The TV spinoff Stranger Things: The Other Side tops the superhero chart after two months in the number 2 slot. Next up is Sean Murphy’s Batman: White Knight, followed by a game tie-in, Destiny: Comic Collection.
Brian Azzarello’s The Joker, the latest release from DC’s Black Label imprint, comes in at number 7 on the BookScan chart, and it’s the top title on the Diamond Comic Distributors graphic novel chart for July as well (see "Top 500 Graphic Novels—July 2019"). The only other overlap between the BookScan chart and the top of the Diamond chart is Green Lantern: Intergalactic Lawman, which comes in at number 18 on the BookScan chart and is the sixth best-selling superhero title in Diamond.
It’s in the nature of the business that sales through Diamond will focus more on recent releases, while BookScan has a lot of perennials such as Watchmen, The Sandman, and the first volume of Ms. Marvel. Still, the differences are striking, and they point to some missed opportunities. The top sellers on the Diamond chart include a couple of Conan titles, two Miles Morales books, and the first volume of Chip Zdarsky’s Daredevil, none of which appear in the BookScan top 20.
On the other hand, that Destiny collection doesn’t show up on the Diamond chart at all, and neither does volume 1 of Ms. Marvel. The first volume of the new omnibus edition of Garth Ennis’s The Boys (see "Preview: ‘The Boys Omnibus’ Vol. 1 TP") makes the BookScan Top 20, probably getting a boost from the Amazon series, which premiered on July 26 (see "Amazon Unveils ‘The Boys’ Official Trailer"), but it falls much farther down the Diamond chart.
In terms of market share, DC Comics has 14 titles on the BookScan top 20, compared to just two from Marvel Comics, while in the direct market the opposite is true: Marvel has a strong lead over DC.
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NPD BookScan Top 20 'Superhero' Graphic Novels – July 2019 (7/7/19 -8/3/19) |
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|
Rank |
Title |
Author |
Publisher |
|
1 |
STRANGER THINGS: THE OTHER SIDE VOL. 1 |
JODY HOUSER |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
2 |
BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT |
SEAN MURPHY |
DC BLACK LABEL |
|
3 |
DESTINY COMIC COLLECTION, VOL. 1 HC |
VARIOUS |
BUNGIE INC |
|
4 |
WATCHMEN |
ALAN MOORE |
DC COMICS |
|
5 |
INFINITY GAUNTLET |
JIM STARLIN |
MARVEL PRESS |
|
6 |
V FOR VENDETTA |
ALAN MOORE |
VERTIGO |
|
7 |
THE JOKER (DC BLACK LABEL EDITION) |
BRIAN AZZARELLO |
DC BLACK LABEL |
|
8 |
WATCHMEN (2019 EDITION) |
ALAN MOORE |
DC COMICS |
|
9 |
THE SANDMAN VOL. 1: PRELUDES & NOCTURNES 30TH ANN. ED. |
NEIL GAIMAN |
VERTIGO |
|
10 |
THE BOYS OMNIBUS VOL. 1 TP |
GARTH ENNIS |
DYNAMITE ENT. |
|
11 |
BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE DLX. ED. HC |
ALAN MOORE |
DC COMICS |
|
12 |
DETECTIVE COMICS: 80 YEARS OF BATMAN DLX. ED. HC |
VARIOUS |
DC COMICS |
|
13 |
BATMAN: HUSH |
JEPH LOEB |
DC COMICS |
|
14 |
MS. MARVEL VOL. 1 |
G. WILLOW WILSON |
MARVEL COMICS |
|
15 |
RICK AND MORTY VS. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS |
PATRICK ROTHFUSS |
IDW PUBLISHING |
|
16 |
THE SANDMAN OMNIBUS VOL. 1 HC |
NEIL GAIMAN |
VERTIGO |
|
17 |
INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US YEAR ONE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION |
TOM TAYLOR |
DC COMICS |
|
18 |
THE GREEN LANTERN VOL. 1: INTERGALACTIC LAWMAN HC |
GRANT MORRISON |
DC COMICS |
|
19 |
DETECTIVE COMICS #1000: THE DLX. ED. HC |
VARIOUS |
DC COMICS |
|
20 |
MISTER MIRACLE |
TOM KING |
DC COMICS |
|
Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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The top manga title on both the BookScan and the Diamond charts was the latest volume of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Next on the BookScan chart is volume 2 of the deluxe hardcover edition of Berserk, followed by a string of My Hero Academia volumes broken only by volume 1 of Komi Can’t Communicate (charting for the second month in a row) and the first volume of Berserk.
Komi doesn’t show up at all on the Diamond chart, where the next best-selling manga is volume 5 of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes (number 9 on BookScan), followed by the latest volume of Mob Psycho 100 (which is by the creator of One-Punch Man). After that the volumes of My Hero Academia start showing up, but it has nowhere near the lock on the Diamond chart that it does on BookScan.
