Comics

Hydra Helps Marvel Dominate May’s Comics Market With Secret Empire

Marvel Comics’ controversial Secret Empire event seems to be taking over comic book stores just as […]

Marvel Comics‘ controversial Secret Empire event seems to be taking over comic book stores just as Captain America is leading Hydra to take over the United State in the Marvel universe.

Nick Spencer, Steve McNiven, and Jay Leisten’s Secret Empire #1 was the best-selling comic book of May according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors.Marvel Comics was May’s top publisher with a 38.05% dollar share and a 39.91% unit share. DC Entertainment was second in May with a 27.93% dollar share and a 30.88% unit share. In third was Image Comics with a 10.25% dollar share and

Videos by ComicBook.com

Marvel Comics was May’s top publisher with a 38.05% dollar share and a 39.91% unit share. DC Entertainment was second in May with a 27.93% dollar share and a 30.88% unit share. In third was Image Comics with a 10.25% dollar share and an 11.83% unit share. In fourth was IDW Publishing with a 4.65% dollar share and a 3.78% unit share, followed by Dark Horse Comics with a 3.05% dollar share and a 2.21% unit share.

Marvel Comics had six titles in May’s top ten. In addition to Secret Empire #1, Mike Costa and Tradd Moore’s Venom #150 ranked #2; Christopher Hastings, Edgar Salazar, and Allen Martinez’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout #1 ranked #5; Nick Spencer, Andrea Sorrentino, and Rod Reis’ Secret Empire #2 ranked #6; Spencer, Sorrentino, and Reis’ Secret Empire #3 ranked 8; and Gerry Duggan and Aaron Kuder’s All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #1 ranked #9.

DC Entertainment had three titles in the top ten: the lenticular edition of Batman #22, the third chapter of “The Button” by Tom King, Joshua Williamson, and Jason Fabok, ranked #3; the lenticular edition of The Flash #22, the final chapter of “The Button” by Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter, ranked #4; and King and Mitch Gerads’ Batman #23 ranked #7. Image Comics’ The Walking Dead #167 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Stefano Gaudino, and Cliff Rathburn was the publisher’s best-selling book at #10.

Among the Diamond’s premier publishers, P. Craig Russell and Scott Hampton’s Neil Gaiman’s American Gods: Shadows #3 was Dark Horse Comics’ top book at #95, while IDW Publishing’s top-ranked book was Batman/TMNT Adventures #6, the final chapter of their crossover with DC Entertainment, at #114.

May Graphic Novels Sales

Artist Rob Liefeld, the creator of Deadpool, returned to the character with writers Chris Sims and Chad Bowers in Marvel Comics’ original graphic novel, Deadpool: Bad Blood, the best-selling graphic novel of May. Also among Marvel Comics’ three graphic novels in the top ten were Mark Waid and Humberto Ramos’ Champions Volume 1: Change the World at #7 and Jason Aaron and Olivier Coipel’s The Unworthy Thor at #9.

Image Comics had three titles in the top ten: Kelly Sue DeConnick, Valentine De Landro, and Taki Soma’s Bitch Planet Volume 2: President Bitch at #2; Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Saga Volume 7 at #3; and Moonshine Volume 1 at #5.

DC Entertainment had four titles in the top ten: Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott’s Wonder Woman Volume 2: Year One at #4; The Flash Volume 2: The Speed of Darkness at #6; Batman: Detective Comics Volume 2: The Victim Syndicate at #8; and Gerard Way, Nick Derington, and Tom Fowler’s Doom Patrol Volume 1: Brick by Brick at #10.

Deadpool Bad Blood

ย 

May Books, Toys, And Games Sales

Dark Horse Comics’ He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: A Character Guide and World Compendium, a guidebook to the 1980s animated television series, was May’s best-selling book. Of note, Harcourt’s Neil Gaiman Coloring Book ranked #4 and Titan Books’ The Art and Making of Wonder Woman, a look behind the scenes of the blockbuster film, ranked #6.

