It is that time of the month when we get to check out the latest graphic novels sales numbers. As always, ICv2 is the best source for these sales numbers. ICv2 released several sales charts for October 2022 including the Top 20 Author Graphic Novels, Top 20 Superheroes Graphic Novels, Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels, and Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels.
The Top 20 Author Graphic Novels, Top 20 Superhero Graphic Novels, Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels, and Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels sales charts are all based on NPD BookScan numbers. NPD BookScan collects weekly point-of-sale data on print books from over 16,000 locations through direct reporting from all major retailers, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Target, independent bookstores, and many others. NPD BookScan covers approximately 85% of the U.S. trade print book market.
NPD BookScan October 2022 Top 20 Author Graphic Novels
NPD BookScan October 2022 Top 20 Superhero Graphic Novels
NPD BookScan October 2022 Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels
NPD BookScan October 2022 Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels
NPD BookScan October 2022 Top 20 Author Graphic Novels
Top 10
- LORE OLYMPUS: VOL. THREE HC (Del Rey) 40,292 units
- LORE OLYMPUS: VOL. THREE (Del Rey) 14,249 units
- SOLO LEVELING VOL. 5 (Yen Press) 9,943 units
- SAGA VOL. 10 (Image Comics) 9,785 units
- YOU ARE HOME HC (Andrews McMeel) 9,138 units
- LORE OLYMPUS: VOL. TWO HC (Del Rey) 5,952 units
- SOLO LEVELING VOL. 1 (Yen Press) 5,136 units
- LORE OLYMPUS: VOL. ONE HC (Del Rey) 4,433 units
- LORE OLYMPUS: VOL. ONE (Del Rey) 4,028 units
- LORE OLYMPUS: VOL. TWO (Del Rey) 3,765 units
Once again, the Top 20 Author Graphic Novels sales chart is completely powered by just two webtoons: Lore Olympus and Solo Leveling. Lore Olympus placed six volumes in the Top 10. Solo Leveling placed two volumes in the Top 10.
While Lore Olympus dominated the Top 10, all is not golden for the webtoon. This title seems to be shedding readers at a large rate with each volume. In November 2021, Lore Olympus Vol. One HC sold a stunning 69,000 units. In July 2022, Lore Olympus Vol. Two HC sold 56,462 units. Now, we have Lore Olympus Vol. Three HC fell to 40,292 units.
Having said that, sales were way up at the number one spot in October 2022 with 40,292 units. This blows away the volume in the number one spot in September 2022 which sold only 16,331 units.
Outside the number 1 spot, month-over-month sales were largely flat for the Top 10 Author Graphic Novels sales chart. In September 2022, sales dipped below the 9,000 unit mark by the number 3 spot, and the volume at the number 10 spot sold 4,708 units. In October 2022, sales dipped below the 9,000 unit mark at the number 6 spot and the volume at the number 10 spot sold 3,765 units.
On the positive side, year-over-year numbers. In October 2021, the volume in the number 1 spot sold 6,887 units and sales dropped below the 3,000 unit mark by the number 5 spot. The volume in the number 10 spot sold 1,860 units.
Top 20
- SOLO LEVELING VOL. 2 (Yen Press) 3,656 units
- SOLO LEVELING VOL. 4 (Yen Press) 3,020 units
- BRZRKR VOL. 2 (Boom! Studios) 2,568 units
- TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN VOL. 6 (Yen Press) 2,558 units
- HYPERVENTILATION (Tokyopop) 2,513 units
- THEY CALLED US ENEMY (Top Shelf Prod.) 2,418 units
- SOLO LEVELING VOL. 3 (COMIC) (Yen Press) 2,332 units
- BRZRKR VOL. 1 (Boom! Studios) 2,275 units
- GENDER QUEER: A MEMOIR (One Press) 2,087 units
- DUCKS: TWO YEARS IN THE OIL SANDS HC DRAWN & QUARTERLY 2,079 units
The bottom half of the Top 20 Author Graphic Novels sales chart saw Solo Leveling dominating all other competitors. In the end, Lore Olympus had six volumes in the Top 20. Solo Leveling placed five volumes in the Top 20. The two webtoons combined to claim ownership of eleven volumes in the Top 20. That is impressive.
On a side note, it is great to see Brzrkr Vol. 2 making the Top 20. This title has been an absolute joy to read.
Month-to-month sales were slightly down. In September 2022, sales dropped below the 3,000 unit mark by the number 15 spot and the number 20 volume sold 2,008 units. In October 2022, sales dropped below the 3,000 unit mark by the number 13 spot and the number 20 volume sold 2,079 units.
Year-over-year sales were slightly up. In October 2021, the volume in the number 11 spot sold 1,740 units and the volume in the number 20 spot sold 1,154 units.
