The Top 100 Selling Graphic Novels For October 2005
This list comes from digging through sales figures, asking too many questions and using Diamond Comics information. The snotty comments in white are from deep in Cory's sick twisted little brain. It's only partial, and Cory!! may go back and fill in the rest of the comments, but don't count on it. He's going to concentrate on making sure that he keeps up from now on, rather than deal with ones he didn't have time for when work crushed his tiny little soul.
Overall sales for graphic novels are up in November, but looking at the chart, there was no big blockbuster sales book. In fact, most months, the #1 book sells around 10,000 copies, and this month it’s only around 7,000. So, it means that:
Sales are more spread out No one put out a book that was a huge hit Stores are replenishing their inventories
Let’s get started!
1 VERTIGO FIRST OFFENSES TP (MR) $4.99 DC 6,844
This is a collection of first issues to get people hooked on the newer Vertigo books. As sampler at a low price, it’s a good buy, but if you are looking for complete stories, you aren’t going to get a single one. Still, it’s a nice way to see if you are interested in Fables, Y: The Last Man, or some of the other Vertigo books.
2 STAR WARS CLONE WARS ADVS VOL 4 TP $6.95 DAR 6,487
I quit reading these after the second one when it was pretty clear that it’s more filler around minor characters. Some day, Dark Horse will realize we want to read about the main Star Wars characters and not the minor ones who have only been in the backgrounds of the movies.
3 X-MEN COMPLETE AGE OF APOCALYPSE EPIC BOOK 2 TP $29.99 MAR 6,088
Yeah, this was nearly unreadable when it first came out in the mid 90’s. Now that art styles and writing styles have become more reader friendly, they are completely unreadable. This reprints the stories where ALL of the X-Books were cancelled for four months and replaced with mini-series set in an alternative universe. This was the story that convinced me that I didn’t need to read the X-Men any more.
4 GREEN LANTERN REBIRTH HC $24.99 DC 5,892
Fantastic art, a solid story, but it is purely a story meant to undo stories written almost 15 years ago, so it’s pretty much for long-term, hard-core fans only. If you ARE one of them, this is like a dream come true. If not, you’re going to be trying to figure out what they are talking about half the time.
5 SUPREME POWER VOL 3 HIGH COMMAND TP
(MR) $14.99 MAR 5,052
6 ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 4 INHUMAN TP $12.99 MAR 5,052
A pretty slight volume which reprints a three part story and the annual which introduces the Inhumans to the Ultimate Universe. It’s not that it is a BAD story, it’s just that this book felt like what I was concerned that the Ultimate line would be: retreads of stories done in the 60’s…and this is the first oen that really felt like that.
7 BATMAN UNDER HOOD TP $9.99 DC 4,982
This is more of the story about “The Red Hood”, who has turned out to be the second Robin come back to life. The thing about it is that while I don’t’ like that “dead characters coming back to life”, the way it is being done, it IS an interesting story. This volume is pretty slight for the $10 price tag, but it is one of the better Batman stories in the main title for a couple of years. Mildly recommended.
8 WATCHMEN ABSOLUTE ED HC $75.00 DC 4,814
This is like a fully loaded DVD of one of the best stories done in the comics medium. It includes all sorts of extras, the script and the like, and if you love the original graphic novel, this is pretty much a must for your bookshelf. For the casual reader, it’s not as it is designed for the collector.
9 ESSENTIAL SPIDER-MAN VOL 7 TP $16.99 MAR 4,520
Reprinting the infamous Clone saga from the 70’s (which was revisited in the 90’s) and the last few issues by Gerry Conway, who has moved from comics to TV writing. It’s a good representation of mid 70’s Marvel, with complicated soap opera plots, faux Stan Lee writing and big fight scenes in every issue. I LOVE this stuff, but it’s because it’s the stuff I first read when I started reading comics. It’s VERY well reproduced and cheap, so it’s s solid buy that will give you hours of reading.
