Diamond Announces Top Products for March 2014
(BALTIMORE, MD) — (April 4, 2014) — The second story arc of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's "Zero Year" reaches its climax in DC Entertainment's Batman #29, March 2014's best-selling comic book to 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 March's top publisher, with a 34.31% Dollar Share and 38.17% Unit Share, compared to 25.94% and 29.02% respectively for runner-up DC Entertainment. Image Comics had a strong March with a 11.38% dollar share and 11.04% unit share, and both Dark Horse Comics and IDW Publishing topped 5% in dollar share with 6.19% and 5.29% shares respectively.
Marvel Comics had five of the month's top ten best-selling comics, led by Dan Slott and Giuseppe Camuncoli's Superior Spider-Man #29 at #5, while DC Entertainment had four titles and Image Comics one with The Walking Dead #124 at #9.
The long-awaited war between the factions of survivors in the wake of the zombie apocalypse erupted in March's best-selling graphic novel, Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead Volume 20: All Out War, Part 1 from Image Comics, one of their four titles in the top ten this month. Also of note in the top ten was Dark Horse Comics with Avatar: The Last Airbender Volume 7: Rift Part 1 at #4 and BOOM! Studios' original Adventure Time graphic novel, Seeing Red, at #8.
Running Press' Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver Book Kit, a book and toy kit based on the BBC America series, was March's best-selling book in the comic book specialty market.
McFarlane Toys continued its line of figures based on AMC's The Walking Dead in March with The Walking Dead TV Series 5 Action Figures, the month's best-selling Toy product. DC Collectibles also had a strong March, with eight of the month's top ten best-selling products.
USAopoly's Monopoly: The Walking Dead Survival Edition returned to the top of the sales charts as March's best-selling Games product.
TOP PUBLISHERS
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TITLES SHIPPED
| PUBLISHER | COMICS SHIPPED | GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED | MAGAZINES SHIPPED | TOTAL SHIPPED |
| DC COMICS | 84 | 28 | 1 | 113 |
| MARVEL COMICS | 75 | 34 | 0 | 109 |
| IMAGE COMICS | 54 | 13 | 0 | 67 |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 42 | 22 | 0 | 64 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 42 | 15 | 0 | 57 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 34 | 5 | 0 | 39 |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 28 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
| AVATAR PRESS | 11 | 4 | 0 | 15 |
| RANDOM HOUSE | 0 | 15 | 0 | 15 |
| EAGLEMOSS | 0 | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| OTHER | 63 | 104 | 16 | 183 |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
| MARCH 2014 VS. FEBRUARY 2014 | ||
| COMICS | 4.11% | 6.32% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 24.00% | 25.00% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 10.22% | 7.93% |
| MARCH 2014 VS. MARCH 2013 | ||
| COMICS | -9.47% | -11.83% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 18.31% | 22.85% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -1.48% | -9.28% |
| FIRST QUARTER 2014 VS. FOURTH QUARTER 2013 | ||
| COMICS | -14.30% | -13.77% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -11.59% | -1.59% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -13.45% | -12.82% |
| FIRST QUARTER 2014 VS. FIRST QUARTER 2013 | ||
| COMICS | -6.89% | -11.40% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 1.39% | 10.06% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -4.40% | -9.85% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2014 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2013 | ||
| COMICS | -6.89% | -11.40% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 1.39% | 10.06% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -4.40% | -9.85% |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | BATMAN #29 | $4.99 | JAN140290-M | DC |
| 2 | SUPERMAN UNCHAINED #6 | $3.99 | OCT130160-M | DC |
| 3 | FOREVER EVIL #6 | $3.99 | DEC130197-M | DC |
| 4 | SANDMAN OVERTURE #2 (MR) | $3.99 | DEC130330-M | DC |
| 5 | SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #29 | $3.99 | JAN140720-M | MAR |
| 6 | DAREDEVIL #1 | $3.99 | JAN140630-M | MAR |
| 7 | SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #30 | $3.99 | JAN140722 | MAR |
| 8 | SILVER SURFER #1 | $3.99 | JAN140650-M | MAR |
| 9 | THE WALKING DEAD #124 (MR) | $2.99 | JAN140624 | IMA |
| 10 | UNCANNY X-MEN #19.NOW | $3.99 | JAN140665-M | MAR |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 20: ALL OUT WAR PART 1 TP (MR) | $14.99 | JAN140559 | IMA |
