The Top 100 Selling Graphic Novels for November 2005

And sales are back up after dropping over all last month. I don’t know if it means that last month was a bad month, or if this month has more firepower, so let’s look over the books.

1 OMAC PROJECT TP $14.99 DC 10,228

The “Infinite Crisis” mini-series are now starting to be collected, and this one was NOT my favorite. It was OK, if you ignored the fact that it made Batman the richest and dumbest human being in history. Like most of the IC mini-series, it doesn’t end so much as tell you to buy ANOTHER book.

2 ASTONISHING X-MEN VOL 2 DANGEROUS TP $14.99 MAR 9,475

The first volume was the best X-Men book since Grant Morrison left Marvel, and this one is GOOD, but not as good as the first part. Great art, but the story kind of stumbles as it goes along and loses the good character interplay for a fight scene that doesn’t feel as if it resolves anything.

3 Y THE LAST MAN VOL 6 GIRL ON GIRL TP (MR) $12.99 DC 8,513

After a couple of volumes that felt like “crazy outpost of women of the month”, this one gets the story back on track, moves things forward and goes back to dealing with society if all the men would vanish. Highly recommended.

4 WALKING DEAD VOL 4 HEARTS DESIRE TP (MR) $12.99 IMA 7,892

The newest collection, and it came out about two weeks after the final issue in the collection came out, so Image KNOWS how much money they are making off of these books. This is probably the best treatment of zombies (other than George Romero), because it’s a mix of horror and character development so that it’s more than just splatter and gore. Highly recommended.

5 DAY OF VENGEANCE TP $12.99 DC 7,711

Another of the “Infinite Crisis” books, this one detailing how The Spectre is killing off the magic users of the DC Universe, and the creation of a new team: The Shadowpact. The story doesn’t hold together well (and doesn’t have an ending), but as a “pilot” for a new series, I’m interested at least because of how writer Bill Willingham makes every character on the team interesting. We’ll see how it goes once it starts as a new series.

6 TWISTED TOYFARE THEATRE VOL 6 TP $12.99 WIZ 6,414

Like the show “Robot Chicken”? Here’s where it got its start. Using photos of action figures, this book tells stories featuring any pop-culture character that had an action figure (or can be made into one). From ripping on the Star Wars movies to making fun of old 80’s cartoons, this series is about the funniest thing ever in comics and is highly recommended.

7 ULTIMATE X-MEN VOL 12 HARD LESSONS TP $12.99 MAR 6,337
8 WIZARD BEST OF BASIC TRAINING HEROIC ANATOMY TP $19.99 WIZ 5,668
9 TEEN TITANS FUTURE IS NOW TP $9.99 DC 5,550

Is it just me, or is this pretty slight for a trade paperback? Only 96 pages, and telling a story about how things have gone bad in the future, this worked as part of an on-going series, but if you want to pick it up and see if the book is for you, it’s not a good choice. I like Geoff Johns’s work on other comics, but this is just going through the motions in a bland riff on the endless “The future is horrible” stories that the X-Men have trafficked in for about 30 years.

10 SHOWCASE PRESENTS JONAH HEX VOL 1 TP $16.99 DC 5,522

I was never a big Jonah Hex fan. Most of the stories I read were a bit goofy (like the series where he time travels to the future), but I did like the Tim Truman mini-series about the character a few years ago. This is a HUGE book of his early appearances, and it is clear that the book was meant to bring the “Spaghetti Western” to comics pages, and it succeeds. Unlike most of the other DC work at the time, it doesn’t rely on formula, and has a character who is, at best, amoral. Having never read these stories I was amazed at how good they were, and this book is Highly Recommended.

11 FRUITS BASKET VOL 12 GN (Of 14) $9.99 TOK 5,459
12 SAMURAI EXECUTIONER VOL 6 TP $9.95 DAR 5,333

Continuing the best mange series that I have ever read, this spin-off of “Lone Wolf And Cub” features the same excellent art and solid storytelling based in feudal Japan. Each story is self-contained, but part of a larger whole, so you can pick this up on its own, and then go back and read the rest. Highly recommended.