10 ESSENTIAL WEREWOLF BY NIGHT VOL 1 TP $16.99 MAR 4,059
Marvel is learning that their mid-line books of the 70’s do just as well in this format. Partly because the back issues are becoming expensive, and partly because people just want to read this stuff. Werewolf By Night wasn’t as good as the other books in their “horror hero” line, and the writing and art teams change up a lot, but the book is a decent enough read if you go in to it remembering that Marvel was the home of purple prose and fight scenes.
11 SHOWCASE PRESENTS METAMORPHO VOL 1 TP $16.99 DC 4,003
I was not a fan of DC’s Silver and Bronze Age stuff. Even now, when I read their Silver Age stuff, it doesn’t much appeal to me, as it is gimmick plot driven and doesn’t have the action of a Kirby Marvel book. This was one of DC’s odder titles, and pretty much reads like a super-hero sit com where the situation is set up in the first issue, and never really moves forward. Unlike Marvel’s soap opera style, things are static and depend on a gimmick plot every issue. It LOOKS good, and has better reproduction than Marvel Essentials, but I could only read an issue or two’s worth of comics before setting it down and going back to it later. Still, you get the entire series in one cheap book, and for reading it one or two comics at a time, it’s a fun little book.
12 QUITTER HC (MR) $19.99 DC 3,982
Harvey Pekar is now working for DC. Let that sink in a bit and you’ll see just how far comics have come in the past 20 years. I like Harvey’s work, but didn’t feel that I wanted a hardcover of this one, and will be waiting for the softcover. And, as cheap as Harvey makes himself out to be in his stories, I’m sure he’ll understand.
13 ARKHAM ASYLUM ANNV ED SC (MR) $17.99 DC 3,849
One of my favorite graphic novels, this one with DVD extras as well to try and get people to buy it a second time. As I look through it, I’m still amazed it was approved back in 1989, let alone STILL being DC’s highest selling original hardcover of all time. If you don’t have it, THIS is the “must buy” book of the month. Highly recommended.
14 BERSERK VOL 9 TP (MR) $13.95 DAR 3,793
15 BATTLE ROYALE VOL 14 GN (Of 15) (MR) $9.99 TKP 3,674
One of the best manga stories I have read, even if it was first a novel and then a movie. It is the story of a group of freshmen who are placed on an island, each with a weapon and told that who ever survives, wins. It has a lot of standard manga clichés (panty shots, horribly violent deaths, dirty old men), but is a great mix of social commentary, action and characterization. Well worth finding all 14 published so far. Highly recommended.
16 V FOR VENDETTA HC NEW ED (MR) $29.99 DC 3,653
The best graphic novel ever printed, now in a new printing to take advantage of the movie that was SUPPOSED to come out in November. The story of resistance to a fascist government was an allegory in the 80’s when it was published, and it is just as relevant now. Expertly drawn, and some of the best writing Alan Moore has ever done make this Highly Recommended.
17 CONAN VOL 2 GOD IN THE BOWL & OTHER STORIES TP $15.95 DAR 3,450
Dark Horse’s Conan comic has been as good as the classic Roy Thomas/John Buscema work, and remains the best fantasy comic on the stands. Forget all the movies, crappy spin-off books and how Marvel just dumped the comic on the market in the 80’s, this is solid heroic fantasy and highly recommended.
18 IDENTITY CRISIS HC* $24.99 DC 3,422
Sales from last month’s best selling book. I see this getting big displays at B&N and other Mega bookstores, and it is a good book for people who haven’t read comics in a while. I’m cool to it, mostly because it was SUCH a standard mystery story that I figured out “whodunit” in the middle of the third issue. Mildly recommended, but everyone will buy it anyway.
