The relaunch of the Justice League was big. The comic sold in record numbers, helping DC post solid sales to end the year.
In fact, the first issue sold so well that it’s the top selling comic book of 2011.
In addition, DC can celebrate that nineteen of the top twenty five best selling comics last year were part of its “New 52” relaunch.
Three Justice League, two Batman and two Action Comics issues cracked the top 10, which had only one Marvel title: Ultimate Comics Spiderman No. 160, which featured the demise of the Ultimate Universe’s Peter Parker.
However, Marvel continued its stranglehold in the past decade of year-to-year dollar and unit market shares, even with strong DC sales from September to December. Faring well with the death of Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four issue 587 and the first issue of its Fear Itself event series, Marvel had a 37% dollar market share and 41% unit market share in 2011, compared to 31% and 37% for DC, the No. 2 publisher.
According to DC, as of last month the company has sold more than 361,000 copies of Justice League No. 1 and more than 250,000 each of the first issues of Scott Snyder’s Batman series and Grant Morrison’s Superman-centric Action Comics since September.
There was good news for the comic-book industry as a whole, too. Boosted by a slew of popular Marvel titles and renewed interest in DC’s relaunch, annual single-issue sales to the specialty market increased in 2011, up 1.2% from 2010 figures, although graphic novel sales dipped 5% from the previous year.
2011 TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
1. Justice League #1 (DC)
2. Batman #1 (DC)
3. Action Comics #1 (DC)
4. Justice League #2 (DC)
5. Batman #2 (DC)
6. Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #160 (Marvel)
7. Green Lantern #1 (DC)
8. Justice League #3 (DC)
9. Action Comics #2 (DC)
10. Detective Comics #1 (DC)
2011 TOP GRAPHIC NOVELS AND TRADE PAPERBACKS
1. The Walking Dead Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye (Image)
2. The Walking Dead Vol. 14: No Way Out (Image)
3. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen III: Century #2 (Top Shelf)
4. The Walking Dead Vol. 15: We Find Ourselves (Image)
5. The Walking Dead Vol. 2: Miles Behind Us (Image)
6. Fables Vol. 15: Rose Red (DC/Vertigo)
7. Batman: Noel (DC)
8. The Walking Dead Vol. 3: Safety Behind Bars (Image)
9. The Walking Dead Vol. 13: Too Far Gone (Image)
10. Morning Glories Vol. 1: For a Better Future (Image)
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