Diamond Announces Top Products for December 2013 #Wolverine #WalkingDead #Saga #Batman

Diamond Comic Distributors has released their December 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. Marvel took back both Market Share and Unit Share this month with the help of Wolverine's Origin II, with DC having the most titles shipped and the most in the Top 10. Image's TPB sales are always strong with The Walking Dead and Saga.

"(BALTIMORE, MD) — (January 10, 2014) —James Howlett has his first encounter with Mr. Sinister as Kieron Gillen and Adam Kubert reveal an untold chapter in the story of Wolverine in Marvel Comics' Origin II #1, the best-selling book to specialty retailers in December 2013, according to information provided by Diamond Comic Distributors, the world's largest distributor of comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise.

Marvel Comics was December's top publisher, edging DC Entertainment 35.42% to 27.22% in Dollar Share and 36.56% to 31.13% in Unit Share. Marvel Comics had four of the month's top ten best-selling comics, while DC Entertainment took the other six spots.

Comics sales in December edged up over November, up 0.63% in dollars and 1.60% in units. On the year, comics sales were up 10.22% in dollars and 6.70% in units, and graphic novel sales climbed by 6.50% in dollars and 5.12% in units. Overall, print sales in 2013 were up 9.04% in dollars and 6.58% in units over 2012.

Snow White and Bigby face challenges — her cubs are lost and their marriage is threatened — in Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham's Fables Volume 19: Snow White from DC Entertainment's Vertigo imprint and December's best-selling graphic novel. Also notable, IDW Publishing's original graphic novel from Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark's Parker: Slayground, ranked #3 for the month, and both volumes of Image Comics' Saga ranked in the top ten at #7 and #9.

BOOM! Studios collected the covers for their Adventure Time comics in the artbook, Adventure Time: Eye Candy, December's best-selling book in the comic book specialty market. Also in the top ten, continuing its year-long run, was Dark Horse Comics' Legend of Zelda: Hyrule Historia, at #2.

As if taken from the fusilage of a B-17 bomber and given physical form, the DC Bombshells: Harley Quinn Statue from DC Collectibles was the best-selling toy product to specialty market retailers in December.

USAopoly's Risk: The Walking Dead Survival Edition, with custom rules for the zombie apocalypse, was December's best-selling games product."

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

RETAIL MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER	SHARE
MARVEL COMICS	35.42%
DC COMICS	27.22%
IDW PUBLISHING	8.18%
IMAGE COMICS	7.32%
DARK HORSE COMICS	6.28%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	3.22%
BOOM! STUDIOS	2.06%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT	1.11%
EAGLEMOSS PUBLICATIONS LTD	0.98%
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC	0.91%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	7.32%

UNIT MARKET SHARE
PUBLISHER	SHARE
MARVEL COMICS	36.56%
DC COMICS	31.13%
IMAGE COMICS	8.07%
DARK HORSE COMICS	6.35%
IDW PUBLISHING	6.17%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	3.25%
BOOM! STUDIOS	2.12%
VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT	1.16%
ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT INC	0.91%
AVATAR PRESS INC	0.81%
OTHER NON-TOP 10	3.45%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
DECEMBER 2013 VS. NOVEMBER 2013
COMICS	0.63%	1.60%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	-1.40%	3.67%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-0.03%	1.76%
DECEMBER 2013 VS. DECEMBER 2012
COMICS	1.09%	-3.64%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	18.02%	20.38%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	5.93%	-2.07%
FOURTH QUARTER 2013 VS. THIRD QUARTER 2013
COMICS	-0.72%	-2.39%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	5.79%	2.09%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	1.23%	-2.06%
YEAR 2013 VS. YEAR 2012
COMICS	10.22%	6.70%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	6.50%	5.12%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	9.04%	6.58%