Bandai’s Power Rangers Legacy: Dragonzord was May’s best-selling toy. DC Collectibles had three products among the top ten: the Wonder Woman Movie: Wonder Woman on Horseback Deluxe Statue ranked #2, the Gotham City Garage: Wonder Woman Statue ranked #9, and the DC TV: Supergirl Action Figure ranked #10.

WizKids/NECA’s Marvel HeroClix: Avengers/Defenders War Booster Brick was May’s best-selling game product (check out ComicBook.com’sย unboxing here). Also in the top ten from WizKids/NECA was the DC HeroClix: Wonder Woman Pack at #5 (previewed here). IDW Publishing had two products in the top ten: the Machi Koro Card Game ranked #8 and the Escape from 100 Million BC Board Game ranked #9.

Check out Diamonds charts and full top ten lists below.

ย 

May Sales Charts

PUBLISHER MARKET SHARES

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHERSHARE
MARVEL COMICS38.05%
DC ENTERTAINMENT27.93%
IMAGE COMICS10.25%
IDW PUBLISHING4.65%
DARK HORSE COMICS3.05%
BOOM! STUDIOS2.10%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT1.72%
TITAN COMICS1.18%
VIZ MEDIA1.12%
ONI PRESS INC.0.89%
OTHER NON-TOP 109.06%
ย 
UNIT MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHERSHARE
MARVEL COMICS39.91%
DC ENTERTAINMENT30.88%
IMAGE COMICS11.83%
IDW PUBLISHING3.78%
DARK HORSE COMICS2.21%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT1.85%
BOOM! STUDIOS1.74%
TITAN COMICS0.99%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC0.80%
ONI PRESS INC.0.59%
OTHER NON-TOP 105.42%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

ย DOLLARSUNITS
MAY 2017 VS. APRIL 2017
COMICS16.49%17.36%
GRAPHIC NOVELS17.13%19.52%
TOTAL COMICS/GN16.69%17.53%
TOYS52.15%52.94%
MAY 2017 VS. MAY 2016
COMICS10.58%16.74%
GRAPHIC NOVELS3.54%13.65%
TOTAL COMICS/GN8.31%16.49%
TOYS40.46%29.34%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2017 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2016
COMICS0.11%8.89%
GRAPHIC NOVELS-9.23%-8.72%
TOTAL COMICS/GN-2.92%7.35%
TOYS1.14%1.10%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHERCOMICS SHIPPEDGRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPEDMAGAZINES SHIPPEDTOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS99430142
DC ENTERTAINMENT82340116
IMAGE COMICS7114186
IDW PUBLISHING5915074
BOOM ENTERTAINMENT2610036
TITAN COMICS227433
DARK HORSE COMICS2012032
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT237030
ONI PRESS INC.64010
VIZ MEDIA0909
OTHER NON-TOP 1011920328350

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANKDESCRIPTIONPRICEITEM CODEVENDOR
1SECRET EMPIRE #1$4.99MAR170901-MMAR
2VENOM #150$5.99MAR171008-MMAR
3BATMAN #22 LENTICULAR EDITION$3.99NOV169207DC
4THE FLASH #22 LENTICULAR EDITION$3.99NOV169210DC
5GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: MISSION BREAKOUT #1$4.99MAR171072-MMAR
6SECRET EMPIRE #2$4.99MAR170910-MMAR
7BATMAN #23$2.99MAR170274-MDC
8SECRET EMPIRE #3$3.99MAR170915-MMAR
9ALL-NEW GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #1$3.99MAR170937-MMAR
10THE WALKING DEAD #167 (MR)$2.99MAR170791IMA

