New releases added some variety to the Superhero chart, which is usually heavy on DC in general and Batman in particular. Not so this month, although it kicks off with Batman: Three Jokers, which made number 3 on the Adult chart (see "November 2020 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels"). Then there’s Watchmen, of course, but after that the chart gets interesting, with a string of new, non-DC comics: Star Wars: Darth Vader, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Beyond the Grid, and Star Wars Vol. 1: The Destiny Path in the third, fourth, and fifth spots, respectively; Mass Effect: The Complete Comics, which collects comics based on the BioWare game, at number 7; Power Rangers: Sins of the Future at number 14; the first volume of Donny Cates’ Thor at number 16; and Star Wars: Bounty Hunters Vol 1: Galaxy’s Deadliest at number 18. Doomsday Clock: The Complete Collection, which topped last month’s superhero chart, is at number 8 this month.
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NPD BookScan Top 20 'Superheroes' Graphic Novels – November 2020 (11/1/20 - 11/28/20) |
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|
Rank |
Title |
Author |
Publisher |
|
1 |
BATMAN: THREE JOKERS HC |
GEOFF JOHNS |
DC COMICS |
|
2 |
WATCHMEN (2019 EDITION) |
ALAN MOORE |
DC COMICS |
|
3 |
STAR WARS: DARTH VADER BY GREG PAK VOL. 1: DARK HEART OF THE SITH |
GREG PAK |
MARVEL COMICS |
|
4 |
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS BEYOND THE GRID DLX. ED. |
MARGUERITE BENNETT |
BOOM! STUDIOS |
|
5 |
STAR WARS VOL. 1: THE DESTINY PATH |
CHARLES SOULE |
MARVEL COMICS |
|
6 |
HARLEEN HC |
STJEPAN SEJIC |
DC COMICS |
|
7 |
MASS EFFECT: THE COMPLETE COMICS |
MAC WALTERS |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
8 |
DOOMSDAY CLOCK: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION HC |
GEOFF JOHNS |
DC COMICS |
|
9 |
THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS HC |
SCOTT SNYDER |
DC COMICS |
|
10 |
V FOR VENDETTA |
ALAN MOORE |
DC COMICS |
|
11 |
BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE DLX. ED. HC (NEW EDITION) |
ALAN MOORE |
DC COMICS |
|
12 |
BATMAN: CURSE OF THE WHITE KNIGHT |
SEAN MURPHY |
DC COMICS |
|
13 |
THE SANDMAN VOL. 1: PRELUDES & NOCTURNES 30TH ANN. ED. |
NEIL GAIMAN |
DC COMICS |
|
14 |
POWER RANGERS: SINS OF THE FUTURE |
TREY MOORE |
BOOM! STUDIOS |
|
15 |
BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH |
SCOTT SNYDER |
DC COMICS |
|
16 |
THOR BY DONNY CATES VOL. 1: THE DEVOURER KING |
DONNY CATES |
MARVEL COMICS |
|
17 |
BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN |
JEPH LOEB |
DC COMICS |
|
18 |
STAR WARS: BOUNTY HUNTERS VOL. 1: GALAXY'S DEADLIEST |
ETHAN SACKS |
MARVEL COMICS |
|
19 |
BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT |
SEAN MURPHY |
DC COMICS |
|
20 |
DCEASED HC |
TOM TAYLOR |
DC COMICS |
|
Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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The manga chart continues to be heavy on backlist, with the first two volumes of My Hero Academia topping the chart and the first volumes of a number of older series charting as well. In this regard, it’s interesting to look at what’s not on the chart: VIZ Media released Volume 8 of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes and Volume 9 of Beastars in November, but neither made the top 20. Vigilantes doesn’t seem to be anywhere near as popular as the main My Hero Academia series, although it is a good read in its own right; Beastars is popular enough that the new volume usually makes the top 20, but it got elbowed aside this month. The new volumes of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Dark Horse Comics’ deluxe edition of Berserk, and The Promised Neverland did make the chart, and Volume 1 of Chainsaw Man hangs on for another month at number 18.
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NPD BookScan Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels – November 2020 (11/1/20 - 11/29/20) |
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|
Rank |
Title |
Author |
Publisher |
|
1 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 1 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
2 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 2 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
3 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 25 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
4 |
HAIKYU!! VOL. 1 |
HARUICHI FURUDATE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
5 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 18 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
6 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 1 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
7 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 3 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
8 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 24 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
9 |
TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN VOL. 1 |
AIDAIRO |
YEN PRESS |
|
10 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 4 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
11 |
TOKYO GHOUL VOL. 1 |
SUI ISHIDA |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
12 |
UZUMAKI HC |
JUNJI ITO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
13 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 5 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
14 |
HAIKYU!! VOL. 2 |
HARUICHI FURUDATE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
15 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 2 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
16 |
BERSERK DELUXE VOL. 6 |
KENTARO MIURA |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
17 |
DEATH NOTE BLACK EDITION VOL. 1 |
TSUGUMI OHBA |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
18 |
CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 1 |
TATSUKI FUJIMOTO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
19 |
THE PROMISED NEVERLAND VOL. 17 |
KAIU SHIRAI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
20 |
JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 2 |
GEGE AKUTAMI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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The top seller on the Author chart is the paperback edition of Sapiens, a graphic adaptation of Yuval Noah Harari's best-selling prose book, and the hardcover edition is at number 5. The original book was a best-seller in its own right and was recommended by President Obama (himself known to be a comics fan). It’s possible that some folks are picking this up because of that, and this may be their first graphic novel. Interestingly, the hardback made the October Author chart, suggesting that early buyers were going for the prestige format.
