After we published the list of the Top 20 Bookstore Graphic Novels of 2008 provided by Nielsen BookScan (see “Top 20 Bookstore Graphic Novels of 2008”), we were contacted by a couple of sources who questioned why some Kids and Young Adult titles were not included in the rankings. We asked Nielsen for a clarification.
|
Rank
|
Title
|
Author
|
Pub
|
|
1
|
WATCHMEN TP
|
ALAN MOORE
|
DC
|
|
2
|
NARUTO VOL. 28
|
MASASHI KISHIMOTO
|
VIZ
|
|
3
|
NARUTO VOL. 29
|
MASASHI KISHIMOTO
|
VIZ
|
|
4
|
NARUTO VOL. 30
|
MASASHI KISHIMOTO
|
DC
|
|
5
|
BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE SPEC. ED. HC
|
ALAN MOORE
|
DC
|
|
6
|
NARUTO VOL. 27
|
MASASHI KISHIMOTO
|
VIZ
|
|
7
|
NARUTO VOL. 31
|
MASASHI KISHIMOTO
|
VIZ
|
|
8
|
NARUTO VOL. 26
|
MASASHI KISHIMOTO
|
VIZ
|
|
9
|
DEATH NOTE VOL. 1
|
TSUGUMI OHBA
|
VIZ
|
|
10
|
BONE VOL. 1
|
JEFF SMITH
|
SCH
|
|
11
|
FRUITS BASKET VOL. 19
|
NATSUKI TAKAYA
|
TKP
|
|
12
|
BONE VOL. 7
|
JEFF SMITH
|
SCH
|
|
13
|
DARK TOWER: THE LONG ROAD HOME HC
|
PETER DAVID
|
MAR
|
|
14
|
FRUITS BASKET VOL. 20
|
NATSUKI TAKAYA
|
TKP
|
|
15
|
WARRIORS: WARRIOR'S REFUGE
|
ERIN HUNTER
|
TKP
|
|
16
|
POKEMON DIAMOND AND PEARL ADV. VOL. 1
|
IHARA SHIGEKATSU
|
VIZ
|
|
17
|
DEATH NOTE VOL. 2
|
TSUGUMI OHBA
|
VIZ
|
|
18
|
BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS
|
FRANK MILLER
|
DC
|
|
19
|
VAMPIRE KNIGHT VOL. 4
|
MATSURI HINO
|
VIZ
|
|
20
|
NARUTO VOL. 1
|
MASASHI KISHIMOTO
|
VIZ
|
The BookScan rankings are based on BISAC categories. “We receive bibliographic metadata, including BISAC categorizations, from third parties such as Ingram Book Company,” the company said. So we requested that the rankings be revisited with graphic novel titles from other categories included (note--we asked about specific titles; if you are a publisher and believe your title should have been in this lislt, please let us know).
The top nine titles remained the same, but beginning with #10, five new titles made the top 20. Two of the Scholastic color Bone volumes, Bone Volume 1: Out from Boneville and Bone Volume 7: Ghost Circles, hit the list at #10 and #12, respectively.
Dark Tower: The Long Road Home, which was given a single ranking for the combined sales of all its covers, is #13 on this more comprehensive list.
Tokyopop’s Warrior’s Refuge, the OEL manga based on the works by Erin Hunter, is #15 on the combined list.
And Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventures Vol. 1 from Viz is #16.
