Friday, September 27, 2013

Amazon Top 50

Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants
Here are the Top 50 Comics & Graphic Novels on Amazon Friday morning. See About the Amazon Top 50 Lists for more information on how this list is compiled.


1 (+1). Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants *
2 (+3). Hyperbole and a Half (paperback) *
3 (-). The Walking Dead, Book 9
4 (-). Star Wars: Jedi Academy
5 (+4). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
6 (-5). Injustice: Gods Among Us #36 (Kindle)
7 (-1). Vader's Little Princess
8 (-1). Darth Vader and Son
9 (-1). The Walking Dead, Vol. 19 *
10 (+3). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
11 (+6). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
12 (+4). Saga Volume 1
13 (+1). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 3 *
14 (-2). Saga Volume 2
15 (+11). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
16 (+2). Batman Vol. 3: Death of the Family (The New 52) *
17 (+12). Batman: The Killing Joke, Deluxe Edition
18 (+7). How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
19 (+8). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
20 (N). Attack on Titan 7
21 (+24). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2
22 (N). Justice League, Vol. 3: Throne of Atlantis (The New 52) *
23 (-8). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
24 (+9). Big Nate: I Smell a Pop Quiz! (Kindle)
25 (R). Batman: Year One
26 (-7). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 2
27 (+17). American Born Chinese
28 (-7). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (paperback)
29 (-1). The Walking Dead, Vol. 18: What Comes After
30 (-6). Watchmen
31 (-8). Attack on Titan 1
32 (-12). The Complete Persepolis
33 (N). Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, Volume 6: To War *
34 (+2). Age of Ultron
35 (N). Attack on Titan 6
36 (-5). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
37 (R). Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)
38 (-15). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
39 (-4). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 1
40 (N). Hyperbole and a Half (hardcover) *
41 (+6). Marvel Encyclopedia
42 (-10). Sailor Moon Short Stories 1
43 (N). Attack on Titan 2
44 (-10). My Dog: The Paradox
45 (+5). East of West Volume 1: The Promise
46 (R). Blue Is the Warmest Color
47 (R). Batman: The Long Halloween
48 (N). Locke and Key: Vol. 1 Welcome to Lovecraft (Kindle)
49 (N). Batman: The Court of Owls Mask and Book Set (The New 52) *
50 (R). Building Stories


Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks


Commentary:
  • The pre-order for Michael Inman's Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants returns to the top of the chart this week, followed closely by Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half in the #2 slot, making for a one-two punch of Webcomic collections at the top of the chart this week.
  • Dead Watch: The new Walking Dead hardcover lands in the #3 position. There are six WD collections on the chart this week, surely a sign that the new season of the television show is set to debut in a few short weeks.
  • Injustice Watch: It turns out that issue #36 is the last (for now) issue of Injustice: Gods Among Us. Which likely explains why it debuted at the top of the chart this week and remains in the top ten this week. However there are no other Injustice issues in the top fifty chart this week.
  • Titan Watch: The top debut this week is Attack on Titan 7 and there are three other of Hajime Isayama's Attack of Titan volumes on the chart this week (two for the first time). Apparently there is a fairly popular anime series. Publisher Kodansha appears poised to take advantage as there are three more AoT volumes scheduled for release before the end of the year.
  • Also debuting this week are the latest New 52 Justice League collection; a new Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin collection; a hardcover edition of Hyperbole and a Half; the Kindle edition of the first Locke & Key collection; and a Mask and Book Set for the first New 52 Batman collection.
  • Julie Maroh's Blue Is the Warmest Color sneaks back up onto the chart this week. While it's not unusual for a film based on a comic to increase that comic's sales, it is pretty rare when it's a foreign language film based on a European comic.

Friday, September 20, 2013

Amazon Top 50

Injustice: Gods Among Us #36
Here are the Top 50 Comics & Graphic Novels on Amazon Friday evening. See About the Amazon Top 50 Lists for more information on how this list is compiled.


