Diamond Announces Top Products For December 2013

By Sebastian 11 years ago

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (January 10, 2014) —James Howlett has his first encounter with Mr. Sinister as Kieron Gillen and Adam Kubert reveal an untold chapter in the story of Wolverine in Marvel Comics’ Origin II #1, the best-selling book to specialty retailers in December 2013, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was December’s top publisher, edging DC Entertainment 35.42% to 27.22% in Dollar Share and 36.56% to 31.13% in Unit Share. Marvel Comics had four of the month’s top ten best-selling comics, while DC Entertainment took the other six spots.

Comics sales in December edged up over November, up 0.63% in dollars and 1.60% in units. On the year, comics sales were up 10.22% in dollars and 6.70% in units, and graphic novel sales climbed by 6.50% in dollars and 5.12% in units. Overall, print sales in 2013 were up 9.04% in dollars and 6.58% in units over 2012.

Snow White and Bigby face challenges — her cubs are lost and their marriage is threatened — in Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham’s Fables Volume 19: Snow White from DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint and December’s best-selling graphic novel. Also notable, IDW Publishing’s original graphic novel from Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: Slayground, ranked #3 for the month, and both volumes of Image Comics’ Saga ranked in the top ten at #7 and #9.

BOOM! Studios collected the covers for their Adventure Time comics in the artbook, Adventure Time: Eye Candy, December’s best-selling book in the comic book specialty market. Also in the top ten, continuing its year-long run, was Dark Horse Comics’ Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, at #2.

As if taken from the fusilage of a B-17 bomber and given physical form, the DC Bombshells: Harley Quinn Statue from DC Collectibles was the best-selling toy product to specialty market retailers in December.

USAopoly’s Risk: The Walking Dead Survival Edition, with custom rules for the zombie apocalypse, was December’s best-selling games product.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER

DOLLAR

SHARE

UNIT

SHARE
MARVEL COMICS

35.42%

36.56%
DC ENTERTAINMENT

27.22%

31.13%
IDW PUBLISHING

8.18%

6.17%
IMAGE COMICS

7.32%

8.07%
DARK HORSE COMICS

6.28%

6.35%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

3.22%

3.25%
BOOM! STUDIOS

2.06%

2.12%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT

1.11%

1.16%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS

0.98%

0.18%
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT

0.91%

0.91%
OTHER NON-TOP 10

7.32%

4.08%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER

COMICS SHIPPED

GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED

MAGAZINES SHIPPED

TOTAL

SHIPPED
DC ENTERTAINMENT

92

25

1

118
MARVEL COMICS

72

30

0

102
IDW PUBLISHING

55

33

0

88
DARK HORSE COMICS

50

12

0

62
IMAGE COMICS

47

12

0

59
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

34

6

0

40
BOOM! STUDIOS

28

4

0

32
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT

11

3

0

14
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT

8

4

0

12
EAGLEMOSS

0

0

5

5
OTHER

74

110

23

207

 


COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

 

DOLLARS

UNITS

DECEMBER 2013 VS. NOVEMBER   2013
COMICS

0.63%

1.60%
GRAPHIC NOVELS

-1.40%

3.67%
TOTAL COMICS/GN

-0.03%

1.76%

DECEMBER 2013 VS. DECEMBER   2012
COMICS

1.09%

-3.64%
GRAPHIC NOVELS

18.02%

20.38%
TOTAL COMICS/GN

5.93%

-2.07%

YEAR 2013 VS. YEAR 2012
COMICS

10.22%

6.70%
GRAPHIC NOVELS

6.50%

5.12%
TOTAL COMICS/GN

9.04%

6.58%

FOURTH QUARTER 2013 VS.   THIRD QUARTER 2013
COMICS

-0.72%

-2.39%
GRAPHIC NOVELS

5.79%

2.09%
TOTAL COMICS/GN

1.23%

-2.06%

FOURTH QUARTER 2013 VS.   FOURTH QUARTER 2012
COMICS

4.16%

-0.97%
GRAPHIC NOVELS

7.80%

9.50%
TOTAL COMICS/GN

5.28%

-0.22%

 

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

PRICE

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

 ORIGIN II #1

$4.99

 OCT130650 MAR

2

 AVENGERS #24.NOW

$4.99

 OCT130656 MAR

3

 BATMAN #26

$3.99

 OCT130190 DC

4

 FOREVER EVIL #4

$3.99

 OCT130115 DC

5

 SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #5

$3.99

 SEP130208 DC

6

 JUSTICE LEAGUE #25

$3.99

 SEP130170 DC

7

 HARLEY QUINN #1

$2.99

 OCT130185 DC

8

 JUSTICE LEAGUE #26

$3.99

 OCT130121 DC

9

 INHUMANITY #1

$3.99

 OCT130637 MAR

10

 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #23

$3.99

 OCT130686 MAR

 


TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

PRICE

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

 FABLES VOLUME 19: SNOW WHITE TP (MR)

