New Avengers #53Media Release -- (BALTIMORE, MD) — (June 11, 2009) — The latest chapter in the ongoing Dark Reign saga, New Avengers #53, gave Marvel Comics the best-selling comic book title for May 2009, based upon total unit sales to comic book specialty shops, according to Diamond Comic Distributors.

Marvel Comics took the top publisher spot in May, leading both Unit Market and Dollar Shares, with a 45.17% United Market Share and a 39.05% Dollar Share for the month.

The top-selling graphic novel for May was Top Shelf Productions’ League of Extraordinary Gentlemen III: Century #1: 1910, the long-awaited continuation of Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's pulp fiction series.

The Hot Toys: The Dark Knight 1/6-Scale Joker collector figure from DC Direct was the best-selling Toy product for May. Wizard of the Coast's new Magic the Gathering TCG: Alara Reborn Booster Pack, the latest expansion for the game, was the best-selling Game product for the second month in a row to comic book specialty shops.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

Publisher Unit Market Share Dollar Share
MARVEL
COMICS
45.17% 39.05%
DC
COMICS
30.34% 26.18%
DARK
HORSE COMICS
4.31% 6.09%
IDW
PUBLISHING
3.78% 4.43%
IMAGE
COMICS
3.26% 4.61%
DYNAMITE
ENTERTAINMENT
2.15% 1.96%
BOOM!
STUDIOS
1.10% 1.08%
VIZ
MEDIA
1.08% 2.15%
WIZARD
ENTERTAINMENT
0.80% 0.91%
AVATAR
PRESS INC
0.69% 0.96%
OTHER
NON-TOP 10
7.31% 12.57%

TOP 10 COMICS

Quantity Rank Description Price Item Code Vendor
1 NEW AVENGERS #53 $3.99 MAR092535-M MARVEL COMICS
2 BATMAN BATTLE FOR
THE COWL #3 (OF 3)
$3.99 MAR090132-M DC COMICS
3 WOLVERINE #72 $2.99 FEB092578 MARVEL COMICS
4 FLASH REBIRTH #2 (OF
6)
$2.99 MAR090151-M DC COMICS
5 WOLVERINE #73 $2.99 MAR092604-M MARVEL COMICS
6 GREEN LANTERN #41 $2.99 FEB090180-M DC COMICS
7 UNCANNY X-MEN #510 $2.99 MAR092595-M MARVEL COMICS
8 HULK #12 $3.99 MAR092567-M MARVEL COMICS
9 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN
#595
$2.99 MAR092529-M MARVEL COMICS
10 CAPTAIN AMERICA #50 $3.99 MAR092559 MARVEL COMICS

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

Quantity Rank

Description Price Item Code Vendor
1 LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY
GENTLEMEN III: CENTURY #1: 1910 (MR)
$7.95 FEB094465 TOP SHELF
2 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE
SLAYER SEASON 8 VOL. 4: TIME OF YOUR LIFE TP
$15.95 JAN090114 DARK HORSE COMICS
3 ULTIMATES 3: WHO KILLED
THE SCARLET WITCH? TP
$19.99 FEB092633-M MARVEL COMICS
4 INVINCIBLE VOL. 10:
WHO'S THE BOSS TP
$16.99 DEC082242 IMAGE COMICS
5 STAR WARS: THE CLONE
WARS VOL. 3: WIND RAIDERS OF TALORAAN TP
$7.95 JAN090145 DARK HORSE COMICS
6 STAR TREK: COUNTDOWN
TP
$17.99 FEB094340 IDW
7 BATMAN: THE RESURRECTION
OF RA'S AL-GHUL TP
$19.99 FEB090202 DC COMICS
8 SUPERMAN: NEW KRYPTON
VOL. 1 HC
$24.99 JAN090239 DC COMICS
9 BATMAN: MAD LOVE AND
OTHER STORIES HC
$19.99 JAN090225 DC COMICS
10 BERSERK VOL. 29 TP
(MR)
$13.95 JAN090139 DARK HORSE COMICS

TOP 10 TOYS & STATUES

Dollar Rank Description Item Code Vendor
1 HOT TOYS: THE DARK
KNIGHT 1/6-SCALE JOKER
SEP080240 DC DIRECT
2 HOT TOYS: THE DARK
KNIGHT 1/6-SCALE BANK ROBBER JOKER
OCT080243 DC DIRECT
3 HOT TOYS: THE DARK
KNIGHT 1/6-SCALE BATMAN
SEP080242 DC DIRECT
4 STAR WARS: CRIMSON
EMPIRE CRUCIBLE PREVIEWS EXCLUSIVE ACTION FIGURE PACK
JAN088285 KENNER
5 BATMAN BLACK &
WHITE STATUE: BRUCE TIMM
OCT080246 DC DIRECT
6 HEROES OF THE DCU:
BATMAN BUST
OCT080244 DC DIRECT
7 BATMAN MINI-NEON SIGN
(US VERSION)
OCT080263 DC DIRECT
8 SGT. ROCK 1/6-SCALE
DELUXE COLLECTOR FIGURE
SEP080254 DC DIRECT
9 KINGDOM HEARTS PLAY
ARTS: CLOUD ACTION FIGURE
NOV084947 SQUARE ENIX
10 FALCON STATUE DEC084768 BOWEN DESIGNS

TOP 10 GAMES

Dollar Rank Description Item Code Vendor
1 MAGIC THE GATHERING
TCG: ALARA REBORN BOOSTERS
FEB095257 WIZARDS OF THE COAST
2 WORLD OF WARCRAFT
CMG: SPOILS OF WAR BOOSTERS
FEB095237 THE UPPER DECK COMPANY
3 WORLD OF WARCRAFT
TCG: ARENA GRAND MELEE BOOSTERS
MAR095059 THE UPPER DECK COMPANY
4 POKEMON TCG: PLATINUM
RISING RIVALS BOOSTERS
MAR095054 POKEMON USA
5 YU-GI-OH TCG: RAGING
BATTLE BOOSTERS
JAN098194 KONAMI
6 AGE OF CONAN BOARD
GAME
FEB095183 FANTASY FLIGHT
7 SMALL WORLD FEB095181 DAYS OF WONDER
8 SUPER SCRABBLE DELUXE
EDITION
JAN095201 WINNING MOVES
9 MAGIC THE GATHERING
TCG: ALARA REBORN INTRO DECKS
FEB095259 WIZARDS OF THE COAST
10 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
4TH EDITION: MONSTER MANUAL 2
MAR095071 WIZARDS OF THE COAST

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.

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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.