Bent Corner

ICv2 has posted the BookScan numbers for April. Unlike those top-300 lists that ICV2 also posts that show how many comic books “sold” in any given month, the BookScan numbers actually show what consumers are buying. The top-300 lists only show what comic book retailers order weeks or months before the books are released.

Here is the top-20 graphic novels for April:

1. NARUTO VOL. 28
2. VAMPIRE KNIGHT VOL. 4
3. FRUITS BASKET VOL. 19
4. BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE
5. HANA-KIMI VOL. 23
6. DEATH NOTE VOL. 1
7. VAMPIRE KNIGHT VOL. 1
8. FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST VOL. 16
9. DEATH NOTE HOW TO READ VOL. 13
10. NARUTO VOL. 27 W/ STICKER
11. DEATH NOTE VOL. 2
12. NARUTO VOL. 26
13. WATCHMEN
14. VAMPIRE KNIGHT VOL. 3
15. FAIRY TAIL VOL. 1
16. VAMPIRE KNIGHT VOL. 2
17. NARUTO VOL. 1
18. I.O.N
19. THE BEST OF POKEMON ADVENTURES: RED
20. TAIL OF THE MOON VOL. 10

All but two of these books are Japanese Manga. From the ICv2 article:

The biggest “new” American title on the list was Batman: The Killing Joke, a new hardcover edition of the Alan Moore and Brian Bolland story.

I’m not so sure I would describe either one of these as being “American”. Both books are from English writer Alan Moore and two English artists; one (Watchmen) being Dave Gibbons and the other (Batman: The Killing Joke) by an English artist who’s name I will not mention on this blog ever again.

I guess you could argue that since Watchmen and Batman: The Killing Joke are published by DC Comics and DC Comics is headquartered in the United States, both books technically are American. The only problem with that logic is the Viz Media — the publisher that published 16 out of the 20 books on this list — is headquartered in San Fransisco. It is not a Japanese company.

On a side note, I actually contributed to this list. Last month I bought my first ever Manga book, Death Note Vol. 1. I haven’t read it yet. I had one of those 25% off coupons from Borders and I didn’t want it to go to waste. I didn’t see anything in the comic book section that looked interesting, so I decided to buy a Manga book. I then promptly forgot all about it. I didn’t remember buying it until I read this list.

A list of the top 20 selling graphic novels sold by book retailers in the United States shows something that is beyond dispute - manga is popular and superhero comics are not. It’s not even close.

If I worked over at Marvel or DC, I would be worried. In fact, I would be very worried. Out of the top 20 graphic novels sold in books stores, only two (2) come from Marvel and DC.

The one lone book from Marvel is an adaption from a Laurell K. Hamilton Anita Blake Vampire Hunter novel. The characters don’t belong to Marvel. Both the author and the series has an existing fan base that automatically resulted in sales with readers that may have never read a graphic novel before.

The lone DC book was the acclaimed Alan Moore’s Watchmen. It was first published in 1986 and is considered by almost everyone to be the greatest graphic novel ever written.

Eighteen of the top 20 graphic novels sold in book stores did not come from either Marvel or DC. How can both companies just continue to ignore that? If I was in charge of either Marvel or DC, I would mimic the manga model. I find it remarkable that they don’t.