There were lots of interesting moves in the April list of "Top 20 Graphic Novels" sold in the book channel, provided exclusively to ICv2 by Nielsen BookScan, as a weak month for new releases displayed movement in key backlist segments.The Walking Dead had a great afterglow from the AMC season finale at the end of March (see "'Dead,' 'Thrones' Set Records"), placing eight volumes in the Top 20, up from seven in March. If past trends hold, graphic novel sales will drop off in the interregnum between seasons, but we wouldn't be surprised if that drop-off maintains at a higher level than last year. The property is hotter than ever.
Saga Vol. 1 moved up four slots in its seventh month on the Top 20 Graphic Novels list, so if there was an effect from the controversy over the explicit content in issue #12 (see "Sexual Content Poses Challenges for Comic Retailers"), it was positive. But since this is the book channel, at one remove from the fan blogs where discussion of #12 was most feverish, it could also be that Saga is just that strong, and between that and a weak month for new releases, there was room to move up.
The superhero presence in the Top 20 was up, with DC's Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls TP coming back into the Top 20 to join Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls HC. Marvel's Hawkeye Vol. 1: My Life As A Weapon TP held strong; and Watchmen slipped into the #20 slot, another sign that there was a paucity of strong new releases.
The Max Brooks graphic novel The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks popped back onto the list at #13, the first time it's charted in over three years. That's a big sign that World War Z (see "New 'World War Z' Trailer"), based on a Brooks novel, is going to have a major impact around its opening on June 21st.
Avatar: The Last Airbender--The Search Part 1, from Dark Horse, moved up one position to #3 in its second month, but the older volume, The Promise, dropped off the chart.
Manga had a weak month, with only four titles in the Top 20, down from seven last month. But Sailor Moon Vol. 10 was strong, up one slot to #4 in its second month.
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BookScan Top 20 Graphic Novels in April 2013 |
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Rank |
Title |
Author |
Publisher |
|
1 |
THE WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM VOL. 1 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
2 |
THE WALKING DEAD COMPENDIUM VOL. 2 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
3 |
AVATAR: LAST AIRBENDER--THE SEARCH PT. 1 |
GENE LUEN YANG |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
4 |
SAILOR MOON VOL. 1O |
NAOKO TAKEUCHI |
KODANSHA COMICS |
|
5 |
THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 1 HC |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
6 |
BATMAN VOL. 2: THE CITY OF OWLS HC |
SCOTT SNYDER |
DC COMICS |
|
7 |
NARUTO VOL. 60 |
MASASHI KISHIMOTO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
8 |
THE WALKING DEAD BOOK 1 HC |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
9 |
THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 17 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
10 |
THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 2 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
11 |
BLUE EXORCIST VOL. 9 |
KAZUE KATO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
12 |
SAGA VOL. 1 |
BRIAN K. VAUGHAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
13 |
THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE: RECORDED ATTACKS |
MAX BROOKS |
BROADWAY BOOKS |
|
14 |
THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 3 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
15 |
HAWKEYE VOL. 1 |
MATT FRACTION |
MARVEL COMICS |
|
16 |
BATMAN VOL. 1: THE COURT OF OWLS |
SCOTT SNYDER |
DC COMICS |
|
17 |
THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 2 HC |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
18 |
BLEACH VOL. 56 |
TITE KUBO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
19 |
THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 4 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
20 |
WATCHMEN |
ALAN MOORE |
DC COMICS |
For past BookScan Top 20 Graphic Novel lists, see the "BookScan Top 20 GNs Index."