October 2015 Sales Discussion

[Keith]

And so it begins...

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
MARVEL COMICS - 43.65%
DC ENTERTAINMENT - 21.85%
IMAGE COMICS - 9.17%
IDW PUBLISHING - 6.16%
DARK HORSE COMICS - 4.04%
BOOM! STUDIOS - 2.41%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT - 1.60%
TITAN COMICS - 1.21%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC - 0.92
VIZ MEDIA - 0.88%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 8.12%


UNIT MARKET SHARE
MARVEL COMICS - 48.26%
DC ENTERTAINMENT - 22.92%
IMAGE COMICS - 9.27%
IDW PUBLISHING - 4.96%
DARK HORSE COMICS - 3.10%
BOOM! STUDIOS - 1.93%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT - 1.53%
TITAN COMICS - 1.16%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC - 0.99%
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS - 0.85%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 - 5.02%

[jeremycoe]

Top 10 in both categories. That's great!

[BugsySig]

A bit of a drop, but still solid.

Should be getting a boost again in the coming months with Wrath, Faith, Dr Mirage and A&A all launching/having new #1s, plus Shadowman in Operation Deadside, Trill #0 and Unity #25.

Wouldn't be surprised if Analogue Man gives Bloodshot a boost, and Ninjaks appearance in XO too.

[Phoenix8008]

Hard to believe that DC is at half the Market Share of Marvel, and that Image is around half the market share of DC! I mean, I understand how badly DC has seemed to be doing lately, but it's weird to see after so many years of them and Marvel hogging up 70-80% of the market share together.

[dornwolf]

Hard to believe that DC is at half the Market Share of Marvel, and that Image is around half the market share of DC! I mean, I understand how badly DC has seemed to be doing lately, but it's weird to see after so many years of them and Marvel hogging up 70-80% of the market share together.

Isn't most of Marvels lead right now based off of NEW NUMBER #1's ALL THINGS CHANGE HERE marketing push along with WE HAVE STAR WARS WE HAVE STAR WARS no one cared to much about Star Wars comics but now that Disney and Marvel have it everyone cares.

[Phoenix8008]

Hard to believe that DC is at half the Market Share of Marvel, and that Image is around half the market share of DC! I mean, I understand how badly DC has seemed to be doing lately, but it's weird to see after so many years of them and Marvel hogging up 70-80% of the market share together.

Isn't most of Marvels lead right now based off of NEW NUMBER #1's ALL THINGS CHANGE HERE marketing push along with WE HAVE STAR WARS WE HAVE STAR WARS no one cared to much about Star Wars comics but now that Disney and Marvel have it everyone cares.

Well, there is that. But also due to DC going downhill since their "NEW NUMBER 1'S ALL THINGS CHANGE HERE" a couple years ago. And then the recent "MOST THINGS ARE CHANGING AGAIN NOW, BUT WE'RE NOT RENUMBERING THINGS AGAIN, BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T WORK BEFORE, SO IT'S EVEN MORE CONFUSING".

[dornwolf]

Hard to believe that DC is at half the Market Share of Marvel, and that Image is around half the market share of DC! I mean, I understand how badly DC has seemed to be doing lately, but it's weird to see after so many years of them and Marvel hogging up 70-80% of the market share together.

Isn't most of Marvels lead right now based off of NEW NUMBER #1's ALL THINGS CHANGE HERE marketing push along with WE HAVE STAR WARS WE HAVE STAR WARS no one cared to much about Star Wars comics but now that Disney and Marvel have it everyone cares.

Well, there is that. But also due to DC going downhill since their "NEW NUMBER 1'S ALL THINGS CHANGE HERE" a couple years ago. And then the recent "MOST THINGS ARE CHANGING AGAIN NOW, BUT WE'RE NOT RENUMBERING THINGS AGAIN, BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T WORK BEFORE, SO IT'S EVEN MORE CONFUSING".

Well that is definitely true. DC really shot themselves with the reboot and of course continue to put feet in mouth as they go.

[whovian]

Isn't most of Marvels lead right now based off of NEW NUMBER #1's ALL THINGS CHANGE HERE marketing push along with WE HAVE STAR WARS WE HAVE STAR WARS no one cared to much about Star Wars comics but now that Disney and Marvel have it everyone cares.

I enjoyed most of what I read of Dark Horse's Star Wars books, but Marvel's efforts seem totally uninspired -- if you've read one of Marvel's new Star Wars books you've pretty much read them all. I've been buying them all year and decided to abandon them this coming winter. It will be interesting to see if the new Marvel Universe continues to sell, but my days of caring about that particular universe ended long before the Disney buyout.

[wwise03]

I enjoyed most of what I read of Dark Horse's Star Wars books, but Marvel's efforts seem totally uninspired -- if you've read one of Marvel's new Star Wars books you've pretty much read them all. I've been buying them all year and decided to abandon them this coming winter. It will be interesting to see if the new Marvel Universe continues to sell, but my days of caring about that particular universe ended long before the Disney buyout.

