Image Takes Marketshare From Marvel And DC In December 2012

[Rich Johnston]

Our impromptu Top Forty-Seven comic sellers chart for December 2012 seems to have been bang on the money, at least for the top ten. We'll be able to check the rest later.

Both December and November were four week months, but December's skip week with only a handful of new titles available on Boxing Day may have had an affect, even when one of those comics was Amazing Spider-Man #700. Sales were down month on month but the $7.99 cost of Amazing may have explained why unit sales were down more than dollars spent.

Still comic sales were up an eighth in sales on this month last year and a fifth on the money brought in this time last year.

Both DC and Marvel's marketshare has fallen slightly in favour of Image, with DC dipping under 30% of dollars spent in November for the first time since before Flashpoint. Image have jumped from around 7% marketshare in November to 9% in December, their highest since Walking Dead #100 came out in July.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

RETAIL MARKET SHAREPUBLISHERSHAREMARVEL COMICS33.40%DC COMICS29.69%IMAGE COMICS9.10%IDW PUBLISHING5.82%DARK HORSE COMICS5.49%DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT2.60%BOOM! STUDIOS1.69%EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD1.13%VIZ MEDIA0.94%AVATAR PRESS INC0.91%OTHER NON-TOP 109.23%UNIT MARKET SHAREPUBLISHERSHAREMARVEL COMICS36.12%DC COMICS34.84%IMAGE COMICS8.49%IDW PUBLISHING4.79%DARK HORSE COMICS4.56%DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT2.93%BOOM! STUDIOS1.88%VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC0.93%ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC0.82%AVATAR PRESS INC0.75%OTHER NON-TOP 103.89%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

DOLLARSUNITSDECEMBER 2012 VS. NOVEMBER 2012COMICS-1.67%-3.45%GRAPHIC NOVELS-4.27%-4.03%TOTAL COMICS/GN-2.42%-3.49%DECEMBER 2012 VS. DECEMBER 2011COMICS19.03%12.93%GRAPHIC NOVELS8.25%6.65%TOTAL COMICS/GN15.74%12.50%FOURTH QUARTER 2012 VS. THIRD QUARTER 2012COMICS5.90%6.71%GRAPHIC NOVELS-1.57%-11.29%TOTAL COMICS/GN3.50%5.19%FOURTH QUARTER 2012 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2011COMICS9.51%4.42%GRAPHIC NOVELS14.53%13.86%TOTAL COMICS/GN11.00%5.04%YEAR 2012 VS. YEAR 2011COMICS14.94%11.41%GRAPHIC NOVELS14.26%13.66%TOTAL COMICS/GN14.72%11.58%TOP 10 COMICS

RANKDESCRIPTIONPRICEVENDOR1AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #700$7.99MAR2AVENGERS #1$3.99MAR3BATMAN #15$3.99DC4JUSTICE LEAGUE #15$3.99DC5DETECTIVE COMICS #15$3.99DC6AVENGERS #2$3.99MAR7CABLE AND X-FORCE #1$3.99MAR8BATMAN AND ROBIN #15$2.99DC9ALL-NEW X-MEN #3$3.99MAR10THUNDERBOLTS #1$2.99MARTOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS

RANKDESCRIPTIONPRICEVENDOR1THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 1: DAYS GONE BYE TP$9.99IMA2THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 2: MILES BEHINDUSTP$14.99IMA3CHEW VOLUME 6: SPACE CAKES TP (MR)$14.99IMA4SAGA VOLUME 1 TP$9.99IMA5FATALE VOLUME 2: DEVIL'S BUSINESS TP (MR)$14.99IMA6THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 3: SAFETY BEHIND BARS$14.99IMA7BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 9 VOL. 2: ON YOUR OWN TP$17.99DAR8GREEN LANTERN VOLUME 2: REVENGE OF THE BLACK HAND HC$24.99DC9THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 17: SOMETHING TO FEAR TP (MR)$14.99IMA10DAREDEVIL BY MARK WAID VOLUME 2 TP$15.99MAR

[not him - HIM]

Image are taking their own marketshare? Why, those upstarts!

[wiski]

You know what they say, 'Once you go Image, you probably continue to read Image comics with the good possibility of increasing the number of Image titles you purchase at the possible expense of reducing the number of DC or Marvel titles you buy.'

If you know what I mean... *nudge nudge wink wink*

[not him - HIM]

Image comics aren't just for kids.

[majorjoe23]

Seven of the top 10 for graphic novels is pretty impressive for Image.

[die-yng]

Damn Image, taking away Marketshare from Image, Who do they think they are?


And of course DC doesn't have any problems... Well, obviously Didio's great plans that Rich wrote about will help them regain lost ground, by even more editorial interference and more creative team shuffling.
And as Tariq was so nice to reind me, don't forget the fantastic "Stunning Surprise" Fold-out covers.


Edit: Just because Rich fixed the Error of Image taking marketshare from Image, doesn't mean we all won't cherish the memories.
Also added Gimmick Covers°!°

[die-yng]

You know what they say, 'Once you go Image, you probably continue to read Image comics with the good possibility of increasing the number of Image titles you purchase at the possible expense of reducing the number of DC or Marvel titles you buy.'

If you know what I mean... *nudge nudge wink wink*

Say no more! Image? It's a goer, eh? Image, uh, Image, does it go, eh, does it go, eh?

[xdemon]

I have been steadily dropping Marvel books and picking up more and more Image titles with the occasional Vertigo series from DC.

I enjoy Image books a great deal.

[Tariq Leslie]

Damn Image, taking away Marketshare from Image, Who do they think they are?


And of course DC doesn't have any problems... Well, obviously Didio's great plans that Rich wrote about will help them regain lost ground, by even more editorial interference and more creative team shuffling.

You're forgetting those gatefold covers, man!

God I hope this sales trend continues! That would show once and for all that maybe letting a writer, y'know - write - may be the best way to run a company and sell a product.

It's worth remembering too that apart from Walking Dead, Image doesn't have any comic with the kind of street-name-recognition of a Batman or Superman, yet they still did this.

[xdemon]

You're forgetting those gatefold covers, man!

God I hope this sales trend continues! That would show once and for all that maybe letting a writer, y'know - write - may be the best way to run a company and sell a product.

It's worth remembering too that apart from Walking Dead, Image doesn't have any comic with the kind of street-name-recognition of a Batman or Superman, yet they still did this.

Add to the fact that most of their books are limited series.

I think it shows that people may also want stories with a beginning, middle and end.