DC’s Blackest Night was even more dominant in October than in previous months, taking five of the top six slots in the Top 300 Comics in comic stores.  Sales declines on Blackest Night titles remained smaller than normal, with only a couple of thousand copies separating the September and October issues. 

Including its Blackest Night titles, DC had the top six comic slots, with a weak Marvel schedule sans crossovers opening up the top of the chart.  Marvel’s weakness was reflected in Diamond’s market share numbers, according to which Marvel gave up four points of dollar share to DC between September and October.  Marvel had 13 titles to DC’s 12 in the top 25, an unusually equal match-up.

Marvel’s $3.99 titles continued to slip, with the third issues of the Ultimate Comics titles dropping around 5,000 copies vs. the #2s. 

Over-all, it was a bearish month on the comic chart, with sales on 19 titles out of the top 25 declining vs. the previous issues, and only five increasing. 

Dark Horse’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer continued its strong showing; it was the top title not from the Big Two once again in October.  Haunt #1 from Image, the collaboration between Todd McFarlane and Robert Kirkman, debuted at #29 and sold out at the distributor level.  Those were the only two titles from publishers other than Marvel and DC in the top 50. 

The graphic novel charts showed another less than spectacular month.  Wolverine Old Man Logan HC was the top units and dollar book, but only sold around 7,300 copies.  Naruto Vol. 46 was the top manga, at #3.

Here are ICv2's estimates of the sales by Diamond Comic Distributors to comic stores on the top 25 comic titles in October:

 137,169     Blackest Night #4
 101,607     Batman and Robin #5
 101,349     Green Lantern #47 (Blackest Night)
   86,760     Blackest Night: Batman #3
   81,377     Green Lantern Corps #41 (Blackest Night)
   78,265     Blackest Night: Superman #3
   76,656     New Avengers #58
   75,618     Dark Avengers #10
   73,916     Uncanny X-Men #516
   72,035     Amazing Spider-Man #608
   71,431     Batman #691
   70,322     Batman #692
   67,064     Astonishing X-Men #31
   63,670     Blackest Night: Titans #3
   62,716     Ultimate Comics Avengers #3
   61,176     Amazing Spider-Man #609
   61,012     Justice League of America #38
   60,076     Dark Wolverine #79
   58,599     Detective Comics #858
   58,412     Web of Spider-Man #1
   56,811     Hulk #16
   54,386     Justice League: Cry For Justice #4
   52,855     X-Men: Legacy #228
   52,813     Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #3
   52,708     Mighty Avengers #30

For an analysis of the dollar trends in October, see "Comic Sales Sag in October."

For our estimates of actual orders to Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on comic books scheduled to ship during October, see "Top 300 Comics Actual--October 2009."

For our estimates of actual orders to Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on graphic novels scheduled to ship during October, see "Top 300 Graphic Novels Actual--October 2009."

For our estimates of actual orders to Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on comic books scheduled to ship during September, see "Top 300 Comics Actual--September 2009."

For our estimates of actual orders to Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on graphic novels scheduled to ship during September, see "Top 300 Graphic Novels Actual--September 2009."

For our index to our reports on the top comic and graphic novel preorders for January 2000 through October 2009, see "ICv2's Top 300 Comics and Top 300 GNs Index."