Diamond has released its first charts for May and FEAR ITSELF #2 led the periodicals — beating out FLASHPOINT #1 — while Garth Ennis’s CROSSED collection topped the GN charts. In the information supplied by Diamond, sales increases in non-comics products — trading cards, games, and collectibles — reflect their continued emphasis on growing those parts of the business.
The heroes of the Marvel Universe come together to battle a rising tide of fear and intolerance in Matt Fraction and Stuart Immonen’s Fear Itself #2, the second part of Marvel Comics’ summer mini-series event and May’s top selling comic book to comics specialty retailers, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop-culture merchandise.
Marvel Comics was the leading comic book publisher in May with a Dollar Market Share of 42.45% and a Unit Market Share of 46.35%.
While comic book sales in May declined by 3.35 percent over April, graphic novel sales increased by almost 5 percent, resulting in an overall print decline in May of less than one percent over the previous month. Merchandise sales year-to-date remain up over 20 percent over 2010’s sales, with strong performances in May by Trading Cards (up 151 percent, led by the Marvel Beginnings Trading Cards), Games (up 41 percent), and Collectibles (up 25 percent, led by the Star Trek Bottle Opener).
Overall, comics and GNs were down 11% year to year and 7.5% year to date…declines but not shocking ones.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
| PUBLISHER | DOLLAR
SHARE |
UNIT
SHARE |
| MARVEL COMICS | 42.45% | 46.35% |
| DC COMICS | 26.68% | 28.37% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 4.89% | 3.59% |
| IMAGE COMICS | 4.88% | 5.35% |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 4.60% | 4.26% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 2.83% | 3.38% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 2.33% | 2.00% |
| ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT | 1.04% | 0.96% |
| VIZ MEDIA | 1.03% | 0.47% |
| AVATAR PRESS | 0.93% | 0.76% |
| OTHER NON TOP-10 | 8.34% | 4.51% |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
| MAY 2011 VS. APRIL 2011 | ||
| COMICS | -3.35% | -2.66% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 4.99% | 12.69% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -0.64% | -1.42% |
| MAY 2011 VS. MAY 2010 | ||
| COMICS | -14.39% | -15.46% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -4.42% | -3.14% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -11.21% | -14.46% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2011 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2010 | ||
| COMICS | -8.50% | -8.80% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -5.41% | -9.80% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -7.51% | -8.89% |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | FEAR ITSELF #2 | $3.99 | MAR110612-M | MAR |
| 2 | FLASHPOINT #1 | $3.99 | MAR110276-M | DC |
| 3 | GREEN LANTERN #66 | $2.99 | MAR110267-M | DC |
| 4 | AVENGERS #13 | $3.99 | MAR110620-M | MAR |
| 5 | FF #3 | $2.99 | MAR110682-M | MAR |
| 6 | GREEN LANTERN CORPS #60 | $2.99 | MAR110269-M | DC |
| 7 | FF #4 | $2.99 | MAR110685-M | MAR |
| 8 | BATMAN INCORPORATED #6 | $2.99 | FEB110141-M | DC |
| 9 | NEW AVENGERS #12 | $3.99 | MAR110649-M | MAR |
| 10 | AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #661 | $3.99 | MAR110664-M | MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | CROSSED 3D GN VOL 01 (MR) | $8.99 | AUG100795 | AVA |
| 2 | STAR WARS ADVENTURES VOLUME 5: BOBA FETT AND THE SHIP OF FEAR TP | $7.99 | OCT100033 | DAR |
| 3 | DELIRIUM’S PARTY: A LITTLE ENDLESS STORYBOOK HC | $14.99 | NOV100264 | DC |
| 4 | BATMAN AND ROBIN DELUXE VOLUME 3: BATMAN MUST DIE HC | $24.99 | JAN110321 | DC |
| 5 | BRIGHTEST DAY VOLUME 2 TP | $29.99 | JAN110320 | DC |
| 6 | DMZ VOLUME 10: COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT TP | $14.99 | FEB110260 | DC |
| 7 | GREEN LANTERN: SECRET ORIGIN TP | $14.99 | JAN110337-M | DC |
| 8 | IRREDEEMABLE VOLUME 6 TP | $16.99 | MAR110975 | BOO |
| 9 | BATMAN: LONG SHADOWS TP | $14.99 | FEB110195 | DC |
| 10 | AMERICAN VAMPIRE VOLUME 2 HC | $24.99 | JAN110418 | DC |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | GOD OF WAR SERIES 1 ACTION FIGURES | APR100324 | DC |
| 2 | DC X BISHOUJO: WONDER WOMAN STATUE | NOV101562 | KOT |
| 3 | DC UNIVERSE ONLINE: WONDER WOMAN STATUE | AUG100282 | DC |
| 4 | WOLVERINE: X-FORCE STATUE | OCT101609 | BOW |
| 5 | MARVEL X BISHOUJO: MS. MARVEL STATUE | NOV101565 | KOT |
| 6 | AME-COMI HEROINE SERIES 2 MINI-FIGURES | SEP100333 | DC |
| 7 | HALO: REACH SERIES 3 ACTION FIGURES | FEB110477 | TMP |
| 8 | STAR WARS: DARTH VADER ARTFX+ STATUE | NOV101561 | KOT |
| 9 | WOMEN OF THE DCU SERIES 3: STAR SAPPHIRE BUST | MAY100312 | DC |
| 10 | MARVEL COMICS ACTION FIGURE 2-PACKS | FEB111596 | KEN |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: NEW PHYREXIA BOOSTER PACKS | MAR112030 | WIZ |
| 2 | DC HEROCLIX: GREEN LANTERN 2011 FAST FORCES
6-PACKS |
MAR112034 | NEC |
| 3 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: NEW PHYREXIA FAT PACK | MAR112033 | WIZ |
| 4 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: NEW PHYREXIA INTRO DECKS | MAR112031 | WIZ |
| 5 | POKEMON TCG: BLACK & WHITE BOOSTER PACKS | DEC108324 | POK |
| 6 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: GIANT SIZED X-MEN BRICK | JAN111976 | NEC |
| 7 | YU-GI-OH! TCG: 5D’S EXTREME VICTORY BOOSTERS | JAN118134 | KON |
| 8 | WORLD OF WARCRAFT TCG: WAR OF THE ELEMENTS BOOSTER PACKS | JAN111929 | CRY |
| 9 | MOUSE GUARD RPG HC | APR098450 | ARA |
| 10 | PATHFINDER ROLEPLAYING GAME: ULTIMATE MAGIC | MAR112011 | PAI
|
Crossed 3-D Vol. 1 is not a collection of the Ennis stories–it’s a new story by David Lapham writing new Crossed titles (“Family Values”, “Psychopath”).
Amazing. SUddenly Marvel gets a majority of the top 10 and NOW IT’S A BIG DEAL TO DO SO.
When DC did it month after month…. not so much. Go figure.
With Blackest night and the Batmen relaunch DC dominated the top 10 for several months in a row and have lost steem of late. Watch them dominate with there 52 /1….lets see if t lasts!