DC is Kicking Some Marvel Ass

Diamond Comics, the primary distributor of comicbooks for publishers to retailers released industry statistics from September 2011 this morning and we get to see how DC's New 52 gamble impacted the rest of the market. 

SEP 2011 TOP PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER	RETAIL MARKET SHARE	% CHANGE FROM AUG	UNIT MARKET SHARE	% CHANGE FROM AUG
DC COMICS	35.74%	+5.02	43.04%	+8.20
MARVEL COMICS	35.37%	-1.97	37.88%	-4.59

For most of 2011, Marvel has held on to an average 39-46% of the retail/unit market and not once have they lost the coveted #1 spot to DC-- who has been comfortable at #2 for the last 3 years+.  Since the WB reshuffled DC Comics into the new DCE they have been anything but "comfortable."  The initial effects on marketshare of DC's 52 historic #1's show that Marvel is in for a major beatdown through the rest of 2011.

Our pals at Bleeding Cool mentioned that DC achieved this incredible feat with less than half of the titles that Marvel published (along with the data not including the multiple prints already soldout).  I know that some of you think that Rich is full of shit, but I want to affirm you that what he is saying is true as me and my comic-pimp, Ryan of Comics Conspiracy counted out over 112+ Marvel titles in last months Previews. 

Oh and so you know I am a Business Intelligence guy for the State and crunch data like this on the regular but for those of you not Asian or mathletes-- what I am saying is that DC has taken the #1 spot from Marvel and will continue to do the same for the rest of 2011.  If you don't believe the hype, ask the COO of Marvel how this all happened.  Oh wait, Jim-Ski is no longer the COO as of yesterday huh?  Why?!

Of the Top 10 Best Selling comicbooks in September DC dominated Marvel by allowing only 2 spots not branded with The New 52 on it.  I suppose the answer we are looking for is right in front of us-- as they say "the proof is in the pudding".

SEP 2011TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

QTY RANK	DOLLAR RANK	INDEX	ITEM CODE	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	VENDOR
1	2	100.00	JUL110206-M	BATMAN #1	$2.99	DC
2	1	96.99	JUL110201-M	ACTION COMICS #1	$3.99	DC
3	3	75.19	JUL110218-M	GREEN LANTERN #1	$2.99	DC
4	5	68.60	JUL110193-M	FLASH #1	$2.99	DC
5	4	62.83	JUL110203	SUPERMAN #1 [*]	$2.99	DC
6	7	54.87	JUL110208	DETECTIVE COMICS #1 [*]	$2.99	DC
7	8	52.22	JUL110210	BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #1 [*]	$2.99	DC
8	6	49.37	JUL110570-M	FEAR ITSELF #6	$3.99	MAR
9	9	46.30	JUL110605-M	ULTIMATE COMICS SPIDER-MAN #1	$3.99	MAR
10	11	45.24	JUL110211	BATMAN AND ROBIN #1 [*]	$2.99	DC

Marvel clearly had a handle on the market just one month earlier, holding down at least 3 of the top 5 spots and at least 6 of the 10 best selling comics as they usually do.  But, with the New 52 momentum surging and with a rollout of solid new titles beyond the initial 52-- things look more than shaky for Marvel.

Warren Ellis and others from Marvel have rebutted this morning saying that taking a few points of marketshare in one month by flooding the market with #1's is not a sustainable business model and will definitely swing back to how things have been with Marvel at the top in months to follow.  I really don't think that is possible with the first string of #2's looking as strong or better along with the next assault of titles-- Huntress, Penguin, My Greatest Adventure, Shade, Justice Society of America and more to come.

Was their any question that Batman wouldn't handle Spidey sooner or later?  Done.


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big O