Well, I suppose this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise! After relaunching 52 comic books with #1 issues, DC overtook Marvel as the publisher with the highest market share.
Digital Spy reports that Diamond Comic Distributors' sales figures for last month show that DC holds 35.74% of the market in dollars and 43.04% in units sold, in comparison to Marvel's 35.7% and 37.88% respectively.
Not a huge difference admittedly, but this is the FIRST time in 2011 that DC have beaten Marvel's market share. However, the site put their "victory" into context with the following quotes from
Secret Avengers writer, Warren Ellis.
"So DC Comics' media-blitzed massive relaunch of its entire line in September got them this: A half-point lead in dollar share over Marvel Comics (who had one high-profile launch in the September frame). A five-point lead in units sold over Marvel Comics. But all those units DC sold are returnable. Thank god all those DC execs told everyone they weren't interested in market share. Otherwise someone might have come away with the notion that DC really intended to give Marvel a fight in the marketplace and make Marvel sort their own shit out. What a stroke of luck for everybody."
Well, that's definitely one way of looking at it! Here's another. 33 out of the top 50 books were from DC. Also, 8 out of the top 10. Of course, it won't be until the sales figures come out for this month that we seen who the real winners are...
1. Batman 1
2. Action Comics 1
3. Green Lantern 1
4. Flash 1
5. Superman 1
6. Detective Comics 1
7. Batman The Dark Knight 1
8. Fear Itself 6
9. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man 1
10. Batman And Robin 1
11. Green Lantern New Guardians 1
12. Batgirl 1
13. Wonder Woman 1
14. Green Lantern Corps 1
15. Teen Titans 1
16. Aquaman 1
17. Batwoman 1
18. Amazing Spider-Man 669
19. Red Lanterns 1
20. Justice League Dark 1
21. Nightwing 1
22. Ultimate Comics X-Men 1
23. Avengers 17
24. Justice League International 1
25. Uncanny X-Men 543
26. New Avengers 16
27. Amazing Spider-Man 670
28. Green Arrow 1
29. Swamp Thing 1
30. Captain America 3
31. Supergirl 1
32. Uncanny X-Force 15
33. Catwoman 1
34. FF 9
35. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man 2
36. X-Men Schism 4
37. New Avengers 16.1
38. Kick-Ass 2 4
39. Red Hood And The Outlaws 1
40. Birds Of Prey 1
41. Savage Hawkman 1
42. Superboy 1
43. New Avengers Annual 1
44. Justice League 1
45. Stormwatch 1
46. Fury of Firestorm The Nuclear Men 1
47. Legion of Super Heroes 1
48. Mighty Thor 6
49. Suicide Squad 1
50. Secret Avengers 17
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