Dollar Market Share – April 2011Media Release -- The awakening of the Serpent and Odin's removal of the Asgardians from Earth set the stage for Marvel Comics' next cataclysm in Matt Fraction and Stuart Immonen's Fear Itself #1, the first part of a seven-issue mini-series event and April's top selling comic book to comics specialty retailers, 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 leading comic book publisher in April with a Dollar Market Share of 40.14% and a Unit Market Share of 37.95%.

Sales of comic books and graphic novels fell in April, with comic books sales down over March's sales by 10.53% and graphic novel sales down 7.95%. For the year-to-date, comic sales declined by 6.90% compared to the same period in 2010, while graphic novel sales declined by 5.67%.

Unit Market Share– April 2011 The latest chapter in Bill Willingham's best-selling Fables saga, Fables Volume 15: Rose Red, from DC Comics' Vertigo imprint was the best-selling graphic novel to comic shops in April.

The characters from BioWare's best-selling action RPG for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Mass Effect 2, were brought to life by DC Direct for their Mass Effect Series 1 Action Figures, April's best-selling Toy product to comics specialty retailers.

The omnipotent Dr. Manhattan from Zack Snyder's Watchmen film, based on the DC Comics graphic novel, joined the HeroClix family with April's best-selling Games product sold to comics specialty retailers, the Watchmen HeroClix: Dr. Manhattan Big Figure, a towering figure from NECA/WizKids.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER DOLLAR SHARE UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 40.14% 37.95%
DC COMICS 27.09% 26.89%
IDW PUBLISHING 5.17% 4.06%
IMAGE COMICS 5.15% 4.60%
DARK HORSE COMICS 4.89% 4.52%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 3.05% 1.92%
BOOM! STUDIOS 1.94% 2.61%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD 1.21% 0.23%
VIZ MEDIA 0.93% 0.33%
ARCHIE COMICS 0.78% 2.64%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 9.66% 14.26%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

DOLLARS UNITS
APRIL 2011 VS. MARCH 2011    
COMICS -10.53% -13.80%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -7.95% -10.99%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -9.71% -13.58%
APRIL 2011 VS. APRIL 2010    
COMICS -1.75% -3.73%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -0.84% -6.03%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -1.46% -3.92%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2011 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2010    
COMICS -6.90% -6.99%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -5.67% -11.53%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -6.50% -7.38%

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 FEAR ITSELF #1 $3.99 FEB110500-M MAR
2 THE MIGHTY THOR #1 $3.99 FEB110544-M MAR
3 GREEN LANTERN #65 $2.99 FEB110114-M DC
4 BRIGHTEST DAY #23 $2.99 FEB110120-M DC
5 FF #2 $2.99 FEB110578-M MAR
6 BRIGHTEST DAY #24 $4.99 FEB110122-M DC
7 AVENGERS #12 $3.99 FEB110528 MAR
8 BATMAN INCORPORATED #5 $2.99 JAN110265-M DC
9 NEW AVENGERS #11 $3.99 FEB110534-M MAR
10 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #658 $3.99 FEB110551-M MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 FABLES VOLUME 15: ROSE RED TP (MR) 17.99 JAN110422 DC
2 THE BOYS VOLUME 8: HIGHLAND LADDIE TP 19.99 FEB110945 DE
3 INVINCIBLE VOLUME 14: VILTRUMITE WAR TP 19.99 FEB110438 IMA
4 GREEN LANTERN: SECRET ORIGIN TP 14.99 JAN110337-M DC
5 THE FLASH: REBIRTH TP 14.99 JAN110329 DC
6 DAN CLOWES' MISTER WONDERFUL HC 19.95 JAN111279 RAN
7 ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS: CRIME AND PUNISHMENT TP 19.99 FEB110685 MAR
8 CHAOS WAR TP 19.99 FEB110676 MAR
9 Y THE LAST MAN DELUXE EDITION VOL. 5 HC (MR) 29.99 DEC100308 DC
10 GOTHAM CITY SIRENS VOLUME 1: UNION TP 17.99 JAN110323 DC

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 MASS EFFECT SERIES 1 ACTION FIGURES JAN100400 DC
2 MARVEL SELECT: THOR MOVIE ACTION FIGURE DEC101430 DST
3 BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE: JOKER BY LEE BERMEJO AUG100294 DC
4 MARVEL SELECT: THOR MOVIE LOKI ACTION FIGURE DEC101432 DST
5 BACK TO THE FUTURE TIME MACHINE MARK I CAR MAR094739 DST
6 DC GREEN LANTERN WAVE 2 "STEL SERIES" FIGURES AUG108130 MAT
7 KILLZONE SERIES 1 ACTION FIGURES JUN100302 DC
8 MARVEL: BLACK CAT BISHOUJO STATUE NOV101564 KOT
9 STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN COMMUNICATOR MAY101495 DST
10 RATCHET & CLANK SERIES 2 ACTION FIGURES MAY100320 DC

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 WATCHMEN HEROCLIX: DR. MANHATTAN BIG FIGURE FEB111881 NEC
2 YU-GI-OH! TCG: HIDDEN ARSENAL BOOSTER SERIES 4 DEC108364 KON
3 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: SCARS OF MIRRODIN BOOSTER PACKS AUG101862 WIZ
4 MUNCHKIN ZOMBIES FEB111870 PSI
5 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: MIRRODIN BESIEGED BOOSTER PACKS DEC101712 WIZ
6 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: 2011 CORE SET BOOSTER PACKS MAY101847 WIZ
7 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: RISE OF ELDRAZI BOOSTER PACKS FEB101691 WIZ
8 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: KNIGHTS VS DRAGONS DUEL DECKS FEB111878 WIZ
9 MOUSE GUARD RPG HC APR098450 ARA
10 MARVEL HEROCLIX: WEB OF SPIDER-MAN BOOSTER PACK JUN101864 NEC

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 dollars sales are calculated based upon orders 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.

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.

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