I feel the opposite when it comes to the Star Wars books. I never jumped into any Dark Horse Star Wars comics because it was all too unwieldy. The Marvel Star Wars books are enjoyable (at least to me and 100,000 plus other people) and easy to keep up with.

[BugsySig]

Full estimates for Oct aren't out yet, but Bleeding Cool has their top 100 estimates. One VALIANT property lands on the list:

96 BOOK OF DEATH #4 $3.99 VAL 25072

Full Top 300 estimates from comichron should be out sometime today.

[omega_override]

I enjoyed most of what I read of Dark Horse's Star Wars books, but Marvel's efforts seem totally uninspired

Half of Marvel's current re-booted library may be complete crap, but they know what sells and they know how to sell it. There are so many Spider-man and Avengers related books on the horizon that it's honestly insane

[Keith]

96 Book of Death #4 - 23,205
181 Book of Death: The Fall of X-O Manowar #1 - 10,112
190 Bloodshot Reborn #7 - 9,716
210 Ninjak #8 - 8,114
220 Rai #11 - 7,549
232 X-O Manowar #41 - 6,923
263 Ivar, Timewalker #10 - 5,603
265 Unity #23 - 5,429
272 Imperium #9 - 5,191

17 Harbinger Vol. 1 - 2,982
139 Dead Drop 870 - 870
161 Ivar, Timewalker Vol. 2 - 752

[Phoenix8008]

96 Book of Death #4 - 23,205
181 Book of Death: The Fall of X-O Manowar #1 - 10,112
190 Bloodshot Reborn #7 - 9,716
210 Ninjak #8 - 8,114
220 Rai #11 - 7,549
232 X-O Manowar #41 - 6,923
263 Ivar, Timewalker #10 - 5,603
265 Unity #23 - 5,429
272 Imperium #9 - 5,191

17 Harbinger Vol. 1 - 2,982
139 Dead Drop 870 - 870
161 Ivar, Timewalker Vol. 2 - 752

Great to see Bloodshot at nearly 10K on issue #7! I can see Ivar & Unity losing readers after being announced that they are ending, but how the heck is Imperium doing so poorly? Maybe too many people assuming that the series is ending at 12 because Valiant is getting a reputation as mostly doing maxi-series/limited runs?

[wwise03]

Great to see Bloodshot at nearly 10K on issue #7! I can see Ivar & Unity losing readers after being announced that they are ending, but how the heck is Imperium doing so poorly? Maybe too many people assuming that the series is ending at 12 because Valiant is getting a reputation as mostly doing maxi-series/limited runs?

Valiant isn't helping itself by soliciting Imperium 12 as "THE VINE IMPERATIVE" - FINALE! Spy vs. superhuman!?

I assume that means that issue 12 is the finale of The Vine Imperative storyline, but I have to admit that the solicitation is vague, ambiguous, and subject to multiple readings and interpretations that make it unclear. I am sure many will read that as the finale of the entire series. Frankly, I can't say with 100% certainty whether that is the end of the arc or the whole book.

[kjjohanson]

Great to see Bloodshot at nearly 10K on issue #7! I can see Ivar & Unity losing readers after being announced that they are ending, but how the heck is Imperium doing so poorly? Maybe too many people assuming that the series is ending at 12 because Valiant is getting a reputation as mostly doing maxi-series/limited runs?

Valiant isn't helping itself by soliciting Imperium 12 as "THE VINE IMPERATIVE" - FINALE! Spy vs. superhuman!?

I assume that means that issue 12 is the finale of The Vine Imperative storyline, but I have to admit that the solicitation is vague, ambiguous, and subject to multiple readings and interpretations that make it unclear. I am sure many will read that as the finale of the entire series. Frankly, I can't say with 100% certainty whether that is the end of the arc or the whole book.

We were told at NYCC that Imperium continues beyond #12.

[jeremycoe]

Every arc has a finale. It's almost always solicited as such. Imperium's sales have always been poor.

[krylox]

96 Book of Death #4 - 23,205
181 Book of Death: The Fall of X-O Manowar #1 - 10,112
190 Bloodshot Reborn #7 - 9,716
210 Ninjak #8 - 8,114
220 Rai #11 - 7,549
232 X-O Manowar #41 - 6,923
263 Ivar, Timewalker #10 - 5,603
265 Unity #23 - 5,429
272 Imperium #9 - 5,191

looks like monthly sales have stabilized. good for vei. and valiant fans.

17 Harbinger Vol. 1 - 2,982

is this the hardcover?? or the tpb? either way, fantastic numbers.

