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Diamond Announces Top Products for August 2015

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (September 11, 2015) —The secrets behind the creation of Battleworld are revealed in Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic's Secret Wars #5 from Marvel Comics, the best-selling comic book in August 2015 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was August's top publisher with a 36.67% dollar share and a 40.13% unit share. DC Entertainment was the month's number two publisher with a 25.39% dollar share and a 26.95% unit share. August's number three publisher was Image Comics with a 9.98% dollar share and a 10.41% unit share. In fourth was IDW Publishing with a 4.90% dollar share and a 4.26% unit share. Dark Horse Comics placed fifth for the month with a 4.09% dollar share and a 3.63% unit share.

In August, Marvel Comics had seven titles among the top ten best-selling comics, including Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca's Darth Vader #8 and Dan Slott and Adam Kubert's Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows #3 at #5. DC Entertainment had two titles maintain their top ten positions — Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman #43 at #3 and Geoff Johns and Jason Fabok's Justice League #43 at #8. Also in the top ten was Image Comics with Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead #145 at #7 for the month. Outside the top ten, August's best-selling non-premier comic book was Oni Press' Invader Zim #2, based on the fan-favorite animated series, which ranked #43 overall.

Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead Volume 24: Life and Death from Image Comics was the best-selling graphic novel for August and one of the publisher's five volumes in the top ten. DC Entertainment had two titles in the top ten, led by Alan Moore and Brian Bolland's Batman: The Killing Joke Special Edition at #2. Marvel Comics placed three titles in the top ten, with Mark Millar and Steve McNiven's Civil War at #4.

IDW Publishing's Frank Miller's Daredevil Artifact Edition, a recreation of Miller's classic Daredevil artwork, was August's best-selling book. Also among the top ten were two books from Dark Horse Comics; Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia ranked #2 and Avatar: The Last Airbender Poster Collection ranked #7.

DC Entertainment's Batman Black & White: Batgirl by Babs Tarr, a statue that recreates the new look of Batgirl, was August's best-selling toy and one of the manufacturer's three products in the top ten. Also in the top ten was Diamond Select Toys with five products; the Marvel Select: Avengers Age of Ultron: Black Widow Action Figure was their best-selling product at #3.

The Marvel HeroClix: Nick Fury Agent of SHIELD Booster Brick, an expansion for WizKids/NECA's collectible miniatures game, was August's best-selling game product. Also in the top ten was Diamond Select Toys' Back to the Future Monopoly, a custom edition of the board game based on the beloved film series, ranked #2.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 36.67%
DC COMICS 25.39%
IMAGE COMICS 9.98%
IDW PUBLISHING 4.90%
DARK HORSE COMICS 4.09%
BOOM STUDIOS 2.33%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 2.01%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS 1.57%
TITAN COMICS 1.33%
ONI PRESS 1.12%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 10.60%
 
UNIT MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 40.13%
DC COMICS 26.95%
IMAGE COMICS 10.41%
IDW PUBLISHING 4.26%
DARK HORSE COMICS 3.63%
BOOM STUDIOS 2.38%
DYNAMIC ENTERTAINMENT 2.03%
TITAN COMICS 1.42%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT 1.37%
ONI PRESS 1.11%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 6.32%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER COMICS SHIPPED GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED MAGAZINES SHIPPED TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS 72 33 0 105
DC ENTERTAINMENT 70 26 1 97
IMAGE COMICS 61 16 0 77
IDW PUBLISHING 39 18 0 57
DARK HORSE COMICS 32 13 0 45
BOOM ENTERTAINMENT 31 8 0 39
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 19 8 0 27
TITAN COMICS 11 6 1 18
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC 11 5 0 16
ONI PRESS INC. 9 3 0 12
OTHER NON-TOP 10 81 145 46 272

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

  DOLLARS UNITS
AUGUST 2015 VS. JULY 2015
COMICS -18.24% -15.79%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -10.71% -20.19%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -15.89% -16.20%
AUGUST 2015 VS. AUGUST 2014
COMICS 2.25% 0.03%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 16.04% 11.89%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 6.45% 0.97%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2015 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2014
COMICS 11.38% 10.61%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 6.35% 5.96%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 9.80% 10.22%

