{"id":4875,"date":"2013-05-03T17:43:00","date_gmt":"2013-05-03T17:43:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2020-08-01T15:26:41","modified_gmt":"2020-08-01T20:26:41","slug":"strong-april-keeps-comics-market-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/2013\/05\/03\/strong-april-keeps-comics-market-on\/","title":{"rendered":"Strong April keeps comics market on half-billion dollar pace for 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"
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North American comics shop retailers ordered just over $41 million worth of comic books and graphic novels in April 2013, an increase of more than 18% over the same month last year, according to data released today by Diamond Comic Distributors.<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

That figure brings the year-to-date total to $163 million, up more than $25 million from 2012 at this point. If the later months of the year continue at the same pace, the Direct Market is on track to easily exceed half a billion dollars in orders for the year. In fact, the market would just top $500 million if the next eight months were completely flat. (Last year’s total was $475 million.) That’s how much ahead things already are.<\/p>\n

Batman<\/i> #19<\/b><\/a> from DC led the comics sales list in the month, during which IDW once again saw its highest market share yet posted.<\/p>\n

The aggregate change figures:<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nDOLLARS<\/b><\/td>\nUNITS<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
APRIL 2013 VS. MARCH 2013<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Comics<\/td>\n-4.95%<\/td>\n-5.73%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Graphic novels<\/td>\n10.32%<\/td>\n10.11%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Total Comics\/Graphic Novels<\/td>\n-0.56%<\/td>\n-4.56%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
APRIL 2013 VS. APRIL 2012<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Comics<\/td>\n13.87%<\/td>\n11.71%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Graphic novels<\/td>\n14.83%<\/td>\n19.00%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Total Comics\/Graphic Novels<\/td>\n14.18%<\/td>\n12.29%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
YEAR-TO-DATE 2013 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2012<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Comics<\/td>\n19.44%<\/td>\n16.85%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Graphic novels<\/td>\n15.85%<\/td>\n14.15%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0Total Comics\/Graphic Novels<\/td>\n18.32%<\/td>\n16.64%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/div>\n

Age of Ultron <\/b><\/i>took several spots on the top-sellers list for comics:<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
RANK<\/b><\/td>\nDESCRIPTION<\/b><\/td>\nPRICE<\/b><\/td>\nVENDOR<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\nBatman #19<\/a><\/td>\n$3.99<\/td>\nDC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nThanos Rising #1<\/td>\n$3.99<\/td>\nMarvel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nJupiter’s Legacy #1<\/td>\n$2.99<\/td>\nImage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nAge of Ultron #4<\/td>\n$3.99<\/td>\nMarvel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\nJustice League #19<\/td>\n$3.99<\/td>\nDC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nAge of Ultron #5<\/td>\n$3.99<\/td>\nMarvel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\nAge of Ultron #6<\/td>\n$3.99<\/td>\nMarvel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\nThe Walking Dead #10<\/td>\n$2.99<\/td>\nImage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\nBatman and Red Robin #19<\/td>\n$2.99<\/td>\nDC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/td>\nGuardians of the Galaxy #2<\/td>\n$3.99<\/td>\nMarvel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
<\/div>\n

It was a month with roughly equal gains in comics and trades. The perennial best-seller, The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye<\/b><\/i><\/a> returned to top of the graphic novel charts:<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
RANK<\/b><\/td>\nDESCRIPTION<\/b><\/td>\nPRICE<\/b><\/td>\nVENDOR<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/td>\nThe Walking Dead Vol. 1 Days Gone Bye<\/b><\/a><\/td>\n$14.99<\/td>\nImage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nThe Manhattan Projects Vol. 2<\/td>\n$14.99<\/td>\nImage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nHappy<\/td>\n$12.99<\/td>\nImage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nSaga Vol. 1<\/td>\n$9.99<\/td>\nImage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\nPunk Rock Jesus<\/td>\n$16.99<\/td>\nDC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nBatman Detective Comics Vol. 1 Faces of Death<\/td>\n$16.99<\/td>\nDC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\nBatman Detective Comics Vol. 2 Scare Tactics HC<\/td>\n$29.99<\/td>\nDC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\nBatman Killing Joke Special Edition HC<\/td>\n$17.99<\/td>\nDC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\nSwamp Thing Vol. 2 Family Tree<\/td>\n$14.99<\/td>\nDC<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/td>\nHawkeye Vol. 1 My Life as a Weapon<\/td>\n$16.99<\/td>\nMarvel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

As noted above, IDW beat its previous market share record, reaching 7.54%. Its previous best mark was in February, 7.09%. The market shares:<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Publisher<\/b><\/td>\nDollar Share<\/b><\/td>\nUnits Share<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Marvel<\/td>\n37.95%<\/td>\n41.78%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
DC<\/td>\n25.98%<\/td>\n27.72%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Image<\/td>\n9.04%<\/td>\n9.87%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
IDW<\/td>\n7.54%<\/td>\n5.59%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dark Horse<\/td>\n4.35%<\/td>\n4.09%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dynamic Forces<\/td>\n2.98%<\/td>\n2.60%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Boom<\/td>\n1.92%<\/td>\n1.97%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Valiant<\/td>\n1.04%<\/td>\n1.11%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Eaglemoss<\/td>\n0.94%<\/td>\n0.19%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zenescope<\/td>\n0.80%<\/td>\n0.72%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Other<\/td>\n7.46%<\/td>\n4.37%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n<\/div>\n

So, at least as of the preliminary charts, April looks to have been a month right in line with the gains of the 2012-13 comics recovery. The full charts will be out next week.
\n
\n<\/a>
\nIron Man 3<\/a> <\/b><\/i>is now in wide release: click to check out our historic sales data on the main title<\/a><\/b>. And, of course, Saturday is also Free Comic Book Day: click to read Comichron’s history of the genesis of the event<\/a><\/b>. I will be signing my own comics works at Galaxy Comics in Stevens Point, Wis., from 1-4; click here<\/b><\/a> to find out where the events are in your area. And check out Hugh Jackman’s video greeting, here<\/b><\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

North American comics shop retailers ordered just over $41 million worth of comic books and graphic novels in April 2013, an increase of more than 18% over the same month last year, according to data released today by Diamond Comic Distributors. That figure brings the year-to-date total to $163 million, up more than $25 million … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4876,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[76,17],"class_list":["post-4875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-2013-sales","tag-diamond-monthly-reports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4875","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4875"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4875\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6465,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4875\/revisions\/6465"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4876"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4875"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4875"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comichron.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4875"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}