Although ratings this season are down (see "’Walking Dead’ Ratings Plummet"), The Walking Dead graphic novels were in higher positions in November, the peak month for Walking Dead sales, vs. a year ago according to the Top 20 Adult Fiction Graphic Novel chart provided exclusively to ICv2 by Nielsen BookScan.

November has a full month of new episodes in the latest season (and includes holiday shopping), so is the month when the property has a big chance to shine.  A The Walking Dead Compendium volume took the top slots in both November 2015 and 2016, but below that, the next volumes were #2 in 2016 vs. #3 in 2015, #5 in 2016 vs. #7 in 2015, and #9 in 2016 vs. #15 in 2015.

Four March SKUs remain in the Top 20, where it looks like they will stay through the holidays and beyond.  With March winning a National Book Award in November, the first graphic novel to do so (see "'March' Wins National Book Award’"), attention is going to continue to be focused on these worthy volumes.

VIZ Media had the most volumes of any publisher in the Top 20 in November, with two up-price titles, The Legend of Zelda: Legendary Edition Vol. 1 ($17.99) and Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 3: Stardust Crusaders Vol. 1 ($19.99) among its manga offerings.

For the first time, a DC Superhero Girls graphic novel made the Top 20, reflecting the underlying strength of this artfully launched property.  Batman: The Killing Joke Dlx. Ed. HC and Harley Quinn Vol. 1 (N52) show the continuing influence of the Suicide Squad movie on DC graphic novel sales.

Marvel Comics had only one of its own titles, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther (which is showing great staying power), in the Top 20, but two DK Publishing Marvel volumes show the strength of the IP in the Top 20.

BookScan Top 20 Graphic Novels in November 2016

Rank

Title

Author

Publisher

1

THE WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM ONE

ROBERT KIRKMAN

IMAGE COMICS

2

THE WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM THREE

ROBERT KIRKMAN

IMAGE COMICS

3

ONE-PUNCH MAN VOL. 9

YUSUKE MURATA

VIZ MEDIA

4

MARCH: BOOK ONE

JOHN LEWIS

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS

5

THE WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM TWO

ROBERT KIRKMAN

IMAGE COMICS

6

MARVEL ENCYCLOPEDIA: UPDATED AND EXPANDED HC

MATT FORBECK

DK PUBLISHING

7

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: LEGENDARY EDITION VOL. 1

AKIRA HIMEKAWA

VIZ MEDIA

8

MARCH (TRILOGY SLIPCASE SET)

JOHN LEWIS

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS

9

THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 26

ROBERT KIRKMAN

IMAGE COMICS

10

MARCH: BOOK THREE

JOHN LEWIS

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS

11

BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE DLX ED

ALAN MOORE

DC COMICS

12

MARVEL ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW HC

ADAM BRAY

DK PUBLISHING

13

MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 6

KOHEI HORIKOSHI

VIZ MEDIA

14

MARCH: BOOK TWO

JOHN LEWIS

TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS

15

DC SUPER HERO GIRLS: HITS AND MYTHS

SHEA FONTANA

DC COMICS

16

BLACK PANTHER BOOK 1

TA-NEHISI

MARVEL COMICS

17

TOKYO GHOUL VOL. 9

SUI ISHIDA

VIZ MEDIA

18

HARLEY QUINN VOL. 1 (N52)

CONNER & PALMIOTTI

DC COMICS

19

TOKYO GHOUL VOL. 1

SUI ISHIDA

VIZ MEDIA

20

JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE PART 3 VOL. 1

HIROHIKO ARAKI

VIZ MEDIA

For past BookScan Top 20 Graphic Novel lists, see the "BookScan Top 20 GN Index."