Diamond Expanded Chart #301-400

It's been five months now since Diamond increased the scope of their monthly comics chart from the Top 300 to the Top 400. Time to take a look at what those extra data points get us.

Of the extra 500 entries we've gotten, 64 are additional orders for books which shipped in prior months, usually books with heavy re-orders and additional printings. A few titles which show up most often are HARLEY QUINN, SEX CRIMINALS and AFTERLIFE WITH ARCHIE.

Another 16 entries are bargain priced (usually $1) reprints from various publishers, including Dark Horse, IDW and Image, usually of the first issues of recent books which are now getting their first collections out.

That leaves us with 420 entries.  Looking at them by publisher:

Marvel's 9 entries are almost all in their MARVEL UNIVERSE line of books for younger readers based on their animated TV shows. The only exception is CAPTAIN AMERICA WINTER SOLDIER DIRECTOR'S CUT #1 a reprint with some extras tying in to a recent movie.

DC has quite a bit of variety in their 17 entries in this range.  There are 4 entries for "Combo Pack" editions, which they offer for their higher selling books and include a digital code for $1 extra. The rare times they chart these seem to sell about 1-2% of the regular editions, so most fall outside of even the expanded chart. Several licensed books, which are aimed outside of the direct market, fall in this range, including LOONEY TOONS, SCOOBY DOO and the digital-first VAMPIRE DIARIES. One book in their "New 52" line, GREEN TEAM TEEN TRILLIONAIRES, fell into this range with its final two issues. Usually those are cancelled long before they get that low. There are also two oddities, WAKE PART ONE #1, reprinting the first five issues of the mini-series in a non-tradepaperback format and the VILLAINS MONTH 3D MOTION COMPLETE SET of second printings of their 3D gimmick covers of last year for $200.

There are five major mid-range publishers that generally have around a dozen entries on that part of the chart each month.

Dark Horse 71
Dynamite 60
IDW 59
Image 54
Boom 53

And apologies, but I haven't had time to do the full post I wanted to on this topic. Maybe in a few months when we have more data. In the meantime, here are the non-DC/Marvel comics that appeared in the #301-400 range at least three months in the last five, sorted by average sales of those issues (note that some of these had earlier issues in the top 300, which aren't counted in the average).

LADY RAWHIDE (DE) - 4520 average
MIND MGMT (DAR) - 4490 average
OTHER DEAD (IDW) - 4440 average
SHOTGUN WEDDING (IMA) - 4440 average
GRINDHOUSE DOORS OPEN AT MIDNIGHT (DAR) - 4360 average
SHERLOCK HOLMES MORIARTY LIVES (DE) - 4270 average
X (DAR) - 4240 average
HIT LIST (ZEN) - 4210 average
CLIVE BARKER NEXT TESTAMENT (BOO) - 4180 average
DARK HORSE PRESENTS (DAR) - 4110 average
THE LONE RANGER (DE) - 4080 average
ARCHIE (ARC) - 4070 average
PEANUTS VOL 2 (BOO) - 4070 average
FOX (ARC) - 4020 average
ARTIFACTS (IMA) - 3990 average
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA STARBUCK (DE) - 3820 average
CURSE (BOO) - 3790 average
SHAHRAZAD (BIG) - 3790 average
HACKTIVIST (BOO) - 3740 average
CLOWN FATALE (DAR) - 3720 average
CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT (DAR) - 3680 average
FIVE WEAPONS (IMA) - 3670 average
GREAT PACIFIC (IMA) - 3670 average
MINIMUM WAGE (IMA) - 3640 average
NOIR (DE) - 3610 average
GRAVEL COMBAT MAGICIAN (AVA) - 3590 average
JENNIFER BLOOD (DE) - 3570 average
SKYMAN (DAR) - 3570 average
THUNDER AGENTS (IDW) - 3560 average
MIDAS FLESH (BOO) - 3550 average
STRAIN THE FALL (DAR) - 3490 average
SUICIDE RISK (BOO) - 3470 average
HAUNTED HORROR (IDW) - 3460 average
BAD BLOOD (DAR) - 3450 average
TMNT COLOR CLASSICS SERIES 2 (IDW) - 3430 average
INDESTRUCTIBLE (IDW) - 3380 average
A VOICE IN THE DARK (IMA) - 3350 average
BLACK BAT (DE) - 3300 average
REVELATIONS (BOO) - 3250 average
SIXTH GUN (ONI) - 3210 average
FURIOUS (DAR) - 3200 average
GRIMM WARLOCK (DE) - 3180 average
THE SPIDER (DE) - 3140 average
JUDGE DREDD CLASSICS (IDW) - 2770 average
DEATH SENTENCE (TIT) - 2750 average
OCCULTIST (DAR) - 2740 average
JUICE SQUEEZERS (DAR) - 2730 average
GARFIELD (BOO) - 2720 average
CATALYST COMIX (DAR) - 2580 average
DECEIVERS (BOO) - 2570 average
DEADWORLD RESTORATION (IDW) - 2530 average
SINISTER DEXTER (IDW) - 2390 average
TRISH OUT OF WATER (ASP) - 2360 average
ELEPHANTMEN (IMA) - 2330 average
POPEYE CLASSICS ONGOING (IDW) - 2160 average