Diamond has released the top products for May 2015, which shows that Secret Wars #1 and #2 took the 1st and 3rd spots, respectively, and Bravest Warriors: Tales From the Holo John the 2nd spot in the top comics of the month. Batman: Earth One and Night Nurse dominated the trades, and the Marvel Heroclix collection was on the top of the heap in games sales.
Marvel pulls away from DC again this month, and when the top 100 books are released, we will probably see that this is due to the flagging sales of the #2 issues in the Convergence tie-in books. Additionally, Convergence #5 and #6 made the top ten, but #7 and #8 did not, unlike last month, in which all four of the Convergence issues released that month made the top ten. Whether this is due to a failure to get the fans to buy-in to Convergence, or due to the typical tendency for second issues to have a degree of attrition, we can still see that this isn’t DC’s most successful event. This is immediately noticeable when you compare, for instance, the second month sales of The New 52 with this month.
Official press release:
Diamond Announces Top Products For May 2015
(BALTIMORE, MD) — (June 12, 2015) — The multiverse faces collapse and worlds collide in Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic’s Secret Wars #1 from Marvel Comics, the best-selling comic book of May 2015 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.
Marvel Comics was May’s top publisher with a 40.17% dollar share and a 41.11% unit share. DC Entertainment was the month’s number two publisher with a 25.43% dollar share and a 26.04% unit share. May’s number three publisher was Image Comics with a 8.89% dollar share and a 10.28% unit share. In fourth was IDW Publishing with a 5.06% dollar share and a 3.82% unit share. BOOM! Studios placed fifth for the month with a 3.96% dollar share and a 7.16% unit share, and Dark Horse Comics was sixth with a 3.83% dollar share and a 3.43% unit share.
In May, Marvel Comics had seven titles in the top ten, including Secret Wars #2 at #3, Cullen Bunn and Matteo Lolli’s Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #1 at #5, and G. Willow Wilson and Marguerite Bennett’s A-Force #1 at #6. DC Comics had two titles in the top ten, led by Jeff King and Andy Kubert’s Convergence #5 at #9. Also in May’s top ten was BOOM! Studios’ John Omohundro and Eryk Donovan’s Bravest Warriors: Tales from the Holo John #1 at #2.
Batman faces new threats from the Riddler and Killer Croc in Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s original graphic novel, Batman: Earth One Volume 2 from DC Entertainment, the best-selling graphic novel of May. Marvel Comics had three titles among the top ten, including Night Nurse at #2 and Mark Millar and Steve McNiven’s Civil War at #5. Image Comics had four titles, including Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch, and Stjepan Sejic’s Rat Queens Volume 2 at #3; Jason Aaron and Jason Latour’s Southern Bastards Volume 2 at #4, and Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Saga Volume 4 at #6.
Drawing on the in-game materials from the best-selling video games, Dark Horse Comics’ Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 2 was May’s best-selling book. In total, Dark Horse had three titles among the top ten, including the perennial favorite Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia at #4 and The World of The Witcher at #5.
Kotobukiya’s Marvel Now: Deadpool ArtFX+ Statue was May’s best-selling toy product and one of the manufacturer’s two products in the top ten. DC Collectibles had seven products in the top ten, led by the DC Comics: The New 52: Harley Quinn Action Figure at #3.
The Marvel HeroClix: Avengers Assemble Booster Brick from WizKids/NECA was May’s best-selling game product.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHER
DOLLAR
SHARE
UNIT
SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 40.17%
41.11%
DC ENTERTAINMENT 25.43%
26.04%
IMAGE COMICS 8.89%
10.28%
IDW PUBLISHING 5.06%
3.82%
BOOM! STUDIOS 3.96%
7.16%
DARK HORSE COMICS 3.83%
3.43%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.22%
1.82%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD 1.16%
0.27%
VIZ MEDIA 1.01%
0.33%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC 0.85%
0.92%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 7.43%
4.81%
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
PUBLISHER
COMICS SHIPPED
GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED
MAGAZINES SHIPPED
TOTAL
SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS 71
35
0
106
DC ENTERTAINMENT 74
25
0
99
IMAGE COMICS 58
10
0
68
IDW PUBLISHING 42
21
0
63
DARK HORSE COMICS 33
17
0
50
BOOM ENTERTAINMENT 28
6
0
34
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 26
2
0
28
EAGLEMOSS 0
0
27
27
VIZ MEDIA 0
19
0
19
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS 11
2
0
13
OTHER NON-TOP 10 93
91
17
201
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
DOLLARS
UNITS
MAY 2015 VS. APRIL 2014
COMICS -10.58%
