With the inclusion of non-fiction in the monthly book channel graphic novel chart, The Walking Dead is no longer at the top.  For the first time this month, the "Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels" sold in the book channel in December, based on info provided exclusively to ICv2.com by Nielsen BookScan, includes non-fiction as well as fiction, dramatically changing the top of the chart.  Roz Chast's Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant: A Memior was the #1 adult graphic novel in the book channel in December.

And The Terrible and Wonderful Reasons Why I Run Long Distances, by The Oatmeal, Matthew Inman, came in at #5 for the month.  Inman's site theoatmeal.com gets seven million unique visitors a month, generating over 30 million page views monthly.

Image Comics still had a strong month, though, with five The Walking Dead and three Saga volumes bringing the publisher's total to eight books in the top 20.

The Big Two comic publishers had only three titles in the Top 20:  Ms. Marvel Vol. 1 from Marvel Comics and Batman: The Killing Joke Deluxe Edition HC and Scott Snyder's Batman Vol. 3 HC Book and Joker Mask Set from DC Comics.

There were only two manga titles in the Top 20 in December, the latest Naruto volume (VIZ Media) and the first volume of Attack on Titan (Kodansha Comics).

The most notable new title on the chart is Richard McGwire's Here HC, from Pantheon Books, in which director, illustrator, and musician McGwire builds on his short comic story from Raw.  The title debuted at #19 in December.

BookScan Top 20 Graphic Novels in December 2014

Rank

Title

Author

Publisher

1

CAN'T WE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING?: A MEMOIR HC

ROZ CHAST

BLOOMSBURY

2

THE WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM VOL. 1

ROBERT KIRKMAN

IMAGE COMICS

3

THE WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM VOL. 2

ROBERT KIRKMAN

IMAGE COMICS

4

SAGA VOL. 4

BRIAN K. VAUGHAN

IMAGE COMICS

5

THE TERRIBLE AND WONDERFUL REASONS WHY I RUN LONG DISTANCES

THE OATMEAL

ANDREWS MCMEEL

6

THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 22

ROBERT KIRKMAN

IMAGE COMICS

7

MARVEL ENCYCLOPEDIA UPDATED AND EXPANDED HC

MATT FORBECK

DK PUBLISHING

8

NARUTO VOL. 68

MASASHI KISHIMOTO

VIZ MEDIA

9

BATMAN: A VISIAL HISTORY HC

MATTHEW K. MANNING

DK PUBLISHING

10

THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 1

ROBERT KIRKMAN

IMAGE COMICS

11

DC COMICS: A VISUAL HISTORY HC

DANIEL WALLACE

DK PUBLISHING

12

BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE DLX ED

ALAN MOORE

DC COMICS

13

SERENITY: LEAVES ON THE WIND HC

ZACK WHEDON

DARK HORSE COMICS

14

ATTACK ON TITAN VOL. 1

HAJIME ISAYAMA

KODANSHA COMICS

15

MS. MARVEL VOL.1: NO NORMAL

WILLOW G. WILSON

MARVEL COMICS

16

THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 21

ROBERT KIRKMAN

IMAGE COMICS

17

SAGA DELUXE EDITION VOL. 1 HC

BRIAN K. VAUGHAN

IMAGE COMICS

18

BATMAN VOL. 3: DEATH OF THE FAMILY BOOK/JOKER MASK SET

SCOTT SNYDER

DC COMICS

19

HERE HC

RICHARD MCGUIRE

PANTHEON BOOKS

20

SAGA VOL. 1

BRIAN K. VAUGHAN

IMAGE COMICS


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