19 X-MEN END VOL 2 HEROES & MARTYRS TP $14.99 MAR 3,408
Chris Claremont showing how he would wrap up the X-Men…although not really, since it seems to be setting up more than it is ending, and let’s face it: Chris Claremont hasn’t written “The End” to one of his stories in over a decade. He simply pauses while writing his endless soap opera. For hard-core Claremont fans only.
20 OUTSIDERS VOL 3 WANTED TP $14.99 DC
3,401
21 DAREDEVIL VOL 12 DECALOGUE TP $14.99 MAR 3,275
One of the best comics on the stands, and one of the best stories in the run by Bendis and Maleev. This story deals with how the previous Daredevil story affected the normal people around it, and is has some of the best writing of Bandis’s career. Highly recommended, even if you don’t like super-heroes.
22 DOOM PATROL VOL 3 DOWN PARADISE WAY TP (MR) $19.99 DC 3,268
There is no way in the WORLD I can be objective about this, my favorite series by my favorite creator. Grant Morrison’s Doom Patrol was inventive, amazing and some of the best done comics I’ve ever read. Anyone who says it is too weird just doesn’t like comics. Highly recommended.
23 ASTRO CITY LOCAL HEROES TP $17.99 DC 3,198
Finally, a new Astro City collection, collecting the last few issues of the regular series, and the mini-series that brought the concept back. The early Astro City books were an amazingly new take on super-heroes, but as I read this book, it felt as if the shine was off the concept. Partly because the idea of “super-heroes from a civilian’s perspective” is a bit more common, and partly because Busiek has lost a step in the years the book wasn’t being done. It’s still GOOD, but not as great as it used to be. Still recommended, but not a must read anymore.
24 FOG TP $6.95 DAR 3,135
25 SAMURAI CHAMPLOO VOL 1 GN $9.99 TKP 3,086
26 X-MEN BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE TP $9.99 MAR 2,960
I really wanted Peter Milligan to write good X-Men stories. This is not one of them.
27 CONAN GOD IN THE BOWL & OTHER STORIES HC $24.95 DAR 2,960
The hardcover of the comic reviewed up above. Go read that, as I’m not cutting and pasting it.
28 CURSE OF DRACULA TP $9.95 DAR 2,778
Reprinting the three issue mini-series by the “Tomb of Dracula” team. Colon’s art is reproduced directly from his pencils and show just how good an artist he is. The problem with the story is that it reads like a pilot for a new series, and not a self contained story. It’s just as good as their Tomb of Dracula work, with new characters and a different look at Dracula, but it just didn’t read like a self-contained story. Mildly recommended.
29 SHOWCASE PRESENTS SUPERMAN VOL 1 TP $9.99 DC 2,750
Re-orders for reprints of Superman Silver Age stories. Good for a nostalgic kick, but I can’t read more than a couple of these stories without getting bored. Just not a DC Silver Age fan, I guess.
30 DONALD DUCK ADVS VOL 14 TP $7.95 GEM
2,666
31 FATHOM DAWN OF WAR VOL 1 TP $9.99 ASP 2,652
32 SUPERMAN IN THE FORTIES TP $19.99 DC 2,582
The last of DC’s “decade” books for Superman, and it shows just how quickly Superman fell into formula. The very early stuff by Siegel and Shuster is full of energy and showed the full idea of Superman as pure wish fulfillment character, but by the end of the 40’s, Superman was pretty much fighting gangsters in plots that did everything in their power to keep Superman from finding out who to punch until the 8th page. A great book to see the evolution of the character, and probably the best read of the books.
33 SHOWCASE PRESENTS GREEN LANTERN VOL 1 TP $9.99 DC 2,547
Re-orders of the other “first” DC Showcase book, one that I liked a lot better than the Superman one, even if the stories stuck the a standard formula. Mildly recommended.
34 GOON FANCY PANTS ED HC $24.95 DAR
2,456
35 NEW X-MEN HELLIONS TP $9.99 MAR 2,239
36 SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN VOL 6 FINAL CURTAIN TP $14.99 MAR 2,078
The last issues of the series by Paul Jenkins, and while his run on the book wasn’t as good as his first run on the character, the last few issues got back to the character related stuff it was really good. Mildly recommended.
