACK WIZ
9 ADVENTURE TIME CARD WARS: FOR THE GLORY BOOSTERS CRY
10 MARVEL HEROCLIX: DEADPOOL: THUNDERBOLTS FAST FORCES PACK NEC

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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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