1 (N). Injustice: Gods Among Us #36 (Kindle)
2 (-1). Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants *
3 (-). The Walking Dead, Book 9
4 (+6). Star Wars: Jedi Academy
5 (-1). Hyperbole and a Half *
6 (+2). Vader's Little Princess
7 (+5). Darth Vader and Son
8 (-2). The Walking Dead, Vol. 19 *
9 (-4). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
10 (-8). Injustice: Gods Among Us #35 (Kindle)
11 (+8). How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
12 (+1). Saga Volume 2
13 (-4). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
14 (+7). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 3 *
15 (-1). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
16 (-9). Saga Volume 1
17 (-2). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
18 (+20). Batman Vol. 3: Death of the Family (The New 52) *
19 (+8). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 2
20 (-). The Complete Persepolis
21 (-7). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (paperback)
22 (-). March Book One
23 (+6). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
24 (-6). Watchmen
25 (N). SCADA and Me: A Book for Children and Management
26 (-9). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
27 (-3). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
28 (-). The Walking Dead, Vol. 18: What Comes After
29 (-6). Batman: The Killing Joke, Deluxe Edition
30 (N). The Hedge Knight: The Graphic Novel *
31 (+16). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
32 (+7). Sailor Moon Short Stories 1
33 (-2). Big Nate: I Smell a Pop Quiz! (Kindle)
34 (+7). My Dog: The Paradox
35 (+2). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 1
36 (-). Age of Ultron
37 (-11). V for Vendetta
38 (N). Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 1: Cosmic Avengers
39 (+5). The Walking Dead, Book 1
40 (R). The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes & Nocturnes
41 (-30). Injustice: Gods Among Us #34 (Kindle)
42 (-). I Am Pusheen the Cat *
43 (N). The Uncanny X-Men Omnibus Volume 1
44 (-19). American Born Chinese
45 (-13). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2
46 (+4). Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (The New 52)
47 (R). Marvel Encyclopedia
48 (-8). Attack on Titan 1
49 (N). Star Wars Volume 1: In the Shadow of Yavin
50 (N). East of West Volume 1: The Promise


Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks


Commentary:
  • The top debut this week is the latest issue of Injustice: Gods Among Us on the Kindle. The new Injustice issue nearly always debuts near the top of the chart, but doesn't often claim the #1 spot (this week being the obvious exception).
  • Star Wars Watch: The three Jeffrey Brown Star Wars books (from Scholastic & Chronicle Books) are all in the top ten this week. Meanwhile the first collection of the Brian Wood Star Wars comic series (from Dark Horse) debuts on the chart, but down in the #49 position.
  • Also debuting this week is SCADA and Me: A Book for Children and Management by Robert M. Lee & Jeff Haas. Never heard of it? It's a book for on a particular cybersecurity concern for IT managers and workers, told in comics in a kids' picture book format.
  • Also debuting this week are The Hedge Knight: The Graphic Novel, based on a George R. R. Martin property; the first collection of the current Guardians of the Galaxy comic; a big fat Uncanny X-Men Omnibus, and the first collection of Hickman & Dragotta's East of West.
  • Kindle Watch: Only four of the chart positions this week are taken up by Kindle editions, down one from last week. Three of those four are Injustice issues. Several Marvel collections are on sale on the Kindle right now for under $4 (including Iron Man: The Five Nightmares, World War Hulk, & Spider-Man: Died in Your Arms Tonight) but even at the reduced price there currently isn't enough interest there for those to chart this evening...
  • This week's snapshot is taken in the early evening, rather than the usual morning. So take chart positions and movements this week with a slightly larger grain of salt than usual.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Amazon Top 50

Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants
Here are the Top 50 Comics & Graphic Novels on Amazon Friday morning. See About the Amazon Top 50 Lists for more information on how this list is compiled.


