Diamond Announces Top Products for April 2013
(BALTIMORE, MD) — (May 3, 2013) — A bank robbery committed by Bruce Wayne poses a mystery to Batman in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Batman #19 from DC Entertainment, the best-selling comic book to specialty retailers in April 2013, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.
Marvel Comics was April's leading publisher with a 37.95% market share in retail dollars and a 41.78% market share in units. DC Entertainment was second with a 25.98% share in dollars and a 27.72% share in units. April’s comics sales declined slightly from March by 4.95%, while graphic novels sales increased by 10.32%
Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead Volume 1: Days Gone Bye from Image Comics returns to the top of the sales charts for the first time since January as the best-selling graphic novel for April.
Based on Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment's new fighting game Injustice: Gods Among Us, DC Collectibles' new Injustice: Deathstroke Vs. Green Arrow Action Figure 2-Pack was the best-selling toy product to direct market retailers in April.
Featuring characters from Marvel Studios' new Iron Man 3 film, WizKids/NECA's Marvel HeroClix: Iron Man 3 Booster Packs were April's best-selling game product to direct market retailers.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
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COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
| APRIL 2013 VS. MARCH 2013 | ||
| COMICS | -4.95% | -5.73% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 10.32% | 10.11% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -0.56% | -4.56% |
| APRIL 2013 VS. APRIL 2012 | ||
| COMICS | 13.87% | 11.71% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 14.83% | 19.00% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 14.18% | 12.29% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2013 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2012 | ||
| COMICS | 19.44% | 16.85% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 15.85% | 14.15% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 18.32% | 16.64% |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | BATMAN #19 | $3.99 | FEB130151-M | DC |
| 2 | THANOS RISING #1 | $3.99 | FEB130488-M | MAR |
| 3 | JUPITER’S LEGACY #1 (MR) [*] | $2.99 | FEB130379-M | IMA |
| 4 | AGE OF ULTRON #4 | $3.99 | FEB130474-M | MAR |
| 5 | JUSTICE LEAGUE #19 | $3.99 | FEB130121-M | DC |
| 6 | AGE OF ULTRON #5 | $3.99 | FEB130477-M | MAR |
| 7 | AGE OF ULTRON #6 | $3.99 | FEB130480-M | MAR |
| 8 | THE WALKING DEAD #109 (MR) | $2.99 | FEB130472-M | IMA |
| 9 | BATMAN AND RED ROBIN #19 | $2.99 | FEB130150 | DC |
| 10 | GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY #2 | $3.99 | FEB130512-M | MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 1: DAYS GONE BYE TP | $14.99 | NOV128157 | IMA |
| 2 | THEMANHATTANPROJECTS VOLUME 2 TP | $14.99 | JAN130500 | IMA |
| 3 | HAPPY TP (MR) | $12.99 | FEB130420 | IMA |
| 4 | SAGA VOLUME 1 TP | $9.99 | AUG120491 | IMA |
| 5 | PUNK ROCK JESUS TP (MR) | $16.99 | JAN130330 | DC |
| 6 | BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOLUME 1: FACES OF DEATH TP (N52) | $16.99 | JAN130296 | DC |
| 7 | BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOLUME 2: SCARE TACTICS HC (N52) | $29.99 | DEC120324 | DC |
| 8 | BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL EDITION HC | $17.99 | NOV070226 | DC |
| 9 | SWAMP THING VOLUME 2: FAMILY TREE TP | $14.99 | JAN130301 | DC |
| 10 | HAWKEYE VOL. 1: MY LIFE AS A WEAPON TP | $16.99 | DEC120744 | MAR |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | INJUSTICE: DEATHSTROKE VS. GREEN ARROW 2-PACK | JAN130347 | DC |
| 2 | MAGNETO ACTION STATUE | JUN121914 | BOW |
| 3 | INJUSTICE: WONDER WOMAN VS. SOLOMON GRUNDY ACTION FIGURE 2-PACK | JAN138219 | DC |
| 4 | THE WALKING DEAD SERIES 3: BLOODY BLACK & WHITE ACTION FIGURE 3-PACK | JAN130626 | TMP |
| 5 | STAR TREK: KLINGON DISRUPTOR | JUL121719 | DST |
| 6 | METAL GEAR RISING REVENGEANCE PLAY ARTS KAI: RAIDEN ACTION FIGURE | DEC121765 | SQU |
| 7 | WE CAN BE HEROES: JUSTICE LEAGUE 7-PACK BOX SET | AUG120308 | DC |
| 8 | AARDMAN BATMAN & ROBIN CLASSIC FIGURE 2-PACK | FEB130259 | DC |
| 9 | STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION -- USS ENTERPRISE NCC-1701-D SHIP | APR084696 | DST |
| 10 | TOKIDOKI UNICORNO SERIES 2 MINI-FIGURES | NOV121757 | TOK |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: IRON MAN 3 MOVIE BOOSTER PACKS | JAN132018 | NEC |
| 2 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: IRON MAN 3 MOVIE STARTER SET | JAN132019 | NEC |
| 3 | ADVENTURE TIME MONOPOLY | FEB131928 | USA |
| 4 | THE WALKING DEAD TV CARD GAME | NOV122033 | CRY |
| 5 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: GATECRASH BOOSTERS | DEC121918 | WIZ |
| 6 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: IRON MAN 3 MOVIE MINI GAME | JAN132021 | NEC |
| 7 | DUNGEONS & DRAGONS CLUE | FEB131930 | USA |
| 8 | WARHAMMER 40,000: RELIC BOARD GAME | OCT121997 | FAN |
| 9 | TICKET TO RIDE | MAR043750 | DAY |
| 10 | SMALL WORLD | FEB095181 | DAY |
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| Dollar Market Share – April 2013 |
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| Unit Market Share– April 2013 |
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 inNorth Americaand 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.
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.
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