Effective April 2017, Diamond Comic Distributors has assumed exclusive worldwide sales and distribution for Heavy Metal Media, LLC in comic shop and book markets for graphic novels, trade paperback, and hardcover book publications. Diamond will continue to distribute Heavy Metal Magazine’s bimonthly issues to comic shop and specialty stores as well.
Read MoreWe Need To Talk... Big Trouble/Escape From NY Takes The Top Spot In October
By Dustin Cabeal
Hey, there kiddos. Yeah, come on in and sit down, we need to talk. First, you're probably wondering if your mom and I are getting a divorce and the answer is yes. You see, I've loved your mom since I was a little kid. I remember her fondly in the pages of Spider-Man and Captain America. Later that love grew into X-Men and Batman. I grew up some, and we saw each other less and less.
Read MoreComic Industry: Diamond, Penguin Random House UK Expand Doctor Who Book Distribution Deal
Penguin Random House UK has expanded its distribution deal with Diamond Comic Distributors (DCD) to sell and promote its entire line of Doctor Who books and novels to comic book specialty stores, bookstores, mass-market merchandisers, libraries and other outlets in the United States. Previously, Diamond represented only Penguin Random House’s young adult and children's line of Doctor Who books and novels, but the deal has now been expanded to include its adult line of Doctor Who titles.
Robert Waddington, International Sales Director, Penguin Random House UK comments: “Diamond Comic Distributors have proven themselves a strong partner on our young adult Doctor Who range, and we are delighted to now be selling our adult list through them as well. We feel very positive about our relationship moving forward, and 2017 will be a big year for Doctor Who with the series returning to television.”
Penguin Random House UK has published hundreds of books and novels in its Doctor Who line and releases coming soon include reprints of the 60’s classic tales, Doctor Who and the Crusaders, Doctor Who and the Daleks, and Doctor Who and the Zarbi. Penguin Random House UK also boasts a strong backlist of Doctor. Who titles, led by Doctor Who: Who-ology, Doctor Who: The Official Quiz Book, and Doctor Who: Beautiful Chaos."Doctor Who has always been an important brand license for Diamond and we’re happy expand our deal with Penguin Books UK to represent their entire line of Doctor Who books in the United States," said Tim Leneghan, Executive Director-Purchasing for Diamond Comic Distributors.
"Doctor Who has always been an important brand license for Diamond and we’re happy expand our deal with Penguin Books UK to represent their entire line of Doctor Who books in the United States," said Tim Leneghan, Executive Director-Purchasing for Diamond Comic Distributors.
Comic Industry: July Sales -- You Done Did DC... You Took The Month
If there is one fucking month of sales you want to "win" at it's July. It's the middle of the year, it's Comic-Con, it's... summer. Whatever that means. DC's rebirth gamble paid off and showed that you can soft reboot your way to the top of the sales chart the Marvel way. That's right, soft reboot which basically just means numbering and status quo shake ups. If you read comics you should be used to this by now. What's surprising to me is the turd that took the top spot... Justice League. I mean I guess everyone didn't know it was a turd when they ordered/bought it, but I can only hope that issue 2 will drop significantly. If that maintains then clearly I am not meant to read mainstream comics and will just cease any effort in doing so. From Diamond:
Alien machines threaten Earth and the Justice League reforms to defeat them in Bryan Hitch, Tony S. Daniel, and Sandu Florea's Justice League #1 from DC Entertainment, the best-selling comic book of July 2016 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.
Their sales powered by Rebirth, DC Entertainment was July's top publisher with a 35.36% dollar share and a 40.96% unit share. Marvel Comics was the month's number two publisher with a 34.20% dollar share and a 35.69% unit share. At number three was Image Comics with a 8.15% dollar share and a 7.56% unit share. IDW Publishing was fourth with a 4.49% dollar share and a 3.00% unit share, followed by Dark Horse Comics with a 2.83% dollar share and 1.98% units share.
DC Entertainment had eight of the month's top ten best-selling comics; beyond Justice League #1, Justice League Rebirth #1 ranked #2, Batman #2 ranked #3, Batman #3 ranked #5, Nightwing Rebirth #1 ranked #6, New Super-Man #1 ranked #8, Nightwing #1 ranked #9, and Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #1 ranked #10. Marvel Comics had two titles in the top ten; Brian Michael Bendis and David Marquez's Civil War II #3 ranked #4, and Civil War II #4 ranked #7. Among the premier publishers, Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard's The Walking Dead #156 was Image Comics' best-selling book in July at #32. Chris Ryall, Christos Gage, and David Messina's ROM #1 was IDW Publishing's top book at #75. Finally, Dark Horse Comics' top book, Jeff Lemire and Dean Ormston's Black Hammer #1, ranked #117.