Next up in the number 2 slot is the graphic adaptation of Dune, which Abrams is publishing in three parts in anticipation of the movie (see "‘Dune’ Gets Graphic Novel Treatment by Abrams ComicArts").
We’re in familiar territory with Nathan Pyle’s Strange Planet, which topped the chart this time last year, and Stranger Planet, the follow-up. Then at the number 6 spot is a self-published book, Chicken Thoughts: Comics About Birds, by Sarah Wymer, a collection of the comics that she posts on Instagram and Twitter.
Other November debuts that make the chart include the library edition of Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins (see "‘Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins Receives Hardcover Treatment"), with the second volume of the regular series also popping up at number 18, and One of Those Days, the complete collection of the slice-of-life comic that runs on Instagram and Facebook (see "‘One of Those Days’ Comes to Print"). Also worth noting: Volume 5 of Monstress, which made last month’s chart, is back at number 19.
With Chicken Thoughts and Noise both charting, this may be the first month that two self-published books make the Author top 20.
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NPD BookScan Top 20 Author Graphic Novels – November 2020 (11/1/20 - 11/29/20) |
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|
Rank |
Title |
Author |
Publisher |
|
1 |
SAPIENS: A GRAPHIC HISTORY: THE BIRTH OF HUMANKIND (VOL. 1) |
YUVAL NOAH HARARI |
HARPERCOLLINS |
|
2 |
DUNE: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL BOOK 1 HC |
BRIAN HERBERT |
ABRAMS COMICARTS |
|
3 |
STRANGE PLANET HC |
NATHAN W. PYLE |
MORROW GIFT |
|
4 |
STRANGER PLANET HC |
NATHAN W. PYLE |
MORROW GIFT |
|
5 |
SAPIENS: A GRAPHIC HISTORY: THE BIRTH OF HUMANKIND (VOL. 1) HC |
YUVAL NOAH HARARI |
HARPERCOLLINS |
|
6 |
CHICKEN THOUGHTS: COMICS ABOUT BIRDS HC |
SARAH WYMER |
LIGHTNING SOURCE |
|
7 |
MARCH: BOOK ONE |
JOHN LEWIS |
TOP SHELF PROD. |
|
8 |
CRITICAL ROLE: VOX MACHINA ORIGINS LIBRARY EDITION: SERIES I & II COLLECTION |
CRITICAL ROLE |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
9 |
THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 1: APOCALYPSE SUITE |
GERARD WAY |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
10 |
MARCH (TRILOGY SLIPCASE SET) |
JOHN LEWIS |
TOP SHELF PROD. |
|
11 |
FANGS HC |
SARAH ANDERSEN |
ANDREWS & MCMEEL |
|
12 |
THEY CALLED US ENEMY |
GEORGE TAKEI |
TOP SHELF PROD. |
|
13 |
THE BOYS OMNIBUS VOL. 1 |
GARTH ENNIS |
DYNAMITE ENT. |
|
14 |
ONE OF THOSE DAYS HC |
YEHUDA DEVIR |
RANDOM HOUSE |
|
15 |
THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 2: DALLAS |
GERARD WAY |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
16 |
THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 3: HOTEL OBLIVION |
GERARD WAY |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
17 |
THE ADVENTURE ZONE: PETALS TO THE METAL |
CLINT MCELROY |
FIRST SECOND BOOKS |
|
18 |
CRITICAL ROLE: VOX MACHINA ORIGINS VOLUME II |
CRITICAL ROLE |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
19 |
MONSTRESS VOL. 5 |
MARJORIE LIU |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
20 |
NOISE: A GRAPHIC NOVEL BASED ON A TRUE STORY |
KATHLEEN RAYMUNDO |
LIGHTNING SOURCE |
|
Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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For charts of November graphic novel sales from NPD BookScan:
November 2020 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels
November 2020 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Kids Graphic Novels
For the charts with the actual sales numbers from NPD BookScan, see these articles on the ICv2 Pro site:
November 2020 NPD BookScan - Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
November 2020 NPD BookScan - Top 20 Author, Manga, and Superhero Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
November 2020 NPD BookScan - Top 20 Kids 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."
