COMICS: September Sees DC Overtake Marvel As Publisher With Highest Market Share!

COMICS: September Sees DC Overtake Marvel As Publisher With Highest Market Share!

September saw Marvel being beaten down by DC, who completely dominated the top 50 books sold as well as overtaking them as the publisher with the highest market share. But did they really win? Well...

News
By JoshWilding - Oct 07, 2011 01:10 PM EST
Filed Under: Other
Source: Digital Spy



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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1 2 3
m1312020
m1312020 - 10/7/2011, 2:06 PM
Whatever happened to superguys article that was just
here?Can you at least reprint my first comment I believe it
still stands for this new article.
AiyalKilU
AiyalKilU - 10/7/2011, 2:06 PM
complete ownage
batmanrises
batmanrises - 10/7/2011, 2:07 PM
JLA, Hawkman, Green Lantern Corps and JLA Dark were all awesome.
m1312020
m1312020 - 10/7/2011, 2:09 PM
Does anyone else think whoever Warren Ellis is is a
Douche.Print is dying instead of cheering for failure
maybe he should look for a way to save it for a little
longer.
BooYah
BooYah - 10/7/2011, 2:13 PM
Are you guys ready for 6 pages full of comments in a all out Marvel vs DC war?

Cause that's whats going to happen on this article. DC fans will brag and Marvel fans will find excuses. I'm prepared.
MassExecutions
MassExecutions - 10/7/2011, 2:17 PM
Huh, good job DC. I won't begrudge them success. Whether they retain it will be the true test.

I'd like to know when the last time this happened was.
spiderneil
spiderneil - 10/7/2011, 2:19 PM
it wont last. once the hype of the relaunch dies down it will business as usual with marvel taking the lion's share of comic sales.

Ne0Baggins
Ne0Baggins - 10/7/2011, 2:19 PM
B-but MARVEL has more movies and-and Green Lantern sucked lol. Nice attention article. Great set-up.
Simonsonrules
Simonsonrules - 10/7/2011, 2:20 PM
@BooYah: I'm ready.

DC might very well have a larger share in October and perhaps even in November and December. Sales will fall off eventually, however. By 2012 all will be as it was.

Ultimately this is a weak and not very creative stunt to raise money. And just to be fair: I don't like the reboots / new no. 1s / renumbering schemes from either company.
batmanrises
batmanrises - 10/7/2011, 2:20 PM
oh yeah and even if it's momentary...



;)
m1312020
m1312020 - 10/7/2011, 2:20 PM
@Gaston I don't care how good he is comics in print are
dying cheering it along does not help.This market share
has been dropping in print comics for the last decade.
Douche move that doesn't help anyone.
spiderneil
spiderneil - 10/7/2011, 2:20 PM
anyway marvel owns the cinema. xmen, cap and thor v GL.
PaulRom
PaulRom - 10/7/2011, 2:21 PM
DC is definitely owning Marvel in comics right now. Better quality stuff IMO (though the new Daredevil and Punisher lines are great).
MaddMonkk
MaddMonkk - 10/7/2011, 2:22 PM
Don't go buy that new Acura or get that mansion in Malibu just yet DC execs! Just like Image it will be boobies and ice cream for awhile but don't get that 4 million dollar baseball when the record will be broken a week later. Wait a few Wednesday's and we'll see what happens.
CaptainAmerica
CaptainAmerica - 10/7/2011, 2:23 PM
Ok here goes lol, I wish Marvel did this 0_o A reboot would be cool, there's so many retcons that it wouldn't matter anyways.
ThatFan
ThatFan - 10/7/2011, 2:30 PM
who gives a sh!t
CaptainAmerica
CaptainAmerica - 10/7/2011, 2:31 PM
@Tea, speaking of dark horses, where's Leee at? Lol
Ne0Baggins
Ne0Baggins - 10/7/2011, 2:32 PM
Jokes aside, DC does have the comics and animation thing on lock- Even though I was a bit underwhelmed by Batman and the Dark Knight #1s'.
BooYah
BooYah - 10/7/2011, 2:34 PM
Photobucket
Ne0Baggins
Ne0Baggins - 10/7/2011, 2:40 PM
lol@BooYah
marvel72
marvel72 - 10/7/2011, 2:42 PM
do the sales over a year & see who comes out on top then.

well done dc you've beaten marvel one month this year,just watch for the second issue drop.

say some readers brought all 52 issue 1s,how many people would continue buying all 52 titles.

not many if you ask me,i haven't even started reading them yet i'm waiting for the trades.
jjmeylar
jjmeylar - 10/7/2011, 2:48 PM
I'm happy. The sales were great and that improved sales for other comics and comic shops. Tom Brevoort mentioned how a win foe DC is a win for Marvel and vice versa.
m1312020
m1312020 - 10/7/2011, 2:51 PM
@marvel72 Don't you read the trades for everything?
You should look for trade sales you don't help the sales
here in anyway.Don't worry when they all go digital I'll
probably join ya if trades still exist.
Gunslinger
Gunslinger - 10/7/2011, 2:53 PM
Wow, DC finally overtook Marvel in comic sales! Who'd have known all it took was to reboot their entire line? Now, if they manage to do that every month Marvel will never be able to catch up!

Oh, wait...
Minghagz
Minghagz - 10/7/2011, 2:53 PM
No hate on Marvel but I am happy for DC because I've always enjoyed DC a tad bit more.
Minghagz
Minghagz - 10/7/2011, 2:55 PM
@teabag

I wish I could sleep on those pillows everynight.
m1312020
m1312020 - 10/7/2011, 2:56 PM
Does anyone know how much the percentage was down are up from last year?
The last I read print comics in genral where dropping each month by 10%.
SageMode
SageMode - 10/7/2011, 2:56 PM
Marvel72
do the sales over a year & see who comes out on top then.

well done dc you've beaten marvel one month this year,just watch for the second issue drop.

say some readers brought all 52 issue 1s,how many people would continue buying all 52 titles.

not many if you ask me,i haven't even started reading them yet i'm waiting for the trades.

My words exactly. Marvel and DC have been pretty even as far as sales go before Civil War came out, then it was a wrap.
m1312020
m1312020 - 10/7/2011, 2:59 PM
@0SageMode0 Ya do sales in a year if they stayed same after Civil War in comics wouldn't exist,but as computer
memory.
marvel72
marvel72 - 10/7/2011, 3:04 PM
@ m1312020

yeah man,i've got far to many comics.its only been like the last five years i've been reading trades & i've been collecting comics since 84/85.

i had to start buying trades because they're cheaper & don't take up as much space.

i've just got the new venom trade issues 1-5,i'm abit behind but i don't mind.

if i brought those 5 issues as single comics it would cost me £13.25 but i brought the trade for £10.34.

gotta save money where you can.
m1312020
m1312020 - 10/7/2011, 3:11 PM
@marvel72 Ya I look around all the boxes I have and I've
been only collecting sence 93.I hear ya with the money too,it gets expensive quick.

m1312020
m1312020 - 10/7/2011, 3:15 PM
@Intruder I'm shocked here I thought you where a DC fanboy.
This is a first Intruder saying something bad about Dc
what will happen next.Simply shocked.
Photobucket
m1312020
m1312020 - 10/7/2011, 3:23 PM
@Intruder Wow your still talking.Man you never get old.
man I see you more in the DC articles then the Marvel
ones,don't you find anything Marvel does interesting at all?
DC fanboy to the extreme right here
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