13 INVINCIBLE VOL 5 FACTS OF LIFE TP $14.99 IMA 4,037
14 DONALD DUCK & UNCLE SCROOGE VOL 1 SOMEWHERE IN NOWHERE TP $6.95 GEM 3,883
15 CATWOMAN WHEN IN ROME HC $19.99 DC 3,786
16 ESSENTIAL MARVEL TWO IN ONE VOL 1 TP $16.99 MAR 3,681

None of these stories are essential. This was a comic that played off the popularity of The Thing back in the 70’s, and actually had some story-to-story continuity, unlike Marvel Team-Up for the early issues. It’s VERY typical 70’s Marvel stuff with fight scenes, revolving creators, purple prose and captions trying to imitate the pulps of the 30's mixed with Stan Lee. Still, it's a lot of fun comics that are very typical 70's Marvel at a cheap price, so if you like it, load up!

17 I CANT BELIEVE ITS NOT JUSTICE LEAGUE TP $12.99 DC 3,660

This is great stuff...the Giffen/DeMatties Justice League is best known for its humor, but this shows that it also had solid storytelling, drama and in a few cases, tragedy. A nice closure to the series, even though this is a more of a re-visiting, but it works better as a conclusion that the conclusion back in the early 90's. Highly recommended.

18 STAR WARS CLONE WARS VOL 7 WHEN THEY WERE BROTHERS TP $17.95 DAR 3,632
19 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL 10 NEW AVENGERS TP $14.99 MAR 3,570
20 PUNISHER MAX VOL 4 UP IS DOWN & BLACK IS WHITE TP (MR) $14.99 MAR 3,416
21 YOUNG AVENGERS VOL 1 SIDEKICKS HC $19.99 MAR 3,416
22 SHANNA SHE DEVIL PREM HC $24.99 MAR 3,367
23 RUROUNI KENSHIN VOL 20 TP $7.95 VIZ 3,339
24 TRIGUN MAXIMUM VOL 7 HAPPY DAYS TP $9.95 DAR 3,277
25 DNANGEL VOL 10 GN (Of 10) $9.99 TOK 3,200
26 OCEAN TP $14.99 DC 3,186
27 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES VOL 1 TEENAGE REVOLUTION TP $14.99 DC 3,102
28 ESSENTIAL X-FACTOR VOL 1 TP $16.99 MAR 3,095
29 CRISIS OF INFINITE EARTHS ABSOLUTE ED HC $99.99 DC 3,061
30 CHOSEN TP (MR) $9.95 DAR 3,061
31 TSUBASA VOL 7 GN $10.95 RAN 2,949
32 GIRLS VOL 1 CONCEPTION TP (MR) $14.99 IMA 2,851
33 LOSERS CLOSE QUARTERS TP (MR) $14.99 DC 2,824
34 FOUNTAIN HC (MR) $39.99 DC 2,761
35 FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST VOL 4 TP $9.99 VIZ 2,747
36 RANMA 1/2 VOL 32 TP $9.99 VIZ 2,698
37 DONALD DUCK ADVS VOL 15 TP $7.95 GEM 2,684
38 IMAGE COMICS HC $24.99 IMA 2,684
39 MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN VOL 4 WILD BLUE YONDER TP $14.99 MAR 2,649
40 WOLVERINE ENEMY OF THE STATE VOL 2 PREM HC $21.99 MAR 2,594
41 SMAX TP $12.99 DC 2,482
42 KARE KANO VOL 18 GN (Of 20) $9.99 TOK 2,475
43 SPIDER-MAN VS BLACK CAT VOL 1 TP $14.99 MAR 2,454
44 AI YORI AOSHI VOL 11 GN (Of 15) (MR) $9.99 TOK 2,440
45 ORIGINALS SC (MR) $17.99 DC 2,419
46 XXXHOLIC VOL 6 GN $10.95 RAN 2,356
47 MICKEY MOUSE ADVS VOL 6 TP $7.95 GEM 2,343
48 EXCALIBUR CLASSIC VOL 1 SWORD IS DRAWN TP $19.99 MAR 2,308
49 CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS TP $29.99 DC 2,301
50 BATTLE ANGEL ALITA LAST ORDER VOL 6 TP $9.99 VIZ 2,280
51 DEATH JR TP $14.99 IMA 2,231
