December 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels

The end of the year is a time for new beginnings, according to the chart of the Top 20 Adult graphic novels in the book channel, based on NPD BookScan data for December 2022 (11/27/22 – 12/31/22) provided to ICv2.

Six of the titles on the December charts are the first volumes of manga series that have been around for a while: Chainsaw Man, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Spy x Family, My Hero Academia, Berserk, and Blue Lock, plus Volume 0 of Jujutsu Kaisen.  It’s not unusual to see the first volume of a hot series, such as Chainsaw Man, in the Top 20, but first volume appearances on the chart seem to spike in December: there were eight or more first volumes on the chart in December 2020 (see “December 2020 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult“) and 2021 (see “December 2021 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult”). Interestingly, that did not happen in December 2019 (see “December 2019 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels“), so it seems to correlate with the rise in popularity of manga.  First volume sales may be tied to multiple types of gifting, both first volumes given as gifts, and manga fans using their holiday gift cards to sample new series, especially as there are several Vol. 2s on the chart as well.

While most of the first volumes are of established series, one is relatively new: Volume 1 of Blue Lock, a soccer manga that we picked as a winner (see “Manga Pick Hits – June 2022“).  The first volume was released in June, but this is the first time it has charted.  It will be worth watching this title to see if it continues to catch on with readers.

Chainsaw Man continues to be popular, with eight volumes in the top 20 (down from nine in October and November).  And manga continues to be popular, taking 18 of the top 20 slots. The other two titles are Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin, one of the top selling titles of last year, and the hardcover edition of the third volume of Lore Olympus.

No longer on the chart: Shuna’s Journey, the Hayao Miyazaki manga that charted at number 4 in November (see “November 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels“).

For charts of December 2022 graphic novel sales from NPD BookScan:
December 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Author, Manga, and Superhero Graphic Novels
December 2022 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 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
December 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Author, Manga, and Superhero Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
December 2022 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