-9.60%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -21.11%
-19.41%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -13.81%
-10.38%
MAY 2015 VS. MAY 2014
COMICS 19.94%
19.53%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -0.29%
9.90%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 13.49%
18.78%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2015 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2014
COMICS 16.48%
16.90%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 3.41%
-1.13%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 12.31%
15.35%
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
SECRET WARS #1 $4.99
FEB150650-M MAR 2
BRAVEST WARRIORS: TALES OF HOLO JOHN #1 $4.99
MAR151109-M BOO 3
SECRET WARS #2 $4.99
MAR150618-M MAR 4
STAR WARS #5 $3.99
MAR150683-M MAR 5
DEADPOOL’S SECRET SECRET WARS #1 $4.99
MAR150644-M MAR 6
A-FORCE #1 $3.99
MAR150665-M MAR 7
OLD MAN LOGAN #1 $4.99
MAR150656-M MAR 8
DARTH VADER #5 $3.99
MAR150688-M MAR 9
CONVERGENCE #5 [*] $3.99
MAR150155-M DC 10
CONVERGENCE #6 [*] $3.99
MAR150159-M DC
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
BATMAN: EARTH-ONE VOLUME 2 HC $24.99
JAN150232 DC 2
NIGHT NURSE $7.99
MAR150754 MAR 3
RAT QUEENS VOLUME 2: THE FAR REACHING TENTACLES OF N’RYGOTH TP (MR) $14.99
SEP140647 IMA 4
SOUTHERN BASTARDS VOLUME 2: GRIDIRON TP (MR) $9.99
FEB150542 IMA 5
CIVIL WAR TP $24.99
JAN072436 MAR 6
SAGA VOLUME 4 TP (MR) $14.99
OCT140644 IMA 7
LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST GN $19.99
MAR151495 VIZ 8
DEADPOOL VOLUME 8: ALL GOOD THINGS TP $24.99
MAR150804 MAR 9
THE VALIANT TP $9.99
MAR151614 VAL 10
SAGA VOLUME 1 TP (MR) $9.99
AUG120491 IMA
TOP 10 BOOKS
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
DRAGON AGE: THE WORLD OF THEDAS VOLUME 2 HC $39.99
DEC140101 DAR 2
ATTACK ON TITAN: BEFORE THE FALL: KYKLO NOVEL $14.95
MAR151665 RAN 3
ESSENTIAL EVANGELION CHRONICLE: SIDE A SC $39.99
JAN151635 UDO 4
LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC $34.99
SEP120055 DAR 5
THE WORLD OF THE WITCHER HC $39.99
OCT140122 DAR 6
MARVEL: AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON POP-UP BOOK HC $14.99
MAR151735 HAC 7
THE FANGIRL’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY: A HANDBOOK FOR GIRL GEEKS HC $15.95
MAR151759 RAN 8
TH ECOMPLETE GUIDE TO SELF PUBLISHING COMICS SC $24.99
MAR151750 RAN 9
WOMEN OF WONDER: CELEBRATING WOMEN CREATORS OF FANTASTIC ART $24.95
MAR151727 PUB 10
BRAVEST WARRIORS: THINGS TO DOODLE & DO SC $12.99
MAR151492 VIZ
TOP 10 TOYS
RANK
DESCRIPTION
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
MARVEL NOW: DEADPOOL ARTFX+ STATUE SEP142328 KOT 2
THE DARK KNIGHT: THE JOKER MAF EX FIGURE APR148224 MED 3
DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: HARLEY QUINN ACTION FIGURE DEC140434 DC 4
BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT: BATMAN ACTION FIGURE SEP140356 DC 5
BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT: HARLEY QUINN ACTION FIGURE SEP140357 DC 6
MARVEL: WOLVERINE DANGER ROOM SESSIONS STATUE AUG142465 KOT 7
DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: MERA STATUE NOV140352 DC 8
BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT: SCARECROW ACTION FIGURE SEP140358 DC 9
THE FLASH ACTION FIGURE OCT140413 DC 10
DC COMICS: SUPERMAN & BATMAN BOOKENDS NOV140347 DC
TOP 10 GAMES
RANK
DESCRIPTION
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
MARVEL HEROCLIX: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE BOOSTER BRICK MAR152655 NEC 2
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: DRAGONS OF TARKIR BOOSTER PACKS JAN158366 WIZ 3
YU-GI-OH! HEROCLIX SERIES THREE SEP142619 NEC 4
HARLEY QUINN PUZZLE MAR152470 NMR 5
THE WALKING DEAD: PRISON BOARD GAME JUN142630 MEG 6
STAR WARS ARMADA: VICTORY CLASS STAR DESTROYER EXPANSION JAN152641 FAN 7
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: DRAGONS OF TARKIR FAT PACK JAN158368 WIZ 8
STAR WARS ARMADA: ASSAULT FRIGATE MARK II EXPANSION JAN152634 FAN 9
MINECRAFT: OFFICIAL MOJANG COMBAT HANDBOOK HC FEB142547 SCH 10
MINECRAFT: OFFICIAL MOJANG CONSTRUCTION HANDBOOK HC FEB142548 SCH
How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.
Data for Diamond’s sales charts — which includes the monthly 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 any given month, which comprises pre-orders, advance reorders, and reorders, minus any copies that are received back from a title marked as returnable. Please note that comics marked with an asterisk (*) have had their reported quantities reduced due to retailer returnability, and thus may rank lower on the charts than their actual sales would reflect.
The New Titles Count Chart includes all titles that were invoiced by Diamond to retailers for the first time during the month and is not the official solicited title count for the month. Variant edition comic books and graphic novels at the same price point count as a single SKU. Variant edition comic books, lenticular covers, digital combo packs, and graphic novels at different price points count as separate SKUs for each edition.
