Top Comics – Previous Two Months

• JUNE 2012

• MAY 2012

JULY 2012

Today, Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. announced the comic book and graphic novel sales figures for the month of July.

Before we get to the nitty-gritty of which of the big two won, let’s first start with the news that all comic fans need to hear.  For once a non-Marvel and non-DC book took #1, as The Walking Dead #100 sold over 366,000 copies.

PREVIEWSworld had this to say:

DC Entertainment was July’s leading publisher in both Retail Dollars and Unit Market Share, edging Marvel Comics on the dollars spent for the month 32.71% to 31.96% and on the unit share 36.55% to 35.34%. Image Comics was a strong third for the month with a dollar share of 9.42% and a unit share of 9.39%.

And The Comic Chronicles reported this about the context of The Walking Dead‘s big release:

The largest single-month total previously posted at Diamond in the 21st Century was the 352,800-copy first-month figure for the “Barack Obama Spider-Man,” Amazing Spider-Man #583, from January 2009. The comic book — which didn’t have overseas copies in its total either — charted at #1 again the next month and continued to sell through the year, eventually rolling up 530,500 copies sold through Diamond in North America in calendar 2009.

To sum up , based on initial estimates the comic book industry is doing well with total individual comic sales up nearly 20% from this time last year.

Overall DC barely won the month taking in 32.51% of July’s comic revenues, while Marvel raked in 31.96%.  Image Comics (9.42%) led the pack of the independent publishers, followed by IDW Publishing (6.61%), Dark Horse Comics (4.51%), Dynamite Entertainment (2.77%), Boom! Studios (1.38%) and assorted companies (10.65%), totaling about 35.34% of the comic sales in June.  DC had the highest volume of comics on the market putting out in 36.55%,  followed closely by Marvel‘s 35.45%.

The Top 20 Comic Books for July 2012:

1. WALKING DEAD #100 (MARVEL)

2. AVENGERS VS X-MEN #7 (MARVEL)

3. AVENGERS VS X-MEN #8 (MARVEL)

4. BATMAN #11 (DC)

5. JUSTICE LEAGUE #11 (DC)

6. BEFORE WATCHMEN: OZYMANDIAS #1 (DC)

7. AVX VS #4 (MARVEL)

8. DETECTIVE COMICS #11 (DC)

9. GREEN LANTERN #11 (DC)

10. ACTION COMICS #11 (DC)

11. BEFORE WATCHMEN: MINUTEMEN #2 (DC)

12. BATMAN THE DARK KNIGHT #11 (DC)

13. EARTH 2 #3 (DC)

14. UNCANNY X-MEN #15 (MARVEL)

15. BATMAN AND ROBIN #11 (DC)

16. UNCANNY X-MEN #16 (MARVEL)

17. BEFORE WATCHMEN: COMEDIAN #2 (DC)

18. AVENGERS #28 (MARVEL)

19. NEW AVENGERS #28 (MARVEL)

20. WOLVERINE AND X-MEN #13 (MARVEL)

To see extended rankings please click here.

The Top 20 Graphic Novels for July 2012:

1. BATMAN EARTH ONE HC (DC)

2. FABLES TP VOL 17 INHERIT THE WIND (DC)

3. RICHARD STARKS PARKER THE SCORE (IDW)

4. BTVS SEASON 9 TP FREEFALL (DARK HORSE)

5. INVINCIBLE TP VOL 16 FAMILY TIES (IMAGE)

6. BATMAN & ROBIN HC VOL 01 BORN TO KILL (DC)

7. LOCKE & KEY HC VOL 05 CLOCKWORKS (IDW)

8. SUICIDE SQUAD TP VOL 01 KICKED IN THE TEETH (DC)

9. SCALPED TP VOL 09 KNUCKLE UP (DC)

10. WILD CHILDREN ONE SHOT (DC)

11. DAREDEVIL BY MARK WAID TP VOL 01 (MARVEL)

12. BATGIRL HC VOL 01 THE DARKEST REFLECTION (DC)

13. WALKING DEAD TP VOL 01 DAYS GONE BYE (IMAGE)

14. WALKING DEAD TP VOL 16 A LARGER WORLD (IMAGE)

15. BATMAN DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP (DC)

16. BATMAN KNIGHTFALL TP VOL 01 (DC)

17. NARUTO TP VOL 57 (VIZ)

18. UNDERWATER WELDER GN (TOP SHELF)

19. ANT-MAN SEASON ONE PREM HC (MARVEL

20. DEMON KNIGHTS TP VOL 01 SEVEN AGAINST THE DARK (DC)

To see extended rankings please click here.

SOURCE: PREVIEWSworld & The Comic Chronicles