There was more consistency than usual in the top 20 Author, Manga, and Superhero graphic novels in the book channel, based on NPD BookScan data for December 2021 (11/28/21-1/1/22) provided to ICv2.
For the second month in a row, the top title is Jeffrey Brown’s Star Wars: A Vader Family Sithmas, a good fit for the holiday season. Also for the second month in a row, the number 2 title is the complete collected edition of Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Hawkeye; the Disney+ series started streaming in November. Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point, which has been on the Superhero chart since it came out in September, was number 3, again for the second month in a row.
Drop down to number 5, though, and new titles start popping up. Four December releases debuted in the top 20: Nightwing, Volume 1: Leaping into the Night, Strange Adventures, Rorschach, and Star Wars: The High Republic, Vol. 2: The Heart of Drengir.
In terms of publishers, DC Comics took 14 of the slots in the top 20, while Marvel Comics had four and Chronicle Books and Dark Horse Comics had one apiece.
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NPD BookScan Top 20 ‘Superheroes’ Graphic Novels – December 2021 (11/28/21 – 1/1/22) |
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Rank |
Title |
Author |
Publisher |
|
1 |
STAR WARS: A VADER FAMILY SITHMAS HC |
JEFFREY BROWN |
CHRONICLE BOOKS |
|
2 |
HAWKEYE BY FRACTION & AJA: THE SAGA OF BARTON AND BISHOP |
MATT FRACTION |
MARVEL COMICS |
|
3 |
BATMAN/FORTNITE: ZERO POINT HC |
CHRISTOS GAGE |
DC COMICS |
|
4 |
BATMAN: YEAR ONE |
FRANK MILLER |
DC COMICS |
|
5 |
NIGHTWING VOL.1: LEAPING INTO THE LIGHT |
TOM TAYLOR |
DC COMICS |
|
6 |
HARLEEN HC |
STJEPAN SEJIC |
DC COMICS |
|
7 |
WATCHMEN (2019 EDITION) |
ALAN MOORE |
DC COMICS |
|
8 |
BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE DLX. ED. HC (NEW EDITION) |
ALAN MOORE |
DC COMICS |
|
9 |
BATMAN: THREE JOKERS HC |
GEOFF JOHNS |
DC COMICS |
|
10 |
THE WITCHER OMNIBUS |
PAUL TOBIN |
DARK HORSE |
|
11 |
STRANGE ADVENTURES |
TOM KING |
DC COMICS |
|
12 |
RORSCHACH |
TOM KING |
DC COMICS |
|
13 |
WATCHMEN: THE DELUXE EDITION |
ALAN MOORE |
DC COMICS |
|
14 |
STAR WARS: THE HIGH REPUBLIC VOL. 2: THE HEART OF DRENGIR |
CAVAN SCOTT |
MARVEL COMICS |
|
15 |
HAWKEYE: MY LIFE AS A WEAPON |
MATT FRACTION |
MARVEL COMICS |
|
16 |
FAR SECTOR |
N. K. JEMISIN |
DC COMICS |
|
17 |
THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS |
SCOTT SNYDER |
DC COMICS |
|
18 |
STAR WARS: WAR OF THE BOUNTY HUNTERS |
CHARLES SOULE |
MARVEL COMICS |
|
19 |
THE SANDMAN OMNIBUS VOL. 1 |
NEIL GAIMAN |
DC COMICS |
|
20 |
INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US YEAR ONE: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION |
TOM TAYLOR |
DC COMICS |
|
Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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The top of the Author chart also looks a lot like the previous month’s, with the hardcover and paperback editions of Lore Olympus taking the first and second slots, and two volumes of Solo Leveling in the next two spots, although in November, Volume 3 was in third place and Volume 1 in fourth.
Debuting in fifth place is Critical Role: The Mighty Nein Origins—Jester Lavorre, the newest volume in the popular series. The other new title is Volume 1 of Stjepan Sejic’s Fine Print, released on November 30.
What’s not on the chart? Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer, the subject of numerous book challenges throughout the country. The book, which was released in 2019, did make the November chart. Also dropping off the list: Book One of March and V.E. Schwab’s ExtraOrdinary.
