DC Comics tops Marvel Comics in terms of dollar share for the month of December in 2017 led by Doomsday Clock #2 and Dark Knights Metal #4.
Check out the info and stats below.
Diamond Announces Top Products For December 2017
2017 Fourth Largest Sell-in Year on Record
Ozymandias and Rorschach seek the two smartest people of the DC Universe in Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s Doomsday Clock #2 from DC Entertainment, the best-selling comic book of December 2017 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.
DC Entertainment was December’s top publisher in dollars with a 34.54% dollar share and a 37.65% unit share. Marvel Comics was the months top publisher in units with 38.81% unit share and a 33.80% dollar share. In third was Image Comics with an 8.69% dollar share and a 7.20% unit share. In fourth was IDW Publishing with a 3.92% dollar share and a 2.92% unit share, followed by Dark Horse Comics with a 2.69% dollar share and a 2.06% unit share.
DC Entertainment had six of December’s top ten best-selling comic books. In addition to Doomsday Clock #2, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Dark Nights: Metal #4 ranked #2; Tom King and Clay Mann’s Batman #36, part one of the Superfriends story arc, ranked #4; King and Mann’s Batman #37 ranked #5; Sean Murphy’s Batman: White Knight #3 ranked #6; and Hawkman Found #1, a tie-in to Dark Nights: Metal, ranked #10. Marvel Comics had four titles in the top ten: Matthew Rosenberg and Leinil Yu’s Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #1 ranked #3; Dan Slott, Mike Costa, and Ryan Stegman’s Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Venom Inc. Alpha #1 ranked #7; Chip Zdarky and Jim Cheung’s Marvel Two-In-One #1, reteaming the Fantastic Four’s the Human Torch and The Thing, ranked #8; and Slott and Stegman’s Amazing Spider-Man #792 ranked #10. Among the premier publishers, Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead #174 was Image Comics’ top book in December at #12. Mike Mignola and Adam Hughes’ Christmas-themed Hellboy: Krampusnacht #1 was Dark Horse Comics’ top book at #96. Finally, IDW Publishing’s top book for the month was Star Wars Adventures #5 at #128.
Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ award-winning Saga returned to the top of the sales charts as Image Comics’ Saga Volume 8 was December’s best-selling graphic novel. Also in the top ten for Image Comics were Shirtless Bear-Fighter at #7 and Deadly Class Volume 6 at #8. DC Entertainment had three titles in the top ten: Batman Volume 4: The War of Jokes and Riddles at #2, Batman: Detective Comics Volume 4: Deus Ex Machina at #4, and Justice League vs. Suicide Squad at #6. Marvel Comics had two titles in the top ten: Star Wars Volume 6: Out Among the Stars at #3 and Venomverse at #9. Dark Horse Comics’ Black Hammer Volume 2: The Event ranked #5. Finally, Oni Press’ Rick and Morty Volume 6 ranked #10.
A collection of Strangers in Paradise writer/artist Terry Moore’s personal sketches and art commissions, Abstract Studios’ Terry Moore: 25th Anniversary Sketch book: 8,800 Days of Blondes, Brunettes and Bozos was December’s best-selling book. Dark Horse Comics’ Overwatch Anthology Volume 1, a hardcover collection of sketches, webcomics, and background material on the popular video game, ranked #2 for the month.
Based on Blizzard Entertainment’s immensely popular team shooter Overwatch, Good Smile’s Overwatch: Mei “Classic Skin” Nendoroid was December’s best-selling toy product. Diamond Select Toys had three products in the top ten: the Marvel Gallery: Thor Ragnarok: The Hulk PVC Figure, inspired by Marvel Studios’ cinematic blockbuster, ranked #2; the Marvel Select: Spider-Gwen PVC Figure ranked #3; and the Marvel Gallery: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: Drax and Baby Groot PVC Figure ranked #10.
Star Trek fans beamed into action with WizKids/NECA’s Star Trek HeroClix: Away Team Original Series Booster Brick, an expansion for the miniatures game and the best-selling game product of December. Diamond Select Toys’ Back to the Future Monopoly, a custom edition of the popular board game based on the film trilogy, ranked #3. IDW Games’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shadows of the Past Board Game ranked #6.
After achieving all-time highs in 2015 and 2016, the comic book specialty market took a step back in 2017 but still recorded its 4th highest year of sell-in to comic shops. Annual sales decreased -10.09% over the previous year; with comic book sales down -10.40%, while graphic novel sales were off by -9.38%. Over 89 million comic books were sold to comic book specialty stores in 2017, with over 7.4 million graphic novels units shipped.
