ICv2 - Top 20 Bookstore Graphic Novels of 2008

Top 20 Bookstore Graphic Novels of 2008

Watchmen #1, Naruto #2

Published: 01/25/2009, Last Updated: 02/15/2009 12:00am

The Nielsen BookScan service has provided ICv2 with a ranking of the top 20 graphic novels of 2008, drawn from sell-through information in bookstore and other outlets tracked by the service. The rankings are based on piece sales for the entire year. Watchmen was the #1 graphic novel of 2008; although it was selling great all year, sales were turbocharged by the Watchmen trailer released in conjunction with The Dark Knight, the #1 movie of the year. Batman: The Killing Joke Special Edition, another 20 year old volume written by Alan Moore, was the #5 title of the year.

Rank	Title	Author	Pub	PubDate
1	WATCHMEN	ALAN MOORE	DC	4/1/95
2	NARUTO VOL. 28	MASASHI KISHIMOTO	VIZ	3/1/08
3	NARUTO VOL. 29	MASASHI KISHIMOTO	VIZ	5/1/08
4	NARUTO VOL. 30	MASASHI KISHIMOTO	VIZ	7/1/08
5	BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE SPEC. ED.	ALAN MOORE	DC	3/1/08
6	NARUTO VOL. 27	MASASHI KISHIMOTO	VIZ	12/1/07
7	NARUTO VOL. 31	MASASHI KISHIMOTO	VIZ	9/1/08
8	NARUTO VOL. 26	MASASHI KISHIMOTO	VIZ	12/1/07
9	DEATH NOTE VOL. 1	TSUGUMI OHBA	VIZ	10/1/05
10	FRUITS BASKET VOL. 19	NATSUKI TAKAYA	TKP	3/1/08
11	FRUITS BASKET VOL. 20	NATSUKI TAKAYA	TKP	7/1/08
12	DEATH NOTE VOL. 2	TSUGUMI OHBA	VIZ	11/1/05
13	BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURN	FRANK MILLER	DC	5/1/97
14	VAMPIRE KNIGHT VOL. 4	MATSURI HINO	VIZ	4/1/08
15	NARUTO VOL. 1	MASASHI KISHIMOTO	VIZ	7/1/03
16	NARUTO VOL. 32	MASASHI KISHIMOTO	VIZ	12/1/08
17	BLEACH VOL. 22	TITE KUBO	VIZ	2/1/08
18	NARUTO VOL. 25	MASASHI KISHIMOTO	VIZ	12/1/07
19	DEATH NOTE VOL. 13	TSUGUMI OHBA	VIZ	2/1/08
20	VAMPIRE KNIGHT VOL. 1	MATSURI HINO	VIZ	1/1/07

Naruto was the top manga, with nine volumes in the top 20, led by volume 28, the first in the Shippuden series, at #2 over-all. Six of the top ten graphic novels of the year were Naruto volumes. Even volume 1 appeared in the list, a great sign that new readers are still joining the ranks of Naruto readers.

Three other manga series joined Naruto in the top 20: Death Note (three volumes), Fruits Basket (two volumes), Vampire Knight (two volumes), and Bleach (one volume).

The only other American title was Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, which came in at #13.

Note: We've also published a revised version to this chart (click here) that includes kids and YA titles not included here.