After we published the list of the Top 20 Bookstore Graphic Novels of 2008 provided by Nielsen BookScan (see “Top 20 Bookstore Graphic Novels of 2008”), we were contacted by a couple of sources who questioned why some Kids and Young Adult titles were not included in the rankings.  We asked Nielsen for a clarification.






Rank

Title

Author

Pub

1

WATCHMEN TP

ALAN MOORE

DC

2

NARUTO VOL. 28

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

3

NARUTO VOL. 29

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

4

NARUTO VOL. 30

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

DC

5

BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE SPEC. ED. HC

ALAN MOORE

DC

6

NARUTO VOL. 27

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

7

NARUTO VOL. 31

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

8

NARUTO VOL. 26

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

9

DEATH NOTE VOL. 1

TSUGUMI OHBA

VIZ

10

BONE VOL. 1

JEFF SMITH

SCH

11

FRUITS BASKET VOL. 19

NATSUKI TAKAYA

TKP

12

BONE VOL. 7

JEFF SMITH

SCH

13

DARK TOWER: THE LONG ROAD HOME HC

PETER DAVID

MAR

14

FRUITS BASKET VOL. 20

NATSUKI TAKAYA

TKP

15

WARRIORS: WARRIOR'S REFUGE

ERIN HUNTER

TKP

16

POKEMON DIAMOND AND PEARL ADV. VOL. 1

IHARA SHIGEKATSU

VIZ

17

DEATH NOTE VOL. 2

TSUGUMI OHBA

VIZ

18

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS

FRANK MILLER

DC

19

VAMPIRE KNIGHT VOL. 4

MATSURI HINO

VIZ

20

NARUTO VOL. 1

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ

 

The BookScan rankings are based on BISAC categories.  “We receive bibliographic metadata, including BISAC categorizations, from third parties such as Ingram Book Company,” the company said.  So we requested that the rankings be revisited with graphic novel titles from other categories included (note--we asked about specific titles; if you are a publisher and believe your title should have been in this lislt, please let us know).   

 

The top nine titles remained the same, but beginning with #10, five new titles made the top 20.  Two of the Scholastic color Bone volumes, Bone Volume 1: Out from Boneville and Bone Volume 7: Ghost Circles, hit the list at #10 and #12, respectively. 

 

Dark Tower: The Long Road Home, which was given a single ranking for the combined sales of all its covers, is #13 on this more comprehensive list. 

 

Tokyopop’s Warrior’s Refuge, the OEL manga based on the works by Erin Hunter, is #15 on the combined list. 

 

And Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventures Vol. 1 from Viz is #16.