Media Release -- (BALTIMORE, MD) — (August 13, 2009) —Steve Rogers's return, after his apparent death in Captain America #25, in the pages of Ed Brubaker's highly-anticipated Captain America: Reborn #1 provided Marvel Comics with the best-selling comic book title for July 2009, based upon total unit sales to comic book specialty shops, according to Diamond Comic Distributors.
Marvel Comics also took the top publisher spot in July, leading both Unit Market and Dollar Shares, with a 42.58% Unit Market Share and a 37.20% Dollar Share for the month.
The top-selling graphic novel for July was DC Comics' 100 Bullets Volume 13: Wilt, from their Vertigo imprint, collecting a recent story arc of the acclaimed crime comic.
For the second month in a row, Diamond Select Toys' Star Trek: The Original Series Tricorder was the best-selling Toy product. Wizard of the Coast's Magic the Gathering TCG: 2010 Core Set Booster Packs, the latest expansion for their popular trading card game, was July's best-selling Game product to comic book specialty shops.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
Publisher | Unit Market Share | Dollar Share |
MARVEL COMICS | 42.58% | 37.20% |
DC COMICS | 34.14% | 30.36% |
DARK HORSE COMICS | 4.06% | 5.31% |
IDW PUBLISHING | 3.72% | 4.82% |
IMAGE COMICS | 3.21% | 3.42% |
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 2.27% | 2.54% |
BOOM! STUDIOS | 1.52% | 1.45% |
VIZ MEDIA | 0.76% | 1.48% |
AVATAR PRESS | 0.68% | 0.74% |
ASPEN MLT | 0.62% | 0.45% |
TOP 10 COMICS
Quantity Rank | Description | Price | Item Code | Vendor |
1 | CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #1 (OF 5) | $3.99 | MAY090412-M | MAR |
2 | BLACKEST NIGHT #1 (OF 8) | $3.99 | MAY090106-M | DC |
3 | BATMAN AND ROBIN #2 | $2.99 | MAY090130-M | DC |
4 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #600 | $4.99 | MAY090484-M | MAR |
5 | GREEN LANTERN #43 (BLACKEST NIGHT) | $2.99 | MAY090110-M | DC |
6 | GREEN LANTERN #44 (BLACKEST NIGHT) | $2.99 | MAY090112-M | DC |
7 | DARK AVENGERS #7 | $3.99 | MAY090447-M | MAR |
8 | INCREDIBLE HULK #600 | $4.99 | MAY090499-M | MAR |
9 | CAPTAIN AMERICA #601 | $3.99 | MAY090492-M | MAR |
10 | ULTIMATUM #5 (OF 5) | $3.99 | MAR092515-M | MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
Quantity Rank | Description | Price | Item Code | Vendor |
1 | 100 BULLETS VOLUME 13: WILT TP (MR) | $19.99 | APR090260 | DC |
2 | THE BOYS VOLUME 4: WE GOTTA GO NOW TP (MR) | $19.99 | MAY090788 | DE |
3 | BATMAN: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER? HC | $24.99 | MAR090172 | DC |
4 | GREEN LANTERN: RAGE OF THE RED LANTERNS HC | $24.99 | MAR090180 | DC |
5 | SUPERMAN: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE MAN OF TOMORROW? HC | $24.99 | MAR090173 | DC |
6 | MOUSE GUARD VOLUME 2: WINTER 1152 HC | $24.95 | MAY090647 | KUN |
7 | RICHARD STARK'S PARKER: THE HUNTER HC | $24.99 | MAY090880 | IDW |
8 | STAR WARS ADVENTURES VOLUME 2: PRINCESS LEIA AND THE ROYAL RANSOM (C: 0-1 | $7.95 | MAR090088 | DAR |
9 | NARUTO VOLUME 45 TP | $7.95 | APR091017 | VIZ |
10 | FRUITS BASKET VOLUME 23 GN | $10.99 | APR090989 | TOK |
TOP 10 TOYS & STATUES
Dollar Rank | Description | Item Code | Vendor |
1 | STAR TREK: THE ORIGINAL SERIES — TRICORDER | MAY084717 | DST |
2 | IRON MAN MOVIE MARK II FINE ART STATUE | DEC084845 | KOT |
3 | MARVEL COMICS: BLACK WIDOW BISHOUJO STATUE | FEB094987 | KOT |
4 | HISTORY OF THE DCU SERIES 1 FIGURES | NOV080261 | DC |
5 | SUPERMAN/BATMAN SERIES 7 FIGURES | OCT080255 | DC |
6 | MARVEL SELECT: WOLVERINE ACTION FIGURE | NOV088007 | DST |
7 | CATWOMAN VS. BATGIRL STATUE | DEC080270 | DC |
8 | SUPERMAN MINI-NEON SIGN (US VERSION) | DEC080258 | DC |
9 | BATMAN: BLACK & WHITE STATUE: PENGUIN | DEC080248 | DC |
10 | CONAN THE CONQUEROR STATUE | JAN094912 | CSM |
TOP 10 GAMES
Dollar Rank | Description | Item Code | Vendor |
1 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: 2010 CORE SET BOOSTER PACKS | MAY091798 | WIZ |
2 | WORLD OF WARCRAFT TCG: FIELDS OF HONOR BOOSTER PACKS | APR091693 | UPP |
3 | STAR WARS CMG: JEDI ACADEMY BOOSTER PACKS | APR091710 | WIZ |
4 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: 2010 CORE SET INTRO DECKS | MAY091800 | WIZ |
5 | DC HEROCLIX: ARKHAM ASYLUM BOOSTER PACKS | AUG085406 | WIZ |
6 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: SECRET INVASION BOOSTER PACKS | MAY085179 | WZK |
7 | COSMIC ENCOUNTER (NEW EDITION) | SEP085142 | FAN |
8 | BATTLESTAR GALACTICA BOARD GAME | AUG085302 | FAN |
9 | YU-GI-OH TCG: DUELIST PACK YUGI BOOSTER PACKS | MAY091753 | KON |
10 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: ALARA REBORN INTRO DECKS | FEB095259 | WIZ |
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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