The Avengers stage a daring attack on the X-Men's prison camp while Spider-Man fights the Phoenix-powered X-Men alone in Marvel Comics' Avengers Vs. X-Men #9, the best-selling comic book to the specialty market in August.

In total, Marvel Comics had four of the month's top ten comics. In addition to Avengers Vs. X-Men #9, three of those comics were tied into the event — AVengers Vs. X-Men #10 ranked #2 and AVX Vs. #5 ranked #7. Marvel Comics' other top-ten book in August was Amazing Spider-Man #692, the special oversized 50th-Anniversary issue by Dan Slott and Humberto Ramos, at #5.

DC Comics had the other six books in the top ten, led by Scott Snyder and Becky Cloonan's Batman #12 at #3. Geoff Johns and Jim Lee's Justice League #12, the issue that garnered media attention for the beginning of the Superman and Wonder Woman romance, ranked #4. Before Watchmen: Rorschach #1 ranked #6, Before Watchmen: Dr. Manhattan #1 ranked #8, Green Lantern #12 ranked #9, and Detective Comics #12 ranked #10.

Image Comics' The Walking Dead #101 from Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard was the publisher's top book for August at #31.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #12 was Dark Horse Comics' top book for the month at #97.

Rounding out the premier publishers, IDW Publishing's Star Trek: The Next Generation/Doctor Who: Assimilation² #4, the latest chapter of the crossover between the two sci-fi franchises, was the publisher's top book in August at #115.

Geoff Johns and Gary Franks' Batman: Earth One, their reimagining of Batman's origins and first days as Gotham City's hero, topped the graphic novels sales chart in August and was the best-selling graphic novel in the specialty market for the second month in a row.

Including Batman: Earth One, DC Comics had four of the month's best-selling graphic novels. Swamp Thing Volume 1: Raise Them Bones from Scott Snyder and Yanick Paquette ranked #3, Superman: Action Comics Volume 1: Superman, Men of Steel from Grant Morrison and Rags Morales ranked #4, and Batman Volume 1: The Court of Owls from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo ranked #5.

Two volumes of Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead from Image Comics placed in August's top ten — Volume 1: Days Gone Bye ranked #2 and Volume 2: Miles Behind Us ranked #9.

Marvel Comics also had two titles in the top ten. Fred Van Lente and Tom Fowler's Hulk Season One, an original graphic novel that retells the origin of the Hulk, ranked #6 and Fear Itself from Matt Fraction and Stuart Immonen ranked #10.

Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim Color Edition Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life from Oni Press ranked #7 and Dark Horse Comics' star Wars: The Clone Wars: Sith Hunters rounded out the top ten at #8.

Also from the premier publishers, IDW Publishing's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimate Collection Volume 3 was the publisher's top book in August at #45.

TOP 50 COMIC BOOKS
Based on Total Unit Sales of Products Invoiced in August 2012

TOP 50 GRAPHIC NOVELS
Based on Total Unit Sales of Products Invoiced in August 2012

This information may not be reproduced in any format without the express written permission of Diamond Comic Distributors. 

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.

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 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 stores, chain stores, and other specialty stores.

Unit 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.