Marjorie M. Liu and Sana Takeda's steampunk kaiju story Monstress Volume 1 from Image Comics was July's best-selling graphic novel and one of the four titles from Image Comics among the top ten. DC Entertainment had two titles among the top ten, led by Harley Quinn's Greatest Hits, a collection of stories featuring the fan-favorite character, at #2. Charles Soule and Marco Checchetto's Star Wars: Obi-Wan and Anakin was Marvel Comics' best-selling book at #4 and one of their three titles among the top ten.
The softcover edition of Gemstone Publishing's The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide Volume 46 was July's best-selling book.
Good Smile's The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D: Link Nendoroid, a recreation of the beloved Nintendo hero, was July's best-selling toy product. Diamond Select Toys had four titles among the month's top ten, led by Marvel Select: Carnage Action Figure at #2. Also in the top ten, DC Collectibles had two titles in the top ten, with the DC Comics Blueline: Superman Action Figure, a unique figure based on Jim Lee's pencil artwork, their best-selling product at #5.
USAopoly's Risk: The Walking Dead Survival Edition, a specialized edition of the venerable board game inspired by Image Comics' The Walking Dead, returned to the top of the sales charts as July's best-selling game product. IDW Publishing's IDW Games division also had a strong showing in July with five products among the top ten, led by the Machi Koro Deluxe Edition Card Game at #2.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
| PUBLISHER | DOLLAR
SHARE |
UNIT
SHARE |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 35.36% | 40.96% |
| MARVEL COMICS | 34.20% | 35.69% |
| IMAGE COMICS | 8.15% | 7.56% |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 4.49% | 3.00% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 2.83% | 1.98% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 2.05% | 1.68% |
| ARCHIE COMICS | 1.36% | 1.26% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 1.19% | 0.95% |
| ONI PRESS INC. | 1.14% | 0.84% |
| VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC | 1.06% | 1.03% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 8.18% | 5.06% |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
| JULY 2016 VS. JUNE 2016 | ||
| COMICS | -8.15% | -3.24% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -26.54% | -35.83% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -13.77% | -6.16% |
| JULY 2016 VS. JULY 2015 | ||
| COMICS | 4.32% | 12.01% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -19.12% | -28.26% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -3.01% | 8.28% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2015 | ||
| COMICS | -2.59% | -5.39% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 2.42% | 0.26% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -1.08% | -4.94% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
| PUBLISHER | COMICS SHIPPED | GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED | MAGAZINES SHIPPED | TOTAL
SHIPPED |
| MARVEL COMICS | 97 | 33 | 0 | 130 |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 63 | 31 | 0 | 94 |
| IMAGE COMICS | 61 | 11 | 1 | 73 |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 37 | 13 | 0 | 50 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 21 | 18 | 0 | 39 |
| BOOM ENTERTAINMENT | 21 | 10 | 0 | 31 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 19 | 7 | 0 | 26 |
| VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC | 11 | 5 | 0 | 16 |
| ONI PRESS INC. | 13 | 2 | 0 | 15 |
| ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS | 10 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 102 | 144 | 23 | 269 |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 [*] | $2.99 | MAY160206-M | DC |
| 2 | JUSTICE LEAGUE REBIRTH #1 [*] | $2.99 | MAY160204-M | DC |