NPD BookScan October 2022 Top 20 Superhero Graphic Novels
Top 10
- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE LAST RONIN HC (IDW Publishing) 3,501 units
- THE SANDMAN BOOK ONE (DC Comics) 3,138 units
- FANTASTIC FOUR: FULL CIRCLE HC (Abrams) 2,038 units
- WATCHMEN (2019 EDITION) (DC Comics) 1,844 units
- THE SANDMAN BOOK TWO (DC Comics) 1,356 units
- STAR WARS: DARTH VADER BY GREG PAK VOL. 4: CRIMSON REIGN (Marvel Comics) 1,293 units
- BATMAN: YEAR ONE (DC Comics) 1,026 units
- BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN (DC Comics) 951 units
- MIRACLEMAN OMNIBUS HC (Marvel Comics) 946 units
- SHE-HULK BY RAINBOW ROWELL VOL. 1 (Marvel Comics) 942 units
DC Comics took first place with five volumes in the Top 10. Marvel Comics came in second place with three volumes in the Top 10. IDW Publishing and Abrams tied for third place with one volume apiece.
All five of DC Comics’ volumes in the Top 10 were ancient old comics. This is a loud rebuke by the fans to the product that DC Comics has been cranking out over the past five years. Furthermore, It is obvious that the bump from the Netflix Sandman TV show quickly subsided in October 2022.
Marvel Comics relied on an old comic in Miracleman. Star Wars: Darth Vader is a more recent comic. The third volume for Marvel Comics is a newer comic in She-Hulk by Rainbow Rowell. This is due to She-Hulk having a Disney+ TV show. However, before you get too excited, the fact that this volume only sold 942 should be completely embarrassing for Marvel Comics. That is an awful sales number. Side note, I actually liked Rowell’s opening story arc because she trashed Jason Aaron’s horrendous Hulk-style She-Hulk. The art is also pretty nice.
The October 2022 Top 20 Superhero Graphic Novels sales chart is shockingly awful. These numbers are abysmal. It is as if both Marvel Comics and DC Comics are laying down and playing dead in front of the presence of the apex predator known as manga.
Month-over-month sales are way down. In September 2022, the volume in the number 1 spot sold 9,467 units and sales dropped below the 3,000 unit mark by the number 5 spot. The volume in the number 10 spot sold 1,823 units. In October 2022, the volume in the number 1 spot sold a pathetic 3,501 units. Sales dropped below 3,000 units by the number 3 spot. The volume in the number 10 spot sold just 942 units.
Year-over-year sales are flat as the superhero comic book market continues to lay in a coma. In October 2021, the volume in the number 1 spot sold 4,266 units and sales dropped below the 3,000 unit mark by the number 2 spot. The volume in the number 10 spot sold 961 units.
Top 20
- THE SANDMAN BOOK THREE (DC Comics) 929 units
- THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS (DC Comics) 914 units
- BATMAN ’89 HC (DC Comics) 899 units
- DARK AGES (Marvel Comics) 827 units
- BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE DLX. ED. HC (NEW EDITION) (DC Comics) 826 units
- THE SANDMAN VOL. 1: PRELUDES & NOCTURNES 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (DC Comics) 790 units
- THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN HC (Penguin Group) 785 units
- G.I. JOE: A REAL AMERICAN HERO: 40TH ANN. SPECIAL DLX. ED. HC (IDW Publishing) 720 units
- STRANGER THINGS: THE TOMB OF YBWEN (Dark Horse Comics) 701 units
- BATMAN: HUSH 20TH ANN. ED. HC (DC Comics) 697 units
DC Comics destroyed all the competition and took first place with 11 volumes in the Top 20. Marvel Comics came in second place with four volumes. IDW Publishing came in third place with two volumes. Penguin Group, Dark Horse Comics, and Abrams all tied for fourth place with one volume apiece.
DC Comics’ success in the Top 20 was powered by older comic books. Of course, all of the DC Comics volumes in the Top 20 were from either the Batman franchise, the Sandman franchise, or the Watchmen. Nobody has any interest in anything else from DC Comics.
Month-over-month sales were down. In September 2022, sales never dipped below the 1,000 unit mark and the volume at the number 20 spot sold 1,036 units. In October 2022, sales dropped below the 1,000 unit mark by the number 8 spot and the volume in the number 20 spot sold 697 units.
Year-over-year sales continued to be flat. In October 2021, sales dropped below the 1,000 unit mark by the number 10 spot and the volume in the number 20 spot sold 665 units.
These sales numbers are embarrassing, and they are simply not getting any better as we move forward. Marvel Comics and DC Comics seem to be disconnected from what readers desire in their superhero comic books.
NPD BookScan October 2022 Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels
Top 10
- MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 32 (Viz Media) 34,465 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 25,790 units
- KAIJU NO. 8 VOL. 4 (Viz Media) 21,456 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 2 (Viz Media) 20,328 units
- SPY X FAMILY VOL. 8 (Viz Media) 19,906 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 3 (Viz Media) 17,720 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 4 (Viz Media) 15,465 units
- TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN VOL. 16 (Yen Press) 13,876 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 10 (Viz Media) 13,454 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 11 (Viz Media) 12,054 units
Viz Media continues its complete domination of the Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels chart. Viz Media slotted nine volumes in the Top 10. Yen Press came in second place with a single volume in the Top 10.