$16.99

 SEP130305 DC

2

 ADVENTURE TIME VOLUME 2: PIXEL PRINCESSES   GN

$11.99

 SEP131012 BOO

3

 RICHARD STARK’S PARKER: SLAYGROUND   HC

$17.99

 OCT130333 IDW

4

 DEADPOOL KILLS DEADPOOL TP

$14.99

 SEP130799 MAR

5

 STAR LORD: WORLDS ON THE BRINK

$7.99

 OCT130698 MAR

6

 NIGHTWING VOLUME 3: DEATH OF THE   FAMILY TP (N52)

$16.99

 SEP130273 DC

7

 SAGA VOLUME 1 TP (MR)

$9.99

 AUG120491 IMA

8

 DEADPOOL VOLUME 3: GOOD BAD AND   UGLY TP

$15.99

 SEP130800 MAR

9

 SAGA VOLUME 2 TP (MR)

$14.99

 APR130443 IMA

10

 THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 1: DAYS   GONE BYE TP

$14.99

 NOV128157 IMA

TOP 10 BOOKS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

PRICE

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

 ADVENTURE TIME: EYE CANDY HC

$24.99

 OCT130976 BOO

2

 LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC

$34.99

 SEP120055 DAR

3

 SHIRO AMANO: ARTWORK OF KINGDOM   HEARTS TP

$28.00

 OCT131401 HAC

4

 THE WALKING DEAD NOVEL DELUXE SLIPCASE   HC (MR)

$74.99

 OCT110517 IMA

5

 ART OF DEJAH THORIS & THE   WORLDS OF MARS HC (MR)

$39.99

 OCT131107 DE

6

 THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 79

$14.95

 OCT131500 SAN

7

 ADVENTURE TIME ENCYCLOPEDIA HC

$19.95

 MAY131402 ABR

8

 DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 71

$14.95

 OCT131499 SAN

9

 VAMPIRE HUNTER D VOL. 20: SCENES FROM   AN UNHOLY WAR SC (MR)

$11.99

 AUG130113 DAR

10

 DC SUPER HEROES: BATMAN: KILLER   CROC HUNTER TP

$4.95

 AUG131590 CAP

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK

DESCRIPTION

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

 DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: HARLEY QUINN   STATUE JUN130317 DC

2

 METROID OTHER M: SAMUS ARAN FIGMA JUN132073 GOO

3

 METROID OTHER M: SAMUS ARUN “ZERO   SUIT” PVC FIGURE JUN132074 GOO

4

 DC: 1966 BATMAN 6-INCH ACTION   FIGURES APR131758 MAT

5

 DOCTOR WHO TITANS MINI-FIGURES SERIES   3 JUL131973 TTN

6

 BACK TO THE FUTURE: TIME MACHINE   CAR JUN098008 DST

7

 BATMAN RETRO 8-INCH SERIES 1 ACTION   FIGURES MAY131800 FIG

8

 MARVEL SELECT: DEADPOOL AF MAR101468 DST

9

 THE WALKING DEAD: DARYL DIXON 10-INCH   DELUXE ACTION FIGURE MAY138183 TMP

10

 TERMIANTOR 2: T-800 “BATTLE   DAMAGE” HD MASTERPIECE FIGURE FEB131721 ENT


TOP 10 GAMES

RANK

DESCRIPTION

ITEM CODE

VENDOR

1

 RISK: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL   EDITION OCT128267 USA

2

 MONOPOLY: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL   EDITION OCT128266 USA

3

 LEGEND OF ZELDA: COLLECTORS EDITION   STRATEGY GUIDE BOX SET OCT132392 PRI

4

 MARVEL HEROCLIX: INVINCIBLE IRON   MAN BOOSTER BRICK SEP132436 NEC

5

 GAME OF THRONES: WESTEROS 4D   CITYSCAPE PUZZLE AUG132098 4D

6

 YU-GI-OH! TCG 2013 COLLECTIBLE TIN   WAVE 2 JUN138132 KON

7

 MY LITTLE PONY: CCG PREMIERE EDITION   BOOSTER PACKS JUL138268 ENT

8

 DOCTOR WHO: ALIEN ATTAX TCG BOOSTER   PACKS OCT132410 UND

9

 YU-GI-OH! TCG: YUGI AND KAIBA   RELOADED STARTER DECKS AUG138460 KON

10

 ELDRITCH HORROR BOARD GAME OCT132380 FAN

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

Data for Diamond’s sales charts — which include the monthly market shares and all top product charts — are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from a universe of over 3,500 comic book specialty shops located in North America and around the world. The account base includes brick-and-mortar comic book specialty shops, Internet merchants, and other specialty stores.

Unit and dollar market shares are calculated based upon orders for comic books, graphic novels, and magazines invoiced and shipped to Diamond accounts during any given month, which comprises initial 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 count of new titles shipped 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.

*** 

ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS (DCD)—Diamond is at the nexus of comics and pop culture merchandise. Based in Baltimore, MD, DCD is the world’s largest distributor of English-language comic books and pop-culture related merchandise, servicing more than 4,000 specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.

© 2014 Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. All rights reserved. Diamond, the Diamond logo, Diamond Books logo, and PREVIEWS are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Diamond Comic Distributors in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective copyright owners.

About Post Author

Sebastian

Teacher, InvestComics reviewer/interviewer/columnist, and harborer of a dark desire to write…gasp…comic books!

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