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NPD BookScan Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels – July 2019 (7/7/19 -8/3/19) |
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|
Rank |
Title |
Author |
Publisher |
|
1 |
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: TWILIGHT PRINCESS VOL. 5 |
AKIRA HIMEKAWA |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
2 |
BERSERK DELUXE VOL. 2 HC |
KENTARO MIURA |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
3 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 1 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
4 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 2 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
5 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 19 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
6 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 3 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
7 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 4 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
8 |
KOMI CAN'T COMMUNICATE VOL. 1 |
TOMOHITO ODA |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
9 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA: VIGILANTES VOL. 5 |
HIDEYUKI FURUHASHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
10 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 16 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
11 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA, VOL. 18 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
12 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 17 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
13 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 5 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
14 |
BERSERK DELUXE VOL. 1 HC |
MIURA, KENTARO |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
15 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 14 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
16 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 15 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
17 |
TOKYO GHOUL VOL. 1 |
SUI ISHIDA |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
18 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 6 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
19 |
SMASHED: JUNJI ITO STORY COLLECTION HC |
JUNJI ITO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
20 |
UZUMAKI HC |
JUNJI ITO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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Given the success of the first volume, it’s no surprise that the second volume of The Adventure Zone topped the BookScan authors chart, with the hardcover in the number 1 spot, the paperback in number 3, the first volume at number 4, and the Barnes and Noble exclusive edition of the first volume at number 7.
In the number 2 slot is George Takei’s memoir, They Called Us Enemy, another July debut and one that got a lot of press.
Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda’s Monstress, which never stays off the chart for long, is back with two deluxe hardcover editions, one a signed Barnes and Noble exclusive, and the other July debut is the Scott Pilgrim Color Collection box set, which checks in at number 16.
This is the first time in a while that all three volumes of March have made the BookScan chart.
Over on the Diamond side, the top selling author graphic novel is Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Bad Weekend, and the next best seller is volume 8 of Deadly Class, by Rick Remender and Wes Craig. Both are Image titles. The Adventure Zone is the number three seller, and They Called Us Enemy comes in fourth.
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NPD BookScan Top 20 Author Graphic Novels – July 2019 (7/7/19 - 8/3/19) |
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|
Rank |
Title |
Author |
Publisher |
|
1 |
THE ADVENTURE ZONE: MURDER ON THE ROCKPORT LIMITED! |
CLINT MCELROY |
FIRST SECOND BOOKS |
|
2 |
THEY CALLED US ENEMY |
GEORGE TAKEI |
TOP SHELF PROD. |
|
3 |
THE ADVENTURE ZONE: MURDER ON THE ROCKPORT LIMITED! HC |
CLINT MCELROY |
FIRST SECOND BOOKS |
|
4 |
THE ADVENTURE ZONE: HERE THERE BE GERBLINS |
CLINT MCELROY |
FIRST SECOND BOOKS |
|
5 |
MARCH: BOOK ONE |
JOHN LEWIS |
TOP SHELF PROD. |
|
6 |
THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 1: APOCALYPSE SUITE |
GERARD WAY |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
7 |
THE ADVENTURE ZONE HERE THERE BE GERBLINS BN EXC. ED. |
CLINT MCELROY |
FIRST SECOND BOOKS |
|
8 |
THE HANDMAID'S TALE: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL HC |
MARGARET ATWOOD |
NAN A. TALESE |
|
9 |
THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY VOL. 2: DALLAS |
GERARD WAY |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
10 |
MARCH: BOOK THREE |
JOHN LEWIS |
TOP SHELF PROD. |
|
11 |
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD: A GRAPHIC NOVEL HC |
HARPER LEE |
HARPER |
|
12 |
MONSTRESS BOOK SIGNED EXC HC |
MARJORIE LIU |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
13 |
THE WALKING DEAD: HERES NEGAN B&N EXC HC |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
14 |
THE WALKING DEAD VOL. 31 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
15 |
PAPER GIRLS VOL. 1 |
BRIAN K. VAUGHAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
16 |
SCOTT PILGRIM COLOR COLLECTION BOX SET |
BRYAN LEE O'MALLEY |
ONI PRESS |
|
17 |
FUN HOME: A FAMILY TRAGICOMIC |
ALISON BECHDEL |
MARINER BOOKS |
|
18 |
SAGA BOOK THREE HC |
BRIAN K. VAUGHAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
19 |
MARCH: BOOK TWO |
JOHN LEWIS |
TOP SHELF PROD. |
|
20 |
MONSTRESS BOOK ONE HC |
MARJORIE LIU |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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For charts of July graphic novel sales from NPD BookScan:
July 2019 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels
July 2019 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:
July 2019 NPD BookScan - Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
July 2019 NPD BookScan - Top 20 Kids Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
July 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."