The top two titles on the Superhero chart are new editions of older books. After that, though, there are three May releases: Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Multiverse Who Laughs, Dark Nights: Death Metal: War of the Multiverses, and Volume 1 of The EC Archives: Tales from the Crypt. With six April releases (including the paperback edition of The Batman Who Laughs), that makes nine new releases on the chart. The two Godzilla vs. Kong titles from Legendary are back for another month.
In terms of publishers, there are 17 DC titles, two from Legendary, and one from Dark Horse Comics. No Marvel Comics at all.
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NPD BookScan Top 20 'Superheroes' Graphic Novels – May 2021 (5/2/21 – 5/29/21) |
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|
Rank |
Title |
Author |
Publisher |
|
1 |
WATCHMEN (2019 EDITION) |
ALAN MOORE |
DC COMICS |
|
2 |
THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS HC |
SCOTT SNYDER |
DC COMICS |
|
3 |
GVK GODZILLA DOMINION |
GREG KEYES |
LEGENDARY COMICS |
|
4 |
BATMAN: THREE JOKERS HC |
GEOFF JOHNS |
DC COMICS |
|
5 |
DCEASED: DEAD PLANET HC |
TOM TAYLOR |
DC COMICS |
|
6 |
DARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL: DLX. ED. HC |
SCOTT SNYDER |
DC COMICS |
|
7 |
DARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL: THE MULTIVERSE WHO LAUGHS |
VARIOUS |
DC COMICS |
|
8 |
THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS HC |
SCOTT SNYDER |
DC COMICS |
|
9 |
BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN |
JEPH LOEB |
DC COMICS |
|
10 |
BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE DLX. ED. HC (NEW ED.) |
ALAN MOORE |
DC COMICS |
|
11 |
GVK KINGDOM KONG |
MARIE ANELLO |
LEGENDARY COMICS |
|
12 |
BATMAN: YEAR ONE |
FRANK MILLER |
DC COMICS |
|
13 |
DARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL: WAR OF THE MULTIVERSES |
VARIOUS |
DC COMICS |
|
14 |
THE EC ARCHIVES: TALES FROM THE CRYPT VOL. 1 |
VARIOUS |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
15 |
HARLEEN HC |
STJEPAN SEJIC |
DC COMICS |
|
16 |
THE SANDMAN VOL. 1: PRELUDES & NOCTURNES 30TH ANN. ED. |
NEIL GAIMAN |
DC COMICS |
|
17 |
WATCHMEN: THE DELUXE EDITION |
ALAN MOORE |
DC COMICS |
|
18 |
BATMAN: LAST KNIGHT ON EARTH |
SCOTT SNYDER |
DC COMICS |
|
19 |
BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT |
SEAN MURPHY |
DC COMICS |
|
20 |
DARK NIGHTS: DEATH METAL: THE DARKEST KNIGHT |
VARIOUS |
DC COMICS |
|
Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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Moving up to number one, the top title on the Author chart is Solo Leveling, which was the only non-manga title on the March 2021 chart of all adult graphic novels; it’s a Korean property that started as a web novel and then was adapted into a webtoon.
Number two is Volume 1 of the Invincible Compendium, the first of five volumes of Invincible on the chart. The animated series based on Robert Kirkman’s comics debuted on Amazon Prime in late March and has been renewed for two more seasons (see "‘Invincible’ Renewed for Two"). There were two volumes on the April 2021 chart (see "April 2021 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Author, Manga, Superhero Graphic Novels").
The two May 2021 releases on the chart are different editions of the same book: The first volume of Brandon Sanderson’s Dark One, from Vault Comics. The regular hardcover edition is at number 7 and the Barnes & Noble exclusive at number 20.
Barry Windsor-Smith’s Monsters returns to the chart for a second month, and another April release, Ed Brubaker’s Friend of the Devil, shows up at number 18. Just below that is Volume 1 of Jupiter’s Legacy, the comic that was the basis for the Netflix series of the same name.
