DC Comic Sales March

[Captain Nostalgia]

Here are the DC comic sales for March 2024.

The numbers are taken from comichub which accounts for somewhere between 4 & 5% of comic shops....so don't be shouting to cancel someone's favourite title, though I do think it gives one a pretty good snapshot as they are geographically dispersed.

The Good:

Female titles:

DC comics leads with female titles with 4 of the 5 top female titles being DC.
(Wonder Woman, Poison Ivy, Birds of Prey, Catwoman) They’ve been hiring a lot of female writers over the years, so I guess it’s paying off to some extent.

The Bad:

As previously mentioned Green Arrow & the Flash are historically underperforming. I think it’s fair to throw the JSA in that category and possibly Green Lantern…but it’s too early to tell.

Comic Hub fluctuates more than Diamond Distributors so what were looking for here is an ongoing trend in sales month over month. Green Lantern at 73 by issue 9 is not good, but all DC titles got beat up by the competition this month. Green Lantern War Journal took a massive dump this month #169, seems like too much….let’s see how it does the next two months before drawing any conclusions.

The Ugly:

This is just 1 month, so too early to sound the alarm but….DC comic sales were horrendously bad relative to the competition in March.

This is the first time I can remember Image titles starting to trump DC since the 90.

If I take the top 20, (70% is Marvel. 15% Image, 10% other indie titles 5% DC)

DC has only 1 title in the top 20; Batman which is just hanging onto the top 5, & 2 titles in the top 25 (Last months multi issue release of Batman really papered over the cracks)
Too early to start sounding the alarm bells, but if this is a trend….


DC Comics in the top 10

5. Batman #145

DC Comics 10 to 25

23. Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong #6 (Of 7)

DC Comics 25 to 50

27 The Bat-Man First Knight #1 (Of 3) (Mature)
28 Batman Superman World's Finest #25
30 Batman #146
32 Wonder Woman #7
47 Action Comics #1063
49 Nightwing #112

DC Comics Top 50 to 100

53 Superman #12
55 Poison Ivy #20
58 Birds of Prey #7
65 Detective Comics #1083
71 Titans #9
72 Batman Dark Age #1 (Of 6)
73 Green Lantern #9
74 Batman and Robin #7
89 Catwoman #63
90 Batman #144
92 Justice Society of America #9 (Of 12)
95 Batman '89 Echoes #2 (Of 6)

DC Comics 101 to 150

103 Harley Quinn #38
115 John Constantine, Hellblazer Dead in America #3 (Of 9) (Mature)
117 Green Arrow #10
121 Shazam #9
123 Power Girl #7
126 The Flash #7
127 Suicide Squad Dream Team #1 (Of 4)
130 Birds of Prey #8
133 Batman #142
134 Batman #143
141 Poison Ivy #21
142 Wesley Dodds the Sandman #6 (Of 6)
144 Detective Comics #1082
149 Justice League Vs Godzilla Vs Kong #5 (Of 7)


DC Comics 150 – 200 (The Cancellation Zone!)

154 Batman Dylan Dog #1 (Of 3)
158 Detective Comics #411 Facsimile Edition
159 Penguin #8
162 Alan Scott the Green Lantern #5 (Of 6)
167 Batman the Brave and the Bold #11
169 Green Lantern War Journal #7
171 Kneel Before Zod #3 (Of 12)
178 Suicide Squad Kill Arkham Asylum #2 (Of 5) (Mature)
184 Outsiders #5
185 Shazam #10
195 Blue Beetle #7
197 Nightwing #111
198 Limited Collector’s Edition #51 Facsimile Edition
199 Ape-Ril Special #1 (One-Shot)

Not in the top 200 (Sale bombs or limited or late release)

Speed Force #5
Sinister Sons #2
Amazons Attack #6
Jay Garrick: The Flash #6 (Assuming late release)
Ape- Ril Special
Superman 78: The Metal Curtain #5
Primer #1
The Batman & Scooby Doo Mysteries #3
Looney Tunes #277

[HsssH]

Why are they listing titles from two months? Shazam #9 came out in march, Shazam #10 in April. Same for Batman #146.

[Reddead]

I think this underestimated certain DC titles this month.

Superman, Action Comics Nightwing, GL, Titans, Batman and Robin, Birds of Prey all seem to have dropped 20-30 spots compared to their January and February rankings for no real discernible reason.

Examples:
Superman: #24 (January) -> #37 (February) -> #52 (March)
Nightwing: #27 (January) -> #28 (February) -> #48 (March)
Titans: #37 (January) -> #43 (February) -> #71 (March)
Green Lantern: #51 (January) -> #42 (February) -> #73 (March)
Batman and Robin: #41 (January) -> #47 (February) -> #74 (March)
Action Comics: #18 (January) -> #29 (February) -> #47 (March)

If this was just one title maybe I could see it , but honestly I think ComicHub just screwed up here somehow. There's no way so many comics from DC lost like 10k sales from one month to the other or that DC is suddenly having a performance on par with Image.

Maybe a few retailers left and were replaced with ones whose sales lean heavily towards Marvel or something.

