Diamond announces Top Products for October 2012Media Release -- In the aftermath of Avengers Vs. X-Men, Captain America forms a new team comprised of Avengers and X-Men in Rick Remender and John Cassaday's Uncanny Avengers #1 from Marvel Comics, the best-selling comic book to specialty retailers in October 2012, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was October's leading publisher in both Retail Dollars and Unit Market Share, leading DC Entertainment 35.14% to 31.51% in dollars and 39.54% to 34.40% in units.

Diamond announces Top Products for October 2012Clark Kent struggles to establish himself in Metropolis, both as a reporter and as a hero, in October's best selling graphic novel, DC Comics' Superman: Earth One Volume 2, the sequel to J. Michael Straczynski and Shane Davis' best-selling Superman: Earth One graphic novel.

With his shield at the ready, Captain America leaps into action for Bowen Designs' Captain America Action Statue, the best-selling toy product to comic book specialty retailers in October.

Hasbro's Risk Legacy, an update of the venerable board game Risk with a gameplay mechanic that spans multiple games, returned to the top of the sales charts in October as the month's best-selling games product to comic book specialty retailers.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER DOLLAR SHARE UNIT SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 35.14% 39.54%
DC COMICS 31.51% 34.40%
IMAGE COMICS 8.47% 7.60%
IDW PUBLISHING 4.62% 3.82%
DARK HORSE COMICS 3.81% 3.11%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.71% 2.78%
BOOM! STUDIOS 1.29% 1.39%
AVATAR PRESS INC 1.26% 1.04%
RANDOM HOUSE 1.19% 0.25%
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC 1.03% 1.03%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 8.96% 5.04%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

DOLLARS UNITS
OCTOBER 2012 VS. SEPTEMBER 2012
COMICS 20.02% 16.15%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 24.41% 13.11%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 21.45% 15.90%
OCTOBER 2012 VS. OCTOBER 2011
COMICS 7.44% -0.82%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 53.87% 52.85%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 19.50% 2.11%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2012 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2011
COMICS 15.89% 12.31%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 17.97% 17.10%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 16.55% 12.68%

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 UNCANNY AVENGERS #1 $3.99 AUG120550 MAR
2 AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #12 $4.99 JUL120535 MAR
3 BATMAN #13 $3.99 AUG120180 DC
4 JUSTICE LEAGUE #13 $3.99 AUG120146 DC
5 A PLUS X #1 $3.99 AUG120562 MAR
6 GREEN LANTERN #13 $2.99 AUG120199 DC
7 DETECTIVE COMICS #13 $3.99 AUG120184 DC
8 AVX VS. #6 $3.99 JUL120526 MAR
9 WALKING DEAD #103 (MR) $2.99 AUG120472 IMA
10 AVX: CONSEQUENCES #1 $3.99 AUG120569 MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE VOLUME 2 HC $22.99 JUN120225 DC
2 SAGA VOLUME 1 TP $9.99 AUG120491 IMA
3 THE WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM VOL. 2 TP $59.99 AUG120496 IMA
4 THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 1: DAYS GONE BYE TP $9.99 JUL068351 IMA
5 THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 2: MILES BEHIND US TP $14.99 SEP088204 IMA
6 BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT VOLUME 1: KNIGHT TERRORS HC $24.99 JUN120234 DC
7 DEADPOOL KILLS THE MARVEL UNIVERSE TP $14.99 AUG120709 MAR
8 NIGHTWING VOL. 1: TRAPS AND TRAPEZES TP $14.99 JUL120214 DC
9 V FOR VENDETTA: BOOK AND MASK SET $24.99 JUN120291 DC
10 BATMAN VOL. 1: THE COURT OF OWLS HC $24.99 JAN120300 DC

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 CAPTAIN AMERICA ACTION STATUE MAR121666 BOW
2 THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: BATMAN VS. THE JOKER ARTFX STATUE APR121799 KOT
3 THE WALKING DEAD MINIMATES SERIES 1 APR121687 DST
4 MASS EFFECT 3 PLAY ARTS KAI: GARRUS VAKARIAN JUN122004 SQU
5 BATMAN BLACK AND WHITE: BATMAN BEYOND STATUE AUG120312 DC
6 BACK TO THE FUTURE: TIME MACHINE MARK I CAR MAR094739 DST
7 THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS: SUPERMAN VS. BATMAN STATUE AUG120309 DC
8 CLASSIC WASP STATUE JAN128256 BOW
9 BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM DELUXE: TITAN JOKER FIGURE JUL120272 DC
10 DOCTOR WHO: ELEVENTH DOCTOR 1/6-SCALE FIGURE JAN128153 BIG

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 RISK: LEGACY JUN118204 HAS
2 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: RETURN TO RAVNICA BOOSTER PACKS AUG122136 WIZ
3 DC HEROCLIX: BATMAN PRIMER AUG122141 NEC
4 DOCTOR WHO MONOPOLY: 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION AUG122147 USA
5 ASSASSIN'S CREED HEROCLIX: BROTHERHOOD EXPANSION AUG122140 NEC
6 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: RETURN TO RAVNICA FAT PACKS AUG122138 WIZ
7 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: RETURN TO RAVNICA INTRO DECKS AUG122139 WIZ
8 YU-GI-OH TCG: LEGENDARY COLLECTION 3 YUGI'S WORLD JUN128076 KON
9 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: RETURN TO RAVNICA EVENT DECKS AUG122137 WIZ
10 MARVEL COMICS COLLECTOR'S EDITION MONOPOLY JUL122175 USA

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.