It is that time of the month when we 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 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 September 2022 Top 20 Author Graphic Novels
NPD BookScan September 2022 Top 20 Superhero Graphic Novels
NPD BookScan September 2022 Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels
NPD BookScan September 2022 Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels
NPD BookScan September 2022 Top 20 Author Graphic Novels
Top 10
- SOLO LEVELING VOL. 5 (Yen Press) 16,331 units
- LORE OLYMPUS: VOLUME TWO HC (Del Rey) 9,387 units
- SOLO LEVELING VOL. 1 (Yen Press) 7,555 units
- LORE OLYMPUS: VOLUME TWO (Del Rey) 7,035 units
- LORE OLYMPUS: VOLUME ONE (Del Rey) 5,956
- LORE OLYMPUS: VOLUME ONE HC (Del Rey) 5,834 units
- SOLO LEVELING VOL. 4 (Yen Press) 5,813 units
- SOLO LEVELING VOL. 2 (Yen Press) 5,428 units
- THEY CALLED US ENEMY (Top Shelf Prod.) 5,029 units
- DUCKS: TWO YEARS IN THE OIL SANDS (Drawn & Quarterly) 4,708 units
The Top Author Graphic Novels continues to be utterly dominated by two Eastern webtoons in Solo Leveling and Lore Olympus. In fact, the Author Graphic Novels Top 20 Chart would be abysmal without those two webtoons. Solo Leveling and Lore Olympus combined to take the Top 8 spots. Insane.
Yen Press and Del Rey tied for first place with four volumes apiece. This is exactly the same as what Yen Press and Del Rey did in August 2022.
In September 2022, sales dipped below the 7,000 unit mark by the number 5 spot. This was slightly better than August 2022, when sales dropped below the 7,000 unit mark by the number 4 spot. In September 2022, sales dropped below the 5,000 unit mark by the number 10 spot. Again, this was slightly better than in August 2022, when sales dripped below the 5,000 unit mark by the number 8 spot.
Year-over-year numbers were up as of September 2021, where sales were already in the 3,000 unit range by the number 3 spot. This large year-over-year sales increase can be directly attributed to the success of Solo Leveling and Lore Olympus.
Top 20
- SOLO LEVELING VOL. 3 (Yen Press) 4,236 units
- CRYPTID CLUB HC (Andrews & McMeel) 3,666 units
- THE GREAT GATSBY: A GRAPHIC NOVEL HC (Canterbury) 3,271 units
- MONSTRESS VOL. 7: DEVOURER (Image Comics) 3,015 units
- MARCH: BOOK ONE (Top Shelf Prod.) 2,982 units
- GENDER QUEER: A MEMOIR (Oni Press) 2,933 units
- THE ART OF WAR: A GRAPHIC NOVEL HC (Canterbury) 2,546 units
- FUN HOME: A FAMILY TRAGICOMIC (Mariner Books) 2,355 units
- GENDER QUEER: A MEMOIR DLX. ED. (Oni Press) 2,157 units
- THE GOOD ASIAN VOL. 1 (Image Comics) 2,008 units
Solo Leveling stood tall in first place with five volumes in the Top 20. Lore Olympus took second place with four volumes in the Top 20.
Yen Press took first place with five titles in the Top 20. Del Rey came in second place with four titles in the Top 20. Top Shelf, Image Comics, Canterbury, and Oni Press all tied for third place with two titles apiece.
Sales in the second half of the Top 20 Author Graphic Novels chart were as unimpressive as usual. In September 2022, the volume in the number 11 spot sold 4,236 units which was ever so slightly above the volume in the number 11 spot in August 2022 which sold 4,195 units.
In September 2022, sales did not drop below the 2,000 unit mark. In August 2022, sales dropped below the 2,000 unit mark by the number 18 spot.
In September 2022, the number 20 volume sold 2,008 units. In August 2022, the number 20 volume sold 1,414 units.
NPD BookScan September 2022 Top 20 Superhero Graphic Novels
Top 10
- FANTASTIC FOUR: FULL CIRCLE HC (Abrams) 9,467 units
- THE SANDMAN BOOK ONE (DC Comics) 8,479 units
- BATMAN ’89 HC (DC Comics) 5,745 units
- THE SANDMAN BOOK TWO (DC Comics) 3,782 units
- HARLEY QUINN: THE ANIMATED SERIES VOL. 1: THE EAT. BANG! KILL TOUR HC (DC Comics) 2,946 units
- THE SANDMAN VOL. 1: PRELUDES & NOCTURNES 30TH ANN. ED. (DC Comics) 2,829 units
- WATCHMEN (2019 EDITION) (DC Comics) 2,432 units
- THE SANDMAN BOOK THREE (DC Comics) 2,359 units
- TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE LAST RONIN HC (IDW Publishing) 1,928 units
- THE SANDMAN BOOK FOUR (DC Comics) 1,823 units
DC Comics destroyed all of the competition by placing a decisive eight volumes in the Top 10. Again, all of DC Comics’ success is powered by the Batman and Sandman franchises plus the Watchmen. Of course. The apocalypse could arrive and the Watchmen would still be found in the Top 20. Nothing can stop the Watchmen from forever appearing on the Top 20 sales chart.
