The Top Graphic Novel Sales List In Book Stores Features Nothing From Marvel or DC Comics, But No Manga Either
When readers think mainstream comics, they usually consider Marvel and DC Comics superheroes, and a lot of those who like to criticize the American superhero industry claim manga is reigning supreme in sales, but it turns out both are wrong according to new reports for BookScan detailing graphic novels that sold over 100,000 units in 2024—where YA Graphic Novels are in fact all that is selling.
Every year numbers get released for bestselling graphic novels, and each year it’s been apparent that tastes are changing away from the manga boom of the 2010s to something different, especially when it comes to bookstore graphic novel sales.
Marvel and DC Comics stopped reporting their sales data to comic shops with the pandemic, something that made it more difficult to track the trends of the mainstream, as they seem to have understood that their brands are in trouble, and the comics they produce are increasingly niche. However, with graphic novels to regular bookstores, the service BookScan actually details what’s happening with accurate precision. In 2024, nothing Marvel or DC Comics produced broke 100,000 units on this measurement.
Bleeding Cool produced a full list of all of the top sellers over this mark, and it might surprise readers to see what they are:
Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 1,273,926 copies sold
Dog Man: Big Jim Begins by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 664,819 copies.
Amulet: Waverider by Kazu Kibuishi from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 126,460 copies.
The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy and the Walking Disaster by Ann M. Martin and Ellen T. Crenshaw from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 125,856 copies.
Wings of Fire: Escaping Peril by Tui T. Sutherland and Mike Holmes from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 110,477 copies.
Baby-Sitters Little Sister by Karen's Sleepover by Ann M. Martin and Katy Farina. Scholastic/Graphix has sold 110,052 copies.
Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 272,251 copies.
Cat Kid Comic Club: Influencers by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 264,818 copies.
Dog Man: Mothering Heights by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 149,067 copies.
Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 140,878 copies.
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 136,582 copies.
Dog Man: Grime and Punishment by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 133,864 copies.
Dog Man Unleashed by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 122,402 copies.
Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 121,506 copies.
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland and Mike Holmes from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 114,865 copies.
Five Nights at Freddy's: Fazbear Frights Graphic Novel Collection 4 by Scott Cawthon. Scholastic/Graphix has sold 112,603 copies.
Dog Man: Fetch-22 by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 110,896 copies.
Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 108,312 copies.
Dog Man and Cat Kid by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 104,993 copies.
Cat Kid Comic Club: Collaborations by Dav Pilkey from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 103,342 copies.
Smile by Raina Telgemeier from Scholastic/Graphix has sold 101,253 copies.
The conclusion here is not only are Marvel and DC Comics blown out of the competition, but many who believe manga is usurping the big-2 in their sales are misguided as well. Manga had a large boom in the 2010s with brands like My Hero Academia entertaining American audiences, but a lot of that buzz has died off in recent years.
The real winners are Scholastic YA Graphic Novels targeting kids, as they are going to the moon for book sales, led by the Dog Man brand, which is now being made into a feature film this year. Of note is also Amulet, another YA Graphic Novel that keeps hitting the top of the lists.
The only non-youth oriented book is Five Nights At Freddy’s, which despite its graphic nature still has captivated the youth market, despite it being marketed as 14 and up for the video game property.
Manga and the mainstream superhero market are completely absent from books selling 100,000 or more, making for interesting market trends among graphic novel fiction, where Scolastic as a publisher seems to be the most dominant according to these numbers.
What do you think of Scholastic books like Dog Man being the only bestsellers in comics? Leave a comment and let us know.
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