Shadow #1Media Release -- Walter Gibson's classic pulp character The Shadow returned to combat the evil that lurks in the hearts of men in Garth Ennis' The Shadow #1 from Dynamite Entertainment, the best-selling Non-Premier Comic sold to retailers in April 2012. In total, Dynamite had six of the month's top ten Non-Premier comics, including The Boys #65 at #4, A Game of Thrones #7 at #5, Kirby: Genesis #6 at #6, Dejah Thoris and the White Apes of Mars #1 at #8, and Warlord of Mars #17 at #10.

BOOM! Studios had three titles in the top ten, led by Fanboys Vs. Zombies #1 at #2, followed by two titles from their KaBOOM! imprint — Adventure Time #3 at #3 and Peanuts #4 at #7. Rounding out the top ten was Avatar Press with Crossed: Badlands #3 at #9.

Acclaimed graphic novelist Harvey Pekar was working on his final memoir, Harvey Pekar's Cleveland, at the time of his death, and Top Shelf Productions published the volume in April, giving the publisher the top selling Non-Premier Graphic Novel for the month.

Other publishers in the top ten include Archie Comics (Archie Meets KISS ranked #3), Bongo Comics (Simpsons Confidential ranked #7), Oni Press (The Sixth Gun Volume 3 ranked #9), VIZ Media (three titles, led by Bleach Volume 39 at #2), and Yen Press (two titles, led by High School of the Dead Volume 6 at #4).

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 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 not only brick-and-mortar comic book specialty shops, but also Internet stores, chain stores, 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 the Diamond Sales Index: The Sales Index of selected monthly Best Seller Charts is presented as a comparative tool for retailers and publishers. It presents Diamond's monthly sales for individual titles in relation to Diamond's total sales for the issue of DC Comics' monthly Batman comic book. (Batman is used as the control title – with a value of 100 – because sales of Batman usually remain relatively stable.) This allows for easy comparison to other titles and helps retailers gauge their orders for all other titles. This formula is only a guide, other factors may impact a titles' ability to sell in certain locations and clientele.

QUANTITY RANK OVERALL QUANTITY RANK OVERALL RETAIL RANK INDEX TITLE PUBLISHER
1 31 19 34.88 SHADOW #1 DE
2 80 200 19.86 FANBOYS VS ZOMBIES #1 BOO
3 111 89 13.12 ADVENTURE TIME #3 BOO
4 115 78 12.54 BOYS #65 (MR) DE
5 155 126 8.81 GAME OF THRONES #7 (MR) DE
6 158 132 8.57 KIRBY GENESIS #6 DE
7 165 152 7.82 PEANUTS #4 BOO
8 169 145 7.61 DEJAH THORIS & WHITE APES OF MARS #1 (MR) DE
9 171 140 7.52 CROSSED BADLANDS #3 (MR) AVA
10 173 153 7.45 WARLORD OF MARS #17 (MR) DE
11 180 157 7.13 LORD OF THE JUNGLE #3 (MR) DE
12 182 160 7.01 BIONIC WOMAN #1 DE
13 185 156 6.93 CROSSED BADLANDS #4 (MR) AVA
14 186 163 6.90 KIRBY GENESIS #7 DE
15 187 162 6.90 VAMPIRELLA #16 DE
16 188 164 6.88 KEVIN SMITH BIONIC MAN #8 DE
17 189 165 6.87 GARTH ENNIS JENNIFER BLOOD #11 (MR) DE
18 190 154 6.79 ADVENTURE TIME #2 BOO
19 192 212 6.75 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #235 ARC
20 194 178 6.39 GARTH ENNIS JENNIFER BLOOD #12 (MR) DE
21 198 182 6.30 DANGER GIRL ARMY OF DARKNESS #5 DE
22 199 183 6.29 RACHEL RISING #7 ABS
23 206 188 6.13 VAMPIRELLA RED ROOM #1 DE
24 207 215 6.10 GFT ALICE IN WONDERLAND #5 (MR) ZEN
25 209 217 6.06 GFT ALICE IN WONDERLAND #4 (MR) ZEN
26 210 230 6.05 SPONGEBOB COMICS #8 UNI
27 211 195 6.01 IRREDEEMABLE #36 BOO
28 213 181 5.82 LADY DEATH (ONGOING) #16 (MR) AVA
29 215 199 5.59 RED SONJA WITCHBLADE #2 DE
30 219 159 5.33 LADY DEATH ORIGINS CURSED #1 (MR) AVA
31 222 243 5.25 SONIC UNIVERSE #39 ARC
32 223 209 5.25 HELLRAISER #13 (MR) BOO
33 224 235 5.22 GRIMM FAIRY TALES #71 (MR) ZEN
34 225 247 5.17 SIMPSONS COMICS #189 BON
35 226 207 5.17 GREEN HORNET #24 DE
36 227 208 5.15 RED SONJA #65 DE
37 229 239 5.05 GRIMM FAIRY TALES #72 (MR) ZEN
38 231 210 4.89 STITCHED #4 (MR) AVA
39 232 221 4.89 ARMY OF DARKNESS ONGOING #3 DE
40 234 179 4.81 HELLRAISER ANNUAL #1 (MR) BOO
41 237 250 4.71 GFT JUNGLE BOOK #2 (MR) ZEN
42 238 225 4.69 VAMPIRELLA VS DRACULA #3 DE
43 240 227 4.65 THE LONE RANGER #4 DE
44 242 222 4.63 FERALS #4 (MR) AVA
45 243 228 4.61 QUEEN SONJA #28 DE
46 244 229 4.60 VOLTRON YEAR ONE #1 DE
47 245 263 4.60 MEGA MAN #12 ARC
48 247 231 4.50 MERCILESS RISE OF MING #1 DE
49 248 242 4.41 FATHOM KIANI VOL 2 #1 ASP
50 250 232 4.26 INCORRUPTIBLE #28 BOO


