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Diamond Announces Top Products for April 2019

(BALTIMORE, MD) — (May 10, 2019) — Malekith and his armies, fresh from conquering nine of the cosmic realms, invades Midgard, better known as Earth, in Jason Aaron and Russell Dauterman's War of the Realms #1, the first chapter of the new crossover event from Marvel Comics and the best-selling comic book of April 2019 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 top publisher with a dollar share of 45.50% and a unit share of 50.70%. DC Comics placed second with a 24.73% dollar share and a 25.89% unit share. In third was Image Comics with a 7.93% dollar share and a 7.60% unit share. IDW Publishing ranked fourth with a 3.26% dollar share and 2.76% unit share, followed by Dark Horse Comics with a 2.89% dollar share and a 1.92% unit share, then BOOM! Studios with a 2.46% dollar share and a 2.75% unit share, and Dynamite Entertainment with a 1.71% dollar share and a 1.53% unit share.

Marvel Comics had six of the month's top ten best-selling comic books. In addition to War of the Realms #1, Peter David and Greg Land's Symbiote Spider-Man #1 ranked #2, The Immortal Hulk #16 ranked #4, Thanos #1 ranked #7, Web of Venom: Cult of Carnage #1 ranked #9, and Amazing Spider-Man #20 ranked #10. DC Comics had four titles in the top ten: Scott Snyder and Jock's The Batman Who Laughs #4 ranked #3, Batman #69 ranked #5, Batman #68 ranked #6, and Heroes in Crisis #8 ranked #8. Among the premier publishers, Image Comics' The Walking Dead #190 ranked #31, BOOM! Studios' Buffy the Vampire Slayer #4 ranked #78, IDW Publishing's Marvel Action: Black Panther #1 ranked #115, Dynamite Entertainment's Red Sonja #3 ranked #136, and Dark Horse Comics' Neil Gaiman's American Gods: The Moment of the Storm #1 ranked #150.

Mark Millar and Olivier Coipel's The Magic Order Volume 1 from Image Comics was the best-selling graphic novel of April. Also in the top ten from Image Comics was Gideon Falls Volume 2: Original Sins at #3 and Unnatural Volume 2 at #9. Marvel Comics had three titles in the top ten: Venom by Donny Cates Volume 2 at #2, Star Wars Volume 10: Escape at #6, and Jessica Jones: Purple Daughter at #10. Dark Horse Comics had two titles in the top ten, Gerard Way and Gabriel Bá's The Umbrella Academy Volume 1: The Apocalypse Suite at #4 and The Umbrella Academy Volume 2: Dallas at #8, thanks to the new Umbrella Academy television series on Netflix. DC Comics also had two titles in the top ten: Catwoman Volume 1: Copycats at #5 and Batman: Detective Comics Volume 9: Deface the Face at #7.

No Game No Life Volume 8, a light novel from Yen Press, was April's best-selling book. Graphix's Share Your Smile: Raina's Guide to Telling Your Own Story, a how-to book on writing and drawing from best-selling graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier, ranked #2. Marvel Comics' The Road to Avengers: Endgame -- The Art of the Cinematic Universe ranked #7. Dark Horse Comics' Hellboy: The Art of the Motion Picture ranked #9.

Based on Blizzard Entertainment's best-selling video game, the Overwatch: Torbjörn "Classic Skin" Nendoroid was the best-selling toy of April. Funko's POP! DC Heroes: John Constantine Vinyl Figure, a PREVIEWS exclusive figure of the hard-boiled mage released for Free Comic Book Day, ranked #2 for the month. DC Collectibles had three products in the top ten: the Batman Black & White: White Knight Batman Statue by Sean Murphy ranked #3, the DC Bombshells: Batwoman "Away Uniform" Statue ranked #8, and the DC Designer Series: Green Lantern by Ivan Reis Statue ranked #10. Diamond Select Toys also had three products in the top ten: the Marvel Gallery: Symbiote Spider-Man Statue, a PREVIEWS exclusive statue released for Free Comic Book Day, ranked #4; the Aliens Colonial marines: Armored Personnel Carrier 1/18-Scale Vehicle ranked #4; and the John Wick 2 Gallery PVC Figure ranked #9.