| 3 | BATMAN #2 [*] | $2.99 | MAY160234-M | DC |
| 4 | CIVIL WAR II #3 | $4.99 | APR160862-M | MAR |
| 5 | BATMAN #3 [*] | $2.99 | MAY160236-M | DC |
| 6 | NIGHTWING REBIRTH #1 [*] | $2.99 | MAY160216-M | DC |
| 7 | CIVIL WAR II #4 | $4.99 | MAY160747-M | MAR |
| 8 | NEW SUPER MAN #1 [*] | $2.99 | MAY160224-M | DC |
| 9 | NIGHTWING #1 [*] | $2.99 | MAY160218-M | DC |
| 10 | HAL JORDAN & THE GREEN LANTERN CORPS REBIRTH #1 [*] | $2.99 | MAY160208-M | DC |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | MONSTRESS VOLUME 1 TP (MR) | $9.99 | APR160803-M | IMA |
| 2 | HARLEY QUINN'S GREATEST HITS TP | $9.99 | MAR168712 | DC |
| 3 | BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL EDITION HC | $17.99 | NOV070226 | DC |
| 4 | STAR WARS: OBI-WAN AND ANAKIN TP | $16.99 | APR161092 | MAR |
| 5 | HUCK TP | $14.99 | APR160798-M | IMA |
| 6 | SOUTHERN BASTARDS VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING TP (MR) | $14.99 | FEB160707 | IMA |
| 7 | SAGA VOLUME 6 TP (MR) | $14.99 | MAR160684 | IMA |
| 8 | BONE CODA 25TH ANNIVERSARY TP | $14.95 | MAY161334 | CAR |
| 9 | WOLVERINE: OLD MAN LOGAN VOLUME 1: BERZERKER TP | $16.99 | APR161078 | MAR |
| 10 | AGENTS OF SHIELD VOLUME 1: COULSON PROTOCOLS TP | $17.99 | APR161086 | MAR |
TOP 10 BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | THE OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOLUME 46 SC | $29.95 | APR161667-M | GEM |
| 2 | THE OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOLUME 46 HC | $35.00 | APR161668-M | GEM |
| 3 | STAR WARS LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK: I AM A PRINCESS | $4.99 | MAY162079 | RAN |
| 4 | STAR WARS LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK: I AM A SITH | $4.99 | MAY162080 | RAN |
| 5 | ERIC POWELL COLORING BOOK VOLUME 1 SC | $10.99 | MAY161048 | ALB |
| 6 | DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: SUPERGIRL AT SUPER HERO HIGH HC | $13.99 | MAY162038 | RAN |
| 7 | DC COMICS COLORING BOOK SC | $15.99 | MAY162059 | POC |
| 8 | LITTLE GRUMPY CAT THAT WOULDN'T LITTLE GOLDEN BOOK | $4.99 | MAY162041 | RAN |
| 9 | BIG BIG OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOLUME 46 | $47.50 | MAY161536 | GEM |
| 10 | THE OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOLUME 46 HALL-OF-FAME EDITION SC | $29.95 | MAY161534 | GEM |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | LEGEND OF ZELDA: MAJORA'S MASK 3D: LINK NENDOROID | JUL158281 | GOO |
| 2 | MARVEL SELECT: CARNAGE ACTION FIGURE | NOV142179 | DST |
| 3 | X-MEN LEGENDS 6-INCH ACTION FIGURES | APR168678 | HAS |
| 4 | MARVEL SELECT: VENOM ACTION FIGURE | AUG121762 | DST |
| 5 | DC COMICS BLUELINE: SUPERMAN ACTION FIGURE | MAR160334 | DC |
| 6 | MOVIE REALIZATION STAR WARS: AKAZONAE ROYAL GUARD FIGURE | AUG158040 | BLU |
| 7 | THE X-FILES 2016 SELECT ACTION FIGURES | JAN162247 | DST |
| 8 | DC COMICS COVER GIRLS: POWER GIRL STATUE | OCT150298 | DC |
| 9 | METAL GEAR SOLID: SNIPER WOLF BISHOUJO STATUE | DEC152338 | KOT |
| 10 | MARVEL SELECT CAPTAIN AMERICA CIVIL WAR: IRON MAN MK. 45 FIG. | JAN162254 | DST |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | RISK: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION | OCT128267 | USA |
| 2 | MACHI KORO DELUXE EDITION CARD GAME | JUN152743 | IDW |
| 3 | MACHI KORO CARD GAME | MAY142831 | IDW |
| 4 | THE GAME CARD GAME | SEP152625 | IDW |
| 5 | RANDOM ENCOUNTER CARD GAME | FEB160459 | IDW |
| 6 | FINDING DORY: DON'T WAKE GAME | JUL158674 | BAN |
| 7 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: SHADOWS OVER INNISTRAD BOOSTERS | FEB162979 | WIZ |
| 8 | MUNCHKIN CTHULHU: KATIE COOK GUEST ARTIST EDITION | APR163153 | PSI |
| 9 | AWESOME KINGDOM: MINES AND LABYRINTHS BOARD GAME EXPANSION | MAR160508 | IDW |
| 10 | TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES HEROCLIX | JAN162805 | NEC |