Dollar Share Feb 2011Media Release -- The Green Lantern Corps, already reeling from the events of Blackest Night, begins to turn on its own in Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke, and Christian Alamy's Green Lantern #62, a prologue to this summer's "War of the Green Lanterns" event and February's best-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 February with a Dollar Market Share of 40.69% and a Unit Market Share of 45.13%.

Unit Share Feb 2011Sales of comic books and graphic novels rebounded in February, with comic books sales up over January by 19.72% and graphic novel sales up 14.08%.

Bruce Wayne, believed dead at Darkseid's hand, embarked on an epic journey through time to return home in Grant Morrison's Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, and the collected edition of the best-selling six-issue mini-series from DC Comics was February's top selling graphic novel to comic shops.

UbiSoft's Batman: Arkham Asylum, the best-selling comic book-derived video game of all time, inspired DC Direct's Batman: Arkham Asylum Series 1 Action Figures, recreating the characters of the game utilizing the game's CG models, and giving the manufacturer the best-selling toy product to comics specialty retailers in February.

Wizards of the Coast's new Mirrodin Besieged expansion for the best-selling Magic the Gathering trading card game in February, and the release gave the manufacturer the top-selling games product to comics retailers — and three of the top four — in February, with the Mirrodin Besieged booster packs topping the charts.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER DOLLAR SHARE UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 40.69% 45.13%
DC COMICS 27.74% 31.48%
IMAGE COMICS 5.31% 4.80%
DARK HORSE COMICS 5.26% 3.49%
IDW PUBLISHING 4.60% 4.14%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 3.60% 3.14%
BOOM! STUDIOS 1.94% 1.62%
VIZ MEDIA 1.33% 0.66%
AVATAR PRESS INC 1.00% 0.72%
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC 0.68% 0.57%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 7.84% 4.26%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

DOLLARS UNITS
FEBRUARY 2011 VS. JANUARY 2011
COMICS 19.72% 20.97%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 14.08% 8.29%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 17.83% 19.87%
FEBRUARY 2011 VS. FEBRUARY 2010
COMICS -1.70% -2.31%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 6.92% -1.70%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 0.94% -2.26%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2011 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2010
COMICS -12.10% -13.03%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -5.48% -11.05%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -10.03% -12.87%

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 GREEN LANTERN #62 $2.99 NOV100188 DC
2 BRIGHTEST DAY #19 $2.99 DEC100168 DC
3 BRIGHTEST DAY #20 $2.99 DEC100170 DC
4 AVENGERS #10 $3.99 DEC100551 MAR
5 FANTASTIC FOUR #588 $3.99 DEC100592 MAR
6 NEW AVENGERS #9 $3.99 DEC100552 MAR
7 BATMAN AND ROBIN #20 $2.99 DEC100198 DC
8 BATMAN #707 $2.99 DEC100196 DC
9 THE FLASH #9 $2.99 OCT100224 DC
10 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #654.1 $2.99 DEC100573 MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE DELUXE EDITION HC $29.99 OCT100262 DC
2 MORNING GLORIES VOLUME 1: FOR A BETTER FUTURE TP $9.99 DEC100470 IMA
3 NARUTO VOLUME 50 TP $9.99 NOV101064 VIZ
4 DMZ VOLUME 9: MIA TP (MR) $14.99 NOV100272 DC
5 NEMESIS PREMIERE HC (MR) $19.99 NOV100630 MAR
6 DAYTRIPPER TP (MR) $19.99 NOV100268 DC
7 SCALPED VOLUME 7: REZ BLUES TP (MR) $17.99 NOV100278 DC
8 THE SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN VOLUME 9 TP $19.99 OCT100026 DAR
9 STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC VOLUME 1: BLOOD OF EMPIRE TP $15.99 NOV100020 DAR
10 THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 1: DAYS GONE BYE TP $9.99 JUL068351 IMA

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM SERIES 1 ACTION FIGURES JUN100288 DC
2 COVER GIRLS OF THE DCU: POISON IVY STATUE FEB100286 DC
3 DC HEROES: WAVE 16 "BANE SERIES" ACTION FIGURES APR108039 MAT
4 AME-COMI HEROINE SERIES 1 MINI-FIGURES JUN100301 DC
5 JLA TROPHY ROOM: SINESTRO BATTERY PROP REPLICA MAR100354 DC
6 MICHAEL KEATON AS BATMAN STATUE MAR100328 DC
7 DANGER ROOM SESSIONS: PSYLOCKE FINE ART STATUE SEP101560 KOT
8 SUPERMAN FOREVER #1 MINI-STATUE JAN100398 DC
9 SUPERGIRL MINI-STATUE MAR100344 DC
10 DC UNIVERSE ONLINE: SUPERMAN STATUE MAY100311 DC

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: MIRRODIN BESIEGED BOOSTER PACKS DEC101712 WIZ
2 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: MIRRODIN BESIEGED FAT PACKS DEC101715 WIZ
3 YU-GI-OH TCG 5DS: STORM OF RAGNAROK BOOSTERS DEC101689 KON
4 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: MIRRODIN BESIEGED INTRO DECKS DEC101713 WIZ
5 MARVEL HEROCLIX: WEB OF SPIDER-MAN BOOSTER PACK JUN101864 NEC
6 YU GI OH TCG 5DS: DUELIST PACK YUSEI 3 NOV101692 KON
7 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: SCARS OF MIRRODIN BOOSTER PACKS AUG101862 WIZ
8 DC HEROCLIX: BLACKEST NIGHT STARTER SET MAR101752 NEC
9 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: 2011 CORE SET BOOSTERS MAY101847 WIZ
10 MUNCHKIN: MUNCHKINOMICON EXPANSION PACK DEC101704 PSI

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.