March’s sales charts are a bit late from Diamond (and the Beat) but March 2020 was a very strange month. Comics sales actually kind of held their own, all things considered, and though down sharply from a year ago, that was the Detective #1000 month. One thing was normal: Marvel was the #1 publisher. The #1 comic was a surprise: Spider-Woman #1 by Karla Pachecho and Pere Perez – with an estimated 142,000 copies ordered into stores. I’ll editorialize a bit here and say as a pal of Karla’s for many years, for her to have the #1 comic book, even in these times, is such a feel good story for someone who deserves nothing but the best…this should be a Movie of the Week, honestly!
Anyway back to the numbers. Sales were down a scant point from February 2020, but most of the comics had already been ordered before the plague broke loose.
As someone confused by all this, we turned as usual to John Jackson Miller who is also confused, but he ponders and analyzes with much more aplomb and says that if you left out ‘Tec #1000 March would have actually been UP from a year ago. Comics were doing fine until Coronavirus hit. But if orders were fine, what shipped was down, and the market hit a snag in dollars.
Reorders, for example, are always a significant part of sales and are counted in the monthly orders; as stores faced closure, those reorders almost certainly trailed off. Graphic novel sales are disproportionately special-order in nature; they’re a chunk of the decline.
There are a few other things complicating the charts this month. Note that comic book units were down nearly 7%, while the dollars they represented were down nearly 16%. Two possible reasons for that. One is that Marvel enacted emergency deep discounts for its comics with on-sale dates of March 18 and afterward, which has the effect of depressing dollar sales relative to units. In Marvel’s case, it resulted in a nearly 6-point spread between its unit and dollar market shares.
Then you’ve got a number of titles which are returnable, which means they’ll have had a 10% penalty applied to their unit-sales numbers. Publishers’ figures below, however, are based on actual sales without that penalty, so there’s going to be a gap.
Artists Writers & Artisans — to be known in our space-limited charts as AWA — debuted in 13th place in dollar share and eighth place in unit share at Diamond.
#8 in units! Well hmmmmm. Resistance #1 led the way (26,000), although more people probably saw it in digital form.
Boom! had the top two GNs with Once and Future and Something is Killing the Children, so that plan is working. But GN units were down from a year ago.
Obviously, this is a weird month…and April is going to be even weirder. And every month is going to be weird from here on out. Gaze then, upon the frozen snapshat of the Before Times.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHER |
DOLLAR SHARE |
UNIT SHARE |
MARVEL COMICS |
40.98% |
46.76% |
DC COMICS |
27.34% |
27.58% |
IMAGE COMICS |
6.40% |
6.17% |
IDW PUBLISHING |
4.51% |
3.87% |
BOOM! STUDIOS |
3.25% |
3.21% |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
2.97% |
1.94% |
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT |
2.38% |
2.05% |
VIZ MEDIA |
1.61% |
0.59% |
ONI PRESS |
0.80% |
0.60% |
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT |
0.67% |
0.75% |
OTHER NON-TOP 10 |
9.11% |