52 MANHUNTER VOL 1 STREET JUSTICE TP $12.99 DC 2,224
53 ZOMBIE WORLD CHAMPION OF THE WORMS 2ND ED TP $8.95 DAR 2,210
54 WILL EISNERS SPIRIT ARCHIVES VOL 17 HC $49.99 DC 2,112
55 MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN VOL 1 HC $29.99 MAR 1,994
56 X-FACTOR VISIONARIES PETER DAVID VOL 1 TP $15.99 MAR 1,980
57 WATCHMEN TP $19.99 DC 1,966
58 STRANGERS IN PARADISE VOL 17 TATTOO TP $14.95 ABS 1,917
59 NEW THUNDERBOLTS VOL 2 MODERN MARVELS TP $14.99 MAR 1,882
60 ULTIMATES VOL 1 TP $12.99 MAR 1,854
61 PUNISHER RIVER OF BLOOD TP $15.99 MAR 1,820
62 EDEN VOL 1 TP ITS ENDLESS WORLD $12.95 DAR 1,785
63 SAIYUKI RELOAD VOL 2 GN (Of 4) (MR) $9.99 TOK 1,778
64 TOXIN DEVIL YOU KNOW TP $17.99 MAR 1,764
65 CAPTAIN UNIVERSE POWER UNIMAGINABLE TP $19.99 MAR 1,764
66 CONCRETE VOL 2 HEIGHTS TP $12.95 DAR 1,722
67 TARZAN JOE KUBERT YEARS VOL 1 HC $49.95 DAR 1,638
68 TENJHO TENGE VOL 4 $9.99 DC 1,624
69 MAN W/SCREAMING BRAIN TP $13.95 DAR 1,610
70 MARVEL MASTERWORKS FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 9 NEW ED HC $49.99 MAR 1,583
71 GIRLS BRAVO VOL 2 GN (Of 10) $9.99 TOK 1,506
72 PSYCHIC ACADEMY VOL 10 GN (Of 11) $9.99 TOK 1,499
73 ANGEL DUST MANGA VOL 1 TP $10.95 A. 1,492
74 NYX X-23 HC $34.99 MAR 1,485
75 THUNDER AGENTS ARCHIVES VOL 6 HC $49.99 DC 1,478
76 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL 6 VENOM TP $15.99 MAR 1,450
77 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL 1 POWER & RESPONSIBILITY TP $14.95 MAR 1,436
78 COMPLETE PEANUTS VOL 4 1957-1958 HC $28.95 FAN 1,422
79 FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 3 HC $29.99 MAR 1,408
80 NEGATIVE BURN SUMMER SP 2005 $9.95 IMA 1,401
81 FRANK MILLER SIN CITY VOL 6 BOOZE BROADS BULLETS 2ND TP (MR) $15.00 DAR
1,394
82 MARVEL NEMESIS IMPERFECTS DIGEST TP $7.99 MAR 1,387
83 ULTIMATE X-MEN VOL 1 TOMORROW PEOPLE TP $14.95 MAR 1,387
84 ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 1 FANTASTIC TP $12.99 MAR 1,380
85 TSUKUYOMI MOON PHASE VOL 1 GN (Of 8) $9.99 TOK 1,360
86 ESSENTIAL SILVER SURFER VOL 1 TP $16.99 MAR 1,360
87 MARVEL MASTERWORKS FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 9 VAR ED HC $54.99 MAR 1,346
88 LEGEND OF GRIMJACK VOL 4 TP $24.99 IDE 1,325
89 STAR TREK KEY COLL VOL 4 TP $22.95 CHE 1,325
90 MAXIMUM FANTASTIC FOUR HC $49.99 MAR 1,318
91 MARVEL MASTERWORKS GOLDEN AGE HUMAN TORCH VOL 1 NEW ED HC $49.99 MAR
1,304
92 ULTIMATE GALACTUS VOL 1 NIGHTMARE TP $12.99 MAR 1,304
93 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN VOL 12 SUPERSTARS TP $12.99 MAR 1,290
94 SAKURA TAISEN VOL 2 GN (Of 3) $9.99 TOK 1,276
95 GENSHIKEN VOL 3 GN (MR) $10.95 RAN 1,269
96 JEW GANGSTER FATHERS ADMONITION HC (MR) $22.95 PUB 1,269
97 CERES CELESTIAL LEGEND VOL 13 TP $9.95 VIZ 1,269
98 ULTIMATE X-MEN VOL 2 RETURN TO WEAPON X TP $14.95 MAR 1,262
99 IDENTITY CRISIS HC* $24.99 DC 1,241
100 ULTIMATE X-MEN VOL 9 TEMPEST TP $10.99 MAR 1,227

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