Number Crunching - Playing around with the June 2008 Diamond Sales Estimates
The June 2008 Sales charts came out about a week or so ago. If you want to check out the full top 300 comics and top 100 Trades/OGNs, then I’d recommend heading over to CBR, they have the best run down.
Something to remember with these figures is that they are just sales estimates. That is, they are the number of units ordered by comic shops, and shipped by Diamond Distribution. Therefore, your comic store could have ordered 20,000 copies of Secret Invasion #3, and have been left with 18,000 copies. This would not register on the charts, and your comic store now has a life time supply of bird cage liner. Also, note that these figures only include the direct market, and not news stands, bookstores, international market etc.
I find just looking at the top #300 can be a little boring, because comparing the sales of a creator owned comic like Jack of Fables #23, with an massive universe-changing sales monster like Secret Invasion #3 is a little unfair really. So, what I have done is broken up the top 10 selling releases (if 10 titles were released) for the top 10 selling companies. Then I have ranked the top 10 non-superhero comics, the top 10 selling comics I bought, the bottom ten selling comics I bought, and the the full charts for creator owned comics.
The fact that blogger does not like tables, and needs some crazy HTML has made this exercise very tricky, so if you spot and mistakes or typos, please let me know
Top Ranking Titles for the Top 10 Selling Companies
#1 Marvel
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | Secret Invasion #3 | 175,649 |
| 2 | Ultimate Origins #1 | 136,351 |
| 3 | New Avengers #42 | 108,442 |
| 4 | Wolverine #66 | 97,978 |
| 5 | Ultimates 3 #4 | 95,641 |
| 6 | Mighty Avengers #15 | 93,968 |
| 7 | Hulk #4 | 90,555 |
| 8 | Avengers Invaders #2 | 82,972 |
| 9 | Uncanny X Men #499 | 81,060 |
| 10 | Captain America #39 | 79,348 |
#2 DC
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | Final Crisis #2 | 126,020 |
| 2 | Justice League of America #22 | 84,971 |
| 3 | Justice Society of America #16 | 77,290 |
| 4 | Trinity #1 | 70,400 |
| 5 | Green Lantern #32 | 64,807 |
| 6 | Trinity #2 | 63,565 |
| 7 | Trinity #3 | 60,949 |
| 8 | Trinity #4 | 58,729 |
| 9 | Superman #677 | 54,607 |
| 10 | Titans #3 | 54,485 |
#3 Dark Horse
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer#15 | 80,424 |
| 2 | Star Wars Legacy #25 | 29,533 |
| 3 | Star Wars Dark Times #12 | 23,876 |
| 4 | Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic #30 | 21,905 |
| 5 | Star Wars Rebellion #14 | 18,566 |
| 6 | BPRD War On Frogs #1 | 16,791 |
| 7 | BPRD Ectoplasmic Man | 16,057 |
| 8 | Abe Sapien the Drowning #5 | 14,864 |
| 9 | Grendel Behold the Devil #8 | 10,654 |
| 8 | Goon #25 | 10,063 |
#4 IDW
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | Angel After the Fall #8 | 47,864 |
| 2 | Angel After the Fall #9 | 47,058 |
| 3 | Transformers Movie Sequel Reign of Starscream #2 | 14,322 |
| 4 | Transformers Movie Prequel Special | 10,928 |
| 5 | Transformers Spotlight Cyclonus | 10,801 |
| 6 | Transformers Spotlight Wheelie | 10,405 |
