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Diamond Announces Top Products for May 2009

Norman Osborn's Dark Reign sends Marvel to the top of the comics sales charts with New Avengers #53

The latest chapter in the ongoing Dark Reign saga, New Avengers #53, gave Marvel Comics the bestselling comic book title for May 2009, based upon total unit sales to comic book specialty shops.

Marvel Comics took the top publisher spot in May, leading both Unit Market and Dollar Shares, with a 45.17% United Market Share and a 39.05% Dollar Share for the month.

The top-selling graphic novel for May was Top Shelf Productions’ The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen III: Century #1: 1910, the long-awaited continuation of Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's pulp fiction series.

The Hot Toys: The Dark Knight 1:6-Scale Joker collector figure from DC Direct was the best-selling Toy product for May. Wizards of the Coast's new Magic the Gathering TCG: Alara Reborn Booster Pack, the latest expansion for the game, was the best-selling Game product for the second month in a row to comic book specialty shops.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

Publisher

Unit Market Share

Dollar Share

MARVEL COMICS

45.17%

39.05%

DC COMICS

30.34%

26.18%

DARK HORSE COMICS

4.31%

6.09%

IDW PUBLISHING

3.78%

4.43%

IMAGE COMICS

3.26%

4.61%

DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT

2.15%

1.96%

BOOM! STUDIOS

1.10%

1.08%

VIZ MEDIA

1.08%

2.15%

WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT

0.80%

0.91%

AVATAR PRESS INC

0.69%

0.96%

OTHER NON-TOP 10

7.31%

12.57%

TOP 10 COMICS

Quantity Rank

Description

Price

Item Code

Vendor

1

NEW AVENGERS #53

$3.99

MAR092535-M

MARVEL COMICS

2

BATMAN BATTLE FOR THE COWL #3 (OF 3)

$3.99

MAR090132-M

DC COMICS

3

WOLVERINE #72

$2.99

FEB092578

MARVEL COMICS

4

FLASH REBIRTH #2 (OF 6)

$2.99

MAR090151-M

DC COMICS

5

WOLVERINE #73

$2.99

MAR092604-M

MARVEL COMICS

6

GREEN LANTERN #41

$2.99

FEB090180-M

DC COMICS

7

UNCANNY X-MEN #510

$2.99

MAR092595-M

MARVEL COMICS

8

HULK #12

$3.99

MAR092567-M

MARVEL COMICS

9

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #595

$2.99

MAR092529-M

MARVEL COMICS

10

CAPTAIN AMERICA #50

$3.99

MAR092559

MARVEL COMICS

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

Quantity Rank

Description

Price

Item Code

Vendor

1

LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN III: CENTURY #1: 1910 (MR)

$7.95

FEB094465

TOP SHELF

2

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 8 VOL. 4: TIME OF YOUR LIFE TP

$15.95

JAN090114

DARK HORSE COMICS

3

ULTIMATES 3: WHO KILLED THE SCARLET WITCH? TP

$19.99

FEB092633-M

MARVEL COMICS

4

INVINCIBLE VOL. 10: WHO'S THE BOSS TP

$16.99

DEC082242

IMAGE COMICS

5

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS VOL. 3: WIND RAIDERS OF TALORAAN TP

$7.95

JAN090145

DARK HORSE COMICS

6

STAR TREK: COUNTDOWN TP

$17.99

FEB094340

IDW

7

BATMAN: THE RESURRECTION OF RA'S AL-GHUL TP

$19.99

FEB090202

DC COMICS

8

SUPERMAN: NEW KRYPTON VOL. 1 HC

$24.99

JAN090239

DC COMICS

9

BATMAN: MAD LOVE AND OTHER STORIES HC

$19.99

JAN090225

DC COMICS

10

BERSERK VOL. 29 TP (MR)

$13.95

JAN090139

DARK HORSE COMICS

TOP 10 TOYS & STATUES

Dollar Rank

Description

Item Code

Vendor

1

HOT TOYS: THE DARK KNIGHT 1/6-SCALE JOKER

SEP080240

DC DIRECT

2

HOT TOYS: THE DARK KNIGHT 1/6-SCALE BANK ROBBER JOKER

OCT080243

DC DIRECT

3

HOT TOYS: THE DARK KNIGHT 1/6-SCALE BATMAN

SEP080242

DC DIRECT

4

STAR WARS: CRIMSON EMPIRE CRUCIBLE PREVIEWS EXCLUSIVE ACTION FIGURE PACK

JAN088285

KENNER

5

BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE: BRUCE TIMM

OCT080246

DC DIRECT

6

HEROES OF THE DCU: BATMAN BUST

OCT080244

DC DIRECT

7

BATMAN MINI-NEON SIGN (US VERSION)

OCT080263

DC DIRECT

8

SGT. ROCK 1/6-SCALE DELUXE COLLECTOR FIGURE

SEP080254

DC DIRECT

9

KINGDOM HEARTS PLAY ARTS: CLOUD ACTION FIGURE

NOV084947

SQUARE ENIX

10

FALCON STATUE

DEC084768

BOWEN DESIGNS

TOP 10 GAMES

Dollar Rank

Description

Item Code

Vendor

1

MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: ALARA REBORN BOOSTERS

FEB095257

WIZARDS OF THE COAST

2

WORLD OF WARCRAFT CMG: SPOILS OF WAR BOOSTERS

FEB095237

THE UPPER DECK COMPANY

3

WORLD OF WARCRAFT TCG: ARENA GRAND MELEE BOOSTERS

MAR095059

THE UPPER DECK COMPANY

4

POKEMON TCG: PLATINUM RISING RIVALS BOOSTERS

MAR095054

POKEMON USA

5

YU-GI-OH TCG: RAGING BATTLE BOOSTERS

JAN098194

KONAMI

6

AGE OF CONAN BOARD GAME

FEB095183

FANTASY FLIGHT

7

SMALL WORLD

FEB095181

DAYS OF WONDER

8

SUPER SCRABBLE DELUXE EDITION

JAN095201

WINNING MOVES

9

MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: ALARA REBORN INTRO DECKS

FEB095259

WIZARDS OF THE COAST

10

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 4TH EDITION: MONSTER MANUAL 2

MAR095071

WIZARDS OF THE COAST

This information may not be reprinted, reproduced or copied in any format without the express permission of Diamond Comic Distributors.

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 not only brick-and-mortar comic book specialty shops, but also Internet merchants and other specialty stores.

Unit and dollar 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.