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Robert Kirkman’s
The Walking Dead Vol. 14: No Way Out topped the list of Adult Graphic Novels Sold in Bookstores in July. The latest volume in Kirkman’s zombie series, which is supported by a popular series on the AMC cable channel, debuted on June 21st and was #2 on the Nielsen BookScan list for June (see “
Naruto Back on Top in June”).
Viz Media’s Naruto Vol. 51 slipped to fourth behind Kanoko Sakurakoji’s popular shojo series Black Bird Vol. 9 (also Viz Media) and Black Butler Vol.6 from Yen Press. As was the case in June manga dominated the list with 13 of the top 20 titles. Viz Media, which had 10 of the 13 manga on the list in June, was the top manga publisher again in July with 6, but Yen Press was right behind with 5 books, and Kodansha and Seven Seas each had one. Mention should be made of Blue Exorcist Vol. 1, which has been in the top 20 every month since it debuted in April and appears to be another hit for Viz Media.
BookScan Top 20 Graphic Novels in July 2011 |
Rank | Title | Author | Publisher |
1 | THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 14 | ROBERT KIRKMAN | IMAGE COMICS |
2 | BLACK BIRD VOL. 9 | KANOKO SAKURAKOJI | VIZ MEDIA |
3 | BLACK BUTLER VOL. 6 | YANA TOBOSO | YEN PRESS |
4 | NARUTO VOL. 51 | MASASHI KISHIMOTO | VIZ MEDIA |
5 | ROSARIO+VAMPIRE SEASON II VOL. 5 | AKIHISA IKEDA | VIZ MEDIA |
6 | DC COMICS: THE ULTIMATE CHARACTER GUIDE HC | BRANDON T. SNIDER | DK PUBLISHING |
7 | YU-GI-OH! 5D'S VOL. 1 | MASAHIRO HIKOKUBO | VIZ MEDIA |
8 | VAMPIRE KNIGHT VOL. 12 | MATSURI HINO | VIZ MEDIA |
9 | NEGIMA! MAGISTER NEGI MAGI VOL. 30 | KEN AKAMATSU | KODANSHA COMICS |
10 | MARVEL AVENGERS: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE HC | ALAN COWSILL | DK PUBLISHING |
11 | SCOTT PILGRIM VOL. 1 | BRYAN LEE O'MALLEY | ONI PRESS |
12 | BLUE EXORCIST VOL. 1 | KATO KAZUE | VIZ MEDIA |
13 | HIGHSCHOOL OF THE DEAD VOL. 3 | DAISUKE SATO | YEN PRESS |
14 | BLOOD WORK: AN ORIGINAL HOLLOW GRAPHIC NOVEL | KIM HARRISON | DEL REY BOOKS |
15 | MAXIMUM RIDE: THE MANGA VOL. 4 | JAMES PATTERSON | YEN PRESS |
16 | LOCKE & KEY VOL. 4 HC | JOE HILL | IDW PUBLISHING |
17 | PANDORA HEARTS VOL. 6 | JUN MOCHIZUKI | YEN PRESS |
18 | THE GRIFF: A GRAPHIC NOVEL | CHRISTOPHER MOORE | WILLIAM MORROW |
19 | DANCE IN THE VAMPIRE BUND VOL. 10 | NOZOMU TAMAKI | SEVEN SEAS |
20 | SOUL EATER VOL. 6 | ATSUSHI | YEN PRESS |
Two volumes from DK Publishing that are not graphic novels, DC Comics: The Ultimate Character Guide and Marvel Avengers: The Ultimate Character Guide both made the list in July. The DC volume actually debuted in July, but the Avengers Guide bowed last September and obviously got a boost from the release of its DC counterpart. These “guides” were the only superhero books that made the list in July.
In addition to the perennials among the American titles (The Walking Dead and Scott Pilgrim) there were three new non-manga graphic novels including Del Rey’s Blood Work: An Original Hollows Graphic Novel written by Kim Harrison, creator of the Hollows urban fantasy series, which landed at number 14, Joe Hill’s fourth Locke & Key graphic novel collection from IDW, Keys to the Kingdom, which ended up at #16, and The Griff: A Graphic Novel written by bestselling author Christopher Moore and screenwriter Ian Corson and published by William Morrow.
All three newcomers are genre titles. Blood Work is an urban fantasy, Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom is a wonderful horror series, and The Griff is an alien invasion saga. Of the three only Locke & Key is based on an ongoing comic book series.