QUANTITY RANK OVERALL QUANTITY RANK OVERALL DOLLAR RANK INDEX TITLE PUBLISHER
1 31 24 1.73 HARVEY PEKAR CLEVELAND HC TOP
2 32 88 1.70 BLEACH TP VOL 39 VIZ
3 40 83 1.38 ARCHIE MEETS KISS TP ARC
4 48 72 1.32 HIGH SCHOOL OF DEAD GN VOL 06 (MR) HAC
5 52 95 1.23 BLACK BUTLER TP VOL 09 HAC
6 60 112 1.14 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG SELECT TP VOL 05 ARC
7 71 90 1.04 SIMPSONS CONFIDENTIAL TP BON
8 72 146 1.03 ROSARIO VAMPIRE SEASON II TP VOL 08 VIZ
9 73 71 1.03 SIXTH GUN TP VOL 03 ONI
10 80 156 0.97 BAKUMAN TP VOL 10 VIZ
11 85 166 0.89 BLUE EXORCIST GN VOL 07 VIZ
12 93 94 0.83 GRIMM FAIRY TALES DIFFERENT SEASONS TP VOL 02 ZEN
13 95 96 0.80 COURTNEY CRUMRIN SPEC ED HC VOL 01 ONI
14 96 149 0.78 NAOKI URASAWA 20TH CENTURY BOYS GN VOL 20 VIZ
15 99 67 0.78 JERUSALEM CHRONICLES FROM THE HOLY CITY HC (MR) DRA
16 112 148 0.71 TALES FROM NEVERLAND TP (MR) ZEN
17 116 136 0.68 STAN LEE STRIPPERELLA GN (MR) DEE
18 120 165 0.67 DURARARA GN VOL 02 HAC
19 123 210 0.64 DISNEY FAIRIES GN VOL 08 TINKER BELL STORIES FOR RAINY DAY NBM
20 125 51 0.63 MICHAEL TURNER SOULFIRE DEFINITIVE ED TP VOL 01 ASP
21 126 227 0.63 VOLTRON FORCE GN VOL 01 VIZ
22 140 89 0.56 ARCHIE MEETS KISS COLLECTORS ED HC ARC
23 144 221 0.53 TINTIN YOUNG READER ED SHOOTING STAR HAC
24 145 160 0.53 CHARMED TP VOL 03 ZEN
25 146 222 0.53 TINTIN YOUNG READER ED CRAB & GOLDEN CLAW HAC
26 147 45 0.53 DARKSTALKERS ULTIMATE ED TP UDO
27 148 129 0.53 JOHNNY HOMICIDAL MANIAC DIRECTORS CUT SC SLA
28 149 195 0.53 CODE GEASS QUEEN GN VOL 05 BAN
29 150 199 0.52 SCOTT PILGRIM GN VOL 01 PRECIOUS LITTLE LIFE ONI
30 151 164 0.52 TERMINATOR ROBOCOP KILL HUMAN TP DE
31 163 170 0.48 TENJO TENGE GN VOL 06 (MR) VIZ
32 164 193 0.47 HIGURASHI WHEN THEY CRY GN VOL 18 ATONEMENT ARC PT 4 HAC
33 166 470 0.46 POKEMON BLACK & WHITE GN VOL 06 VIZ
34 169 244 0.46 OWLY GN VOL 05 TINY TALES TOP
35 173 117 0.45 POPEYE HC VOL 06 ME LIL SWEE PEA FAN
36 175 236 0.45 CODE GEASS KNIGHT GN VOL 05 BAN
37 180 265 0.43 SKIP BEAT TP VOL 27 VIZ
38 181 143 0.43 KRAZY & IGNATZ TP 1922 1924 DRIM OF LOVE FAN
39 182 163 0.42 BOYS TP VOL 10 BUTCHER BAKER CANDLESTICKMAKER (MR) DE
40 183 1161 0.42 TERMINATOR REVOLUTION TP DE
41 184 171 0.41 VAMPIRELLA MASTERS SERIES TP VOL 07 DE
42 185 168 0.41 SENGOKU BASARA SAMURAI LEGENDS GN VOL 01 UDO
43 186 183 0.41 KODT BUNDLE OF TROUBLE TP VOL 35 KEN
44 187 185 0.40 KODT BUNDLE OF TROUBLE TP VOL 36 KEN
45 188 218 0.40 TORADORA GN VOL 04 ST.
46 192 132 0.39 VAMPI OMNIBUS TP VOL 01 DE
47 193 239 0.39 SAILOR MOON TP KODANSHA ED VOL 01 RAN
48 195 243 0.38 GTO 14 DAYS IN SHONAN GN VOL 02 RAN
49 197 245 0.38 AIR GEAR GN VOL 23 (MR) RAN
50 198 214 0.38 FARSCAPE TP VOL 07 WAR UNCHARTED TERRITORIES PT ONE BOO