1 (N). Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants *
2 (N). Injustice: Gods Among Us #35 (Kindle)
3 (+11). The Walking Dead, Book 9 *
4 (+5). Hyperbole and a Half *
5 (-2). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
6 (+20). The Walking Dead, Vol. 19 *
7 (+6). Saga Volume 1
8 (+9). Vader's Little Princess
9 (-4). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
10 (+14). Star Wars: Jedi Academy
11 (-9). Injustice: Gods Among Us #34 (Kindle)
12 (+11). Darth Vader and Son
13 (-3). Saga Volume 2
14 (+14). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (paperback)
15 (-9). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
16 (+2). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
17 (-2). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
18 (+3). Watchmen
19 (+15). How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
20 (-12). The Complete Persepolis
21 (-2). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 3 *
22 (-15). March Book One
23 (+7). Batman: The Killing Joke, Deluxe Edition
24 (-13). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
25 (-3). American Born Chinese
26 (+3). V for Vendetta
27 (-). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 2
28 (+3). The Walking Dead, Vol. 18: What Comes After
29 (-9). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
30 (-18). Injustice: Gods Among Us #33 (Kindle)
31 (+4). Big Nate: I Smell a Pop Quiz! (Kindle)
32 (+4). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2
33 (N). The Walking Dead #114 (Kindle)
34 (+12). Batman: The Long Halloween
35 (+4). Batman: Year One
36 (N). Age of Ultron *
37 (+6). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 1
38 (+6). Batman Vol. 3: Death of the Family (The New 52) *
39 (-2). Sailor Moon Short Stories 1
40 (N). Attack on Titan 1
41 (R). My Dog: The Paradox
42 (-38). I Am Pusheen the Cat *
43 (+6). Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)
44 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 1
45 (+2). RASL *
46 (R). Hawkeye: Little Hits, Vol. 2
47 (+3). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye
48 (R). Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon
49 (-9). The Complete Maus
50 (-8). Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (The New 52)


Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks


Commentary:
  • Debuting at the top of the chart this week is the pre-order for Why Grizzly Bears Should Wear Underpants, the latest collection of strips from Matthew Inman's online comic The Oatmeal. It is currently #46 on the cover Amazon books bets sellers chart. (Heidi MacDonald covered this more in depth yesterday on The Beat...) 
  • Diary Watch: The saga of the missing Dork Diaries & Diary of a Wimpy Kid books continues. Well, it's not much of a saga; Amazon just decided last week to re-categorize them as not comics. Looks like this is the new reality.
  • Dead Watch: With the absence of the Diary books, the gradual decline of University Effect books now that the start-of-the-school-year book buying is waning, and the debut of the new season just a month away, we start to see a resurgence in The Walking Dead. Eight items make the chart this week, including pre-orders for two upcoming collections in the top ten, and the Kindle digital edition of the new issue (#114), which is the first time that a run-of-the-mill regular-priced comic issue of The Walking Dead has charted.
  • The first volume of Hajame Isayama's Attack on Titan makes its first appearance on the chart. The series is currently on volume 6, so that fact that it is the first volume charting would indicate that interest in this manga property is growing. (Earlier in the year volume 5 made a brief appearance on the chart.)
  • Also debuting this week are the latest issues of Injustice, and the pre-order for the hardcover collection of Marvel's Age of Ultron crossover event.
  • Long-time indie comics darling Jeffrey Brown has all three of his Star Wars-related books in the top twelve. Publishers take note: Allowing talented creators to go off-model and all-ages with your established properties can be highly successful...!
  • Kindle Watch: Only five of the chart positions this week are taken up by Kindle editions, down two from last week.

Sunday, September 08, 2013

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover!


The Flash 23.1


Grodd has taken over The Flash's comic on the 3-D motion cover of The Flash #23.1 (2013) by Francis Manapul.

(Standard disclaimer about upside-down gorillas not really being monkeys applies.)

Click on the image for a larger version.