37 SAMURAI DEEPER KYO VOL 16 GN (Of 31)
(MR) $9.99 TKP 1,959
38 SEA OF RED VOL 1 NO GRAVE BUT SEA TP (MR) $8.95 IMA 1,924
39 DAREDEVIL REDEMPTION TP $14.99 MAR 1,889
I know that this got good reviews elsewhere, but I found the story to be predictable, and pretty much a “Lifetime” movie with super-heroes in it. It also suffers from being two issues worth of story stretched to six.
40 CABLE DEADPOOL VOL 3 HUMAN RACE TP
$14.99 MAR 1,882
41 LITTLE LULU VOL 6 LETTERS TO SANTA TP $9.95 DAR 1,840
One of the better reprint projects going, as Dark Horse is reprinting all of the Little Lulu stories chronologically. These are stories that are still as fun to read now as they were then, and other than a few minor things, it’s impossible to know that they were first printed in the 1940’s. It has the same “Kid’s view” of the world as in “Calvin and Hobbs”, but not as franticly written or drawn. The reproduction is BEAUTIFUL and the entire series of reprints is highly recommended.
42 BLACK HOLE COLL HC (MR) $24.95 RAN 1,826
I know that I should like this book, as it is one of the “classics” of alternative comics, but I gave up on the story years ago, and have little to no interest in it.
43 INITIAL D VOL 20 GN (Of 30) $9.99 TKP
1,714
44 VISION YESTERDAY & TOMORROW TP $14.99 MAR 1,665
45 PLASTIC MAN ARCHIVES VOL 7 HC $49.99 DC 1,637
WONDERFUL stuff and my favorite of all of the Golden Age Archives, since Jack Cole’s stories and artwork are just as entertaining now as they were back then. Probably the best humorous super-hero stuff ever and is highly recommended.
46 TEEN TITANS JAM PACKED ACTION VOL 1 TP
$7.99 DC 1,637
47 WALKING DEAD VOL 1 DAYS GONE BYE TP (MR) $9.95 IMA 1,630
MORE re-orders, and this book has been in the top 100 every month since it came out, so Image has a big hit here. It’s probably the best zombie related fiction NOT done by George Romero, as succeeds because it’s more than just a horror book, but deals with the human element of the situation. Highly recommended.
48 SUIKODEN III VOL 8 GN (Of 9) (MR)
$9.99 TKP 1,546
49 ELFQUEST GRAND QUEST VOL 11 TP $9.99 DC 1,511
Reprinting more of the “Kings of the Broken Wheel” by Wendy Pini. A nice bunch of reprints that reads to me now like standard fantasy stuff. It’s OK, but really only appeals to fantasy fans.
50 TOMORROW STORIES BOOK TWO TP $17.99 DC 1,483
More of the short stories by Alan Moore and other artists. Incredibly inventive and stories that read like popcorn, this is a comic that just about everyone could enjoy.
51 FORGOTTEN REALMS DARK ELF TRILOGY VOL
1 HOMELAND TP $14.95 DDP 1,469
52 YELLOW VOL 2 GN $12.95 DIG 1,448
53 BATMAN STRIKES VOL 2 IN DARKEST KNIGHT TP $6.99 DC 1,448
Reprinting more of the comic based on the cartoon. Unlike the “Batman Adventures” comic, this one is aimed at kids exclusively and would be a great gift for a kid.
54 CHIAROSCURO TP (MR) $24.99 DC 1,434 55 V FOR VENDETTA TP $19.99 DC 1,427
This is the paperback, and doesn’t have the stuff of the new edition. It’s still good though.
