Avengers #1 (John Romita Sr. Variant Cover Edition)Media Release -- The dawn of the Heroic Age in the Marvel Universe and the reestablishment of one of the classic super-hero teams in Avengers #1 from superstar creators Brian Michael Bendis and John Romita, Jr., gave Marvel Comics the top spot on the comics sales chart in May 2010, based on total unit sals to comic book specialty shops, according to Diamond Comic Distributors.

Marvel Comics took the top publisher spot in May with the company leading in both the Unit Market and Dollar Shares categories, with a 45.52% Unit Market Share and a 40.66% Dollar Share for the month.

As the monthly series winds to its conclusion, Brian K. Vaughn and Tony Harris' Ex Machina Volume 9: Ring Out the Old from DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint gave DC Comics the best-selling graphic novel in the month of May.

DC Direct's partnership with Hong Kong toymaker Hot Toys produced The Dark Knight: 1/6-Scale Batman (Sonar) MMS DX Figure, based on Christopher Nolan's blockbuster film, and gave the manufacturer the best-selling toy product to comic specialty retailers in May. NECA/WizKids' latest expansion for the HeroClix miniatures game, the DC HeroClix: The Brave and the Bold Expansion, was the top-selling games product to specialty retailers for the second month in a row.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER UNIT SHARE DOLLAR SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 45.52% 40.66%
DC COMICS 35.10% 30.95%
DARK HORSE COMICS 3.16% 4.45%
IMAGE COMICS 3.14% 4.26%
IDW PUBLISHING 2.95% 3.79%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.61% 2.84%
BOOM! STUDIOS 1.69% 1.92%
VIZ MEDIA 0.63% 1.36%
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS 0.45% 0.41%
WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT 0.42% 0.56%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 4.34% 8.80%

TOP 10 COMICS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 AVENGERS #1 $3.99 MAR100516-M MAR
2 SIEGE #4 $3.99 FEB100421-M MAR
3 BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #1 $3.99 MAR100178-M DC
4 SECRET AVENGERS #1 $3.99 MAR100566-M MAR
5 BRIGHTEST DAY #1 $2.99 MAR100159-M DC
6 BATMAN RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE #2 $3.99 MAR100181-M DC
7 BRIGHTEST DAY #2 $2.99 MAR100161-M DC
8 GREEN LANTERN #54 $2.99 MAR100163-M DC
9 BATMAN AND ROBIN #12 $2.99 MAR100183-M DC
10 UNCANNY X-MEN #524 $2.99 MAR100587-M MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 EX MACHINA VOLUME 9: RING OUT THE OLD TP (MR) $14.99 FEB100231 DC
2 SWEET TOOTH VOLUME 1: OUT OF THE WOODS TP (MR) $9.99 FEB100267 DC
3 INVINCIBLE VOLUME 12: STILL STANDING TP $16.99 DEC090386 IMA
4 THE WALKING DEAD BOOK 5 HC $34.99 NOV090362 IMA
5 SCALPED VOLUME 6: THE GNAWING TP (MR) $14.99 FEB100266 DC
6 WEDNESDAY COMICS HC $49.99 DEC090221 DC
7 DEADPOOL VOLUME 3: X MARKS THE SPOT TP $15.99 FEB100626 MAR
8 HELLSING VOLUME 10 TP $13.99 DEC090056 DAR
9 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN VOLUME 3: MOST WANTED BK 2 TP $14.99 FEB100615 MAR
10 KICK-ASS PREMIERE HC (MR) $24.99 DEC090575 MAR

TOP 10 TOYS & STATUES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 HOT TOYS THE DARK KNIGHT 1-6 SCALE BATMAN SONAR MMS OCT090336 DC
2 DC HEROES WAVE 12 FIGURES JUL098262 MAT
3 MARVEL SELECT IRON MAN 2 ACTION FIGURE NOV091231 DST
4 AME-COMI WONDER WOMAN (VER. 2) VINYL FIGURE SEP090259 DC
5 GREEN LANTERN LEGACIES STATUE PART 1: HAL JORDAN SEP090243 DC
6 DC HEROES WAVE 13 FIGURES JUL098315 MAT
7 AME-COMI WONDER GIRL VINYL FIGURE SEP090258 DC
8 MARVEL MINIMATES SERIES 35 FIGURES DEC091302 DST
9 ALICE IN WONDERLAND: MAD HATTER ULTRA DETAIL FIGURE JUL098256 MED
10 WOLVERINE: LOGAN BUST NOV091319 BOW

TOP 10 TOYS & STATUES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 DC HEROCLIX: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD BOOSTER PACKS JAN101703 NEC
2 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: RISE OF THE ELDRAZI BOOSTERS FEB101691 WIZ
3 YU-GI-OH! TCG 5DS: SHINING DARKNESS BOOSTER PACKS MAR101716 KON
4 NINTENDO MONOPOLY 2010 EDITION APR101750 USA
5 DC HEROCLIX: ARKHAM ASYLUM BOOSTER PACKS AUG085406 WZK
6 POKEMON TCG: HEARTSILVER UNLEASHED BOOSTER PACKS FEB108025 POK
7 ELVIS MONOPOLY 2010 EDITION APR101747 USA
8 JOHN WAYNE MONOPOLY MAR101742 USA
9 CTHULHU DICE GAME JAN101689 PSI
10 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS PLAYER'S STRATEGY GUIDE MAR101748 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 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 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 3,500 specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com