Blackest Night #2Media Release -- The rise of the Black Lanterns and their attack on the heroes of the DC Universe propelled DC Comics to the top of the best-selling comics charts in August as Blackest Night #2 descended on comic specialty shops, according to information from Diamond Comic Distributors.

Marvel Comics had the #2 best-selling comic for the month with Captain America: Reborn #2 and took the top publisher spot overall in August, leading both Unit Market and Dollar Shares, with a 43.86% Unit Market Share and a 39.70% Dollar Share for the month.

Image Comics' The Walking Dead Volume 10: What We Become, collecting issues #55-60 of the zombie series from writer Robert Kirkman and artist Charlie Adlard, was the best-selling graphic novel for the month of August.

DC Direct had the best-selling Toy for August with the Cover Girls of the DCU: Zatanna Statue, which depicts the Justice League's magician in a design by Adam Hughes and Jack Mathews.

The latest Pokémon expansion, the Pokémon TCG: Platinum Supreme Victors Booster Packs, from Pokémon USA, was the best-selling Games product to comic book specialty shops in August.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER UNIT MARKET SHARE DOLLAR SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 43.86% 39.70%
DC COMICS 36.04% 33.16%
DARK HORSE COMICS 4.06% 4.62%
IMAGE COMICS 2.94% 3.86%
IDW PUBLISHING 2.83% 3.34%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 1.89% 1.93%
BOOM! STUDIOS 1.45% 1.54%
ARCHIE COMICS 1.16% 0.78%
VIZ MEDIA 0.72% 1.53%
WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT 0.52% 0.62%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 4.52% 8.94%

TOP 10 COMICS

QUANTITY RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 BLACKEST NIGHT #2 (OF 8) $3.99 JUN090122-M DC
2 CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #2 (OF 5) $3.99 JUN090439-M MAR
3 BATMAN AND ROBIN #3 $2.99 JUN090146-M DC
4 GREEN LANTERN #45 $2.99 JUN090131-M DC
5 ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS #1 $3.99 JUN090468-M MAR
6 DARK AVENGERS #8 $3.99 JUN090486-M MAR
7 UNCANNY X-MEN #514 $3.99 JUN090483-M MAR
8 NEW AVENGERS #56 $3.99 JUN090510-M MAR
9 THE MARVELS PROJECT #1 (OF 8) $3.99 JUN090440-M MAR
10 BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN #1 (OF 3) $2.99 JUN090125-M DC

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

QUANTITY RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 WALKING DEAD VOLUME 10: WHAT WE BECOME TP $14.99 JUN090332 IMA
2 FABLES VOLUME 12: THE DARK AGES TP (MR) $17.99 MAY090236 DC
3 IRREDEEMABLE VOLUME 1 TP $9.99 JUN090793 BOO
4 INVINCIBLE VOLUME 11: HAPPY DAYS TP $16.99 MAY090320 IMA
5 FILTHY RICH HC (MR) $19.99 APR090258 DC
6 WARREN ELLIS: FRANKENSTEIN'S WOMB GN (MR) $6.99 APR090689 AVA
7 BATMAN: HUSH COMPLETE TP $24.99 MAY090178 DC
8 DARK ENTRIES HC (MR) $19.99 APR090259 DC
9 THOR BY J MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI VOLUME 2 TP $19.99 JUN090638 MAR
10 SILVER SURFER: REQUIEM PREMIERE HC $19.99 SEP072272 MAR

TOP 10 TOYS & STATUES

DOLLAR RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 COVER GIRLS OF THE DCU: ZATANNA STATUE JAN090300 DC
2 HOT TOYS: THE DARK KNIGHT 1/6-SCALE BATMOBILE OCT080242 DC
3 WORLD OF WARCRAFT PREMIUM SERIES 1 MASTER CASE ASST. JAN090328 DC
4 MARVEL: ROGUE BISHOUJO STATUE JAN094989 KOT
5 WOMEN OF THE DCU SERIES 2: SUPERGIRL BUST JAN090316 DC
6 HISTORY OF THE DCU SERIES 2 BALANCED CASE ASST. DEC080262 DC
7 MARVEL LEGENDS 2-PACK FIGURES (ASST. 200901) JAN098107 KEN
8 GREEN LANTERN MINI-NEON SIGN (US VERSION) JAN090334 DC
9 GOLDEN AGE FLASH 1/6-SCALE FIGURE DEC080250 DC
10 GHOSTBUSTERS: STAY-PUFT MARSHMALLOW MAN BANK MAR094736 DST

TOP 10 GAMES

DOLLAR RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 POKÉMON TCG: PLATINUM SUPREME VICTORS BOOSTER PACKS JUL091717 POK
2 YU-GI-OH TCG 2009 COLLECTIBLE TIN CASE WAVE 1 JUN091710 KON
3 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS CMG: MONSTER MANUAL LEGENDARY EVILS BOOSTER PACKS JUN091752 WIZ
4 THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS MONOPOLY COLLECTOR'S EDITION MAY091784 USA
5 STAR WARS CMG: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC BOOSTER PACKS JUN085274 WIZ
6 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: 2010 CORE SET BOOSTER PACKS MAY091798 WIZ
7 PATHFINDER RPG CORE RULEBOOK JUN091729 PAI
8 STAR WARS POCKETMODEL TCG BOOSTERS APR075219 WIZ
9 MIDDLE-EARTH QUEST BOARD GAME JUL091689 FAN
10 POKÉMON TCG: PLATINUM SUPREME VICTORS THEME DECKS JUL091718 POK

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 4,000+ accounts, comprised of comic book specialty shops and other merchant stores and buyers. The shops are primarily located in North America, with a percentage of sales also to international stores and buyers located throughout 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—the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books and pop-culture related merchandise, Diamond is based in Baltimore, MD, and services more than 4,000 specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.