It appears as though the continuing controversy over DC Comics’ decision to publish “Before Watchmen” has not had a negative effect on the various miniseries’ first issue sales. While Marvel’s “Avengers Vs X-Men” #5-6 for June took the #1 and 2 spots on the top ten list, DC’s “Watchmen” prequels swept the 5 through 8 spots with DC’s Batman and “Justice League” taking #4 and 5, respectively.

As a result, while Marvel narrowly outgunned DC in dollar share for the month, 33.77% to 33.03, DC actually moved more copies of its titles, comprising 38.23% of the market’s books overall to Marvel’s 37.82.

Overall, industry sales were down 6.28% from a month before, though they remain higher than June 2011 by 14.97%, illustrating just how strong the previous month’s numbers were, bolstered by the launch of DC Comics’ “Second Wave” titles.

As for trades, “The Walking Dead” continues its undead grip on the charts, with the sixteenth volume landing in the #1 position while the first volume sits at #8. Alan Moore took the second and third positions with the latest volume of “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” and a surging “Watchmen,” respectively. Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ “Fatale” debuted strong at #6, further illustrating the growth of creator-owned series in today’s market.