| 7 | Star Trek Assignment Earth #2 | 9,324 |
| 8 | Locke and Key #5 | 9,192 |
| 9 | Star Trek New Frontier #3 | 9,065 |
| 10 | Doctor Who Classics #7 | 6,312 |
#5 Image
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | Spawn #179 | 19,749 |
| 2 | Magdalena Daredevil | 17,172 |
| 3 | Invincible #50 | 16,722 |
| 4 | Witchblade #118 | 14,767 |
| 5 | Darkness #4 | 14,336 |
| 6 | First Born Aftermath | 11,706 |
| 7 | Amory Wars II #1 | 9,398 |
| 8 | Madman Atomic Comics #9 | 8,474 |
| 9 | Pilot Season Lady Pendragon #1 | 7,330 |
| 10 | Red Mass for Mars #1 | 6,366 |
#6 Dynamite Entertainment
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | Project Superpowers #4 | 33,107 |
| 2 | Boys #19 | 27,563 |
| 3 | Red Sonja #34 | 15,300 |
| 4 | Zorro #4 | 12,351 |
| 5 | Man With No Name #2 | 9,936 |
| 6 | New Battlestar Galactica Season Zero #9 | 8,889 |
| 7 | Darkness vs Eva #4 | 8,449 |
| 8 | Battlestar Galactica Origins #6 | 8,029 |
#7 Avatar
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | No Hero #0 | 15,212 |
| 2 | Anna Mercury #2 | 10,669 |
| 3 | Doktor Sleepless #7 | 9,403 |
| 4 | Streets of Glory #5 | 6,459 |
| 5 | Narcopolis #3 | 4,097 |
#8 Devil’s Due
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | Hack Slash #12 | 6,132 |
| 2 | Worlds of Dungeons and Dragons #2 | 6,107 |
| 3 | Dragonlance Chronicles v3 #12 | 5,447 |
| 4 | Drafted #8 | 2,572 |
#9 Zenoscope Entertainment
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | Grimm Fairy Tales #27 | 9,662 |
| 2 | Tales From Wonderland Mad Hatter #1 | 8,156 |
#10 Boom!
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | Warhammer Condemned By Fire #2 | 3,760 |
| 2 | Blood Bowl #1 | 3,560 |
| 3 | Fall of Cthulhu #13 | 3,477 |
| 4 | Cthulhu Tales #3 | 3,423 |
| 5 | Scream Queen #1 | 3,012 |
Top 10 Non-Superhero Comics
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer #15 | 80,424 |
| 2 | Dark Tower Long Road Home #4 | 79,231 |
| 3 | Angel After the Fall #8 | 47,864 |
| 4 | Angel After the Fall #9 | 47,058 |
| 5 | Punisher #58 | 29,78 |
| 6 | Star Wars Legacy #25 | 29,533 |
| 7 | Boys #19 | 27,563 |
| 8 | Star Wars Dark Times #12 | 23,876 |
| 9 | World of Warcraft #8 | 23,299 |
| 10 | Punisher Max Little Black Book | 22,815 |
I’ve counted the Punisher Max titles as non-superhero because they are more war/crime related. Punsher War Journal would most likely count as superhero related though.
Highest selling 10 titles I read
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | Final Crisis #2 | 126,020 |
| 3 | Wolverine #66 | 97,978 |
| 3 | Justice League of America #22 | 84,971 |
| 4 | Avengers Invaders #2 | 82,972 |
| 5 | Uncanny X Men #499 | 81,060 |
| 6 | Captain America #39 | 79,348 |
| 7 | Dark Tower Long Road Home #4 | 79,231 |
| 8 | Justice Society of America #16 | 77,290 |
| 9 | X Men Legacy #213 | 71,858 |
| 10 | Trinity #1 | 70,400 |
Lowest selling 10 titles I read
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | Streets of Glory #5 | 6,459 |
| 3 | Doctor Who Classics #7 | 6,312 |
| 3 | Fear Agent #22 | 5,271 |
| 4 | Elephantmen #12 | 5,203 |
| 5 | Local #12 | 4,978 |
| 6 | Crossing Midnight #19 | 4,934 |
| 7 | Dead Space #4 | 4,855 |
| 8 | Narcopolis #3 | 4,450 |