Why are they listing titles from two months? Shazam #9 came out in march, Shazam #10 in April. Same for Batman #146.

This month's rankings included the first week of April for some reason (despite being March's ratings).

[Captain Nostalgia]

Why are they listing titles from two months? Shazam #9 came out in march, Shazam #10 in April. Same for Batman #146.

Early releases I suppose.

I just copy and paste DC titles listed.

I'd post the whole lot if not for copyright: paid prescription.

[VaLoa]

If this was just one title maybe I could see it , but honestly I think ComicHub just screwed up here somehow. There's no way so many comics from DC lost like 10k sales from one month to the other or that DC is suddenly having a performance on par with Image.

That's why I stopped taking these charts seriously. Something felt off.

[Noodle]

Jay Garrick: The Flash #6 (Assuming late release)

Jay Garrick #6 hasn't come out yet.

[finfan]

Because...

a) their stories are subpar and are driven in a boardroom with a page of check boxes
b) they are targeting stories for a super limited fan base
c) they have alienated their old fans
d) All of the above

If only public domain would hurry the hell up

[Felipe Silveira]

Maket share (per dollar), Marvel had 38.9% in Q1 2024 and DC 21.6%. Marvel is naughty, the publisher has increased the price of comics without page enlargement like DC did, and has charged absurd amounts for some releases, especially when Hickman is on the cover.
Even so, it is a considerable change from Marvel's 36.5% in Q1 2023 and DC's 25.5%.
ICv2 data.

[skyvolt2000]

I think this underestimated certain DC titles this month.

Superman, Action Comics Nightwing, GL, Titans, Batman and Robin, Birds of Prey all seem to have dropped 20-30 spots compared to their January and February rankings for no real discernible reason.

Examples:
Superman: #24 (January) -> #37 (February) -> #52 (March)
Nightwing: #27 (January) -> #28 (February) -> #48 (March)
Titans: #37 (January) -> #43 (February) -> #71 (March)
Green Lantern: #51 (January) -> #42 (February) -> #73 (March)
Batman and Robin: #41 (January) -> #47 (February) -> #74 (March)
Action Comics: #18 (January) -> #29 (February) -> #47 (March)

If this was just one title maybe I could see it , but honestly I think ComicHub just screwed up here somehow. There's no way so many comics from DC lost like 10k sales from one month to the other or that DC is suddenly having a performance on par with Image.

Maybe a few retailers left and were replaced with ones whose sales lean heavily towards Marvel or something.

What variant covers did those books have?

Because that does play into listings.

Superman had 4 (Jan) 7 (Feb) and 4 in March.

[Noodle]

Because...

a) their stories are subpar and are driven in a boardroom with a page of check boxes
b) they are targeting stories for a super limited fan base
c) they have alienated their old fans
d) All of the above

If only public domain would hurry the hell up

Yeah, I can't wait for Superman to show up in that Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey sequel. Public domain is going to solve all of the problems!

[Gaius]

Yeah, I can't wait for Superman to show up in that Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey sequel. Public domain is going to solve all of the problems!

While the quoted posts whinging about check boxes and ''alienating older fans'' can be discarded, painting all of public domain with the brush of the slasher Winnie the Pooh movies is silly. Yeah, obviously public domain isn't going to be a cure-all but the less total control mega corps have over pieces of human culture is a good thing.

[Captain Nostalgia]

Because...

a) their stories are subpar and are driven in a boardroom with a page of check boxes
b) they are targeting stories for a super limited fan base
c) they have alienated their old fans
d) All of the above

If only public domain would hurry the hell up

Option D for me. DC getting crushed by Marvel in the top 25 - 50 has been going on for awhile now, but having indie titles sell better than DC's top titles is a little concerning.

In terms of a...although there are some good writers at DC the quality isn't what it used to be.

It might also be a generational thing, but there does seem to be a lack of gritty writers at DC these days. Tom King being the exception.

[Vordan]

Option D for me. DC getting crushed by Marvel in the top 25 - 50 has been going on for awhile now, but having indie titles sell better than DC's top titles is a little concerning.

In terms of a...although there are some good writers at DC the quality isn't what it used to be.

It might also be a generational thing, but there does seem to be a lack of gritty writers at DC these days. Tom King being the exception.

DC explicitly marketed Dawn of DC as a bright sunny era full of legacy, the kind of thing DC fans have claimed they want. Sales are terrible so I reckon we’re going to be shifting back to a darker tone soon.

[Morgoth]

To be fair, Knight Terrors (event that nobody asked for and everyone were puzzled why it was even made in the first place) really damaged Dawn of DC momentum.

[Bruce Wayne]

In terms of a...although there are some good writers at DC the quality isn't what it used to be.

Covid layoffs and Didio's failed 5G resulted in people, both creators and editors, leaving. I think it's clear we are still dealing with the aftermath of these decisions. The only reason for example Williamson became their top writer is because of these decisions left a gaping hole in DC's editorial/creative rosters. The fact that bat-editorial has been decimated since Rebirth shows there's serious structural problems within that corner of DC.