Abrams and IDW Publishing tied for second place with one title apiece.
As usual, the sales for the Superhero graphic novels category are simply awful. Sales being down in the 2,000 unit range by just the number 5 spot is embarrassing. Sales were down dramatically at the top of the Superhero graphic novels chart. In September 2022, the volume in the number 1 spot sold 9,467 units. In August 2022, the volume in the number 1 spot sold 17,711 units. Year-over-year numbers were also way down as the volume in the number 1 spot in September 2021 sold 16,584 units.
Sales across the Top 10 were down. In September 2022, sales dropped below the 5,000 unit mark by the number 4 spot. In August 2022, sales dropped below the 5,000 unit mark by the number 4 spot. Year-over-year numbers were up by a hair. In September 2021, sales dropped below the 5,000 unit mark by the number 3 spot.
In September 2022, sales dropped below the 3,000 unit mark by the number five spot. In August 2022, sales dipped below the 3,000 unit mark by the number 7 spot. Year-over-year numbers were up ever so slightly as sales in September 2021 dipped below the 3,000 unit mark by the number 4 spot.
Month-over-month sales were flat at the number 10 spot. In September 2022, the volume in the number 10 spot sold 1,823 units. In August 2022, the volume in the number 10 spot sold 1,759 units. Year-over-year sales were also flat. In September 2021, the volume in the number 10 spot sold 1,605 units.
Top 20
- THE SANDMAN VOL. 2: THE DOLL’S HOUSE 30TH ANN. ED. (DC Comics) 1,478 units
- THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (Penguin Classics) 1,430 units
- STRANGER THINGS: THE TOMB OF YBWEN (Dark Horse Comics) 1,396 units
- STAR WARS: CRIMSON REIGN (Marvel Comics) 1,394 units
- BATMAN: YEAR ONE (DC Comics) 1,383 units
- BATMAN: ONE DARK KNIGHT HC (DC Comics) 1,335 units
- BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE DLX. ED. HC (NEW EDITION) (DC Comics) 1,173 units
- THE SANDMAN VOL. 3: DREAM COUNTRY 30TH ANN. ED. (DC Comics) 1,159 units
- DC DARK KNIGHTS OF STEEL VOL. 1 HC (DC Comics) 1,056 units
- THE SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR OMINOUS OMNIBUS VOL. 1: SCARY TALES & SCARIER TENTACLES (Abrams) 1,036 units
DC Comics took first place with fourteen titles in the Top 20. Thirteen of DC Comics’ fourteen titles came from the Batman and Sandman franchises. Abrams took second place with two titles in the Top 20.
IDW Publishing, Penguin Classics, Dark Horse Comics, and Marvel Comics all tied for last place with one title apiece in the Top 20.
Sales for the Top 20 Superhero Graphic Novels chart continue to be abysmal. In September 2022, the volume in the number 11 spot sold 1,478 units. In August 2022, the volume in the number 11 spot sold 1,662 units. Year-over-year numbers were flat. In September 2021, the volume in the number 11 spot sold 1,237 units.
In September 2022, the volume in the number 20 spot sold 1,036 units. In August 2022, the volume in the number 20 spot sold 1,006 units. Year-over-year numbers were nearly the same. In September 2021, the volume in the number 20 spot sold 889 units.
While DC Comics dominated the Superhero Graphic Novels sales chart, it continues to be troubling that they only find success with the Batman and Sandman franchises. DC Comics continues to struggle to get much reader interest in their other franchises. Further alarming is the fact that almost all of the volumes sold by DC Comics are old stories.
September 2022 was brutal for Marvel Comics. Even if you want to assign to them the Marvel comic published by Abrams and the Marvel title published by Penguin Classics, you still would only have Marvel Comics with a pathetic three titles in the Top 20. To make matters worse, two of the three Marvel Comics titles were ancient old Silver Age stories. The Amazing Spider-Man volume is a bunch of Stan Lee stories. Fantastic Four: Full Circle is Alex Ross retelling a 1966 Stan Lee and Jack Kirby story. Again, Marvel Comics continues to fail to get anyone interested in their content over the past five years.
The fact that sales at the number 10 spot are almost even with a year ago shows how the Superhero comic book market remains dead with little hope for growth going forward. Marvel Comics and DC Comics need to reevaluate how they handle their titles.
NPD BookScan September 2022 Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels
Top 10
- SPY X FAMILY VOL. 8 (Viz Media) 33,926 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 21,961 units
- JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 17 (Viz Media) 16,612 units
- SPY X FAMILY VOL. 2 (Viz Media) 16,237 units
- DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 14,776 units
- SPY X FAMILY VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 14,413 units
- JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 0 (Viz Media) 13,610 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 2 (Viz Media) 13,550 units
- SPY X FAMILY VOL. 3 (Viz Media) 12,779 units
- DRAGON BALL SUPER VOL. 16 (Viz Media) 11,414 units
Viz Media continues to run unopposed in the manga market in the United States. Viz Media had a clean sweep by taking all ten spots in the Top 10.