| 9 | X Men Legacy #213 | 4,097 |
| 10 | Charlatan Ball #1 | 3,384 |
Creator Owned Charts
Rank |
Title |
Reported Units Shipped |
| 1 | Kick Ass #3 | 50,871 |
| 2 | Project Superpowers #4 | 33,107 |
| 3 | Boys #19 | 27,563 |
| 4 | Spawn #179 | 19,749 |
| 5 | BPRD War On Frogs #1 | 16,791 |
| 6 | Jack of Fables #23 | 16,136 |
| 7 | BPRD Ectoplasmic Man | 16,057 |
| 8 | Criminal v2 #3 | 15,833 |
| 9 | No Hero #0 | 15,212 |
| 10 | Ex Machina #37 | 14,913 |
| 11 | Abe Sapien the Drowning #5 | 14,864 |
| 12 | Rasl #2 | 14,048 |
| 13 | War Is Hell First Flight Phantom Eagle #4 | 11,759 |
| 14 | Tor #2 | 11,095 |
| 15 | 100 Bullets #92 | 10,791 |
| 16 | Anna Mercury #2 | 10,669 |
| 17 | Grendel Behold the Devil #8 | 10,654 |
| 18 | Goon #25 | 10,063 |
| 19 | DMZ #32 | 9,755 |
| 20 | Doktor Sleepless #7 | 9,403 |
| 21 | Locke and Key #5 | 9,192 |
| 22 | Young Liars #4 | 8,586 |
| 23 | Madman Atomic Comics #9 | 8,474 |
| 24 | Scalped #18 | 7,017 |
| 25 | Streets of Glory #5 | 6,459 |
| 26 | American Splendor Season Two #3 | 5,726 |
| 27 | Vinyl Underground #9 | 5,442 |
| 28 | Programme #12 | 5,442 |
| 29 | Fear Agent #22 | 5,271 |
| 30 | Elephantmen #12 | 5,203 |
| 31 | Fallen Angel #27 | 5,046 |
| 32 | Fear Agent #21 | 4,978 |
| 33 | Local #12 | 4,934 |
| 34 | Crossing Midnight #19 | 4,855 |
| 35 | Duo Stars #1 | 4,772 |
| 36 | Casey Blue Beyond Tomorrow #2 | 4,723 |
| 37 | Bomb Queen V #2 | 4,494 |
| 38 | Brit #6 | 4,137 |
| 39 | Narcopolis #3 | 4,097 |
| 40 | Knights of the Dinner Table #140 | 4,073 |
| 41 | Rex Mundi #12 | 3,452 |
| 42 | FX #4 | 3,442 |
| 43 | Charlatan Ball #1 | 3,384 |
| 44 | Kill All Parents #1 | 3,330 |
| 45 | Scream Queen #1 | 3,012 |
| 46 | Fire and Brimstone #1 | 2,988 |
| 47 | Sparks #1 | 2,953 |
| 48 | Everybodys Dead #4 | 2,934 |
| 49 | Voyages of Shebuccaneer #1 | 2,914 |
| 50 | Proof #9 | 2,890 |
| 51 | Gold Digger #97 | 2,714 |
| 52 | Succubus #1 | 2,680 |
| 53 | My Inner Bimbo #5 | 2,626 |
| 54 | Gemini #2 | 2,582 |
| 53 | Drafted #8 | 2,572 |
| 54 | Vix #1 | 2,547 |
Maybe next month I’ll do the Top 10 comics featuring Vampires, Top 10 comics featuring Bananas, Top 10 featuring protagonists called Dave. I’ll take requests
Related posts:
- What I’m Buying - Week of Wed 30-July-2008
- What I’m Buying - Week of Wed 23-July-2008
- Weekly Shipping list for Wed 09 July 2021
- Weekly Shipping List For 16-July-2008
- Weekly Shipping list for Wed 23 July 2021
That was a lot of work, interesting to look at — thanks!
BTW, you forgot Dark Horse as a break-out.
If I ever get my ‘lists’ support working, it should make this a bunch easier for you too.
Thanks! Fixed!
I must have deleted it while playing around with the HTML. Blogger is evil and you have to really screw around with the HTML to get tables to look right. You can’t add any structure to make it easier for you to see the gaps between rows etc, or blogger adds loads of white space in, and shoves the table half way down the page. so you have to write with no gaps between TR, TD etc etc. Which is hard than it sounds because it’ll only let you type inside this tiny little text editor window, so you can’t see if you HTML carries down to the next line or not.
Short story: Blogger sucks