56 GET BACKERS VOL 12 GN (Of 26) (MR)
$9.99 TKP 1,420
57 FULL METAL PANIC OVERLOAD MANGA VOL 2 TP $9.99 ADV 1,400
58 WALKING DEADVOL 3 SAFETY BEHIND BARS TP (MR) $12.95 IMA 1,372
The third in the series, and even better than the first. Highly recommended.
59 RISING STARS HC $69.99 IMA 1,372
This reprints the entire series, and as someone who waited for the book to end before buying it, I’m glad I did. This is an impressive book, and for what you get, it’s not a horrible price. Still, it’s a lot cheaper to buy the trade paperbacks, and this is really only for people who want the whole damn thing in one shot. Mildly recommended.
60 Y THE LAST MAN VOL 5 RING OF TRUTH TP (MR) $14.99 DC 1,372
The series was starting to stall out with this book, as it felt like it was becoming “crazy women of the month” instead of a forward moving story. It picks up after this collection, so I’m guessing that this is just a lull.
61 TONY MILLIONAIRE LITTLE & LARGE HC
$7.95 DAR 1,351
62 MARVEL VISIONARIES JOHN ROMITA JR HC $29.99 MAR 1,344
Reprinting a nice mix of his romance and super-hero work, John Romita Sr. was an artist who’s every comic was beautifully drawn. He was one of Marvel’s best artists in the 60’s and 70’s, and I wish he would have kept working on comics rather than taking an office job. This is a great mix of his work to get an appreciation of his talent and is highly recommended.
63 DAMN NATION TP $12.95 DAR 1,330
64 LIVEWIRES CLOCKWORK THUGS YO DIGEST TP $7.99 MAR 1,330
Adam Warren is one of those creators whose work I enjoy, and I have no idea why it doesn’t sell better. This was not one of his better books, but with it’s faux manga style and tight plotting, it’s one of the few Marvel mini-series that actually felt like it was six issues worth of story, and not two issues stretched to six. Mildly recommended.
65 STOKERS DRACULA HC $24.99 MAR 1,309
This adaptation by Roy Thomas and Dick Giordano was started in Marvel black and white horror mags in the 70’s, and they came back and completed it for a collected version. It suffers from the fact that the novel itself is not very good, but this version of it is probably the best at remaining faithful while making it interesting. It also shows that the two creators were able to come back to a work they had put down 25 years ago and have it look just as good as the older work. For vampire fans, it’s recommended, for others, it depends on how much you want to read the novel.
66 MARY JANE VOL 2 HOMECOMING DIGEST TP
$6.99 MAR 1,302
67 MAGNUS ROBOT FIGHTER VOL 1 GN $6.95 PUB 1,288
68 ALONE IN MY KINGS HAREM VOL 1 GN $12.95 DIG 1,246
69 MARVEL MASTERWORKS MIGHTY THOR VOL 4 HC NEW ED $49.99 MAR
1,246
70 MARVEL MASTERWORKS MIGHTY THOR VOL 4 HC VAR ED $54.99 MAR
1,239
With Marvel doing two covers, you really have to add these together to get an idea of the audience. This was when Lee and Kirby started to take Thor away from being just another super-hero to their mix of action and mythology. One of the best comics of the Silver Age and highly recommended (although the Masterworks are much cheaper).
71 KING OF HELL VOL 11 GN (Of 13) $9.99
TKP 1,239
72 HANA KIMI VOL 8 GN $9.99 VIZ 1,239
73 COMPLETE PEANUTS VOL 4 1957-1958 HC $28.95 FAN 1,232
I’m glad this sells so much better outside comics shops, because it’s one of the best collections ever printed. Fantagraphics continues reprinting the strip in order, with no strips omitted, and reading it in this format shows just how good the strip was. Schulz was a master artist, but he also was a genius at characters, giving you a character archetype in four panels. This is the Good Stuff and is highly recommended.
