(BALTIMORE, MD) — (February 12, 2009) — Marvel Comics’ Amazing Spider-Man #583, featuring the titular character's first meeting with President Barack Obama, was the best-selling comic book title for January 2009 based upon total unit sales to comic book specialty shops, according to Diamond Comic Distributors.

The special, oversized issue has seen an unprecedented five printings, with each cover depicting Spider-Man and President Obama against differing backdrops ranging from the American flag to the Lincoln Memorial, along with a short story of Spider-Man's quick thinking helping the 44th President of the United States during the historic Inauguration.

Marvel Comics also took the top publisher spot in January, leading both Unit Market and Retail Dollar Shares, with a 45.86% Unit Market Share, and a 42.82% Retail Dollar Market Share.

The top-selling graphic novel for January was Image Comics’ The Walking Dead Volume 9: Here We Remain TP, the latest volume in Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard's best-selling post-zombie apocalypse series.

DC Direct took all ten spots on the Top 10 toy chart, with Superman Vs. Darkseid Statue, designed by Walter O'Neal and sculpted by Ray Villafane as the best-selling Toy product for January. David Petersen's best-selling comic Mouse Guard inspired the Mouse Guard RPG HC from Archaia Studios Press, the best-selling Game product to comic book specialty shops.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

  Unit

Market Share

Retail Dollar Market
Share
MARVEL
COMICS
45.86% 42.82%
DC
COMICS
33.45% 31.24%
DARK
HORSE COMICS
4.55% 5.22%
IDEA
& DESIGN WORKS
3.10% 3.00%
IMAGE
COMICS
3.05% 4.19%
DYNAMIC
ENTERTAINMENT – DYNAMIC FORCES
1.88% 1.75%
WIZARD
ENTERTAINMENT
1.10% 1.35%
AVATAR
PRESS
0.86% 0.88%
VIZ
MEDIA
0.81% 1.52%
TOKYOPOP 0.39% 0.90%
OTHER
NON-TOP 10
4.94% 7.14%

TOP 10 COMICS

Quantity Rank Description Price Item Code Vendor
1 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
#583
$3.99 NOV082358-M Marvel Comics
2 DARK AVENGERS #1 (DARK
REIGN)
$3.99 NOV082323-M Marvel Comics

3 FINAL CRISIS #6 $3.99 SEP080099-M DC Comics
4 FINAL CRISIS #7 $3.99 NOV080123 DC Comics
5 NEW AVENGERS #49 (DARK
REIGN)
$3.99 NOV082331 Marvel Comics
6 CAPTAIN AMERICA #46 $2.99 NOV082366-M Marvel Comics
7 BATMAN #685 $2.99 NOV080139 DC Comics
8 ASTONISHING X-MEN
#28
$2.99 NOV082409 Marvel Comics
9 JUSTICE LEAGUE OF
AMERICA #29
$2.99 NOV080167 DC Comics
10 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE
SLAYER #21
$2.99 OCT080037-M Dark Horse Comics

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

Quantity Rank Description Price Item Code Vendor
1 WALKING DEAD TP VOL
09: HERE WE REMAIN (MR)
$14.99 NOV082242 Image Comics
2 WATCHMEN TP $19.99 FEB058406 DC Comics
3 SECRET INVASION TP $29.99 NOV082460 Marvel Comics
4 ULTIMATE SPIDER MAN
TP VOL 21: WAR OF THE SYMBIOTES
$15.99 NOV082467 Marvel Comics
5 JUSTICE TP VOL 03 $14.99 OCT080172 DC Comics
6 HOUSE OF MYSTERY TP
VOL 01: ROOM AND BOREDOM (MR)
$9.99 OCT080222 DC Comics
7 STAR WARS VECTOR TP
VOL 01: CHAPTERS 1 & 2
$17.95 SEP080078 Dark Horse Comics
8 BATMAN: THE MAN WHO
LAUGHS TP
$14.99 SEP080167 DC Comics
9 JOKER HC $19.99 JUL080124 DC Comics
10 CRIMINAL TP VOL 04:
BAD NIGHT (MR)
$14.99 NOV082430 Marvel Comics

TOP 10 TOYS & STATUES

Retail Rank Description Item Code Vendor
1 SUPERMAN VS DARKSEID
STATUE
MAY080284 DC
Direct
2 HOT TOYS DARK KNIGHT
1/6 SCALE JOKER
SEP080240 DC Direct
3 JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA
SER 3 BALANCED CASE ASST
JUN080333 DC Direct
4 1966 LIVE ACTION TV
SERIES BATMOBILE REPLICA
MAY080285 DC Direct
5 HOT TOYS DARK KNIGHT
1/6 SCALE BANK ROBBER JOKER
OCT080243 DC Direct
6 BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE
STATUE: ETHAN VAN SCIVER
JUN080341 DC Direct
7 SINESTRO 1/6 SCALE
DELUXE COLLECTOR FIGURE
JUN080331 DC Direct
8 WATCHMEN MOVIE ASST
#1 BALANCED CASE ASST
JUN080320 DC Direct
9 WATCHMEN MOVIE DR
MANHATTAN 1/6 SCALE FIGURE
JUN080319 DC Direct
10 HOT TOYS DARK KNIGHT
1/6 SCALE BATMAN
SEP080242 DC Direct

TOP 10 GAMES

Retail Rank Description Item Code Vendor
1 MOUSE GUARD RPG HC JUN083656 Archaia Studios
2 DC HEROCLIX ARKHAM
ASYLUM BOOSTER PACK
AUG085406 Wizkids
3 MAGIC THE GATHERING
TCG: SHARDS OF ALARA BOOSTER DISPLAY
MAY088379 Wizards of the Coast
4 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS:
OPEN GRAVE SECRETS OF THE UNDEAD
NOV085131 Wizards of the Coast
5 MAGIC THE GATHERING
TCG: RAVNICA DISSENSION BOOSTER DISPLAY
MAR064281 Wizards of the coast
6 TICKET TO RIDE BOARD
GAME
MAR043750 Days of Wonder
7 MAGIC THE GATHERING
TCG: SAVIORS OF KAMIGAWA THEME DECK DISPLAY
APR054402 Wizards of the Coast
8 STAR WARS POCKETMODEL
TCG: THE FORCE UNLEASHED COLLECTORS TIN
JUL085374 Wizkids
9 STAR WARS CMG: LEGACY
OF THE FORCE BOOSTER PACK
JAN084898 Wizkids
10 MARVEL VS TCG: COMING
OF GALACTUS GS DECK DISPLAY
JUN078283 The Upper Deck Company

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.

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