NPD BookScan has released their May charts and it shows another clear victory for manga over western comic book publishers like DC Comics and Marvel Comics.
ICv2 published the charts and they report “for the second month in a row, it’s all manga in the Top 20 Adult Graphic novels in the book channel, based on NPD BookScan data for May 2021 (5/2/21 – 5/29/21).”
The top spot belongs to Kodansha Comics’ Attack on Titan Vol. 33.
The next three spots were claimed by VIZ Media and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba. Volumes 8, 9, and 10 took the second, third, and fourth spots respectively.
The first volume of My Hero Academia rounded out the top five.
Attack on Titan’s first volume came in sixth. It was followed by Spy X Family Vol. 1, My My Hero Academia Vol. 27, Tokyo Ghoul Vol.1 and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Vol. 11 to conclude the top ten.
The next ten titles were Yen Press’ Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun Vol. 1, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Vol. 1, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Vol. 7, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Vol. 12, Komi Can’t Communicate Vol. 1, Hunter X Hunter Vol. 1, My Hero Academia Vol. 2, Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 3, and My Hero Academia Vol. 26.
As ICv2 noted it was all manga in the Top 20. There were no western comic books.
There were a number of changes from April, when manga dominated the top 20 slots. Chainsaw Man Vol. 4 and Chainsaw Man Vol. 2 were second and sixth on the list in April. They did not chart in May.
Jujutsu Kaisen Vol. 9, Vol. 1 and Vol. 7 also charted in third, eleventh, and 14th in April. They did not chart in May.
The titles that did stay in the top 20 were My Hero Academia Vol. 27, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Vol. 1, Attack on Titan Vol. 1, My Hero Academia Vol. 2, Spy X Family Vol. 1, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Vol. 3, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Vol. 8, Tokyo Ghoul Vol. 1, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Vol. 9, My Hero Academia Vol. 26, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Vol. 7, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Vol. 10.
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In order to find western comic books you have to look at the NPD BookScan Top 20 Superheroes’ Graphic Novels chart.
Not surprising anyone, quite a few of the entries here are older titles. There are also no Marvel Comics titles listed with DC Comics dominating the list with 17 entries.
The top spot belongs to DC Comics’ 2019 Edition of Alan Moore’s Watchmen.
The rest of the Top 5 includes Scott Snyder’s The Batman Who Laughs HC, Greg Keyes’ Godzilla vs. Kong: Godzilla Dominion, Geoff Johns’ Batman: Three Jokers HC, and Tom Taylor’s Deceased: Dead Planet HC.
The other five titles in the Top 10 includes Scott Snyder’s Dark Nights: Death Metal: Deluxe Edition HC, Dark Knights: Death Metal: The Multiverse Who Laughs, Scott Snyder’s The Batman Who Laughs HC, Jeph Loeb’s Batman: The Long Halloween, and Alan Moore’s Batman: The Killing Joke Deluxe Edition HC.
Finally, the list concludes with Godzilla vs. Kong: Kingdom Kong, Batman: Year One, Dark Knights: Death Metal: War of the Multiverses, The EC Archives: Tales From The Crypt Vol.1, Harleen, The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes 30th Anniversary Edition, Watchmen: The Deluxe Edition, Batman: Last Knight On Earth, Batman: White Knight, and Dark Knights: Death Metal: The Darkest Knight.
What do you make of manga once again claiming the Top 20 spots on NPD BookScan’s Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels chart?