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 SECRET WARS #5 $3.99 MAY150642-M MAR
2 STAR WARS #8 $3.99 MAY150780-M MAR
3 BATMAN #43 $3.99 JUN150239-M DC
4 DARTH VADER #8 $3.99 MAY150786 MAR
5 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: RENEW YOUR VOWS #3 $3.99 MAY150716-M MAR
6 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: RENEW YOUR VOWS #4 $3.99 JUN150736-M MAR
7 THE WALKING DEAD #145 (MR) $2.99 JUN150539 IMA
8 JUSTICE LEAGUE #43 $3.99 JUN150172-M DC
9 CIVIL WAR #2 $3.99 MAY150690-M MAR
10 STAR WARS: LANDO #2 $3.99 MAY150774 MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 24: LIFE AND DEATH TP (MR) $14.99 JUN150590 IMA
2 BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL EDITION HC $17.99 NOV070226 DC
3 BLACK SCIENCE VOL. 3: VANISHING POINT TP (MR) $14.99 JUN150521 IMA
4 CIVIL WAR TP $24.99 JAN072436 MAR
5 RETURN OF THE LIVING DEADPOOL TP $16.99 MAY150827 MAR
6 FABLES VOLUME 22 TP (MR) $17.99 APR150316 DC
7 CHEW VOLUME 10: BLOOD PUDDIN' TP (MR) $14.99 JUN150496 IMA
8 UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL VOL. 1: SQUIRREL POWER TP $15.99 MAY150824 MAR
9 SAGA VOLUME 1 TP (MR) $9.99 AUG120491 IMA
10 SUNSTONE VOLUME 3 GN (MR) $14.99 JUN150583 IMA

TOP 10 BOOKS

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 FRANK MILLER'S DAREDEVIL ARTIFACT EDITION HC $75.00 MAR150343 IDW
2 LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC $34.99 SEP120055 DAR
3 BATMAN YOU CHOOSE STORIES: TERRIBLE TRIO $6.95 JUN151729 CAP
4 BATMAN YOU CHOOSE STORIES: SUPER VILLAIN SMACKDOWN $6.95 JUN151728 CAP
5 THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 98 $14.95 JUN151745 SAN
6 THE ART OF MOUSE GUARD 2005-2015 HC $59.99 MAY151087 BOO
7 AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER: POSTER COLLECTION TP $24.99 MAR150041 DAR
8 THE OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE VOL. 45 SC $29.95 APR151522 GEM
9 DC SUPER HEROES BATMAN: ATTACK OF THE MAN-BAT SC $5.95 JUN151730 CAP
10 DC SUPER HEROES SUPERMAN: DARK SIDE OF APOKOLIPS SC $5.95 JUN151732 CAP

TOP 10 TOYS

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE: BATGIRL BY BABS TARR FEB150303 DC
2 MARVEL COMICS VARIANT PLAY ARTS KAI: IRON MAN FIGURE DEC148331 SQU
3 MARVEL SELECT AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON: BLACK WIDOW FIGURE FEB152166 DST
4 MARVEL SELECT: ZOMBIE SABRETOOTH FIGURE MAR152070 DST
5 DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: LOIS LANE STATUE FEB150301 DC
6 MARVEL SELECT: ANT-MAN FIGURE FEB152167 DST
7 WOMEN OF DYNAMITE: VAMPIRELLA STATUE APR151332 DYN
8 MARVEL SELECT AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON: THOR FIGURE JAN152175 DST
9 MARVEL SELECT: RED HULK FIGURE MAR088262 DST
10 DC COMICS DESIGNER SERIES BY JAE LEE: BATMAN FIGURE FEB150297 DC

TOP 10 GAMES

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 MARVEL HEROCLIX: NICK FURY AGENT OF SHIELD BOOSTER BRICK MAY152783 NEC
2 BACK TO THE FUTURE MONOPOLY JUL152198 DST
3 GAME OF THRONES RISK JUN152759 USA
4 BATMAN: FLUXX CARD GAME JUN152744 LOO
5 STAR WARS X-WING: IMPERIAL RAIDER EXPANSION PACK FEB152685 FAN
6 LEGEND OF ZELDA YAHTZEE COLLECTOR'S EDITION JUL152936 USA
7 GAME OF THRONES MONOPOLY APR152735 USA
8 MARVEL HEROCLIX: NICK FURY AGENT OF SHIELD FAST FORCES 6-PACK MAY152785 NEC
9 STAR WARS: FORCE AND DESTINY RPG CORE RULEBOOK APR152724 FAN
10 MARVEL DICE MASTERS: AVENGERS AGE OF ULTRON FOIL PACKS MAR152653 NEC

 

Dollar Market Shares for August 2015

Dollar Market Share – August 2015

Unit Market Shares for August 2015

Unit Market Share – August 2015

 

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Data for Diamond’s sales charts — which includes the monthly market shares and all top product charts — are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from sales made to thousands of comic book specialty shops located in North America and around the world.  Additional sales made to online merchants and other specialty retailers may be included as well.

Unit and dollar market shares are calculated based upon orders for comic books, graphic novels, and magazines invoiced and shipped to Diamond customers during any given month, which comprises 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.

The New Titles Count Chart includes all titles that were invoiced by Diamond to retailers for the first time during the month and is not the official solicited title count for the month. Variant edition comic books and graphic novels at the same price point count as a single SKU. Variant edition comic books, lenticular covers, digital combo packs, and graphic novels at different price points count as separate SKUs for each edition.

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