A film, TV show and national politics made their mark on the Book Channel’s Top 20 Authors, Manga and Superhero Graphic Novels charts based on NPD BookScan data for March 2022 (27.2.22-4.2/ 22) provided for ICv2.
The release of The Batman had the greatest impact (see “‘The Batman’ Approaches $500M”); While there are always many Batman books in the superhero list, this month there are 15, which seems like a record. and the batman box set, which came out a few weeks after the film premiered, hit the March charts despite releasing on March 29, almost the end of the month.
Moon Knight also performed well on the superhero charts in the run-up to the Netflix series, which premiered March 30 (see “‘Moon Knight’ Trailer, Date”). Moon Knight by Lemire & Smallwood: The Complete Collection ranked 3rd; There were also two Moon Knight books on the February charts (see “February 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Superhero GNs”). The Lemire/Smallwood Collection was also the #2 title in comic stores in March (see “Top 20 Graphic Novels – March 2022”).
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NPD BookScan Top 20 ‘Superheroes’ Graphic Novels – March 2022 (02/27/22 – 04/02/22) |
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rank |
title |
author |
publisher |
|
1 |
BATMAN: YEAR ONE |
MUELLER, FRANK |
DC COMICS |
|
2 |
BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN |
JEPH LOEB |
DC COMICS |
|
3 |
MOON KNIGHT BY LEMIRE & SMALLWOOD: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION |
JEFF LEMIRE |
MARVEL COMICS |
|
4 |
BATMAN: THE COURT OF OWLS |
SCOTT SNYDER |
DC COMICS |
|
5 |
BATMAN: HUSH (NEW EDITION) |
JEPH LOEB |
DC COMICS |
|
6 |
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS |
Frank Mueller |
DC COMICS |
|
7 |
GUARDIAN (2019 EDITION) |
ALAN MORE |
DC COMICS |
|
8th |
BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE DLX. Ed. HC (RE-ISSUE) |
ALAN MORE |
DC COMICS |
|
9 |
BATMAN: THE CHEATER |
MATTSON TOMLIN |
DC COMICS |
|
10 |
BATMAN: DARK VICTORY |
JEPH LOEB |
DC COMICS |
|
11 |
BATMAN VOL. 2: THE CITY OF OWLS (THE NEW 52) |
SCOTT SNYDER |
DC COMICS |
|
12 |
THE BATMAN WHO LAUGHS |
SCOTT SNYDER |
DC COMICS |
|
13 |
BATMAN/FORTNITE: ZERO POINT HC |
CHRISTOS GAGE |
DC COMICS |
|
14 |
THE BATMAN BOXSET |
JEPH LOEB |
DC COMICS |
|
15 |
BATMAN: THREE JOKER HC |
GEOFF JOHNS |
DC COMICS |
|
16 |
MOON KNIGHT BY BENDIS & MALEEV: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION |
BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS |
MARVEL COMICS |
|
17 |
HORIZON ZERO DAWN VOL. 2: LIBERATION |
Anne tool |
TITAN COMICS |
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18 |
BATMAN: A DEATH IN THE FAMILY |
JIM STARLIN |
DC COMICS |
|
19 |
THE SANDMAN VOL. 1: PRELUDES & NOCTURNES 30TH ANN. Ed. |
NEIL GAIMAN |
DC COMICS |
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20 |
BATMAN: WHITE KNIGHT |
SEAN MURPHY |
DC COMICS |
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Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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Maia Kobabes Gender Queer continues to benefit from media coverage and controversy over its presence in libraries (see “’Gender Queer’ was the most challenged book of 2021”). This graphic novel was published in 2019 but didn’t appear in the Authors Top 20 until November 2022; it fell off in December but has been back for three months. This month it’s at number 8, its highest position to date.
The only new title in the author list was Volume 1 of The beautiful house by the lake the horror story of James Tynion IV, published by DC under its Black Label imprint (see “DC Publishes the Tynion IV Series”); it also topped the ComicHub chart for March.
This month’s chart continues some well-known trends: Three of the top four titles are volumes by solo leveling, and another Korean title, Volume 1 of the abandoned empress, is in 14th place. hellbound, which was on the February charts didn’t make the March Top 20. The fact that Volume 1 of Solo leveling is the top title means new readers keep coming to the series; the fourth volume will appear in May.
