Blackest Night #3Media Release -- Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis' cosmic company-wide crossover event Blackest Night #3 ramped up the battle between the Lantern Corps and the undead Black Lanterns, providing DC Comics with the best-selling comic book title for September 2009, based upon total unit sales to comic book specialty shops, according to Diamond Comic Distributors.

Marvel Comics took the top publisher spot in September, leading in both the Unit Market and Dollar Shares categories, with a 47.58% Unit Market Share and a 40.72% Dollar Share for the month.

Dark Horse Comics' continuing adventures of Joss Whedon's classic character Buffy Summers in Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 Volume 5: Predator and Prey gave the Oregon publisher the best-selling graphic novel for the month of September.

Diamond Select Toys' Back to the Future: DeLorean Mark I Car, recreating the iconic time travel machine from the Robert Zemekis film, was the best-selling Toy product. Wizard of the Coast's Magic the Gathering TCG: Zendikar Booster Packs, the latest expansion for their popular trading card game, was September's best-selling Game product to comic book specialty shops.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHER UNIT MARKET SHARE DOLLAR SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 47.58% 40.72%
DC COMICS 32.74% 30.47%
DARK HORSE COMICS 3.72% 5.82%
IMAGE COMICS 2.93% 3.20%
IDW PUBLISHING 2.58% 3.19%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.11% 2.22%
BOOM! STUDIOS 1.42% 1.52%
ARCHIE COMICS 0.95% 0.63%
VIZ MEDIA 0.62% 1.23%

TOP 10 COMICS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 BLACKEST NIGHT #3 $3.99 JUL090144-M DC
2 CAPTAIN AMERICA: REBORN #3 $3.99 JUL090458-M MAR
3 BATMAN AND ROBIN #4 $2.99 JUL090168-M DC
4 GREEN LANTERN #46 $2.99 JUL090153-M DC
5 WOLVERINE: GIANT-SIZE OLD MAN LOGAN #1 $4.99 JUL090561-M MAR
6 BLACKEST NIGHT: BATMAN #2 $2.99 JUL090149-M DC
7 NEW AVENGERS #57 $3.99 JUL090500-M MAR
8 GREEN LANTERN CORPS #40 $2.99 JUL090155-M DC
9 DARK AVENGERS #9 $3.99 JUL090499 MAR
10 BLACKEST NIGHT: SUPERMAN #2 $2.99 JUL090147-M DC

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK

DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 8 VOLUME 5: PREDATOR & PREY TP $15.95 MAY090057 DAR
2 THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOLUME 2: DALLAS TP $17.95 JUN090040 DAR
3 DMZ VOLUME 7: WAR POWERS TP (MR) $14.99 JUN090262 DC
4 THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ HC $29.99 JUL090457 MAR
5 SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN VOLUME 6 TP $19.95 APR090029 DAR
6 BATMAN: CACOPHONY HC $19.99 MAY090177 DC
7 BATMAN: THE BLACK GLOVE TP $17.99 JUN090205 DC
8 FABLES DELUXE EDITION VOLUME 1 HC (MR) $29.99 MAY090235 DC
9 CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE MAN WITH NO FACE TP $15.99 JUL090619 MAR
10 THE GOON VOLUME 9: CALAMITY OF CONSCIENCE TP $15.95 JUN090056 DAR

TOP 10 TOYS & STATUES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 BACK TO THE FUTURE: DELOREAN MARK I CAR MAR094739 DST
2 BATMAN: BLACK AND WHITE STATUE -- MAZZUCCHELLI STATUE FEB090302 DC
3 RED DAREDEVIL ON GARGOYLE STATUE MAY091512 BOW
4 JLI SERIES 2 ACTION FIGURES JAN090302 DC
5 HEROES OF THE DCU: SUPERMAN BUST FEB090294 DC
6 JEAN GREY STATUE FEB094918 BOW
7 STAR TREK: "MIRROR MIRROR" ISS ENTERPRISE SHIP FEB098006 DST
8 ARKHAM ASYLUM BOXED SET FEB090301 DC
9 SUPERMAN/BATMAN DVD: BATMAN MAQUETTE JUL090311 DC
10 SUPERMAN/BATMAN DVD: SUPERMAN MAQUETTE JUL090310 DC

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: ZENDIKAR BOOSTER PACKS AUG091778 WIZ
2 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: 2010 CORE SET BOOSTER PACKS MAY091798 WIZ
3 YU GI OH TCG: 5DS ANCIENT PROPHECY BOOSTER PACKS JUL091697 KON
4 YU GI OH TCG: 5DS JACK ATLAS COLLECTIBLE TINS JUL091699 KON
5 MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: SHARDS ALARA INTRO PACKS MAY088381 WIZ
6 POKEMON TCG: 2009 HOLIDAY COLLECTORS WAVE 1 TINS JUL091716 POK
7 SUPER MARIO BROS CHESS JUL091739 USA
8 D&D 4TH-EDITION DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE II JUL091747 WIZ
9 RISK: HALO WARS COLLECTORS EDITION JUN091743 USA
10 MAGIC THE GATHERING PLANECHASE CARD GAME JUL091755 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.