While Diamond may not corner the market on comics industry awards–Chris Arrant rustled up a list last week–they're certainly an authority on what readers are and aren't buying. Those sales numbers, along with product quality and creative achievement, help the distributor in deciding their annual Gem award winners. Industry pros and retailers cast the final votes.
Here, courtesy of Comics Beat, is the list of Diamond's 2010 Gem Award winners:
2010 Comic Book Publisher of the Year Over 4% Market Share
DC Comics
2010 Comic Book Publisher of the Year Under 4% Market Share
BOOM! Studios
2010 Backlist Publisher of the Year
DC Comics
2010 Manga Publisher of the Year
Dark Horse Comics
2010 Game Manufacturer of the Year
Wizards of the Coast (WotC)
2010 Toy Manufacturer of the Year
DC Direct
2010 Comic Book of the Year Under $3.00
Brightest Day #1 – DC Comics
2010 Comic Book of the Year Over $3.00
Batman: The Return #1 – DC Comics
2010 Licensed Comic Book of the Year
Kick-Ass 2 #1 – Marvel Comics
2010 Licensed TP/HC of the Year
Kick-Ass Premiere HC – Marvel Comics
2010 Original GN of the Year
Superman: Earth One HC – DC Comics
2010 Reprint TP/HC of the Year
The Walking Dead Vol. 13: Too Far Gone – Image Comics
2010 Manga of the Year
Twilight: The Graphic Novel Volume 1 HC – Yen Press
2010 Indie GN of the Year
Scott Pigrim’s Finest Hour GN (Volume 6) – Oni Press
2010 Anthology TP of the Year
Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard HC – Archaia Entertainment
2010 Trade Book of the Year
75 Years of DC Comics HC – Taschen
2010 Game Product of the Year
DC HeroClix: Blackest Night Starter Set – WizKids/NECA
2010 Toy Product of the Year
Blackest Night Power Ring Spectrum Set – DC Direct
2010 Toy Line of the Year
Blackest Night Action Figures – DC Direct
2010 Collectable Statue of the Year
Cover Girls of the DCU Statue: Harley Quinn – DC Direct
2010 Mini Bust of the Year
Women of the DCU Series 3: Batgirl Bust – DC Direct
As you can see, DC and the DC Direct toy line absolutely cleaned up in 2010. Most of that is thanks to the runaway success of Geoff Johns' Blackest Night and Brightest Day events. Fans devoured the books and related merchandise. Will 2011's Flashpoint insure another DC landslide come next year's award season?
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I’m a Marvel guy by nature who is slowly turning to more DC titles. That may have something to do with the price difference more than anything else but by what is shown above a lot of people are on the same track.
Damn this list for reminding me that I don’t own that Power Ring set.
2010 Manga of the Year
Twilight: The Graphic Novel Volume 1 HC – Yen Press
WRONG!!!!!
Marvel has some of the most popular comic characters around but the stories comng out of Marvel have been pretty much the same. DC has been all across the board with their stories and that keeps people interested. Marvels big talent mght need to be recycled, Bendis, Brubaker, Fraction, etc need to get some buzz worth stuff written. DC kind of lucked out with Geoff Johns and his immense talent of originality.
@Minion – It invalidates the whole list.
@Kickass It doesn’t really because it did bring the most non comics readers towards reading comics. But it is no way the best representation of the style.
seems odd that Kick Ass is listed as licensed comic of the year. Technically the comic has BEEN licensed, but when i hear the term “Licensed Comic” i think of a comic about a pre-existing license, like Star Wars comics. Am I wrong here?
yet marvel outsells dc month after month. hmmmm…
@iSpiderMan —quality over quantity? uh oh them thars fighten werds! =)
Lol, Diamond. People still care about them eh? Anime World Order’s podcast had a nice break down discussion about Diamond. Think it was 73 or so.
@Mangaman Kind of hard not to not care about Diamond if you like reading comics.
Congrats to all. Hopefully it will push all of the companys to put out better quality in efforts to be #1. I am the biggest DC fan in the world and at the same time I am one of the biggest comic book fans of all time. Lest make 2011!
Sorry got interupted… I hope 2011 will be a great year and hopefully all book will have their prices come down.