Diamond releases 2009 stats – Marvel is declared the winner
Diamond Comic Distributors reports that 2009 sales to specialty comic shops was just slightly off from 2008, a fact Diamond CEO Steve Geppi sees as positive considering the economic downturn the North American economy experienced this past year.
Marvel reinforced its leadership position by posting a 45.63% market share. Marvel hit the biggest home run of 2009 with Amazing Spider-Man #583, the President Obama issue. ASM #583 sold over 500,000 copies. Almost half the comics sold last year were published by the House of Ideas. DC controlled almost a third of the market while third place Dark Horse held a distant 4.05% of market Share.
Comic book sales through specialty shops remains a two horse race. Combined, Marvel and DC control close to 80% of the market (70% of the dollar share market). Dark Horse, holder of the Buffy, Hellboy, Star Wars, Conan and Aliens licenses, is probably best positioned to make a run at the big 2.
Here are the sales charts:
2009 TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
| PUBLISHER | UNIT MARKET SHARE |
RETAIL DOLLAR MARKET SHARE |
| MARVEL COMICS | 45.63% | 40.47% |
| DC COMICS | 32.22% | 29.28% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 4.05% | 5.16% |
| IDW Publishing | 3.49% | 4.17% |
| IMAGE COMICS | 3.25% | 3.67% |
| DYNAMIC ENTERTAINMENT | 2.16% | 2.17% |
| BOOM ENTERTAINMENT | 1.22% | 1.31% |
| OTHER | 7.98% | 13.76% |
2009 TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| Quantity Rank | Description | Price | Publisher |
| 1 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #583 OBAMA | $3.99 | MARVEL COMICS |
| 2 | BLACKEST NIGHT #1 | $3.99 | DC COMICS |
| 3 | CAPTAIN AMERICA REBORN #1 | $3.99 | MARVEL COMICS |
| 4 | BATMAN AND ROBIN #1 | $2.99 | DC COMICS |
| 5 | BLACKEST NIGHT #2 | $3.99 | DC COMICS |
| 6 | BLACKEST NIGHT #5 | $3.99 | DC COMICS |
| 7 | BLACKEST NIGHT #3 | $3.99 | DC COMICS |
| 8 | BLACKEST NIGHT #4 | $3.99 | DC COMICS |
| 9 | CAPTAIN AMERICA #600 | $4.99 | MARVEL COMICS |
| 10 | DARK AVENGERS #1 | $3.99 | MARVEL COMICS |
2009 TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
| Quantity Rank | Description | Price | Publisher |
| 1 | WATCHMEN TP | $19.99 | DC COMICS |
| 2 | LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN III: CENTURY #1 1910 | $7.95 | TOPSHELF PRODUCTIONS |
| 3 | WALKING DEAD TP VOL 09: HERE WE REMAIN | $14.99 | IMAGE COMICS |
| 4 | WALKING DEAD TP VOL: 10 WHAT WE BECOME | $14.99 | IMAGE COMICS |
| 5 | WALKING DEAD TP VOL 01: DAYS GONE BYE | $9.99 | IMAGE COMICS |
| 6 | WATCHMEN TP INTERNATIONAL EDITION | $19.99 | DC COMICS |
| 7 | SECRET INVASION TP | $29.99 | MARVEL COMICS |
| 8 | BATMAN RIP DELUXE EDITION HC | $24.99 | DC COMICS |
| 9 | FABLES TP VOL 12: THE DARK AGES | $17.99 | DC COMICS |
| 10 | FABLES TP VOL 01: LEGENDS IN EXILE | $9.99 | DC COMICS |