6.47% |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
DOLLARS |
UNITS |
|
MARCH 2020 VS. FEBRUARY 2020 |
||
COMICS |
-1.54% |
-0.21% |
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
1.76% |
-15.12% |
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-0.65% |
-1.35% |
TOYS |
-15.00% |
26.16% |
MARCH 2020 VS. MARCH 2019 |
||
COMICS |
-15.59% |
-6.56% |
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-13.05% |
-26.54% |
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-14.90% |
-8.21% |
TOYS |
-6.43% |
19.43% |
YEAR-TO-DATE 2020 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2019 |
||
COMICS |
-5.51% |
-4.48% |
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-1.51% |
-5.43% |
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-4.39% |
-4.55% |
TOYS |
-0.02% |
-6.56% |
FIRST QUARTER 2020 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2019 |
||
COMICS |
-15.59% |
-6.56% |
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-13.05% |
-26.54% |
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-14.90% |
-8.21% |
TOYS |
-6.43% |
19.43% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
PUBLISHER |
COMICS SHIPPED |
GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED |
MAGAZINES SHIPPED |
TOTAL SHIPPED |
MARVEL COMICS |
99 |
38 |
0 |
137 |
DC COMICS |
83 |
24 |
0 |
107 |
IDW PUBLISHING |
36 |
16 |
0 |
52 |
IMAGE COMICS |
39 |
11 |
0 |
50 |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
19 |
25 |
0 |
44 |
BOOM! STUDIOS |
22 |
9 |
0 |
31 |
DYNAMITE |
21 |
1 |
0 |
22 |
ONI PRESS INC. |
6 |
5 |
0 |
11 |
VIZ MEDIA LLC |
0 |
10 |
0 |
10 |
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC |
6 |
2 |
0 |
8 |
OTHER NON-TOP 10 |
140 |
156 |
16 |
312 |
TOTAL |
471 |
297 |
16 |
784 |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
SPIDER-WOMAN #1 |
$4.99 |
JAN200803-M | MARVEL COMICS |
2 |
THE FLASH #750 |
$7.99 |
DEC190400-M | DC COMICS |
3 |
THOR #4 |
$3.99 |
JAN200930-M | MARVEL COMICS |
4 |
X-MEN #8 |
$3.99 |
JAN200843-M | MARVEL COMICS |
5 |
WOLVERINE #2 |
$3.99 |
JAN200832-M | MARVEL COMICS |
6 |
STRANGE ACADEMY #1 |
$4.99 |
JAN200795-M | MARVEL COMICS |
7 |
BATMAN #90 |
$3.99 |
JAN200509-M | DC COMICS |
8 |
X-MEN #9 |
$3.99 |
JAN200845-M | MARVEL COMICS |
9 |
THE IMMORTAL HULK #33 |
$5.99 |
JAN200899-M | MARVEL COMICS |
10 |
BATMAN #91 |
$3.99 |
JAN200511 | DC COMICS |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
SPIDER-WOMAN #1 |
$4.99 |
JAN200803-M | MARVEL COMICS |
2 |
THE FLASH #750 |
$7.99 |
DEC190400-M | DC COMICS |
3 |
ROBIN 80TH-ANNIVERSARY 100-PAGE SUPER SPECTACULAR #1 |
$9.99 |
JAN200496-M | DC COMICS |
4 |
THE IMMORTAL HULK #33 |
$5.99 |
JAN200899-M | MARVEL COMICS |
5 |
STRANGE ACADEMY #1 |
$4.99 |
JAN200795-M | MARVEL COMICS |
6 |
STRANGE ADVENTURES #1 [*] |
$4.99 |
JAN200506-M | DC COMICS |
7 |
X-MEN #8 |
$3.99 |
JAN200843-M | MARVEL COMICS |
8 |
WOLVERINE #2 |
$3.99 |
JAN200832-M | MARVEL COMICS |
9 |
HELLIONS #1 |
$4.99 |
JAN200820-M | MARVEL COMICS |
10 |
X-MEN #9 |
$3.99 |
JAN200845-M | MARVEL COMICS |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
ONCE & FUTURE VOL. 1: THE KING IS UNDEAD TP |
$16.99 |
DEC191235 | BOOM! STUDIOS |
2 |
SOMETHING IS KILLING CHILDREN VOL. 1 TP |
$14.99 |
DEC191236 | BOOM! STUDIOS |
3 |
THE IMMORTAL HULK VOL. 6 TP |
$15.99 |
DEC190988 | MARVEL COMICS |
4 |
DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: POWERLESS TP |
$9.99 |
