Infinity #1 (of 6)Media Release -- With the Avengers off-planet, Thanos plots his conquest of Earth and only the Inhumans can counter him in Jonathan Hickman and Jim Cheung's Infinity #1 from Marvel Comics, the best-selling comic book to specialty retailers in August 2013, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was the month's top publisher in both retailer dollar and unit share, taking 33.70% and 36.30% of the market respectively. DC Entertainment placed second in both categories, 30.16% and 33.14% respectively.

Though sales showed a decline in August, a four shipping week month, when compared to sales in July 2013 and August 2012, both five shipping week months, comics sales for the year are a robust 9.82% above 2012's sales.

Rick Grimes wakes from a coma and discovers a world in the grip of the zombie apocalypse in Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead Volume 1: Days Gone Bye from Image Comics, the best-selling graphic novel in August and the first volume of the best-selling series that inspired the AMC television series.

McFarlane Toys continues their line of action figures based on Robert Kirkman's best-selling comic The Walking Dead with The Walking Dead Series 2 Action Figures, a series of four figures, including The Governor's Daughter Zombie and Michonne's Pet Zombie, that was August' best-selling toy product to comic book specialty retailers.

More mutants join the HeroClix campaign with NECA/WizKids's Marvel HeroClix: Wolverine and the X-Men Booster Brick, August's best-selling games product to comic book specialty retailers.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER DOLLAR SHARE UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 33.70% 36.30%
DC COMICS 30.16% 33.14%
IMAGE COMICS 7.86% 8.51%
IDW PUBLISHING 5.70% 4.98%
DARK HORSE COMICS 5.47% 4.80%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 3.01% 2.93%
BOOM! STUDIOS 2.05% 2.07%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD 1.34% 0.29%
AVATAR PRESS INC 0.95% 0.59%
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC 0.94% 1.03%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 8.83% 5.38%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER COMICS SHIPPED GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED MAGAZINES SHIPPED TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS 67 34 0 101
DC COMICS 83 23 1 107
IMAGE COMICS 39 9 0 48
IDW PUBLISHING 35 18 0 53
DARK HORSE COMICS 29 15 0 44
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 49 4 0 53
BOOM! STUDIOS 20 2 0 22
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD 0 0 6 6
AVATAR PRESS INC 7 4 0 11
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC 11 3 0 14
OTHER NON-TOP 10 66 100 27 193

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

DOLLARS UNITS
AUGUST 2013 VS. JULY 2013
COMICS -15.30% -14.93%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -24.55% -24.81%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -18.33% -15.77%
AUGUST 2013 VS. AUGUST 2012
COMICS -10.39% -11.21%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -22.09% -25.68%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -14.29% -12.50%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2013 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2012
COMICS 9.82% 7.38%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 6.59% 4.55%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 8.79% 7.16%

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 INFINITY #1 $4.99 JUN130572 MAR
2 SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #3 $3.99 JUN130176 DC
3 BATMAN #23 $3.99 JUN130199 DC
4 JUSTICE LEAGUE #23 $3.99 JUN130154 DC
5 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #7 $3.99 JUN130146 DC
6 BATMAN SUPERMAN #3 $3.99 JUN130193 DC
7 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #15 $3.99 JUN130606 MAR
8 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #16 $3.99 JUN130607 MAR
9 AVENGERS #18 $3.99 JUN130586 MAR
10 ALL-NEW X-MEN #15 $3.99 JUN130641 MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 1: DAYS GONE BYE TP $14.99 NOV128157 IMA
2 CHEW VOLUME 7: BAD APPLES TP $12.99 JUN130436 IMA
3 ROCKET RACCOON: TALES FROM THE HALF WORLD TP $7.99 JUN130618 MAR
4 SAGA VOLUME 1 TP $9.99 AUG120491 IMA
5 SAGA VOLUME 2 TP $14.99 APR130443 IMA
6 MY LITTLE PONY DIGEST VOLUME 1 TP $6.99 MAY130361 IDW
7 DEADPOOL VOLUME 2: SOUL HUNTER TP $15.99 MAY130727 MAR
8 SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN VOLUME 2: TROUBLED MIND TP $17.99 MAY130724 MAR
9 THE FLASH VOLUME 1: MOVE FORWARD TP $16.99 MAY130224 DC
10 B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH VOLUME 6: RETURN OF THE MASTER TP $19.99 APR130044 DAR

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 THE WALKING DEAD COMIC SERIES 2 ACTION FIGURES APR130580 TMP
2 BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY: SOLOMON GRUNDY DELUXE ACTION FIGURES MAY130274 DC
3 BATMAN: HUSH: THE JOKER/HARLEY QUINN/STEALTH BATMAN ACTION FIGURE 3-PACK MAY130272 DC
4 MAN OF STEEL PLAY ARTS KAI: SUPERMAN ACTION FIGURE MAR138138 SQU
5 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: VENOM UNBOUND FINE ART STATUE DEC121703 KOT
6 DC COMICS: WONDER WOMAN "NEW 52" ARTFX+ STATUE JAN131762 KOT
7 MAN OF STEEL PLAY ARTS KAI: GENERAL ZOD FIGURE MAR138137 SQU
8 BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM: THE JOKER WITH SCARFACE ACTION FIGURE PACK OCT128236 DC
9 INJUSTICE: NIGHTWING VS. SUPERMAN FIGURE 2-PACK APR130269 DC
10 BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM: HARLEY QUINN ACTION FIGURE OCT128235 DC

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 MARVEL HEROCLIX: WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN BOOSTER BRICK JUN132403 NEC
2 BIOSHOCK INFINITE HEROCLIX MAR132258 NEC
3 MARVEL HEROCLIX: FEAR ITSELF: THE MIGHTY SCENARIO FEB138561 NEC
4 KICK-ASS 2 HEROCLIX APR138309 NEC
5 PATHFINDER BATTLES: SKULL & SHACKLES BOOSTER BRICK MAY132337 NEC
6 STAR TREK: ATTACK WING STARTER SET MAY132339 NEC
7 BIOSHOCK INFINITE HEROCLIX STARTER SET MAR132259 NEC
8 RISK LEGACY JUN118204 HAS
9 THE LONE RANGER HEROCLIX APR132233 NEC
10 YU-GI-OH! TCG: JUDGMENT OF THE LIGHT BOOSTER APR138126 KON

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Data for Diamond's sales charts — which include the monthly market shares and all top product charts — are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from a universe of over 3,500 comic book specialty shops located in North America and around the world. The account base includes brick-and-mortar comic book specialty shops, Internet merchants, and other specialty stores.

Unit and dollar market shares are calculated based upon orders for comic books, graphic novels, and magazines invoiced and shipped to Diamond accounts during any given month, which comprises initial pre-orders, advance reorders, and reorders, minus any copies that are received back from a title marked as returnable.

The count of new titles shipped 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, digital combo packs, and graphic novels at different price points count as separate SKUs for each edition.

ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS (DCD)—Diamond is at the nexus of comics and pop culture merchandise. Based in Baltimore, MD, DCD is the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books and pop-culture related merchandise, servicing more than 4,000 specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.