Chainsaw Man was the franchise that powered manga sales in the Top 10. Chainsaw Man placed a whopping six volumes in the Top 10. Behold the power of having an anime currently airing.
My Hero Academia is part of the old guard these days but is still flexing its muscles against the newer franchises as it took the overall number one spot.
Kaiju No. 8 managed to grab the number 3 spot, which is quite impressive and the highest I have seen this franchise in the Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels sales chart. I am thrilled to see this. Kaiju No. 8 is a great manga that, I think, is poised to explode on the scene once its anime gets a release date.
Spy x Family put one volume in the Top 10. This is one of my favorite manga titles, and it is still benefitting from its popular anime.
Sales were up at the number 1 spot in October 2022 which moved 34,465. This was slightly higher than the volume in the number 1 spot in September 2022 which sold 22,936 units. Month-over-month sales were up across the board. Sales did not dip below 15,000 units until the number 8 spot. This was much better than September 2022 when sales dipped below the 15,000 unit mark by the number 5 spot.
Year-over-year numbers were flat. In October 2021, sales dipped below the 15,000 unit mark by the number 8 spot.
Top 20
- DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 11,546 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 7 (Viz Media) 11,000 units
- KOMI CAN’T COMMUNICATE VOL. 21 (Viz Media) 10,205 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 9 (Viz Media) 10,163 units
- DANDADAN VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 9,890 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 5 (Viz Media) 9,795 units
- JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 0 (Viz Media) 9,591 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 6 (Viz Media) 8,358 units
- JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 17 (Viz Media) 8,182 units
- JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 8,064 units
Viz Media dominated all publishers by taking 19 spots in the Top 20. Yen Press is the only other publisher to make an appearance in the Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels sales chart.
Chainsaw Man was the top franchise as it placed ten volumes in the Top 20. It is incredible how an anime can supercharge manga sales. The Jujutsu Kaisen franchise took second place with three volumes in the Top 20. That left six other franchises, which all placed one volume apiece in the Top 20.
Month-over-month numbers were slightly down. In September 2022, the volume in the number 11 spot sold 11,367 units. In October 2022, the volume in the number 11 spot sold 11,546 units. In September 2022, sales dropped below the 10,000 unit mark by the number 17 spot. In October 2022, sales dropped below the 10,000 unit mark by the number 15 spot. In September 2022, the volume in the number 20 spot sold 9,041 units. In October 2022, the volume in the number 20 spot sold 8,064 units.
Year-over-year numbers were slightly up. In October 2021, the volume in the number 11 spot sold 11,870 units. Sales dropped below the 8,000 unit mark by the number 17 spot. In October 2022, sales never dropped below 8,000 units.
NPD BookScan October 2022 Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels
Top 10
- LORE OLYMPUS: VOL. THREE HC (Del Rey) 40,292 units
- MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 32 (Viz Media) 34,465 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 25,790 units
- KAIJU NO. 8 VOL. 4 (Viz Media) 21,456 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 2 (Viz Media) 20,328 units
- SPY X FAMILY VOL. 8 (Viz Media) 19,906 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 3 (Viz Media) 17,720 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 4 (Viz Media) 15,465 units
- LORE OLYMPUS: VOL. THREE (Del Rey) 14,249 units
- TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN VOL. 16 (Yen Press) 13,876 units
Manga dominated the Top 10 Adult Graphic Novels, as Viz Media placed seven volumes in the Top 10. Yen Press slotted one volume in the Top 10. The webtoon, Lore Olympus, rounded out the Top 10 by putting two volumes in the Top 10. Once again, no Marvel Comics. No DC Comics. American comics continue to get shut out of the Top 10 Adult Graphic Novels Chart.
Top 20
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 10 (Viz Media) 13,454 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 11 (Viz Media) 12,054 units
- DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 11,546 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 7 (Viz Media) 11,000 units
- KOMI CAN’T COMMUNICATE VOL. 21 (Viz Media) 10,205 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 9 (Viz Media) 10,163 units
- SOLO LEVELING VOL. 5 (Yen Press) 9,943 units
- DANDADAN VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 9,890 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 5 (Viz Media) 9,795 units
- SAGA VOL. 10 (Image Comics) 9,785 units
Manga continued its domination of the Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels chart by taking sixteen spots in the Top 20. Lore Olympus took two spots in the Top 20. The South Korean webtoon, Solo Leveling, took one spot in the Top 20. Saga was the sole American comic that snuck into the Top 20 by taking the final spot.
Viz Media dominated all publishers, with fifteen volumes in the Top 20. Yen Press and Del Rey tied for second with two volumes in the Top 20. Image Comics came in third with one volume in the Top 20.
Marvel Comics and DC Comics continue to be toothless in the battle for the Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels. At some point, Marvel Comics and DC Comics are going to have to do some serious self-evaluating to figure out which writers and editors are clearly failing their companies.
All right, that is it for October 2022. Will manga continue its utter dominance in the Top 20 in October 2022? We will find out! Until then, stay safe and be good!
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