August 2025 Circana BookScan – Top 20 Author, Manga, Superhero Graphic Novels

The Superhero category, which was once almost all older titles, has a whole new look, according to the chart of the Top 20 best-selling Author, Manga, and Superhero graphic novels according to Circana (formerly NPD) BookScan data for August 2025 (8/3/25 – 8/30/25) provided to ICv2.

The Superhero category used to be filled with older titles, but that’s all changed thanks to more innovations at Marvel Comics and DC Comics.  Only three titles in the August 2025 Top 20 are more than a year and a half old.  DC’s new Absolute line makes its BookScan debut with three trades in two formats each: Absolute Batman, Absolute Superman, and Absolute Wonder Woman in both hardcover and paperback. In all three cases, the paperback sold better than the hardcover, which is the opposite of what usually happens with Author series such as The Adventure Zone and Lore Olympus.

Six of DC’s Compact Comics are also on the chart, along with two Marvel Premier Collection titles. In July, two DC titles were on the chart in both Compact and regular formats (see “July 2025 Circana BookScan“).  There were six Compact Comics editions but no duplicates in August.  It’s interesting to note that the standard edition of Watchmen, which used to be on the chart every month, has been supplanted by the Compact edition.

Of the older titles, TMNT: The Last Ronin has been bumped from its perch at number one, after staying there for most of the past three years.  It’s still on the chart, though, as is the sequel, TMNT: The Last Ronin II—Re-Evolution.  Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow charts for the second month in a row, likely because of the upcoming movie (see “DC Studios Updates“).  And Batman: Year One is just a classic.

The Author chart, on the other hand, continues to lack new material, with nine volumes of Solo Leveling and four of Invincible in the Top 20, alongside a handful of other frequent flyers. All the newer titles that were on the July list (such as Ew, It’s Beautiful Vol. 8 of Lore Olympus, and Spent) are gone in August.  The one new title on the list is the first volume of Lost in the Cloud, a boys love manhwa from Seven Seas.

The new volume of Solo Leveling tops the list, and the latest volume of the manhua Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, which came out in June, makes the chart for the first time.

As usual, anime has a lot to do with which series make the Manga chart, with Jujutsu Kaisen continuing to lead the pack.  The first two volumes of The Summer Hikaru Died make the chart, which suggests that people who are watching the anime (which premiered in July) are starting the series from the beginning, as opposed to reading ahead.  The same is likely true of Gachiakuta, another July anime launch.  And readers continue to pick up the newest volumes of anime-adapted manga series such as Spy x Family, Dandadan, and Blue Lock.

For charts of August 2025 graphic novel sales from Circana:
August 2025 Circana – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels

For the charts with the actual sales numbers from Circana, see these articles on the ICv2 Pro site:
August 2025 Circana – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
August 2025 Circana – Top 20 Author, Manga, and Superhero Graphic Novels with Actual Sales

Circana collects weekly point-of-sale data on print books from over 16,000 locations including e-tailers, chains, mass merchandisers, independent bookstores, and more.  Circana 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 Top 20 Graphic Novel lists, see the “Top 20 GN Index.”

Source: ICv2