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Diamond Announces Top Selling Comic Books & Graphic Novels for 2017

  • Marvel Legacy #1 Bestselling Comic Book of the Year; Marvel Comics Top Comic Book Publisher of the Year
  • DC Comics Ranked #2 Publisher; Finishes with 5 of the Top 10 Comic Books
  • Image Comics named #3 publisher; Dominates Graphic Novels Chart with 8 out of the Top 10 Titles

(HUNT VALLEY, MD) — (January 8, 2018) — Marvel Comics returned to the essence of its core characters in 2017 with the publication of Marvel Legacy #1, the best-selling comic book published in 2017, based on total unit sales to comic book specialty retailers, according to Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop-culture merchandise.

Written by Jason Aaron and featuring an all-star line-up of artists led by Esad Ribic and wrapped in a cover by Marvel Comics Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada, Marvel Legacy #1 successfully captured fans' attention and launched a new direction for the Marvel publishing line.

Marvel Comics finished the year as the comic book specialty market’s top publisher, leading in both Dollar and Unit Market Shares, with a 36.36% Dollar Market Share and a 38.30% Unit Market Share. Marvel Comics had five of the year's top ten comics; in addition to Marvel Legacy #1, Peter Parker: Spectacular Spider-Man #1, Secret Empire #0, Secret Empire #1, and Phoenix Resurrection: The Return of Jean Grey #1 were among the top ten.

DC Entertainment was the comic book specialty market’s number two publisher in 2017 with a 30.07% Dollar Market Share and a 33.93% Unit Market Share. DC Entertainment’s top comic book, Dark Nights: Metal #1, the first chapter in the publisher's epic crossover by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and Jonathan Glapion, charted at #2 for the year. Overall, DC had five titles in the top ten comics for the year, including subsequent issues #2-4 of Dark Nights: Metal, as well as Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's Doomsday Clock #2 as the eighth best-selling comic book for 2017.

Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' award-winning science fiction epic, Saga from Image Comics once again dominated the top ten graphic novels chart and solidified Image Comics as the year's third largest comic book publisher, with a 9.80% Dollar Market Share and a 10.12% Unit Market Share. Image Comics took eight of the top ten graphic novel spots, with Saga Volume 7 as the best-selling graphic novel for 2017. Saga Volumes 1 and 4 also placed in the top ten, along with Paper Girls Volume 1 (#4), Monstress Volume 1 (#6), and Seven to Eternity Volume 1 (#10). The best-selling comic book for the year from Image was Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard's The Walking Dead #146 at #82.

IDW Publishing was the comic book specialty market’s fourth largest publisher, propelled by its licensed titles from Hasbro, Disney, and Lucasfilm. The company’s Dollar Market Share was 4.54% for the year. Star Wars Adventures #1, a kid-friendly title based on the iconic film franchise, was IDW's top-selling comic book, landing at #381 for the year.

Dark Horse Comics' creator-owned titles helped the company to be the fifth-ranked publisher in the comic book specialty market in 2017 with a 3.12% Dollar Market Share. Dark Horse’s top comic book for the year was Neil Gaiman's American Gods: Shadows #1, an adaptation of the acclaimed novel by P. Craig Russell and Scott Hampton, at #292.

2017 TOP 10 COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 36.36%
DC ENTERTAINMENT 30.07%
IMAGE COMICS 9.80%
IDW PUBLISHING 4.54%
DARK HORSE COMICS 3.12%
BOOM! STUDIOS 2.10%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 1.90%
TITAN COMICS 1.15%
VIZ MEDIA 1.15%
ONI PRESS 1.00%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 8.81%
 
UNIT MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 38.30%
DC ENTERTAINMENT 33.93%
IMAGE COMICS 10.12%
IDW PUBLISHING 3.66%
DARK HORSE COMICS 2.25%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.04%
BOOM! STUDIOS 1.85%
TITAN COMICS 0.97%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT 0.87%
ONI PRESS 0.64%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 5037%

2017 TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

QTY
RANK
DOLLAR
RANK
DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 1 MARVEL LEGACY #1 $5.99 JUL170990-M MARVEL COMICS
2 2 DARK NIGHTS: METAL #1 $4.99 JUN170233-M DC ENTERTAINMENT
3 4 PETER PARKER: SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #1 $4.99 APR170970-M MARVEL COMICS
4 19 SECRET EMPIRE #0 $4.99 FEB170758-M MARVEL COMICS
5 10 SECRET EMPIRE #1 $4.99 MAR170901-M MARVEL COMICS
6 14 DARK NIGHTS: METAL #3 $3.99 JUL170304-M DC ENTERTAINMENT
7 15 DARK NIGHTS: METAL #2 $3.99 JUL170300-M DC ENTERTAINMENT
8 6 DOOMSDAY: CLOCK #2 $4.99 OCT170204-M DC ENTERTAINMENT
9 16 DARK NIGHTS: METAL #4 $3.99 SEP170248-M DC ENTERTAINMENT
10 5 PHOENIX RESURRECTION: THE RETURN OF JEAN GREY #1 $4.99 OCT170824-M MARVEL COMICS

2017 TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

QTY
RANK
DOLLAR
RANK
DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 1 SAGA VOLUME 7 TP (MR) $14.99 JAN170850 IMAGE COMICS
2 14 SAGA VOLUME 1 TP (MR) $9.99 AUG120491 IMAGE COMICS
3 6 THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 27: WHISPERER WAR TP $14.99 AUG168569 IMAGE COMICS
4 24 PAPER GIRLS VOLUME 1 TP $9.99 JAN160645 IMAGE COMICS
5 4 BATMAN VOLUME 1: I AM GOTHAM TP $16.99 OCT160291-M DC ENTERTAINMENT
6 28 MONSTRESS VOLUME 1 TP (MR) $9.99 APR160803-M IMAGE COMICS
7 3 RICK AND MORTY VOLUME 1 TP $19.99 JUL151482-M ONI PRESS
8 5 THE WALKING DEAD: HERE'S NEGAN HC (MR) $19.99 JUL170766-M IMAGE COMICS
9 12 SAGA VOLUME 8 TP (MR) $14.99 OCT170715 IMAGE COMICS
10 38 SEVEN TO ETERNITY VOLUME 1 TP $9.99 DEC160767-M IMAGE COMICS

 

Dollar Market Shares for Year 2017
Dollar Market Share – Year 2017
Unit Market Shares for Year 2017
Unit Market Share – Year 2017

 

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Data for Diamond’s sales charts — which includes the market shares and all top product charts — are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from sales made to thousands of comic book specialty shops located in North America and around the world. Additional sales made to online merchants and other specialty retailers may be included as well.

Unit and dollar market shares are calculated based upon orders for comic books, graphic novels, and magazines invoiced and shipped to Diamond customers during 2017, which comprises pre-orders, advance reorders, and reorders, minus any copies that are received back from a title marked as returnable. The category tables in this press release are ranked by units sold by Diamond to its accounts for the comic books and graphic novels categories.

***

ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS (DCD)—Diamond is at the nexus of comics and pop culture. Based in Hunt Valley, MD, DCD is the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books, graphic novels, and related pop-culture merchandise, serving thousands of retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.

© 2018 Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. All rights reserved. Diamond, the Diamond logo, Diamond Books logo, and PREVIEWS are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Diamond Comic Distributors in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective copyright owners.

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