[Press Release] The multiverse faces collapse and worlds collide in Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic’s Secret Wars #1 from Marvel Comics, the best-selling comic book of May 2015 according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world’s largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.
Marvel Comics was May’s top publisher with a 40.17% dollar share and a 41.11% unit share. DC Entertainment was the month’s number two publisher with a 25.43% dollar share and a 26.04% unit share. May’s number three publisher was Image Comics with a 8.89% dollar share and a 10.28% unit share. In fourth was IDW Publishing with a 5.06% dollar share and a 3.82% unit share. BOOM! Studios placed fifth for the month with a 3.96% dollar share and a 7.16% unit share, and Dark Horse Comics was sixth with a 3.83% dollar share and a 3.43% unit share.
In May, Marvel Comics had seven titles in the top ten, including Secret Wars #2 at #3, Cullen Bunn and Matteo Lolli’s Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #1 at #5, and G. Willow Wilson and Marguerite Bennett’s A-Force #1 at #6. DC Comics had two titles in the top ten, led by Jeff King and Andy Kubert’s Convergence #5 at #9. Also in May’s top ten was BOOM! Studios’ John Omohundro and Eryk Donovan’s Bravest Warriors: Tales from the Holo John #1 at #2.
Batman faces new threats from the Riddler and Killer Croc in Geoff Johns and Gary Frank’s original graphic novel, Batman: Earth One Volume 2 from DC Entertainment, the best-selling graphic novel of May. Marvel Comics had three titles among the top ten, including Night Nurse at #2 and Mark Millar and Steve McNiven’s Civil War at #5. Image Comics had four titles, including Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch, and Stjepan Sejic’s Rat Queens Volume 2 at #3; Jason Aaron and Jason Latour’s Southern Bastards Volume 2 at #4, and Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples’ Saga Volume 4 at #6.
Drawing on the in-game materials from the best-selling video games, Dark Horse Comics’ Dragon Age: The World of Thedas Volume 2 was May’s best-selling book. In total, Dark Horse had three titles among the top ten, including the perennial favorite Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia at #4 and The World of The Witcher at #5.
Kotobukiya’s Marvel Now: Deadpool ArtFX+ Statue was May’s best-selling toy product and one of the manufacturer’s two products in the top ten. DC Collectibles had seven products in the top ten, led by the DC Comics: The New 52: Harley Quinn Action Figure at #3.
The Marvel HeroClix: Avengers Assemble Booster Brick from WizKids/NECA was May’s best-selling game product.
TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS
| PUBLISHER | DOLLAR
SHARE |
UNIT
SHARE |
| MARVEL COMICS | 40.17% | 41.11% |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 25.43% | 26.04% |
| IMAGE COMICS | 8.89% | 10.28% |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 5.06% | 3.82% |
| BOOM! STUDIOS | 3.96% | 7.16% |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 3.83% | 3.43% |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 2.22% | 1.82% |
| EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD | 1.16% | 0.27% |
| VIZ MEDIA | 1.01% | 0.33% |
| VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC | 0.85% | 0.92% |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 7.43% | 4.81% |
NEW TITLES SHIPPED
| PUBLISHER | COMICS SHIPPED | GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED | MAGAZINES SHIPPED | TOTAL
SHIPPED |
| MARVEL COMICS | 71 | 35 | 0 | 106 |
| DC ENTERTAINMENT | 74 | 25 | 0 | 99 |
| IMAGE COMICS | 58 | 10 | 0 | 68 |
| IDW PUBLISHING | 42 | 21 | 0 | 63 |
| DARK HORSE COMICS | 33 | 17 | 0 | 50 |
| BOOM ENTERTAINMENT | 28 | 6 | 0 | 34 |
| DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT | 26 | 2 | 0 | 28 |
| EAGLEMOSS | 0 | 0 | 27 | 27 |
| VIZ MEDIA | 0 | 19 | 0 | 19 |
| ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS | 11 | 2 | 0 | 13 |
| OTHER NON-TOP 10 | 93 | 91 | 17 | 201 |
COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS
| DOLLARS | UNITS | |
| MAY 2015 VS. APRIL 2014 | ||
| COMICS | -10.58% | -9.60% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -21.11% | -19.41% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | -13.81% | -10.38% |
| MAY 2015 VS. MAY 2014 | ||
| COMICS | 19.94% | 19.53% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | -0.29% | 9.90% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 13.49% | 18.78% |
| YEAR-TO-DATE 2015 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2014 | ||
| COMICS | 16.48% | 16.90% |
| GRAPHIC NOVELS | 3.41% | -1.13% |
| TOTAL COMICS/GN | 12.31% | 15.35% |
TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | SECRET WARS #1 | $4.99 | FEB150650-M | MAR |
| 2 | BRAVEST WARRIORS: TALES OF HOLO JOHN #1 | $4.99 | MAR151109-M | BOO |
