RETAIL MARKET SHAREMedia Release -- The Avengers stormed the shores of the X-Men's island of Utopia and the conflict between the two teams escalated in Marvel Comics' Avengers Vs. X-Men #2, the best-selling comic book to specialty retailers in April 2012, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was April's leading publisher in both Retail Dollar and Unit Market Shares with 34.64% and 39.07% respectively. DC Entertainment, which had six of the month's top-ten bestselling comics, was second in both Retail Dollar and Unit Market Shares with 30.12% and 34.06% respectively.

UNIT MARKET SHARERobert Kirkman's The Walking Dead Volume 1: Days Gone Bye, the first volume of his bestselling zombie series from Image Comics, was the top-selling graphic novel to comics retailers for the second month in a row. Seven volumes of The Walking Dead placed in the top ten, and all fifteen volumes of the Image Comics series ranked in the top twenty.

Designed by acclaimed concept artist Shunya Yamashita, Kotobukiya's Marvel X Bishoujo: X-23 Statue, which presented the Marvel Comics hero in a Japanese anime style, was the bestselling Toy product to specialty retailers in April.

For the second month in a row, NECA/WizKids' Marvel HeroClix: Galactic Guardians expansion was the best-selling Games product to comics retailers, with the expansion's booster brick topping April's sales chart.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

RETAIL MARKET SHARE   UNIT MARKET SHARE  
PUBLISHER SHARE PUBLISHER SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 34.64% MARVEL COMICS 39.07%
DC COMICS 30.12% DC COMICS 34.06%
IMAGE COMICS 8.60% IMAGE COMICS 6.61%
DARK HORSE COMICS 5.37% DARK HORSE COMICS 4.64%
IDW PUBLISHING 4.22% DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 3.90%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 3.89% IDW PUBLISHING 3.40%
BOOM! STUDIOS 1.67% BOOM! STUDIOS 1.92%
AVATAR PRESS 0.97% ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT 0.89%
VIZ MEDIA 0.92% AVATAR PRESS 0.82%
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT 0.92% ARCHIE COMICS 0.71%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 8.68% OTHER NON-TOP 10 3.98%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

DOLLARS UNITS
APRIL 2012 VS. MARCH 2012
COMICS 5.40% 2.47%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 9.84% -0.28%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 6.77% 2.25%
APRIL 2012 VS. APRIL 2011
COMICS 16.30% 16.11%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 12.56% 15.32%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 15.09% 16.04%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2012 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2011
COMICS 15.94% 15.12%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 9.47% 9.29%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 13.84% 14.65%

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #2 $3.99 FEB120534 MAR
2 BATMAN #8 $3.99 FEB120186 DC
3 JUSTICE LEAGUE #8 $3.99 FEB120160 DC
4 AVX VS #1 $3.99 FEB120531 MAR
5 GREEN LANTERN #8 $2.99 FEB120204 DC
6 ACTION COMICS #8 $3.99 FEB120178 DC
7 DETECTIVE COMICS #8 $3.99 FEB120190 DC
8 BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #8 $2.99 FEB120193 DC
9 UNCANNY X-MEN #11 $3.99 FEB120545 MAR
10 AVENGERS #25 $3.99 FEB120541 MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 1: DAYS GONE BYE TP $9.99 JUL068351 IMA
2 THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 2: MILES BEHINDUS TP $14.99 SEP088204 IMA
3 THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 3: SAFETY BEHIND BARS TP $14.99 NOV082245 IMA
4 FLEX MENTALLO: MAN OF MUSCLE AND MYSTERY DELUXE HC $22.99 OCT110285 DC
5 CHEW VOL. 5: MAJOR LEAGUE CHEW TP $12.99 FEB120425 IMA
6 CINDERELLA: FABLES ARE FOREVER TP (MR) $14.99 JAN120331 DC
7 THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 5: BEST DEFENSE TP $14.99 SEP088206 IMA
8 THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 15: WE FIND OURSELVES TP $14.99 OCT110502 IMA
9 THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 4: HEARTS DESIRE TP $14.99 SEP088205 IMA
10 THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 6: SORROWFUL LIFE TP $14.99 SEP088207 IMA

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 MARVEL X BISHOUJO: X-23 STATUE SEP111717 KOT
2 MARVEL: MAGNETO FINE ART STATUE SEP111715 KOT
3 METAL GEAR SOLID PLAY ARTS KAI: CYBORG NINJA FIGURE JAN121895 SQU
4 STAR WARS: OBI-WAN KENOBI " FINALBATTLE" ARTFX SEP111714 KOT
5 BATMAN BUST DEC110334 DC
6 STARCRAFT PREMIUM SERIES 2 ACTION FIGURES DEC110338 DC
7 SIMPSONS SERIES 2 MINI-FIGURES DEC101455 BEA
8 FEMME FATALES: RAVEN HEX PVC STATUE NOV111473 DIA
9 GEARS OF WAR 3 SERIES 2 ACTION FIGURES FEB121586 NEC
10 STAR WARS VINTAGE ACTION FIGURES JAN121809 KEN

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 MARVEL HEROCLIX: GALACTIC GUARDIANS BOOSTER BRICK FEB121832 NEC
2 MARVEL HEROCLIX: AVENGERS MOVIE BOOSTER PACKS JAN122087 NEC
3 RISK LEGACY JUN118204 KEN
4 MARVEL HEROCLIX: AVENGERS MOVIE STARTER SET JAN122088 NEC
5 MARVEL HEROCLIX: GALACTIC GUARDIANS FAST FORCES 6 PACK FEB121833 NEC
6 DOCTOR WHO: MONSTER INVASION TCG BOOSTER PACKS NOV118179 IMM
7 MARVEL HEROCLIX: GALACTIC GUARDIANS MARQUEE PACK FEB121834 NEC
8 DOCTOR WHO: MONSTER INVASION EXTREME TCG BOOSTER PACKS NOV118180 IMM
9 MARVEL HEROCLIX: GALACTIC GUARDIANS PRIMER DS FEB121831 NEC
10 TICKET TO RIDE MAR043750 ALL

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.