Diamond Announces Top Products For January 2012
Feb 03, 2012
(BALTIMORE, MD) — (February 3, 2012) — DC Comics continued its run at the top of the comics sales charts in January for the sixth straight month as Geoff Johns and Jim Lee's Justice League #5 was the month's best-selling comic book and the publisher took the top ten spots on the comics sales chart for the month, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.
January was a split month in terms of Market Share, with Marvel Comics edging out DC Entertainment in Retail Dollars 35.17% to 33.55%, while in Unit Share DCE edged Marvel 39.86% to 37.51%.
Sales in January declined slightly from December, with Comics falling by 7% and Graphic Novels falling by 4.5%. January's sales improved over the year previous, with Comics sales up by 32% and Graphic Novels up by 18%.
The untold tale of Batman's first encounter with the Mad Hatter is revealed in Batman: Through the Looking Glass, an original hardcover by Bruce Jones and Sam Kieth from DC Comics, January's best-selling graphic novel.
AMC's top-rated zombie series The Walking Dead, based on Image Comics and Robert Kirkman's best-selling comic book series, gave rise to McFarlane Toys' The Walking Dead TV Series 1 Action Figures, January's best-selling Toy product to specialty retailers.
The dynastic struggles of the landof Westeros, from George R.R. Martin's best-selling fantasy novels, were recreated by Fantasy Flight Publishing for the A Game of Thrones Board Game (Second Edition), January's best-selling Games product to specialty retailers.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHER | RETAIL MARKET SHARE |
UNIT MARKET SHARE |
MARVEL COMICS | 35.17% | 37.51% |
DC COMICS | 33.55% | 39.86% |
IMAGE COMICS | 5.48% | 4.83% |
DARK HORSE COMICS | 4.89% | 3.55% |
IDW PUBLISHING | 4.35% | 3.78% |
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 3.46% | 3.66% |
BOOM! STUDIOS | 1.66% | 1.35% |
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD | 1.47% | 0.30% |
VIZ MEDIA | 0.92% | 0.42% |
RANDOM HOUSE | 0.79% | 0.18% |
OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 8.26% | 4.57% |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
DOLLARS | UNITS | |
JANUARY 2012 VS. DECEMBER 2011 | ||
COMICS | -7.01% | -8.93% |
GRAPHIC NOVELS | -4.51% | -4.86% |
JANUARY 2012 VS. JANUARY 2011 | ||
COMICS | 32.05% | 33.56% |
GRAPHIC NOVELS | 18.38% | 8.46% |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 | JUSTICE LEAGUE #5 | $3.99 | NOV110104 | DC |
2 | BATMAN #5 | $2.99 | NOV110133 | DC |
3 | ACTION COMICS #5 | $3.99 | NOV110125 | DC |
4 | DETECTIVE COMICS #5 | $2.99 | NOV110138 | DC |
5 | GREEN LANTERN #5 | $2.99 | NOV110154 | DC |
6 | BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #5 | $2.99 | NOV110140 | DC |
7 | SUPERMAN #5 | $2.99 | NOV110129 | DC |
8 | THE FLASH #5 | $2.99 | NOV110113 | DC |
9 | BATMAN AND ROBIN #5 [*] | $2.99 | NOV110145 | DC |
10 | AQUAMAN #5 | $2.99 | NOV110109 | DC |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 | BATMAN: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS HC | $22.99 | SEP110169 | DC |
2 | INVINCIBLE VOLUME 15: GET SMART TP | $16.99 | NOV110396 | IMA |
3 | THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 1: DAYS GONE BYE | $9.99 | JUL068351 | IMA |
4 | FEAR ITSELF PREMIERE HC | $34.99 | OCT110712 | MAR |
5 | THE UNWRITTEN VOLUME 5: ON TO GENESIS (MR) | $14.99 | OCT110301 | DC |
6 | BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE TP | $19.99 | OCT110245 | DC |
7 | THE WALKING DEAD VOLUME 15 TP (MR) | $14.99 | OCT110502 | IMA |
8 | B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH VOLUME 2: GODS AND MONSTERS TP | $19.99 | SEP110018 | DAR |
9 | SWEET TOOTH VOL. 4: ENDANGERED SPECIES TP(MR) | $16.99 | OCT110296 | DC |
10 | BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT VOLUME 1: GOLDEN DAWN DELUXE EDITION HC | $24.99 | SEP110181 | DC |
TOP 10 TOYS
RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 | THE WALKING DEAD TV SERIES 1 ACTION FIGURES | JUL110560 | TMP |
2 | THOR MODERN MUSEUM STATUE | JUN111899 | BOW |
3 | POLARIS STATUE | JUL111882 | BOW |
4 | MARVEL SELECT: COLOSSUS ACTION FIGURE | JUL111768 | DST |
5 | MARVEL UNIVERSE ACTION FIGURES | NOV111516 | KEN |
6 | STREET FIGHTER IV PLAY ARTS ~KAI~: RYU FIGURE | OCT111806 | SQU |
7 | STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: USS ENTERPRISE NCC-1701-D SHIP | APR118184 | DST |
8 | RED SONJA BY J. SCOTT CAMPBELL STATUE | APR110975 | DYN |
9 | STREET FIGHTER IV PLAY ARTS ~KAI~: CHUN-LI FIGURE | OCT111807 | SQU |
10 | PREDATORS 7-INCH SERIES 4 FIGURES | NOV111521 | NEC |
TOP 10 GAMES
RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE |
VENDOR |
1 | A GAME OF THRONES BOARD GAME 2ND EDITION | JUN118150 | FAN |
2 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: INCREDIBLE HULK BOOSTER BRICK | OCT112063 | NEC |
3 | THE LORD OF THE RINGS HEROCLIX | AUG118096 | NEC |
4 | ANGRY BIRDS: KNOCK ON WOOD GAME | SEP111897 | MAT |
5 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: GIANT SIZED X-MEN SERIES 2 COLOSSAL FIGURE | OCT118165 | NEC |
6 | YU-GI-OH! TCG: ORDER OF CHAOS BOOSTER PACK | SEP118112 | KON |
7 | RISK LEGACY | JUN118204 | KEN |
8 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: INNISTRAD BOOSTER PACK | AUG112115 | WIZ |
9 | PATHFINDER BATTLES: HEROES AND MONSTERS | AUG118141 | NEC |
10 | THE LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR OF THE RING BOARD GAME 2ND EDITION | NOV111838 | ALL |
Dollar Market Share – January 2012 |
Unit Market Share– January 2012 |
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, minus any copies that are distributed free of cost.
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.
***
ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS (DCD)—Diamond is at the nexus of comics and pop culture merchandise. Based in Baltimore, MD, DCD is the world's largest distributor of English-language comic books and pop-culture related merchandise, servicing more than 4,000 specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.
© 2012 Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. All rights reserved. Diamond, the Diamond logo, Diamond Books logo, and PREVIEWS are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Diamond Comic Distributors in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective copyright owners.