There’s quite a bit of variety in the lists of the Top 20 Author, Manga, and Superhero Graphic Novels in the book channel, based on NPD BookScan data for August (8/4/19-8/31/19) provided to ICv2.

Let’s start with superheroes: Garth Ennis' and Darick Robertson's The Boys did well in August, thanks to the Amazon Prime Video adaptation, which launched in July.  Three omnibus volumes, published by Dynamite Entertainment, the most recent one an August release, make it into the top 10.

In second place is the 2014 edition of Watchmen; the new 2019 edition, which came out in August and features a lenticular cover, makes the number 6 slot.

William Gibson’s Alien 3, based on an unproduced screenplay written by the cyberpunk author (see "William Gibson’s Original ‘Alien 3’ Screenplay Gets Comic Adaptation"), debuts in the number 3 slot.

Volume 1 of the Destiny Comic Collection, based on the game of the same name, charts for the second month in a row, dropping from number 3 on the superhero chart to number 10.

Toward the bottom of the chart, a quintet of Star Wars collections by various creators make this a Marvel month, with that publisher grabbing seven slots. DC has six titles, Dynamite Entertainment has three (all The Boys), and BOOM! Studios and Dark Horse Comics have one each.

Missing from the August lineup is the Stranger Things adaptation by Jody Houser, which was the top seller on the superhero chart in July, following two months at number 2.

NPD BookScan Top 20 'Superhero' Graphic Novels – August 2019 (8/4/19 - 8/31/19)

Rank

Title

Author

Publisher

1

THE BOYS OMNIBUS VOL. 1

GARTH ENNIS

DYNAMITE ENT.

2

WATCHMEN

ALAN MOORE

DC COMICS

3

WILLIAM GIBSON'S ALIEN 3 HC

WILLIAM GIBSON

DARK HORSE COMICS

4

INFINITY GAUNTLET

JIM STARLIN

MARVEL COMICS

5

THE BOYS OMNIBUS VOL. 2

GARTH ENNIS

DYNAMITE ENT.

6

WATCHMEN (2019 EDITION)

ALAN MOORE

DC COMICS

7

THE BOYS OMNIBUS VOL. 3

GARTH ENNIS

DYNAMITE ENT.

8

V FOR VENDETTA

ALAN MOORE

VERTIGO

9

MS. MARVEL VOL. 1

G. WILLOW WILSON

MARVEL COMICS

10

DESTINY COMIC COLLECTION VOL. 1 HC

BUNGIE INC

BUNGIE INC

11

BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE DLX. ED. HC

ALAN MOORE

DC COMICS

12

FIREFLY VOL. 1 HC B&N EXC

GREG PAK

BOOM! STUDIOS

13

STAR WARS VOL. 11

KIERON GILLEN

MARVEL PRESS

14

BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT

SEAN MURPHY

DC BLACK LABEL

15

STAR WARS: REY AND PALS HC

JEFFREY BROWN

CHRONICLE BOOKS

16

WAR OF THE REALMS

JASON AARON

MARVEL COMICS

17

STAR WARS: VADER - DARK VISIONS

DENNIS HOPELESS

MARVEL COMICS

18

SPIDER-GEDDON

CHRISTOS GAGE

MARVEL COMICS

19

STAR WARS: AGE OF THE REBELLION - HEROES

GREG PAK

MARVEL COMICS

20

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS

FRANK MILLER

DC COMICS

Source: The NPD Group/BookScan

The Manga chart is diversifying a bit, with only nine volumes of My Hero Academia (including the gag spinoff My Hero Academia: Smash) making the top 20. It’s still a VIZ-o-rama, though, with only two titles from other publishers: the latest volumes of Attack on Titan and Mob Psycho 100 (which is by the author of VIZ’s One-Punch Man).

We’ve already remarked on the unlikely success of Komi Can’t Communicate, which has done extraordinarily well despite not having an anime to support it.  Everything else on the list is familiar stuff, including the latest volume of The Legend of Zelda, which topped the July chart.

NPD BookScan Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels – August 2019 (8/4/19 - 8/31/19)

Rank

Title

Author

Publisher

1

MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 20

KOHEI HORIKOSHI

VIZ MEDIA

2

ONE-PUNCH MAN VOL. 17

ONE

VIZ MEDIA

3

MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 1

KOHEI HORIKOSHI

VIZ MEDIA

4

KOMI CAN'T COMMUNICATE VOL. 2

TOMOHITO ODA

VIZ MEDIA

5

MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 2

KOHEI HORIKOSHI

VIZ MEDIA

6

JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 4--DIAMOND IS UNBREAKABLE VOL. 2 HC