[BugsySig]

96 Book of Death #4 - 23,205
181 Book of Death: The Fall of X-O Manowar #1 - 10,112
190 Bloodshot Reborn #7 - 9,716
210 Ninjak #8 - 8,114
220 Rai #11 - 7,549
232 X-O Manowar #41 - 6,923
263 Ivar, Timewalker #10 - 5,603
265 Unity #23 - 5,429
272 Imperium #9 - 5,191

looks like monthly sales have stabilized. good for vei. and valiant fans.

17 Harbinger Vol. 1 - 2,982

is this the hardcover?? or the tpb? either way, fantastic numbers.

I believe that's the TPB. It had a sudden explosion of orders. Possibly tied to the Faith series announcement

[rkjock1]

96 Book of Death #4 - 23,205
181 Book of Death: The Fall of X-O Manowar #1 - 10,112
190 Bloodshot Reborn #7 - 9,716
210 Ninjak #8 - 8,114
220 Rai #11 - 7,549
232 X-O Manowar #41 - 6,923
263 Ivar, Timewalker #10 - 5,603
265 Unity #23 - 5,429
272 Imperium #9 - 5,191

17 Harbinger Vol. 1 - 2,982
139 Dead Drop 870 - 870
161 Ivar, Timewalker Vol. 2 - 752

Great to see Bloodshot at nearly 10K on issue #7! I can see Ivar & Unity losing readers after being announced that they are ending, but how the heck is Imperium doing so poorly? Maybe too many people assuming that the series is ending at 12 because Valiant is getting a reputation as mostly doing maxi-series/limited runs?

REALLY?!?!? I mean I see A LOT of whining about this on the Board here, but I haven't heard anyone talk about it in my LCS. So I'd argue strongly that that isn't true at all.

For the record, Valiant ended 1, just 1 series at 12 issues. Quantum and Woody. Timewalker is only the second series to be announced to do so. Beyond that, Eternal Warrior and Shadowman were both cancelled. As happens sometimes. All the rest of the series have run 25 issues plus (including zeros and other special projects.) That's pretty par for the course in the modern market for nearly all non-marquee titles. Hell, both Marvel and DC have cancelled better than a dozen books in the last year at around 12 issues.

[jmatt]

Imperium and Ivar are the best. Sad to see them being overlooked.

[grendeljd]

Imperium and Ivar are the best. Sad to see them being overlooked.

+1 - I can never fathom why some of the best written books don't gain traction with more readers.

[ShadowTuga]

Imperium and Ivar are the best. Sad to see them being overlooked.

+1 - I can never fathom why some of the best written books don't gain traction with more readers.

The best book is Quantum & Woody.
Awards, mates.

Count me on the side of those who worship Imperium and on the side of those who really like Ivar and are sad to see it go, given the potential for plotlines. I know, It will return, probably under the title of "Walk of the Timewalker" after another crossover/event, given current trends, but no FVL is a SQUEE.

[grendeljd]

Imperium and Ivar are the best. Sad to see them being overlooked.

+1 - I can never fathom why some of the best written books don't gain traction with more readers.

The best book is Quantum & Woody.
Awards, mates.

Count me on the side of those who worship Imperium and on the side of those who really like Ivar and are sad to see it go, given the potential for plotlines. I know, It will return, probably under the title of "Walk of the Timewalker" after another crossover/event, given current trends, but no FVL is a SQUEE.

Yes!! I wish FVL had something new lined up at Valiant after Ivar!

[Keith]

Imperium and Ivar are the best. Sad to see them being overlooked.

+1 - I can never fathom why some of the best written books don't gain traction with more readers.

The best book is Quantum & Woody.
Awards, mates.

Count me on the side of those who worship Imperium and on the side of those who really like Ivar and are sad to see it go, given the potential for plotlines. I know, It will return, probably under the title of "Walk of the Timewalker" after another crossover/event, given current trends, but no FVL is a SQUEE.

Yes!! I wish FVL had something new lined up at Valiant after Ivar!

He's indicated that there is more FVL work to come... hopefully an announcement is on it's way!

[TheFerg714]

Hard to believe that DC is at half the Market Share of Marvel, and that Image is around half the market share of DC! I mean, I understand how badly DC has seemed to be doing lately, but it's weird to see after so many years of them and Marvel hogging up 70-80% of the market share together.

Isn't most of Marvels lead right now based off of NEW NUMBER #1's ALL THINGS CHANGE HERE marketing push along with WE HAVE STAR WARS WE HAVE STAR WARS no one cared to much about Star Wars comics but now that Disney and Marvel have it everyone cares.

Well, there is that. But also due to DC going downhill since their "NEW NUMBER 1'S ALL THINGS CHANGE HERE" a couple years ago. And then the recent "MOST THINGS ARE CHANGING AGAIN NOW, BUT WE'RE NOT RENUMBERING THINGS AGAIN, BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T WORK BEFORE, SO IT'S EVEN MORE CONFUSING".

How can you say that? Marvel "relaunches" literally twice as much and gets more readers every time.