| 2 | SAGA VOLUME 3 TP (MR) | $14.99 | JAN140556 | IMA |
| 3 | NEMO: ROSES OF BERLIN HC (MR) | $14.95 | JAN141334 | TOP |
| 4 | AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER VOL. 7: RIFT PART 1 TP | $10.99 | NOV130064 | DAR |
| 5 | CHEW VOLUME 8: FAMILY RECIPES TP (MR) | $12.99 | JAN140548 | IMA |
| 6 | JUSTICE LEAGUE: TRINITY WAR HC (N52) | $29.99 | NOV130226 | DC |
| 7 | HARLEY QUINN: WELCOME TO METROPOLIS TP | $19.99 | DEC130313 | DC |
| 8 | ADVENTURE TIME VOL. 3: SEEING RED OGN | $11.99 | JAN141027 | BOO |
| 9 | MARVEL MASTERWORKS: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL. 1 TP | $24.99 | NOV082434 | MAR |
| 10 | STRAY BULLETS UBER ALLES EDITION TP (MR) | $59.99 | JAN140530 | IMA |
TOP 10 BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | DOCTOR WHO: 11TH DOCTOR SONIC SCREWDRIVER KIT | $12.95 | JAN141487 | RUN |
| 2 | WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S THE EMPIRE STRIKETH BACK HC | $14.95 | JAN141522 | RAN |
| 3 | PAUL POPE'S MONSTERS & TITANS: BATTLING BOY ART ON TOUR SC | $24.99 | JAN140554 | IMA |
| 4 | LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC | $34.99 | SEP120055 | DAR |
| 5 | THE SHADOW DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 82: SPY RING SC | $14.95 | JAN141518 | SAN |
| 6 | HATSUNE MIKU GRAPHICS VOCALOID VOLUME 1 SC | $34.99 | AUG131474 | UDO |
| 7 | DOC SAVAGE DOUBLE NOVEL VOLUME 73: LAND OF LONG JUJU SC | $14.95 | JAN141517 | SAN |
| 8 | BATMAN SCIENCE: THE REAL WORLD SCIENCE BEHIND BATMAN'S GEAR SC | $9.95 | NOV131374 | CAP |
| 9 | DRAGON'S DOGMA OFFICIAL DESIGN WORKS SC | $44.99 | AUG131471 | UDO |
| 10 | ADVENTURE TIME: TOTALLY MATH POSTER COLLECTION SC | $19.95 | JAN141468 | ABR |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | THE WALKING DEAD TV SERIES 5 ACTION FIGURES | JUL138243 | TMP |
| 2 | BATMAN HUSH: BATMAN & CATWOMAN KISS STATUE | SEP130322 | DC |
| 3 | ARROW: OLIVER QUEEN/DEATHSTROKE ACTION FIGURE 2-PACK | NOV130293 | DC |
| 4 | DC COMICS COVER GIRLS HUNTRESS STATUE | OCT130308 | DC |
| 5 | BATMAN ARKHAM CITY: TWO-FACE ACTION FIGURE | NOV130290 | DC |
| 6 | BATMAN BLACK & WHITE STATUE BY GARY FRANK | OCT130310 | DC |
| 7 | WONDER WOMAN ART OF WAR STATUE BY JIM LEE | SEP130317 | DC |
| 8 | SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL STATUE BY ROCAFORT | OCT130309 | DC |
| 9 | DC COMICS SUPER VILLAINS: OWLMAN ACTION FIGURE | OCT130307 | DC |
| 10 | DC COMICS SUPERGIRL "NEW 52" ARTFX+ STATUE | SEP132026 | KOT |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | MONOPOLY: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION | OCT128266 | USA |
| 2 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER | DEC132341 | NEC |
| 3 | DC HEROCLIX: LEGION OF SUPERHEROES BOOSTER BRICK | OCT132418 | NEC |
| 4 | RISK LEGACY | JUN118204 | HAS |
| 5 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER STARTER SET | DEC132343 | NEC |
| 6 | DC HEROCLIX: LEGION OF DOOM FAST FORCES 6-PACK | OCT132416 | NEC |
| 7 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: BORN OF THE GODS BOOSTER PACK | DEC132337 | WZK |
| 8 | RISK: THE WALKING DEAD SURVIVAL EDITION | OCT128267 | USA |
| 9 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: BORN OF THE GODS FAT PACK | DEC132339 | WZK |
| 10 | MAGIC THE GATHERING CCG: DUEL DECKS JACE VS. VRASKA | JAN148058 | WZK |
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Dollar Market Share – March 2014 |
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Unit Market Share– March 2014 |
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 inNorth Americaand around the world. The account base includes brick-and-mortar comic book specialty shops, Internet merchants, and other specialty stores.
Unit and dollar market shares are calculated based upon orders for comic books, graphic novels, and magazines invoiced and shipped to Diamond accounts during any given month, which comprises initial pre-orders, advance reorders, and reorders, minus any copies that are received back from a title marked as returnable.
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.
The count of new titles shipped includes all titles that were invoiced by Diamond to retailers for the first time during the month and is not the official solicited title count for the month. Variant edition comic books and graphic novels at the same price point count as a single SKU. Variant edition comic books, lenticular covers, digital combo packs, and graphic novels at different price points count as separate SKUs for each edition.
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