Batman Earth One.jpg
Although only a few hundredths of a point apart in units, DC edged out Marvel in dollars for a win in August’s sales charts. DC was led by BATMAN: EARTH ONE and the rest of its Batman franchise; while Marvel’s two issues of AVX led the single issue charts.
Sales month over month, year to year and year to date were all up significantly.

August is the last month where we’re comparing Hew 52 numbers to pre new 52 sales, so September will be interesting.

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The Avengers launch an attack on the X-Men’s volcanic prison and Spider-Man finds himself battling the Phoenix-powered X-Men alone in Avengers Vs. X-Men #9 from Marvel Comics, the best-selling comic book to specialty retailers in August 2012, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

DC Entertainment was August’s leading publisher in Retail Dollars, leading Marvel Comics 33.32% to 32.42%. Meanwhile, Marvel Comics edged DC Entertainment on the Unit Market Share for the month, 37.18% to 37.12%.

For the second month in a row, Geoff Johns and Gary Franks’ Batman: Earth One, the original graphic novel that reimagines the early days of Batman, was the best-selling graphic novel to retailers.

Based on Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s best-selling Batman: Arkham Asylum video game, Square-Enix’s Batman: Arkham Asylum Play Arts ~Kai~: Harley Quinn Action Figure was the best-selling toy product to comic book specialty retailers in August.

Earth’s most powerful heroes join the HeroClix campaign with the DC HeroClix: Justice League Expansion from WizKids/NECA, the best-selling games product to comic book specialty retailers in August.


TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
PUBLISHER
DOLLAR
SHARE
UNIT
SHARE
DC COMICS
33.32%
37.12%
MARVEL COMICS
32.42%
37.18%
IDW PUBLISHING
5.88%
4.64%
IMAGE COMICS
5.75%
5.37%
DARK HORSE COMICS
4.92%
3.89%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT
3.19%
3.16%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD
1.83%
0.40%
BOOM! STUDIOS
1.52%
1.48%
VIZ MEDIA
0.96%
0.41%
ARCHIE COMICS
0.85%
0.82%
OTHER NON-TOP 10
9.35%
5.52%
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
DOLLARS
UNITS
AUGUST 2012 VS. JULY 2012
COMICS
6.49%
6.38%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
22.13%
19.48%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
11.23%
7.43%
AUGUST 2012 VS. AUGUST 2011
COMICS
19.27%
14.22%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
14.95%
24.74%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
17.80%
15.09%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2012 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2011
COMICS
20.51%
17.97%
GRAPHIC NOVELS
14.13%
12.78%
TOTAL COMICS/GN
18.41%
17.54%

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
AVENGERS VS X-MEN #9
$3.99
JUN120592-M MAR
2
AVENGERS VS X-MEN #10
$3.99
JUN120599-M MAR
3
BATMAN #12
$3.99
JUN120177-M DC
4
JUSTICE LEAGUE #12
$3.99
JUN120142-M DC
5
AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #692
$5.99
JUN120622-M MAR
6
BEFORE WATCHMEN: RORSCHACH #1 (MR) [*]
$3.99
JUN120129-M DC
7
AVX VS #5
$3.99
JUN120590-M MAR
8
BEFORE WATCHMEN: DR. MANHATTAN #1 (MR) [*]
$3.99
JUN120134-M DC
9
GREEN LANTERN #12
$2.99
JUN120196-M DC
10
DETECTIVE COMICS #12
$3.99
JUN120181-M DC

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
RANK
DESCRIPTION
PRICE
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
BATMAN: EARTH ONE HC
$22.99
MAR120234 DC
2
THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 1: DAYS GONE BYE TP
$9.99
JUL068351 IMA
3
SWAMP THING VOL. 1: RAISE THEM BONES TP
$14.99
MAY120280 DC
4
SUPERMAN: ACTION COMICS VOL. 1: SUPERMAN MEN OF STEEL HC
$24.99
APR120245 DC
5
BATMAN VOL. 1: THE COURT OF OWLS HC
$24.99
JAN120300 DC
6
HULK SEASON ONE PREMIERE HC
$24.99
MAY120746 MAR
7
SCOTT PILGRIM VOLUME 1 COLOR HC
$24.99
MAY121234 ONI
8
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS: SITH HUNTERS TP
$7.99
APR120041 DAR
9
THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 2: MILES BEHIND US TP
$14.99
SEP088204 IMA
10
FEAR ITSELF TP
$29.99
JUN120721 MAR

TOP 10 TOYS
RANK
DESCRIPTION
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM PLAY ARTS KAI: HARLEY QUINN ACTION FIGURE JAN128132 SQU
2
BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM PLAY ARTS KAI: ARMORED BATMAN ACTION FIGURE JAN128131 SQU
3
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES RETRO COLLECTOR FIGURES APR121769 PLA
4
MARVEL SELECT: AVENGERS MOVIE ENEMY FIGURE JAN121705 DST
5
ALICE: THE MADNESS RETURNS SELECT FIGURE JAN121700 DST
6
BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE: DARWYN COOKE APR120307 DC
7
AVENGERS MOVIE: IRON MAN MK VII ARTFX STATUE MAR121684 KOT
8
BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE: DICK GRAYSON BY JOCK MAY120346 DC
9
FORBIDDEN PLANET: ROBBY THE ROBOT 12-INCH FIGURE FEB121668 X P
10
MARVEL UNIVERSE ACTION FIGURES JUN121848 HAS

TOP 10 GAMES
RANK
DESCRIPTION
ITEM CODE
VENDOR
1
DC HEROCLIX: JUSTICE LEAGUE APR121984 NEC
2
MARVEL HEROCLIX: CHAOS WAR BOOSTER BRICK APR121987 NEC
3
DOCTOR WHO ACTION BOARD GAME OCT101791 DIA
4
DC HEROCLIX: JUSTICE LEAGUE FAST FORCES 6-PACK APR121985 NEC
5
WONDERLAND BOARD GAME APR121345 ZEN
6
THE WALKING DEAD TV BOARD GAME JUL112137 CRY
7
THE WALKING DEAD COMIC BOARD GAME JUL112185 Z-M
8
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: 2013 CORE SET EVENT DECK APR121978 WIZ
9
MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: 2013 CORE SET BOOSTERS APR121977 WIZ
10
PATHFINDER BATTLES: RISE OF THE RUNELORDS BOOSTER BRICK MAY128110 NEC