HIROHIKO ARAKI

VIZ MEDIA

7

ONE PIECE VOL. 91

ODA, EIICHIRO

VIZ MEDIA

8

ATTACK ON TITAN VOL. 28

HAJIME ISAYAMA

KODANSHA COMICS

9

THE PROMISED NEVERLAND VOL. 11

KAIU SHIRAI

VIZ MEDIA

10

MY HERO ACADEMIA: SMASH!! VOL. 1

HIROFUMI NEDA

VIZ MEDIA

11

MY HERO ACADEMIA, VOL. 19

KOHEI HORIKOSHI

VIZ MEDIA

12

MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 3

KOHEI HORIKOSHI

VIZ MEDIA

13

KOMI CAN'T COMMUNICATE, VOL. 1

TOMOHITO ODA

VIZ MEDIA

14

TOKYO GHOUL: RE VOL. 12

SUI ISHIDA

VIZ MEDIA

15

MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 4

KOHEI HORIKOSHI

VIZ MEDIA

16

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS VOL. 5

AKIRA HIMEKAWA

VIZ MEDIA

17

UZUMAKI HC

JUNJI ITO

VIZ MEDIA

18

MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 17

KOHEI HORIKOSHI

VIZ MEDIA

19

MOB PSYCHO 100 VOL. 3

ONE

DARK HORSE COMICS

20

MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 16

KOHEI HORIKOSHI

VIZ MEDIA

Source: The NPD Group/BookScan

George Takei’s They Called Us Enemy tops the Author chart, after two months in the number two slot, elbowing aside the second volume of The Adventure Zone, which was in first place last month.  That’s the paperback in second place; the hardcover of the same volume is at number 15.

The Author chart is always a mixed bag, but the August releases are a particularly diverse group: The final volume of The Walking Dead; Neil Gaiman’s Snow, Glass, Apples, adapted by Colleen Doran; the latest volume (8, if you’re counting) of Rick Remender’s Deadly Class; and Behind the Curtain: Real Pro Wrestling Stories by real pro wrestling manager/personality Jim Cornette.

NPD BookScan Top 20 Author Graphic Novels – August 2019 (8/4/19 - 8/31/19)

Rank

Title

Author

Publisher

1

THEY CALLED US ENEMY

GEORGE TAKEI

TOP SHELF PROD.

2

THE ADVENTURE ZONE: MURDER ON THE ROCKPORT LIMITED!

CLINT MCELROY

FIRST SECOND BOOKS

3

THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 32

ROBERT KIRKMAN

IMAGE COMICS

4

NEIL GAIMAN'S SNOW, GLASS, APPLES HC

NEIL GAIMAN

DARK HORSE COMICS

5

MARCH: BOOK ONE

JOHN LEWIS

TOP SHELF PROD.

6

THE ADVENTURE ZONE: HERE THERE BE GERBLINS

CLINT MCELROY

FIRST SECOND

7

FUN HOME: A FAMILY TRAGICOMIC

ALISON BECHDEL

MARINER BOOKS

8

THE HANDMAID'S TALE: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL HC

MARGARET ATWOOD

NAN A. TALESE

9

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOLUME 1: APOCALYPSE SUITE

GERARD WAY

DARK HORSE COMICS

10

ADVENTURE ZONE HERE BN EXCL ED

CLINT MCELROY

FIRST SECOND BOOKS

11

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD: A GRAPHIC NOVEL HC

HARPER LEE

HARPER

12

ANNE FRANK'S DIARY: THE GRAPHIC ADAPTATION HC

ANNE FRANK

PANTHEON BOOKS

13

DEADLY CLASS VOLUME 8: NEVER GO BACK

RICK REMENDER

IMAGE COMICS

14

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOLUME 2: DALLAS

GERARD WAY

DARK HORSE COMICS

15

THE ADVENTURE ZONE: MURDER ON THE ROCKPORT LIMITED! HC

CLINT MCELROY

FIRST SECOND BOOKS

16

NOISE: A GRAPHIC NOVEL BASED ON A TRUE STORY

KATHLEEN RAYMUNDO

INDY PUBLISHED

17

JIM CORNETTE PRESENTS: BEHIND THE CURTAIN - REAL PRO WRESTLING STORIES

JIM CORNETTE

IDW PUBLISHING

18

THE WALKING DEAD: HERE'S NEGAN HC B&N EXC

ROBERT KIRKMAN

IMAGE COMICS

19

HYPE

JIMMY PALMIOTTI

ADAPTIVE B

20

MARCH: BOOK TWO

JOHN LEWIS

TOP SHELF PROD.

Source: The NPD Group/BookScan


For charts of August graphic novel sales from NPD BookScan:
August 2019 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels
August 2019 NPD BookScan - Top 20 Kids Graphic Novels

For charts of August with actual sales numbers from NPD BookScan, see these articles on the ICv2 Pro site:
August 2019 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
August 2019 NPD BookScan - Top 20 Kids Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
August 2019 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Superhero, Author, and Manga Graphic Novels with Actual Sales


NPD BookScan collects weekly point-of-sale data on print books from over 16,000 locations including e-tailers, chains, mass merchandisers, independent bookstores, and more.  NPD BookScan covers approximately 85% of the U.S. trade print book market.  The ranks on this chart are based on piece sales.  Some publishers classify titles that are primarily text, or art books, as graphic novels; we've removed those titles from the ranking above.

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