Hasbro's Dungeons & Dragons: Stranger Things Edition, a version of the classic tabletop role-playing game inspired by the events of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, was the best-selling game product of April.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 45.50%
DC COMICS 25.73%
IMAGE COMICS 7.93%
IDW PUBLISHING 3.26%
DARK HORSE COMICS 2.89%
BOOM! STUDIOS 2.46%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 1.71%
VIZ MEDIA 1.07%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT 0.76%
AFTERSHOCK COMICS 0.70%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 7.99%
 
UNIT MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER SHARE
MARVEL COMICS 50.70%
DC COMICS 25.89%
IMAGE COMICS 7.60%
IDW PUBLISHING 2.76%
BOOM! STUDIOS 2.75%
DARK HORSE COMICS 1.92%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 1.53%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT 0.91%
AFTERSHOCK COMICS 0.71%
ARCHIE COMICS 0.55%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 4.68%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

  DOLLARS UNITS
APRIL 2019 VS. MARCH 2019
COMICS -11.12% 0.07%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -19.02% -27.69%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -13.26% -2.22%
TOYS -11.38% -8.24%
APRIL 2019 VS. APRIL 2018
COMICS -14.67% -13.92%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -25.37% -31.39%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -17.65% -15.24%
TOYS 15.41% 18.74%
YEAR TO DATE 2019 VS. YEAR TO DATE 2018
COMICS 1.83% -5.35%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -3.18% -6.11%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 0.41% -5.40%
TOYS 19.14% 27.48%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER COMICS
SHIPPED
GRAPHIC NOVELS
SHIPPED
MAGAZINES
SHIPPED
TOTAL
SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS 106 37 0 143
DC COMICS 52 32 1 85
IMAGE COMICS 47 13 0 60
IDW PUBLISHING 32 9 0 41
BOOM! STUDIOS 20 11 0 31
DARK HORSE COMICS 19 7 0 26
YEN PRESS 0 24 0 24
DYNAMITE 16 4 0 20
AFTERSHOCK COMICS 11 4 0 15
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC 9 1 0 10
OTHER 101 133 18 252
TOTAL 413 275 19 707

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 WAR OF THE REALMS #1 $5.99 JAN190870-M MAR
2 SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN #1 $4.99 FEB190822-M MAR
3 THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #4 $4.99 FEB190484-M DC
4 THE IMMORTAL HULK #16 $3.99 FEB190849-M MAR
5 BATMAN #69 $3.99 FEB190480-M DC
6 BATMAN #68 $3.99 FEB190478-M DC
7 THANOS #1 $4.99 FEB190810-M MAR
8 HEROES IN CRISIS #8 $3.99 FEB190462-M DC
9 WEB OF VENOM: CULT OF CARNAGE #1 $4.99 FEB190858-M MAR
10 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #20 $3.99 FEB190837-M MAR

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 WAR OF THE REALMS #1 $5.99 JAN190870-M MAR
2 SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN #1 $4.99 FEB190822-M MAR
3 THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS #4 $4.99 FEB190484-M DC
4 DETECTIVE COMICS #1000 $9.99 JAN190542-M DC
5 WEB OF VENOM: CULT OF CARNAGE #1 $4.99 FEB190858-M MAR
6 THANOS #1 $4.99 FEB190810-M MAR
7 THE IMMORTAL HULK #16 $3.99 FEB190849-M MAR
8 BATMAN #69 $3.99 FEB190480-M DC
9 BATMAN #68 $3.99 FEB190478-M DC
10 WAR OF THE REALMS #2 $4.99 FEB190759-M MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 THE MAGIC ORDER VOLUME 1 TP (MR) $19.99 FEB190095-M IMA
2 VENOM BY DONNY CATES VOLUME 2 TP $17.99 JAN191101 MAR
3 GIDEON FALLS VOLUME 2: ORIGINAL SINS TP (MR) $16.99 FEB190077 IMA
4 THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 1: APOCALYPSE SUITE TP $17.99 SEP108136 DAR
5 CATWOMAN VOLUME 1: COPYCATS TP $16.99 JAN190665 DC
6 STAR WARS VOLUME 10: ESCAPE TP $17.99 JAN191095 MAR
7 BATMAN: DETECTIVE COMICS VOL. 9: DEFACE THE FACE TP $16.99 JAN190661 DC
8 THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 2: DALLAS TP $17.99 DEC098005 DAR
9 UNNATURAL VOLUME 2 TP (MR) $16.99 FEB190120 IMA
10 JESSICA JONES: PURPLE DAUGHTER TP $19.99 JAN191027 MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 INFINITY WAR OMNIBUS HC $125.00 OCT181002 MAR
2 THE DEATH & RETURN OF SUPERMAN OMNIBUS HC $150.00 SEP180566 DC
3 THE MAGIC ORDER VOLUME 1 TP (MR) $19.99 FEB190095-M IMA
4 INFINITY BY STARLIN & HICKMAN OMNIBUS HC $125.00 OCT181005 MAR
5 AVENGERS: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST BOX SET SLIPCASE $500.00 OCT181006 MAR
6 MARVEL MASTERWORKS: AVENGERS VOL. 19 HC $75.00 OCT181009-M MAR
7 VENOM BY DONNY CATES VOLUME 2 TP $17.99 JAN191101 MAR
8 PAPER GIRLS DELUXE EDITION VOLUME 2 HC $34.99 NOV180079 IMA
9 GIDEON FALLS VOLUME 2: ORIGINAL SINS TP (MR) $16.99 FEB190077 IMA
10 BATMAN/SUPERMAN SILVER AGE OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC $99.99 SEP180539 DC

