The Death of Wolverine #1 was the best-selling comic in September with North American sales of nearly 262 thousand copies according to estimates by ICv2 based on information supplied by Diamond Comic Distributors.  After just two comics made it over the 100K mark in August, four titles including two issues of the Death of Wolverine plus the Batman and the Harley Quinn Futures End comics all made it well over the hundred thousand barrier in a month that saw a year-over-year increase of 5% in periodical comic sales (see "Comic Shop Market Turns Positive in Q3").
 
Led by its September Future’s End promotion DC Comics dominated the Top 25, placing 18 titles in the top ranks versus just six for archrival Marvel and one for Image Comics (Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead, which has become a fixture in the Top 25 in spite of the fact that it is the only bestselling comic printed in black and white.  All of DC’s Futures End titles were "#1s" that featured lenticular covers and storylines set five years in the future.  Future’s End titles were responsible for 17 of DC’s 18 Top 25 books (Justice League #33 shipped a month late, but still made the Top 25 at #9, three spots behind Justice League Future’s End #1).  Last year DC heavily allocated many of its September-shipping lenticular covers, which may have led to some over ordering on the lenticular covered Futures End titles this year--a brief survey of comic shops in this area indicates that most dealers still have unsold Futures End titles available.
 
Marvel used incentives to push sales of The Death of Wolverine #1, and the title experienced a heavy 50.3% drop from issue #1 to issue #2.  Meanwhile Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man remains strong, and the publisher’s summer comic event Original Sin finished its run with issue #8 maintaining a circulation north of 90K, which certainly certifies Original Sin’s status as a hit.
 
DC solidified its market share victory in September with a strong showing on the graphic novel side led by the Batman Death of a Family Book & Joker Mask Set, a $40 package that sold 14,305 copies, by far the biggest dollar graphic novel package of the month.  Expect to see more book/merchandise packages like this--the V for Vendetta mask did well back in the day, and with Halloween just around the corner, this Batman graphic novel and Joker Mask set was a one of the savvier bits of marketing seen in the comic market this year.
 
DC also scored with the Forever Evil hardcover, which collected the recent DCU event and sold over 6,000 copies of a $25 book.  VIZ Media made a rare Top 5 appearance on the graphic novel chart thanks to Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds Vol. 6, which shipped with a promotional card for the Yu-Gi-Oh! CCG, the "Hot Red Dragon Archfiend."
 
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy continues to do well in the wake of James Gunn’s popular film, which remains the highest-grossing film of the year so far. 
 
Image placed 8 titles in the Top 25 graphic novels include a new Walking Dead hardcover (plus the first TWD book), all three volumes of Saga, plus Fatale Vol. 5, Revival Vol. 4,  and Sex Criminals Vol. 1. 
 
Two graphic novels that target young readers, IDW’s My Little Pony, Vol. 5 (at #14) and Boom Studios’ Adventure Time Vol. 5 (at #17) both made the Top 25.

For an analysis of the dollar trends in September, see "Comic Shop Market Turns Positive in Q3."

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on comic books shipped during September, see "Top 300 Comics Actual--September 2014."

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on graphic novels shipped during September, see "Top 300 Graphic Novels--September 2014."

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on comic books shipped during August, see "Top 300 Comics Actual--August 2014."

For our estimates of actual sales by Diamond U.S. from comic specialty stores on graphic novels shipped during August, see "Top 300 Graphic Novels--August 2014."

For an overview and analysis of the best-selling comics and graphic novels in August, see "Comics & GNs Up Again in August."  For an analysis of the dollar trends in August, see "Only Two Comics Over 100K in August."

For our index to our reports on the top comic and graphic novel preorders for January 2000 through September 2014, see "ICv2's Top 300 Comics and Top 300 GNs Index."