On Sales of Marvel vs DC

I?m an unashamed DC cheerleader and maybe in a future journal I?ll explain why but suffice it to say in the battle between DC and Marvel I?ve taken a side. Even though I haven?t bought a new comic in decades I do follow the sales war and I?ve noticed that Marvel wins 100% of the time. Even in months where DC manages to lock up almost all the top 10 spots and the rare occasions where DC DOES get all top ten Marvel still manages to exceed in market share. As far back as I look and I can look years back I have never seen DC win. On the other hand DC positively dominates on sales of trade paperbacks and hardcover graphic novels on Amazon and has done so for years. In the top 12 sellers FF, vol 1, coming in at number 12, is the first recognizable Marvel book while DC has 8 in the top 10. The next recognizable Marvel book is New Avengers, Vol 2 coming in at number 28 followed by a few more Marvel titles.

So why does DC dominate on Amazon and Marvel in comic sales. For one thing DC perpetually locks up some of the top spots with what I consider the greatest era in DC comics history; the mid to late 80?s. Watchmen, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One and Batman: The Killing Joke are entrenched at the top. It?s possible that DC fans are just more patient and prefer getting collected comics rather than individual comics or perhaps DC fans are more budget conscious. One assumption I tend to have is that DC fans trend older but I having nothing to back that up with. IGN.com recently did a poll of which company, DC or Marvel, produced the best comics, video games, movies etc. Marvel dominated but it?s possible that if Marvel has a younger demographic they may be more likely to visit and vote on IGN. My suspicion is that Marvel truly does have more fans.

Having seen the tastes of CGC collectors I now have a new theory on why Marvel perpetually beats DC in comic sales but DC seems to win in collected books. For better or for worse Marvel comics are perceived as collectable and DC are not. All you have to do is compare the numbers of recent comics being CGC graded and it?s not ever close. DC fans, like me, buy the TPB and hardcover books because we want to read them not collect them. Personally I?ve been very disappointed in DC?s recent efforts. I skipped Brightest Day and Flashpoint and I really feel no excitement over the reboot. I do feel like as time goes on my interest in new comics is waning down to nonexistent but I?ll keep look for exciting stuff. I?ve heard the Scott Snyder was producing some excellent Batman stories and Bryan Q. Miller?s been getting some buzz but besides that I might just take a break.