TOP 10 BOOKS BY UNITS SHIPPED

RANK DESCRIPTION PRICE ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 NO GAME NO LIFE VOLUME 8 LIGHT NOVEL SC $14.00 DEC182289 YEN
2 SHARE YOUR SMILE: RAINA'S GUIDE TO TELLING YOUR OWN STORY HC $12.99 FEB191785 SCH
3 BLOODBORNE OFFICIAL ARTWORKS SC $44.99 MAR172148 UDO
4 THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 140 SC $14.95 JAN192066 SAN
5 MARVEL ENCYCLOPEDIA HC (NEW EDITION) $40.00 JAN191813 DK
6 SAMURAI PIZZA CATS OFFICIAL FAN BOOK SC $39.99 NOV182128 UDO
7 THE ROAD TO MARVEL'S AVENGERS: ENDGAME: THE ART OF THE CINEMATIC UNIV HC SLIPCASE $50.00 JAN191086 MAR
8 FAMILY TRAITS HC $29.99 DEC182218 UDO
9 HELLBOY: THE ART OF THE MOTION PICTURE HC $39.99 JAN190452 DAR
10 FLCL ARCHIVES TP $39.99 DEC182217 UDO

TOP 10 TOYS BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 OVERWATCH: TORBJRN NENDOROID SEP188531 GOO
2 POP! DC HEROES: JOHN CONSTANTINE FCBD 2019 VINYL FIGURE NOV180015 FUN
3 BATMAN BLACK & WHITE: WHITE KNIGHT STATUE BY SEAN MURPHY SEP180641 DC
4 MARVEL GALLERY: SYMBIOTE SPIDER-MAN FCBD 2019 PVC STATUE AUG188000 DST
5 ALIENS COLONIAL MARINES: ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIER 1/18-SCALE VEHICLE APR182281 DST
6 HELLRAISER 3: HELL ON EARTH: PINHEAD BISHOUJO STATUE JUL189121 KOT
7 SPIDER-MAN LEGENDS 6-INCH ACTION FIGURES NOV188096 HAS
8 DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: BATWOMAN "AWAY UNIFORM" STATUE SEP180642 DC
9 JOHN WICK 2 GALLERY PVC FIGURE JUN182313 DST
10 DC DESIGNER SERIES: GREEN LANTERN BY IVAN REIS STATUE SEP180631 DC

TOP 10 GAMES BY DOLLARS INVOICED

RANK DESCRIPTION ITEM CODE VENDOR
1 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: STRANGER THINGS EDITION JAN198565 HAS
2 DC HEROCLIX REBIRTH BOOSTER BRICK NOV182895 NEC
3 MY HERO ACADEMIA CARD GAME JUL183082 SHI
4 STARFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK HC JUN173371 PAI
5 PATHFINDER PAWNS: BESTIARY BOX FEB168541 PAI
6 PATHFINDER RPG: CORE RULEBOOK JUN091729 PAI
7 STARFINDER ADVENTURE PATH: DAWN OF FLAME PART 2 JAN193202 PAI
8 CREATURE CODEX HC JUL183073 PAI
9 CRITICAL ROLE: TAL'DOREI CAMPAIGN SETTING HC JUN173357 GRE
10 STARFINDER RPG: CRITICAL FUMBLE DECK JAN193205 PAI

 

Dollar Market Shares for April 2019
Dollar Market Share – April 2019
Unit Market Shares for April 2019
Unit Market Share – April 2019

 

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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