NOV190498 | DC COMICS |
5 |
HISTORY OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE TREASURY EDITION TP |
$29.99 |
NOV190960-M | MARVEL COMICS |
6 |
NEW MUTANTS BY HICKMAN VOL. 1 TP |
$15.99 |
FEB201054 | MARVEL COMICS |
7 |
KING THOR TP |
$15.99 |
DEC190986 | MARVEL COMICS |
8 |
THE ORACLE CODE TP |
$16.99 |
NOV190499 | DC COMICS |
9 |
STAR WARS VOL. 13: ROGUES AND REBELS TP |
$17.99 |
DEC190989 | MARVEL COMICS |
10 |
RICK AND MORTY VS. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS II: PAINSCAPE TP |
$19.99 |
NOV191821 | ONI PRESS |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
X-MEN: CHILDREN OF ATOM HC BOX SET |
$500.00 |
SEP190974 | MARVEL COMICS |
2 |
UNCANNY X-FORCE BY REMENDER OMNIBUS HC |
$100.00 |
SEP190971 | MARVEL COMICS |
3 |
WONDER WOMAN: THE GOLDEN AGE OMNIBUS VOLUME 4 HC |
$150.00 |
MAR190609 | DC COMICS |
4 |
HISTORY OF THE MARVEL UNIVERSE TREASURY EDITION TP |
$29.99 |
NOV190960-M | MARVEL COMICS |
5 |
BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT DELUXE EDITION HC |
$49.99 |
NOV190529 | DC COMICS |
6 |
ONCE & FUTURE VOL. 1: THE KING IS UNDEAD TP |
$16.99 |
DEC191235 | BOOM! STUDIOS |
7 |
MARVEL MASTERWORKS: DAZZLER VOL. 1 HC |
$75.00 |
SEP190975-M | MARVEL COMICS |
8 |
POWER PACK CLASSIC OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC |
$125.00 |
SEP190972-M | MARVEL COMICS |
9 |
THE WICKED & THE DIVINE VOLUME 4 HC (MR) |
$64.99 |
OCT190161 | IMAGE COMICS |
10 |
SOMETHING IS KILLING CHILDREN VOL. 1 TP |
$14.99 |
DEC191236 | BOOM! STUDIOS |
TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
POP! DRAGON BALL Z: SUPER SAIYAN 2 VEGETA FIGURE | JAN199073 | FUNKO |
2 |
PERSONA 5: FUTABA SAKURA FIGMA | MAR198472 | GOOD SMILE COMPANY |
3 |
POP! MARVEL: SPIDER-MAN INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE: CASUAL MILES MORALES VINYL FIGURE | JAN199071 | FUNKO |
4 |
MARVEL SELECT: SPIDER-MAN (PS4 VIDEO GAME) FIGURE | AUG192734 | DIAMOND SELECT TOYS |
5 |
IRON GIANT DIECAST 1/12-SCALE ACTION FIGURE | JAN188313 | 1000 TOYS INC. |
6 |
DISNEY SELECT CLASSIC FIGURES | AUG192721 | DIAMOND SELECT TOYS |
7 |
IRON GIANT (BATTLE MODE) DIECAST 1/12-SCALE FIGURE | JUN199052 | 1000 TOYS INC. |
8 |
OVERWATCH: PHARAH FIGMA | NOV188215 | GOOD SMILE COMPANY |
9 |
TRANSFORMERS GENERATIONS: GHOSTBUSTERS ECTOTRON FIGURE | SEP198051 | HASBRO TOY GROUP |
10 |
BATMAN VS. HARLEY QUINN BATTLE STATUE (SECOND EDITION) | AUG190702 | DC COLLECTIBLES |
TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
PATHFINDER GAMEMASTERY GUIDE HC (P2) | NOV192998 | PAIZO PUBLISHING |
2 |
PATHFINDER: LOST OMENS: GODS & MAGIC HC (P2) | NOV193000 | PAIZO PUBLISHING |
3 |
PATHFINDER GAMEMASTERY GUIDE SPECIAL EDITION HC (P2) | NOV192999 | PAIZO PUBLISHING |
4 |
PATHFINDER CORE RULEBOOK HC (P2) | MAY193227 | PAIZO PUBLISHING |
5 |
STARFINDER RPG CORE RULEBOOK HC | JUN173371 | PAIZO PUBLISHING |
6 |
ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF DARK SPECTRAL SWITCHBOARD | JUN191229 | DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT |
7 |
TOME OF BEASTS POCKET EDITION | APR198095 | PAIZO PUBLISHING |
8 |
PATHFINDER ADVENTURE PATH: THE EXTINCTION CURSE VOLUME 1 (P2) | NOV193001 | PAIZO PUBLISHING |
9 |
CREATURE CODEX HC | JUL183073 | PAIZO PUBLISHING |
10 |
WIZARDS & SPELLS: A YOUNG ADVENTURER’S GUIDE HC | JAN201997 | TEN SPEED PRESS |
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