Spy x Family took the number 1 spot and placed four volumes in the Top 10. Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen tied for second place with two volumes in the Top 10. Demon Slayer and Dragon Ball Super had one volume apiece in the Top 10. September 2022 saw five different franchises in the Top 10. This is not as diverse as the nine different franchises in the Top 10 in August 2022.
Sales were down at the very top of the Manga Graphic Novels chart. In September 2022, the volume in the number 1 spot sold 33,926 units. In August 2022, the volume in the number 1 spot sold 37,254 units. Year-over-year numbers were way down at the number 1 spot. In September 2022, the volume in the number 1 spot sold 51,321 units.
Month-over-month sales were down. In September 2022, sales dropped below the 15,000 unit mark with the number 5 spot. In August 2022, sales did not drop below the 15,000 unit mark in the Top 10. Year-over-year sales were slightly down. In September 2021, sales dropped below the 15,000 unit mark by the number 8 spot.
Top 20
- TOKYO REVENGERS (OMNIBUS) VOL. 3-4 (Seven Seas Ent.) 11,367 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 11 (Viz Media) 11,130 units
- MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 10,816 units
- DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 2 (Viz Media) 10,532 units
- MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 31 (Viz Media) 10,524 units
- JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 10,178 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 3 (Viz Media) 9,868 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 4 (Viz Media) 9,437 units
- BERSERK DELUXE VOL. 1 HC (Dark Horse Comics) 9,370 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 10 (Viz Media) 9,041 units
Viz Media almost ran the table by placing eighteen titles in the Top 20. Wow. Nobody seems willing to compete with Viz Media in the manga market in the U.S.
Chainsaw Man took first place with six volumes in the Top 20. Spy x Family came in second place with four volumes in the Top 20. Jujutsu Kaisen took third place with three volumes in the Top 20.
My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer came in fourth place with two volumes apiece in the Top 20. Dragon Ball Super, Tokyo Revengers, and Berserk all tied for fifth place with one volume apiece.
Month-over-month titles were down a. In September 2022, the volume in the number 11 spot sold 11,367 units. In August 2022, the volume in the number 11 spot sold 13,399 units. Year-over-year numbers were slightly down. In September 2021, the volume in the number 11 spot sold 12,110 units.
Month-over-month numbers were slightly down. In September 2022, sales dropped below 10,000 units by the number 17 spot. In August 2022, sales dipped below the 10,000 unit mark at the number 20 spot. Year-over-year numbers remained flat. In September 2021, sales dropped below the 10,000 unit mark by the number 17 spot.
Month-over-month sales at the bottom of the Top 20 were flat. In September 2022, the volume in the number 20 spot sold 9,959 units. In August 2022, the volume in the number 20 spot sold 9,041 units. Year-over-year sales were flat. In September 2021, the volume in the number 20 spot sold 9,274 units.
NPD BookScan September 2022 Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels
Top 10
- SPY X FAMILY VOL. 8 (Viz Media) 33,926 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 21,961 units
- JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 17 (Viz Media) 16,612 units
- SOLO LEVELING VOL. 5 (Yen Press) 16,331 units
- SPY X FAMILY VOL. 2 (Viz Media) 16,237 units
- DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 14,776 units
- SPY X FAMILY VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 14,413 units
- JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 0 (Viz Media) 13,610 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 2 (Viz Media) 13,550 units
- SPY X FAMILY VOL. 3 (Viz Media) 12,779 units
Once again, the Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels sales chart is all about manga. The only non-manga title to appear in the Top 10 was the South Korean webtoon Solo Leveling.
Top 20
- DRAGON BALL SUPER VOL. 16 (Viz Media) 11,414 units
- TOKYO REVENGERS (OMNIBUS) VOL. 3-4 (Seven Seas Ent.) 11,367 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 11 (Viz Media) 11,130 units
- MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 10,816 units
- DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 2 (Viz Media) 10,532 units
- MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 31 (Viz Media) 10,524 units
- JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 1 (Viz Media) 10,178 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 3 (Viz Media) 9,868 units
- FANTASTIC FOUR: FULL CIRCLE HC (Abrams) 9,467 units
- CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 4 (Viz Media) 9,437 units
Manga continues to be the apex predator of the comic industry. Manga accounts for eighteen volumes in the Top 20. This continues manga’s stronghold on the Top 20 as manga accounted for nineteen volumes in the Top 20 in August 2022 and seventeen volumes in the Top 20 in July 2022.
How far in the rearview mirror are American Superhero comics compared to Manga? The volume in the number 20 spot of the Manga chart was Chainsaw Man Vol. 10 which sold 9,041 units. The volume in the number 9 spot in the Superhero chart sold just 1,928 units. The gap is simply massive and shows no signs of changing.
All right, that is it for September 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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