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NPD BookScan Top 20 Author Graphic Novels – March 2022 (02/27/22 – 04/02/22) |
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rank |
title |
author |
publisher |
|
1 |
SOLO LEVEL, VOL. 1 |
CHUGONG |
YEN PRESS |
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2 |
THEY CALL US ENEMY |
GEORGE TAKEI |
TOP SHELF PROD. |
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3 |
SOLO LEVEL VOL. 2 |
CHUGONG |
YEN PRESS |
|
4 |
SOLO LEVEL VOL. 3 |
CHUGONG |
YEN PRESS |
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5 |
LORE OLYMPUS: VOLUME ONE |
RACHEL SMYTHE |
DEL REY |
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6 |
MARCH: BOOK ONE |
JOHN LEWIS |
TOP SHELF PROD. |
|
7 |
LORE OLYMPUS: VOLUME ONE HC |
RACHEL SMYTHE |
DEL REY |
|
8th |
GENDER QUEER: A MEMOIR |
MAIA KOBABE |
ONI PRESS |
|
9 |
THE BEAUTIFUL LAKE HOUSE VOL. 1 |
JAMES TYNIONIV |
DC COMICS |
|
10 |
SAPIENS: A GRAPHIC HISTORY: THE BIRTH OF MANKIND |
YUVAL NOAH HARARI |
HARPER PERENNIAL |
|
11 |
1984: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL |
GEORGE ORWELL |
MARINE BOOKS |
|
12 |
INVINCIBLE COMPENDIUM VOL. 1 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
PICTURE COMICS |
|
13 |
KEY ROLE: THE MIGHTY NO ORIGINS – CALEB WIDOGAST |
Jody Houser |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
14 |
THE DESERTED EMPRESS VOL. 1 |
IN ONE |
YEN PRESS |
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15 |
FUN HOME: A TRAGICOMIC FAMILY |
ALISON BECHDEL |
MARINE BOOKS |
|
16 |
CRITICAL ROLE: THE MIGHTY NO ORIGINS – JESTER LAVORRE HC |
SAM MAGGS |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
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17 |
CRITICAL ROLE: VOX MACHINA ORIGINS LIBRARY ED. HC: SERIES I & II COLLECTION |
CRITICAL ROLE |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
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18 |
Killing a Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel HC |
HARPER LEE |
HARDER |
|
19 |
I WAS YOUR AMERICAN DREAM: A GRAPHIC MEMOIR |
MALAKA GHARIB |
CLARKSON POTTER |
|
20 |
INVINCIBLE COMPENDIUM VOL. 2 |
ROBERT KIRKMAN |
PICTURE COMICS |
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Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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The manga chart is identical to the top 20 adult titles in March 2022 as all of these titles were manga. So, check out our previous coverage to discuss the manga trends in March (see “March 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult GNs”).
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NPD BookScan Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels – March 2022 (02/27/22 – 04/02/22) |
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rank |
title |
author |
publisher |
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1 |
MY HERO ACADEMY VOL. 30 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
2 |
DEMON Slayer: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 1 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
3 |
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA – TALES OF WATER AND FIRE |
RYOJI HIRANO |
VIZ MEDIA |
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4 |
CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 1 |
TATSUKI FUJIMOTO |
VIZ MEDIA |
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5 |
CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 2 |
TATSUKI FUJIMOTO |
VIZ MEDIA |
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6 |
MY HERO ACADEMY VOL. 1 |
KOHEI HORIKOSHI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
7 |
TOILET-BOUND HANAKO-KUN VOL. 0 |
AIDAIRO |
YEN PRESS |
|
8th |
DEMON Slayer: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 2 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
9 |
JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 14 |
AGAINST ACUTAMI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
10 |
CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 3 |
TATSUKI FUJIMOTO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
11 |
BERSERK DELUXE VOL. 1 HC |
KENTARO MIURA |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
|
12 |
CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 4 |
TATSUKI FUJIMOTO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
13 |
DEMON Slayer: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 12 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
14 |
JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 1 |
AGAINST ACUTAMI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
15 |
DEMON Slayer: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 3 |
KOYOHARU GOTOUGE |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
16 |
CHAINSAW MAN VOL. 9 |
TATSUKI FUJIMOTO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
17 |
SPY X FAMILY VOL. 1 |
TATSUYA ENDO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
18 |
JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 2 |
AGAINST ACUTAMI |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
19 |
KAIJU NO. 8 VOL. 1 |
NAOYA MATSUMOTO |
VIZ MEDIA |
|
20 |
BERSERK DELUXE VOL. 10 HC |
KENTARO MIURA |
DARK HORSE COMICS |
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Source: The NPD Group/BookScan |
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For NPD BookScan March 2022 Graphic Novel Sales charts:
March 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Graphic Novels for Adults
March 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Graphic Novels for Kids
For NPD BookScan actual sales charts, see these articles on the ICv2 Pro website:
March 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels With Actual Sales
March 2022 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Author, Manga & Superhero Graphic Novels With Actual Sales
March 2022 NPD BookScan – The 20 Best Graphic Novels for Kids with Actual Sales
NPD BookScan collects weekly point-of-sale data on printed books from over 16,000 locations including e-tailers, chains, wholesalers, independent bookstores and more. NPD BookScan covers approximately 85% of the US commercial print book market. The ranks in this chart are based on unit sales. Some publishers classify titles that are primarily text or art books as graphic novels; We have removed these titles from the rankings above.
For previous BookScan Top 20 Graphic Novel lists, see “BookScan Top 20 GN Index”.