Unit ShareMedia Release -- DC Comics continued its run at the top of the comics sales charts in January for the sixth straight month as Geoff Johns and Jim Lee's Justice League #5 was the month's best-selling comic book and the publisher took the top ten spots on the comics sales chart for the month, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

January was a split month in terms of Market Share, with Marvel Comics edging out DC Entertainment in Retail Dollars 35.17% to 33.55%, while in Unit Share DCE edged Marvel 39.86% to 37.51%.

Market ShareSales in January declined slightly from December, with Comics falling by 7% and Graphic Novels falling by 4.5%. January's sales improved over the year previous, with Comics sales up by 32% and Graphic Novels up by 18%.

The untold tale of Batman's first encounter with the Mad Hatter is revealed in Batman: Through the Looking Glass, an original hardcover by Bruce Jones and Sam Kieth from DC Comics, January's best-selling graphic novel.

AMC's top-rated zombie series The Walking Dead, based on Image Comics and Robert Kirkman's best-selling comic book series, gave rise to McFarlane Toys' The Walking Dead TV Series 1 Action Figures, January's best-selling Toy product to specialty retailers.

The dynastic struggles of the land of Westeros, from George R.R. Martin's best-selling fantasy novels, were recreated by Fantasy Flight Publishing for the A Game of Thrones Board Game (Second Edition), January's best-selling Games product to specialty retailers.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER DOLLAR SHARE UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 35.17% 37.51%
DC COMICS 33.55% 39.86%
IMAGE COMICS 5.48% 4.83%
DARK HORSE COMICS 4.89% 3.55%
IDW PUBLISHING 4.35% 3.78%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 3.46% 3.66%
BOOM! STUDIOS 1.66% 1.35%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD 1.47% 0.30%
VIZ MEDIA 0.92% 0.42%
RANDOM HOUSE 0.79% 0.18%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 8.26% 4.57%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

DOLLARS UNITS
JANUARY 2012 VS. DECEMBER 2011
COMICS -7.01% -8.93%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -4.51% -4.86%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -6.25% -8.65%
JANUARY 2012 VS. JANUARY 2011
COMICS 32.05% 33.56%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 18.38% 8.46%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 27.47% 31.38%

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 JUSTICE LEAGUE #5 $3.99 NOV110104 DC
2 BATMAN #5 $2.99 NOV110133 DC
3 ACTION COMICS #5 $3.99 NOV110125 DC
4 DETECTIVE COMICS #5 $2.99 NOV110138 DC
5 GREEN LANTERN #5 $2.99 NOV110154 DC
6 BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #5 $2.99 NOV110140 DC
7 SUPERMAN #5 $2.99 NOV110129 DC
8 THE FLASH #5 $2.99 NOV110113 DC
9 BATMAN AND ROBIN #5 $2.99 NOV110145 DC
10 AQUAMAN #5 $2.99 NOV110109 DC

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 BATMAN: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS HC $22.99 SEP110169 DC
2 INVINCIBLE VOLUME 15: GET SMART TP $16.99 NOV110396 IMA
3 THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 1: DAYS GONE BYE $9.99 JUL068351 IMA
4 FEAR ITSELF PREMIERE HC $34.99 OCT110712 MAR
5 THE UNWRITTEN VOLUME 5: ON TO GENESIS (MR) $14.99 OCT110301 DC
6 BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE TP $19.99 OCT110245 DC
7 THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 15 TP (MR) $14.99 OCT110502 IMA
8 B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH VOLUME 2: GODS AND MONSTERS TP $19.99 SEP110018 DAR
9 SWEET TOOTH VOL. 4: ENDANGERED SPECIES TP(MR) $16.99 OCT110296 DC
10 BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT VOLUME 1: GOLDEN DAWN DELUXE EDITION HC $24.99 SEP110181 DC

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 THE WALKING DEAD TV SERIES 1 ACTION FIGURES JUL110560 TMP
2 THOR MODERN MUSEUM STATUE JUN111899 BOW
3 POLARIS STATUE JUL111882 BOW
4 MARVEL SELECT: COLOSSUS ACTION FIGURE JUL111768 DST
5 MARVEL UNIVERSE ACTION FIGURES NOV111516 KEN
6 STREET FIGHTER IV PLAY ARTS ~KAI~: RYU FIGURE OCT111806 SQU
7 STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: USS ENTERPRISE NCC-1701-D SHIP APR118184 DST
8 RED SONJA BY J. SCOTT CAMPBELL STATUE APR110975 DYN
9 STREET FIGHTER IV PLAY ARTS ~KAI~: CHUN-LI FIGURE OCT111807 SQU
10 PREDATORS 7-INCH SERIES 4 FIGURES NOV111521 NEC

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 A GAME OF THRONES BOARD GAME 2ND EDITION JUN118150 FAN
2 MARVEL HEROCLIX: INCREDIBLE HULK BOOSTER BRICK OCT112063 NEC
3 THE LORD OF THE RINGS HEROCLIX AUG118096 NEC
4 ANGRY BIRDS: KNOCK ON WOOD GAME SEP111897 MAT
5 MARVEL HEROCLIX: GIANT SIZED X-MEN SERIES 2 COLOSSAL FIGURE OCT118165 NEC
6 YU-GI-OH! TCG: ORDER OF CHAOS BOOSTER PACK SEP118112 KON
7 RISK LEGACY JUN118204 KEN
8 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: INNISTRAD BOOSTER PACK AUG112115 WIZ
9 PATHFINDER BATTLES: HEROES AND MONSTERS AUG118141 NEC
10 THE LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR OF THE RING BOARD GAME 2ND EDITION NOV111838 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.

Please note that comics marked with an asterisk have had their reported quantities reduced due to retailer returnability, and thus may rank lower on the charts than their actual sales would reflect.

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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