Ta-Nehisi Coates can add best-selling comics writer to his resume, as his and artist Brian Stelfreeze's "Black Panther" #1 debuted as April's top-selling single issue.

Overall, Marvel Comics once again took 7 of the top 10 best-selling issues for the month, with "Poe Dameron" #1 in the #2 slot and "Star wars Special: C-3PO iat #4. "Star Wars" #18 ranked seventh, while "Darth Vader" #19 was eight; "Vader's final issue was just announced for August. "Gwenpool" made her solo series debut at #6, while "Amazing Spider-Man" #10 was #10.

RELATED: Coates, Run the Jewels Explore Wakanda in New "Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet" Video

DC Comics made up the final three in April's Top Ten, with "Dark Knight II: The Master Race" #4 in the third position, "Batman" #51, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's final issue, at #5, and "Harley Quinn & Suicide Squad April Fool's Special" at #9.

Grant MOrrison and Yannick Paquette's "Wonder Woman: Earth One" hardcover was the best-selling graphic novel in April, with Marvel's "Star Wars: Vader Down" at #2.

Overall, Marvel commanded 42.98% of the Direct Market in dollar shares, and 47.87% unit shares. DC Comics accounted for 25.82% in dollars, and 25.13% in units. Image was once again third, making up just over 8.5% of the market.

Monthly comics sales were up slightly from March, but down significantly from April 2015. Graphic novel sales were down, both from March 2016 and April of last year.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

PUBLISHERDOLLARSHAREUNITSHARE
MARVEL COMICS 42.98% 47.87%
DC ENTERTAINMENT 25.82% 25.13%
IMAGE COMICS 8.72% 8.95%
IDW PUBLISHING 4.41% 3.67%
DARK HORSE COMICS 3.07% 2.42%
BOOM! STUDIOS 2.39% 2.45%
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 1.53% 1.45%
TITAN COMICS 1.10% 1.09%
VIZ MEDIA 0.97% 0.38%
ONI PRESS 0.87% 0.63%
OTHER NON-TOP 10 8.12% 5.96%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS


DOLLARSUNITS
APRIL 2016 VS. MARCH 2016
COMICS 8.18% 8.19%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -8.81% -8.22%
TOTAL COMICS/GN 2.06% 6.50%
APRIL 2016 VS. APRIL 2015
COMICS -18.05% -22.28%
GRAPHIC NOVELS -11.99% -12.42%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -16.19% -21.49%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2015
COMICS -7.84% -13.05%
GRAPHIC NOVELS 4.87% 5.23%
TOTAL COMICS/GN -4.06% -11.69%

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANKDESCRIPTIONPRICEITEM CODEVENDOR
1 BLACK PANTHER #1 $4.99 FEB160740-M MAR
2 STAR WARS: POE DAMERON #1 $4.99 FEB160747-M MAR
3 DARK KNIGHT III: THE MASTER RACE #4 $5.99 JAN160219-M DC
4 STAR WARS SPECIAL: C-3PO #1 $4.99 OCT150933 MAR
5 BATMAN #51 $3.99 FEB160185-M DC
6 GWENPOOL #1 $4.99 FEB160762-M MAR
7 STAR WARS #18 $3.99 FEB160935-M MAR
8 DARTH VADER #19 $3.99 FEB160938 MAR
9 HARLEY QUINN & SUICIDE SQUAD APRIL FOOL'S SPECIAL #1 $4.99 FEB160121-M DC
10 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #10 $3.99 FEB160792-M MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANKDESCRIPTIONPRICEITEM CODEVENDOR
1 WONDER WOMAN: EARTH ONE BOOK 1 HC $22.99 DEC150215 DC
2 STAR WARS: VADER DOWN TP $19.99 JAN160962 MAR
3 RAT QUEENS VOLUME 3: DEMONS TP (MR) $14.99 JAN160696 IMA
4 I HATE FAIRYLAND VOL. 1: MADLY EVER AFTER TP (MR) $9.99 JAN160644-M IMA
5 THANOS: THE INFINITY FINALE OGN HC $24.99 DEC150873 MAR
6 CIVIL WAR TP $24.99 JAN072436 MAR
7 DEADPOOL: WORLD'S GREATEST VOLUME 1: A MILLIONAIRE WITH MOUTH TP $15.99 JAN160939 MAR
8 BLACK MAGICK VOL. 1: AWAKENING PART ONE TP (MR) $9.99 JAN160635-M IMA
9 BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE SPECIAL EDITION HC $17.99 NOV070226 DC
10 RICK & MORTY VOLUME 2 TP $19.99 FEB161683-M ONI