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NPD BookScan Top 20 Author Graphic Novels – May 2021 (5/2/21 – 5/29/21) |
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|
Rank |
Title |
Author |
Publisher |
|
1 |
SOLO LEVELING VOL. 1 |
CHUGONG |
YEN PRESS |
|
2 |
INVINCIBLE COMPENDIUM VOL. 1 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
3 |
THEY CALLED US ENEMY |
GEORGE TAKEI |
TOP SHELF PROD. |
|
4 |
MARCH: BOOK ONE |
JOHN LEWIS |
TOP SHELF PROD. |
|
5 |
INVINCIBLE COMPENDIUM VOL. 3 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
6 |
INVINCIBLE: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOL. 1 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
7 |
DARK ONE VOL. 1 HC |
BRANDON SANDERSON |
VAULT COMICS |
|
8 |
IN LOVE & PAJAMAS: A COLLECTION OF COMICS ABOUT BEING YOURSELF TOGETHER HC |
CATANA CHETWYND |
ANDREWS & MCMEEL |
|
9 |
MONSTERS HC |
BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH |
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS |
|
10 |
STRANGE PLANET HC |
NATHAN W. PYLE |
MORROW GIFT |
|
11 |
INVINCIBLE COMPENDIUM VOL. 2 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
12 |
INVINCIBLE VOL. 1: FAMILY MATTERS |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
13 |
FUN HOME: A FAMILY TRAGICOMIC |
ALISON BECHDEL |
MARINER |
|
14 |
DUNE: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL BOOK 1 HC |
FRANK HERBERT |
ABRAMS |
|
15 |
MARCH (TRILOGY SLIPCASE SET) |
JOHN LEWIS |
RANDOM HOUSE |
|
16 |
STRANGER PLANET HC |
NATHAN W. PYLE |
MORROW GIFT |
|
17 |
FANGS HC |
SARAH ANDERSEN |
ANDREWS MCMEEL |
|
18 |
FRIEND OF THE DEVIL HC |
ED BRUBAKER |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
19 |
JUPITER'S LEGACY VOL. 1 |
MARK MILLAR |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
20 |
DARK ONE VOL. 1 HC (B&N EXCLUSIVE ED.) |
BRANDON SANDERSON |
VAULT COMICS |
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Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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The Top 20 Manga are the same as the Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels again this month; the category is that strong (see "May 2021 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels").
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NPD BookScan Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels – May 2021 (5/2/21 – 5/29/21) |
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|
Rank |
Title |
Author |
Publisher |
|
1 |
ATTACK ON TITAN VOL. 33 |
HAJIME ISAYAMA |
KODANSHA COMICS |
|
2 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 8 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
3 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 9 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
4 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 10 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
5 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 1 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
6 |
ATTACK ON TITAN VOL. 1 |
HAJIME ISAYAMA |
KODANSHA COMICS |
|
7 |
SPY X FAMILY VOL. 1 |
TATSUYA ENDO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
8 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 27 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
9 |
TOKYO GHOUL VOL. 1 |
SUI ISHIDA |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
10 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 11 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
11 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 3 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
12 |
TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN VOL. 1 |
AIDAIRO |
YEN PRESS |
|
13 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 1 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
14 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 7 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
15 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 12 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
16 |
KOMI CAN'T COMMUNICATE VOL. 1 |
TOMOHITO ODA |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
17 |
HUNTER X HUNTER VOL. 1 |
YOSHIHIRO TOGASHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
18 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 2 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
19 |
JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 3 |
GEGE AKUTAMI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
20 |
MY HERO ACADEMIA VOL. 26 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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For charts of May 2021 graphic novel sales from NPD BookScan:
May 2021 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels
May 2021 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:
May 2021 NPD BookScan - Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
May 2021 NPD BookScan - Top 20 Author, Manga, and Superhero Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
May 2021 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."