From Image Comics
April 5, 2012
Diamond Announces Top Products For March 2012
BALTIMORE — With the fate of the Earth hanging in the balance, Marvel Comics' top two teams do battle in the epic event Avengers Vs. X-Men, and the first issue of the twelve-part series was the best-selling comic book to comics specialty retailers in March 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 March's leading publisher in both Retail Dollar and Unit Market Shares with 36.21% and 39.94% respectively. DC Entertainment, which had seven of the month's top-ten best-selling comics, was second in both Retail Dollar and Unit Market Shares with 30.95% and 36.09% respectively.
The collected first volume of Robert Kirkman's zombie series for Image Comics, The Walking Dead Volume 1: Days Gone Bye, was the top-selling graphic novel to retailers in March.
Square Enix continued their best-selling line of Play Arts Kai action figures in March with figures based on WBIE's best-selling video game Batman: Arkham Asylum, and the Batman: Arkham Asylum Play Arts Kai: Batman Action Figure was the month's top-selling toy product to specialty retailers.
Marvel Comics' heroes embark on cosmic adventures in the latest expansion for WizKids/NECA's HeroClix game, the Marvel HeroClix: Galactic Guardians Primer Packs, which gave the manufacturer the best-selling game product to retailers in March.
Please note that Avengers Vs. X-Men #1 was shipped to retailers a week before its on-sale date and invoiced to retailers in March 2012 to facilitate pre-release launch parties for the book. Diamond Comic Distributors' sales figures are factored on the books invoiced to retailers during the calendar month, not on the book's on-sale date.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHER |
DOLLAR SHARE |
UNIT SHARE |
MARVEL COMICS |
36.21% |
39.94% |
DC COMICS |
30.95% |
36.09% |
IMAGE COMICS |
6.66% |
5.59% |
IDW PUBLISHING |
5.74% |
4.71% |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
5.24% |
3.98% |
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT |
2.90% |
2.38% |
BOOM! STUDIOS |
1.42% |
1.27% |
AVATAR PRESS |
1.15% |
0.93% |
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT |
1.06% |
0.98% |
VIZ MEDIA |
0.86% |
0.38% |
OTHER NON-TOP 10 |
7.81% |
3.75% |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
|
DOLLARS |
UNITS |
MARCH 2012 VS. FEBRUARY 2012 |
||
COMICS |
-5.32% |
-2.99% |
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-7.13% |
9.54% |
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-5.89% |
-2.07% |
FEBRUARY 2012 VS. FEBRUARY 2011 |
||
COMICS |
-1.18% |
-2.45% |
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
-5.67% |
2.93% |
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
-2.61% |
-2.03% |
FIRST QUARTER 2012 VS. FIRST QUARTER 2011 |
||
COMICS |
15.85% |
14.74% |
GRAPHIC NOVELS |
8.39% |
7.25% |
TOTAL COMICS/GN |
13.42% |
14.13% |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #1 |
$3.99 |
JAN120625 |
MAR |
2 |
AVENGERS VS. X-MEN #0 |
$3.99 |
JAN120622 |
MAR |
3 |
JUSTICE LEAGUE #7 |
$3.99 |
JAN120210 |
DC |
4 |
BATMAN #7 |
$2.99 |
JAN120236 |
DC |
5 |
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE #1 |
$3.99 |
JAN120638 |
MAR |
6 |
ACTION COMICS #7 |
$3.99 |
JAN120228 |
DC |
7 |
GREEN LANTERN #7 |
$2.99 |
JAN120253 |
DC |
8 |
DETECTIVE COMICS #7 |
$2.99 |
JAN120240 |
DC |
9 |
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #7 |
$2.99 |
JAN120242 |
DC |
10 |
SUPERMAN #7 |
$2.99 |
JAN120232 |
DC |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
PRICE |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 1: DAYS GONE BYE TP |
$9.99 |
JUL068351 |
IMA |
2 |
HELLBOY VOL. 12: THE STORM AND THE FURY TP |
$19.99 |
OCT110020 |
DAR |
3 |
THE BOYS VOLUME 10: BUTCHER, BAKER, CANDLESTICKMAKER TP |
$19.99 |
JAN121022 |
DE |
4 |
FLASHPOINT TP |
$14.99 |
DEC110276 |
DC |
5 |
X-MEN SEASON ONE PREMIERE HC |
$24.99 |
JAN120729 |
MAR |
6 |
DMZ VOLUME 11: FREE STATES RISING TP |
$19.99 |
DEC110321 |
DC |
7 |
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS VOLUME 7: THE ENEMY WITHIN TP |
$7.99 |
NOV110031 |
DAR |
8 |
FLASHPOINT: WORLD OF FLASHPOINT: BATMAN TP |
$17.99 |
DEC110277 |
DC |
9 |
NORTHLANDERS VOL. 6: THOR'S DAUGHTER TP |
$14.99 |
DEC110323 |
DC |
10 |
THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 2: MILES BEHIND US TP |
$14.99 |
SEP088204 |
IMA |
TOP 10 TOYS
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM PLAY ARTS KAI: BATMAN FIG |
AUG118148 |
SQU |
2 |
BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM PLAY ARTS KAI: JOKER FIGURE |
AUG118149 |
SQU |
3 |
THOR CLASSIC ACTION STATUE |
JUL111881 |
BOW |
4 |
STARCRAFT PREMIUM SERIES 2 ACTION FIGURES |
DEC110338 |
DC |
5 |
IRON MAN HYDRO ARMOR STATUE |
DEC108207 |
BOW |
6 |
GOLIATH "NEW UNIFORM VERSION" STATUE |
MAR118190 |
BOW |
7 |
HAWKEYE MUSEUM POSE STATUE |
AUG111820 |
BOW |
8 |
ANNIHILUS STATUE |
DEC108206 |
BOW |
9 |
BATMAN: BLACK & WHITE: MIKE MIGNOLA VARIANT STATUE |
NOV110251 |
DC |
10 |
X-FORCE: ARCHANGEL FINE ART STATUE |
AUG111850 |
KOT |
TOP 10 GAMES
RANK |
DESCRIPTION |
ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 |
MARVEL HEROCLIX: GALACTIC GUARDIANS PRIMER |
FEB121831 |
NEC |
2 |
RISK LEGACY |
JUN118204 |
KEN |
3 |
DOCTOR WHO: MONSTER INVASION TCG BOOSTERS |
NOV118179 |
IMM |
4 |
THE HUNGER GAMES BOOSTERS |
NOV118211 |
NEC |
5 |
DOCTOR WHO: MONSTER INVASION EXTREME TCG BOOSTERS |
NOV118180 |
IMM |
6 |
THE HUNGER GAMES: DISTRICT 12 STRATEGY GAME |
NOV118210 |
NEC |
7 |
YU-GI-OH! TCG RA YELLOW MEGA PACK BOOSTERS |
OCT118166 |
KON |
8 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: DARK ASCENSION BOOSTERS |
NOV111878 |
WIZ |
9 |
LOCKE & KEY CARD GAME |
NOV111845 |
IDW |
10 |
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: DARK ASCENSION EVENT DECKS |
NOV111879 |
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.
Replies