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NPD BookScan Top 20 Author Graphic Novels – December 2021 (11/28/21 – 1/1/22) |
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|
Rank |
Title |
Author |
Publisher |
|
1 |
LORE OLYMPUS: VOLUME ONE HC |
RACHEL SMYTHE |
DEL REY |
|
2 |
LORE OLYMPUS: VOLUME ONE |
RACHEL SMYTHE |
DEL REY |
|
3 |
SOLO LEVELING VOL. 1 |
CHUGONG |
YEN PRESS |
|
4 |
SOLO LEVELING VOL. 3 |
CHUGONG |
YEN PRESS |
|
5 |
CRITICAL ROLE: THE MIGHTY NEIN ORIGINS–JESTER LAVORRE |
SAM MAGGS |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
6 |
BRZRKR VOL. 1 |
MATT KINDT |
BOOM! STUDIOS |
|
7 |
SOLO LEVELING VOL. 2 |
CHUGONG |
YEN PRESS |
|
8 |
INVINCIBLE COMPENDIUM VOL. 1 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
9 |
SAPIENS: A GRAPHIC HISTORY VOL.: THE BIRTH OF HUMANKIND |
YUVAL NOAH HARARI |
HARPER PERENNIAL |
|
10 |
STRANGE PLANET HC |
NATHAN W. PYLE |
MORROW GIFT |
|
11 |
DUNE: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL BOOK 1 HC |
FRANK HERBERT |
ABRAMS |
|
12 |
SAPIENS: A GRAPHIC HISTORY, VOL. 2: THE PILLARS OF CIVILIZATION |
YUVAL NOAH HARARI |
HARPER PERENNIAL |
|
13 |
STRANGER PLANET HC |
NATHAN W. PYLE, |
MORROW GIFT |
|
14 |
1984: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL |
GEORGE ORWELL |
MARINER BOOKS |
|
15 |
FINE PRINT VOL. 1 |
STJEPAN SEJIC |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
16 |
INVINCIBLE COMPENDIUM VOL. 2 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
IMAGE COMICS |
|
17 |
THEY CALLED US ENEMY |
GEORGE TAKEI |
TOP SHELF PROD. |
|
18 |
IN LOVE & PAJAMAS: A COLLECTION OF COMICS ABOUT BEING YOURSELF TOGETHER |
CATANA CHETWYND |
ANDREWS & MCMEEL |
|
19 |
DUNE: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL BOOK 1: DLX. COLLECTOR’S ED. HC |
FRANK HERBERT |
ABRAMS |
|
20 |
THE ADVENTURE ZONE: THE CRYSTAL KINGDOM |
CLINT MCELROY |
FIRST SECOND BOOKS |
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Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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The Manga chart, on the other hand, is quite different from November’s, with two new titles, the most recent volumes of Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen, in first and second place, respectively. Those two series combined take up almost half the top 20, and their audience has been growing. The chart includes eight first volumes, as well, suggesting that readers are still sampling a range of series, from the brand-new Kaiju No. 8 to older titles such as Death Note and Attack on Titan.
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NPD BookScan Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels – December 2021 (11/28/21 – 1/1/22) |
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Rank |
Title |
Author |
Publisher |
|
1 |
CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 8 |
TATSUKI FUJIMOTO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
2 |
JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 13 |
GEGE AKUTAMI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
3 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 2 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
4 |
CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 1 |
TATSUKI FUJIMOTO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
5 |
JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 |
GEGE AKUTAMI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
6 |
JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 1 |
GEGE AKUTAMI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
7 |
CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 2 |
TATSUKI FUJIMOTO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
8 |
ATTACK ON TITAN VOL. 34 |
HAJIME ISAYAMA |
KODANSHA COMICS |
|
9 |
TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN VOL. 1 |
AIDAIRO |
YEN PRESS |
|
10 |
ATTACK ON TITAN VOL. 1 |
HAJIME ISAYAMA |
KODANSHA COMICS |
|
11 |
CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 3 |
TATSUKI FUJIMOTO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
12 |
JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 2 |
GEGE AKUTAMI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
13 |
DEATH NOTE BLACK EDITION VOL. 1 |
TSUGUMI OHBA |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
14 |
TOKYO GHOUL VOL. 1 |
SUI ISHIDA |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
15 |
DESERTER: JUNJI ITO STORY COLLECTION |
JUNJI ITO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
16 |
JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 3 |
GEGE AKUTAMI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
17 |
KAIJU NO. 8 VOL. 1 |
NAOYA MATSUMOTO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
18 |
TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN VOL. 2 |
AIDAIRO |
YEN PRESS |
|
19 |
HAIKYU!! VOL. 1 |
HARUICHI FURUDATE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
20 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 4 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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For charts of December 2021 graphic novel sales from NPD BookScan:
December 2021 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels
December 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:
December 2021 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
December 2021 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Author, Manga, and Superhero Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
December 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.”
Source: ICv2