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANKDESCRIPTIONPRICEITEM CODEVENDOR
1DEADPOOL: BAD BLOOD OGN HC$24.99DEC161086-MMAR
2BITCH PLANET VOLUME 2: PRESIDENT BITCH TP (MR)$14.99MAY160684-MIMA
3SAGA VOLUME 7 TP (MR)$14.99JAN170850IMA
4WONDER WOMAN VOLUME 2: YEAR ONE TP$16.99FEB170298DC
5MOONSHINE VOLUME 1 TP (MR)$9.99FEB170696-MIMA
6THE FLASH VOLUME 2: THE SPEED OF DARKNESS TP$14.99FEB170294DC
7CHAMPIONS VOLUME 1: CHANGE THE WORLD TP$15.99FEB170982MAR
8BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOLUME 2: VICTIM SYNDICATE$16.99FEB170293DC
9THE UNWORTHY THOR TP$15.99FEB170983MAR
10DOOM PATROL VOLUME 1: BRICK BY BRICK TP (MR)$16.99FEB170287DC

TOP 10 BOOKS

RANKDESCRIPTIONPRICEITEM CODEVENDOR
1HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE: A CHARACTER GUIDE AND WORLD COMPENDIUM HC$49.99JAN170145DAR
2HARRY POTTER: TALKING SORTING HAT & STICKER BOOK$12.95FEB172232HAC
3THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 117 SC$14.95FEB172238SAN
4NEIL GAIMAN COLORING BOOK$15.99FEB172228HAR
5WONDER WOMAN: ULTIMATE GUIDE TO THE AMAZON WARRIOR HC$24.99APR172263DK
6THE ART AND MAKING OF WONDER WOMAN HC$39.95MAR172111RAN
7SPECTACULAR SISTERHOOD OF SUPERWOMEN HC$24.95MAR172334RAN
8THE ART AND MAKING OF ALIEN: COVENANT HC$39.95FEB171976RAN
9TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: OFFICIAL PIZZA COOKBOOK HC$24.99MAR172348POC
10NIGHT NIGHT GROOT PICTURE BOOK$12.99FEB172210HAC

TOP 10 TOYS

RANKDESCRIPTIONITEM CODEVENDOR
1POWER RANGERS LEGACY: DRAGONZORDFEB142135BAN
2WONDER WOMAN MOVIE: WONDER WOMAN ON HORSEBACK DELUXE STATUENOV160368DC
3FINAL FANTASY VII: VINCENT VALENTINE STATIC ARTS GALLERYAUG168855SQU
4DARK SOULS II DXF V1: BEARER OF THE CURSE FIGUREAUG168152BAN
5MARVEL UNIVERSE VARIANT PLAY ARTS KAI: DEADPOOL FIGUREOCT168088SQU
6MARVEL NOW! SUPER DEADPOOL ARTFX STATUEOCT162924KOT
7POP! DC HEROES: DARK KNIGHT RETURNS CARRIE KELLY VINYL FIGUREOCT158905FUN
8POWER RANGERS LEGACY: DRAGON DAGGERFEB142136BAN
9GOTHAM CITY GARAGE: WONDER WOMAN STATUEDEC160416DC
10DCTV: SUPERGIRL ACTION FIGURENOV160373DC

TOP 10 GAMES

RANKDESCRIPTIONITEM CODEVENDOR
1MARVEL HEROCLIX: AVENGERS/DEFENDERS WAR BOOSTER BRICKJAN173249NEC
2MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: AMONKHET BOOSTER PACKSDEC168751WIZ
3PATHFINDER ROLEPLAYING GAME BEGINNER BOX NEW EDITONSEP138188PAI
4DC COMICS HEROCLIX: WONDER WOMANJAN173247NEC
5YU-GI-OH! MAXIMUM CRISISMAR173362KON
6MONOPOLY DRAGON BALL Z EDITIONMAR173383USA
7MIRACULOUS THROWDOWN CARD GAMEJUN161009ACT
8MACHI KORO CARD GAMEMAY142831IDW
9ESCAPE FROM 100 MILLION BC BOARD GAMEAUG160552IDW
10AMC’S THE WALKING DEAD MONOPOLYAPR173290USA

ย 

More

MORE COMICS: Marvel Announces Legacy Details And Brand New Avengers Teamย /ย The DC Universe Faces An Army Of Evil Batmen In Dark Nights: Metal Crossovers & Tie-Ins / 20th Century FOX Invests In BOOM! Studios / AfterShock Comics Announces Cullen Bunn’s Dark Ark Series