Diamond Announces Top Products for September 2013 @DCComics @Marvel @ImageComics

October 06, 2013

Diamond Comic Distributors has released their September 2013 product sales data. Included are Top Comic Book Publishers by Retail Market Share & Unit Share, Comparative Sales, Top 10 Comics, Graphic Novels, Toys, and Games. DC took the market share from Marvel this month with the help of their annula New 52 event Forever Evil and their extra 3D Covers and extra issues of their flagship titles. Image's TPB were strong with The Walking Dead, Saga, and new title East of West TPB came in strong, and Stanley "Artgerm" Lau's DC Comics Cover Girls: Batgirl statue topped the toy chart.

"(BALTIMORE, MD) — (October 4, 2013) —The Crime Syndicate has invaded Earth and the villains have taken charge in Forever Evil #1 from Geoff Johns and David Finch, the debut issue of the autumn crossover event from DC Entertainment and the best-selling comic book to specialty retailers in September 2013, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

DC Entertainment was September's top publisher, with a 40.39% dollar share and 45.17% unit share for the month. Marvel placed second for the month with 5 out of the top 10 comic titles, led by Infinity #2 & #3 and Mighty Avengers #1.

Comic Book Specialty Market sales in September increased sharply over August. Driven by DC Entertainment's "Villains Month," comic sales were up nearly 32% over the previous month, and graphic novels climbed by nearly 12%. Year-to-date comics sales are up by 12.5% over 2012.

Summarizing the top products from the below charts: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse ride in the post-apocalyptic wasteland that is the near-future American West in Jonathan Hickman and Nick Dragotta's East of West Volume 1: The Promise, the first collected edition of the best-selling series from Image Comics and the best-selling graphic novel for September.

Jeffrey Brown, the indie comics sensation behind the best-selling Darth Vader & Son, returns to a galaxy far, far away with new characters and new hijinks for young readers in Chronicle Books' Star Wars: Jedi Academy, the month's best-selling book in the comic book specialty market.

Based on a design by Stanley"Artgerm" Lau, Barbara Gordon is suited up for action in DC Collectibles' DC Comics Cover Girls: Batgirl Statue, September's best-selling toy product to direct market retailers.

The classic play style of Risk expands through successive games in Hasbro's Risk Legacy, the best-selling game product to the direct market for the month.

Also noteworthy: Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars Volume 1: In the Shadow of Yavin TP debuted at number three on the Graphic Novel & Trade Paperbacks list, while The Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia HC continued its 10-month run in the Top 10 Books List. In addition, IDW Publishing’s My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic Volume 2 TP also debuted on the top GN/TP list. "

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER	SHARE
DC ENTERTAINMENT	40.39%
MARVEL COMICS	28.49%
IMAGE COMICS	6.87%
IDW PUBLISHING	4.89%
DARK HORSE COMICS	4.76%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	2.27%
BOOM! STUDIOS	1.83%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD	0.95%
AVATAR PRESS INC	0.88%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT	0.87%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	3.31%

UNIT MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER	SHARE
DC ENTERTAINMENT	45.17%
MARVEL COMICS	29.83%
IMAGE COMICS	7.00%
IDW PUBLISHING	4.12%
DARK HORSE COMICS	4.04%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	2.19%
BOOM! STUDIOS	1.65%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT	0.91%
AVATAR PRESS	0.72%
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT	0.66%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	3.72%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
SEPTEMBER 2013 VS. AUGUT 2013
COMICS	31.66%	29.26%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	11.93%	9.89%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	25.69%	27.79%
SEPTEMBER 2013 VS. SEPTEMBER 2012
COMICS	33.90%	26.97%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	1.76%	-2.96%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	23.40%	24.47%
THIRD QUARTER 2013 VS. SECOND QUARTER 2013
COMICS	7.00%	5.59%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-1.79%	-2.05%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	4.21%	4.98%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2013 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2012
COMICS	12.50%	9.56%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	6.03%	3.67%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	10.43%	9.09%