74 KRAZY & IGNATZ 1935-1936 WILD WARMTH OF CHROMATIC GRAVY $19.95 FAN 1,204
My whole life as a comic fan, I have heard how brilliant this strip is…and while I am reading it, I appreciate it, but I can see why it never really became a HUGE success. It was only run in Hearst newspapers and despite glowing reviews, never was popular with the general public. As a historical document, this is amazingly important, but your average comics reader will struggle with the layout and scripting. So, while I enjoy it, and love the presentation, it’s really aimed at a very narrow audience.
75 ULTIMATE BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
CINEMANGA VOL 1 GIFT GN $7.99 TKP 1,183
76 HISTORY OF VIOLENCE NEW TP NEW ED $9.99 DC 1,176
77 VAMPIRE GAME VOL 13 GN (Of 15) $9.99 TKP 1,169
78 TELEPATHIC WANDERERS VOL 1 GN (MR) $9.99 TKP 1,169
79 ULTIMATES 2 VOL 1 GODS & MONSTERS TP $15.99 MAR 1,162
80 COMPLETE CLIVE BARKER THIEF OF ALWAYS TP $19.99 IDW 1,141
81 HACK SLASH VOL 1 FIRST CUT TP $14.95 DDP 1,141
82 SPELLBINDERS SIGNS & WONDERS DIGEST TP $7.99 MAR 1,134
Marvel put out this series, hoping it would appeal to the manga crowd. It didn’t at comic shops, and after reading it, I’m GLAD Marvel tried a book aimed at teen girls, but since I’m not a teen girl, it’s not for me.
83 BATMAN HUSH VOL 1 TP $12.95 DC 1,134
84 WALLY WOODS LUNAR TUNES SC (MR) $9.95 VAN 1,134
I preface this by saying I am a huge fan of Wally Wood’s work. His EC stories are some of the best of that company’s work, and his rare work for Marvel and DC in the 60’s and 70’s are highlights of the books he worked on. This collection of comic strips and unfinished work, however, reads more like outtakes from his sketchbook, and suffers from a LOT of cut and paste work. For fans only.
85 MARK OF THE SUCCUBUS VOL 1 GN $9.99
TKP 1,127
86 BLAME VOL 2 GN (Of 10) (MR) $9.99 TKP 1,127
87 REBIRTH VOL 16 GN (Of 19) $9.99 TKP 1,127
88 JOHNNY HOMICIDAL MANIAC DIRECTORS CUT SC $19.95 SLG 1,120
Still selling, which is pretty amazing. I have never made it all the way through, since the layouts and lettering are so off-putting.
89 PUSH MAN & OTHER STORIES HC (MR)
$19.95 DRA 1,113
90 YOU DESERVED IT TP $9.95 DAR 1,106
91 HERCULES NEW LABORS OF HERCULES TP $13.99 MAR 1,099
Wow. These are really crappy sales. I mean REALLY crappy. It’s another of the mini-series Marvel has dropped on the market, hoping that it might catch on. It didn’t, and will sink without a trace.
92 KONG KING OF SKULL ISLAND TP $19.95
DAR 1,085
93 KAMIKAZE KAITO JEANNE VOL 1 $9.99 DC 1,085
94 VIDEO GIRL AI VOL 13 TP $9.99 VIZ 1,085
95 LIFE & TIMES OF SCROOGE MCDUCK TP $16.99 GEM 1,078
More reorders from a couple of months ago. Still the best Disney product in 10 years. Still highly recommended.
96 SUPERMAN BATMAN VOL 2 SUPERGIRL TP
$12.99 DC 1,071
97 WALKING DEAD VOL 2 MILES BEHIND US TP (MR) $12.95 IMA 1,071
98 FAVOLE STONE TEARS VOL 1 TP $6.95 DAR 1,064
99 NIGHT FISHER GN (MR) $12.95 FAN 1,050
100 TRAMPS LIKE US VOL 7 GN (Of 12) (MR) $9.99 TKP 1,050
And that’s it! Finally, back on time!