| 3 | SECRET WARS #2 | $4.99 | MAR150618-M | MAR |
| 4 | STAR WARS #5 | $3.99 | MAR150683-M | MAR |
| 5 | DEADPOOL’S SECRET SECRET WARS #1 | $4.99 | MAR150644-M | MAR |
| 6 | A-FORCE #1 | $3.99 | MAR150665-M | MAR |
| 7 | OLD MAN LOGAN #1 | $4.99 | MAR150656-M | MAR |
| 8 | DARTH VADER #5 | $3.99 | MAR150688-M | MAR |
| 9 | CONVERGENCE #5 [*] | $3.99 | MAR150155-M | DC |
| 10 | CONVERGENCE #6 [*] | $3.99 | MAR150159-M | DC |
TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | BATMAN: EARTH-ONE VOLUME 2 HC | $24.99 | JAN150232 | DC |
| 2 | NIGHT NURSE | $7.99 | MAR150754 | MAR |
| 3 | RAT QUEENS VOLUME 2: THE FAR REACHING TENTACLES OF N’RYGOTH TP (MR) | $14.99 | SEP140647 | IMA |
| 4 | SOUTHERN BASTARDS VOLUME 2: GRIDIRON TP (MR) | $9.99 | FEB150542 | IMA |
| 5 | CIVIL WAR TP | $24.99 | JAN072436 | MAR |
| 6 | SAGA VOLUME 4 TP (MR) | $14.99 | OCT140644 | IMA |
| 7 | LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST GN | $19.99 | MAR151495 | VIZ |
| 8 | DEADPOOL VOLUME 8: ALL GOOD THINGS TP | $24.99 | MAR150804 | MAR |
| 9 | THE VALIANT TP | $9.99 | MAR151614 | VAL |
| 10 | SAGA VOLUME 1 TP (MR) | $9.99 | AUG120491 | IMA |
TOP 10 BOOKS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | PRICE | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | DRAGON AGE: THE WORLD OF THEDAS VOLUME 2 HC | $39.99 | DEC140101 | DAR |
| 2 | ATTACK ON TITAN: BEFORE THE FALL: KYKLO NOVEL | $14.95 | MAR151665 | RAN |
| 3 | ESSENTIAL EVANGELION CHRONICLE: SIDE A SC | $39.99 | JAN151635 | UDO |
| 4 | LEGEND OF ZELDA: HYRULE HISTORIA HC | $34.99 | SEP120055 | DAR |
| 5 | THE WORLD OF THE WITCHER HC | $39.99 | OCT140122 | DAR |
| 6 | MARVEL: AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON POP-UP BOOK HC | $14.99 | MAR151735 | HAC |
| 7 | THE FANGIRL’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY: A HANDBOOK FOR GIRL GEEKS HC | $15.95 | MAR151759 | RAN |
| 8 | TH ECOMPLETE GUIDE TO SELF PUBLISHING COMICS SC | $24.99 | MAR151750 | RAN |
| 9 | WOMEN OF WONDER: CELEBRATING WOMEN CREATORS OF FANTASTIC ART | $24.95 | MAR151727 | PUB |
| 10 | BRAVEST WARRIORS: THINGS TO DOODLE & DO SC | $12.99 | MAR151492 | VIZ |
TOP 10 TOYS
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | MARVEL NOW: DEADPOOL ARTFX+ STATUE | SEP142328 | KOT |
| 2 | THE DARK KNIGHT: THE JOKER MAF EX FIGURE | APR148224 | MED |
| 3 | DC COMICS: THE NEW 52: HARLEY QUINN ACTION FIGURE | DEC140434 | DC |
| 4 | BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT: BATMAN ACTION FIGURE | SEP140356 | DC |
| 5 | BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT: HARLEY QUINN ACTION FIGURE | SEP140357 | DC |
| 6 | MARVEL: WOLVERINE DANGER ROOM SESSIONS STATUE | AUG142465 | KOT |
| 7 | DC COMICS BOMBSHELLS: MERA STATUE | NOV140352 | DC |
| 8 | BATMAN ARKHAM KNIGHT: SCARECROW ACTION FIGURE | SEP140358 | DC |
| 9 | THE FLASH ACTION FIGURE | OCT140413 | DC |
| 10 | DC COMICS: SUPERMAN & BATMAN BOOKENDS | NOV140347 | DC |
TOP 10 GAMES
| RANK | DESCRIPTION | ITEM CODE | VENDOR |
| 1 | MARVEL HEROCLIX: AVENGERS ASSEMBLE BOOSTER BRICK | MAR152655 | NEC |
| 2 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: DRAGONS OF TARKIR BOOSTER PACKS | JAN158366 | WIZ |
| 3 | YU-GI-OH! HEROCLIX SERIES THREE | SEP142619 | NEC |
| 4 | HARLEY QUINN PUZZLE | MAR152470 | NMR |
| 5 | THE WALKING DEAD: PRISON BOARD GAME | JUN142630 | MEG |
| 6 | STAR WARS ARMADA: VICTORY CLASS STAR DESTROYER EXPANSION | JAN152641 | FAN |
| 7 | MAGIC THE GATHERING TCG: DRAGONS OF TARKIR FAT PACK | JAN158368 | WIZ |
| 8 | STAR WARS ARMADA: ASSAULT FRIGATE MARK II EXPANSION | JAN152634 | FAN |
| 9 | MINECRAFT: OFFICIAL MOJANG COMBAT HANDBOOK HC | FEB142547 | SCH |
| 10 | MINECRAFT: OFFICIAL MOJANG CONSTRUCTION HANDBOOK HC | FEB142548 | SCH |
How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.
Data for Diamond’s sales charts — which includes the monthly market shares and all top product charts — are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from sales made to thousands of comic book specialty shops located in North America and around the world. Additional sales made to online merchants and other specialty retailers may be included as well.
Unit and dollar market shares are calculated based upon orders for comic books, graphic novels, and magazines invoiced and shipped to Diamond customers during any given month, which comprises 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 New Titles Count Chart 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.
***
ABOUT DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS (DCD)—Diamond is at the nexus of comics and pop culture merchandise. Based in Baltimore, MD, DCD is the world’s largest distributor of English-language comic books and pop-culture related merchandise, servicing thousands of specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit Diamond on the web at www.diamondcomics.com.