Diamond's Top 50 Small Press Comics and Graphic Novels for August 2012

Media Release -- The Valiant Entertainment relaunch continued in August, and the publisher had the top four best-selling Small Press Comic Books for the month, led by Archer and Armstrong #1 at the top. X-O Manowar #4 ranked #2, Bloodshot #2 ranked #3, and Harbinger #3 ranked #4.

Other publishers in the top ten include Abstract Studios (Rachel Rising #10 ranked #7), Archie Comics (two titles, led by Sonic the Hedgehog #240 at #5), Bongo Comics (Li'L Homer #1 ranked #8), United Plankton (Spongebob Comics #11 ranked #9), and Zenescope Entertainment (The Call of Wonderland #3 ranked #10).

Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim returned in August with Scott Pilgrim Color Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life from Oni Press, a remastered and fully-colored hardcover edition of the first volume of the fan-favorite series that topped the sales chart as August's best-selling Small Press Graphic Novel.

Other publishers in the top ten include Archie Comics, Cartoon Books, Kodansha Comics, Scholastic, Studio Foglio, and Top Shelf Productions.

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 accounts, comprised of comic book specialty shops and other merchant stores and buyers. The shops are primarily located in North America, with a percentage of sales also to international stores and buyers located throughout the world. The account base includes not only brick-and-mortar comic book specialty shops, but also Internet stores, chain stores, and other specialty stores.

Unit and dollars sales are calculated based upon orders 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.

About the Diamond Sales Index: The Sales Index of selected monthly Best Seller Charts is presented as a comparative tool for retailers and publishers. It presents Diamond's monthly sales for individual titles in relation to Diamond's total sales for the issue of DC Comics' monthly Batman comic book. (Batman is used as the control title – with a value of 100 – because sales of Batman usually remain relatively stable.) This allows for easy comparison to other titles and helps retailers gauge their orders for all other titles. This formula is only a guide, other factors may impact a titles' ability to sell in certain locations and clientele.