Friday, September 06, 2013

Amazon Top 50

Fables Volume 1: Legends in Exile
Here are the Top 50 Comics & Graphic Novels on Amazon Friday morning. See About the Amazon Top 50 Lists for more information on how this list is compiled.


1 (N). Fables Vol. 1: Legends in Exile (Kindle)
2 (N). Injustice: Gods Among Us #34 (Kindle)
3 (-). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
4 (N). I Am Pusheen the Cat *
5 (+3). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
6 (+4). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
7 (-). March Book One
8 (+1). The Complete Persepolis
9 (+3). Hyperbole and a Half *
10 (+11). Saga Volume 2
11 (-). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
12 (-6). Injustice: Gods Among Us #33 (Kindle)
13 (+18). Saga Volume 1
14 (+6). The Walking Dead, Book 9 *
15 (+18). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1
16 (N). Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen
17 (+2). Vader's Little Princess
18 (-1). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
19 (+16). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 3 *
20 (-6). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
21 (-3). Watchmen
22 (-9). American Born Chinese
23 (+1). Darth Vader and Son
24 (-2). Star Wars: Jedi Academy
25 (N). Mission in a Bottle: The Honest Guide to Doing Business Differently—and Succeeding
26 (+3). The Walking Dead, Vol. 19 *
27 (+5). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 2
28 (-24). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (paperback)
29 (+1). V for Vendetta
30 (-5). Batman: The Killing Joke, Deluxe Edition
31 (-4). The Walking Dead, Vol. 18: What Comes After
32 (N). William Shatner Presents: The Tekwar Chronicles #0 (Kindle)
33 (N). Forever Evil (2013- ) #1 (Kindle)
34 (+12). How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You
35 (+3). Big Nate: I Smell a Pop Quiz! (Kindle)
36 (+6). The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 2
37 (N). Sailor Moon Short Stories 1 *
38 (N). Blue Is the Warmest Color
39 (+4). Batman: Year One
40 (-14). The Complete Maus
41 (-25). Injustice: Gods Among Us #32 (Kindle)
42 (R). Batman Vol. 2: The City of Owls (The New 52)
43 (R). Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Search, Part 1
44 (N). Batman Vol. 3: Death of the Family (The New 52) *
45 (N). Chew Volume 7: Bad Apples
46 (R). Batman: The Long Halloween
47 (N). RASL *
48 (-12). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (hardcover)
49 (R). Batman Vol. 1: The Court of Owls (The New 52)
50 (R). The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye


Items with asterisks (*) are pre-order items.

N = New listing appearing on list for first time
R = Item returning to the list after having been off for 1 or more weeks


Commentary:
  • Diary Watch: The astute among you who have been following these Amazon comics and graphic novels sales charts may realize in looking through the list this week that there are no Wimpy Kid or Dork Diaries titles. This is because Amazon appears to have removed them completely from their Comics and Graphic Novels category. All of them. They're gone. Why? It may be that someone (or many someones) petitioned Amazon to have them re-categorized. Or perhaps someone at Amazon did it completely on their own. Perhaps there were meetings, or maybe it was the arbitrary action of a lone Amazon employee. Mysterious are the ways of Amazon categorization. But the end result is the same: if they're not on the Amazon bestseller chart, then they aren't in my weekly chart shapshot. This of course will make comparisons from last week to this week difficult, and will really mess with my year-end compilation.
  • The elimination of the WK & DD titles opens up a lot of room for new and returning titles to the top 50 chart this week. Leading the pack at the #1 position is the Kindle edition of Fables vol. 1: Legends in Exile, which is still enjoying the afterglow of being a Kindle Daily Deal earlier in the week at a reduced price ($1.99). Right behind it is the latest digital issue of Injustice: Gods Among Us.
  • Debuting in the #4 slot is Claire Belton's I Am Pusheen the Cat, based on her Webcomic-like-thing. That makes three of the top four items on the chart debut items this week.
  • A bit further down the chart, the television tie-in OGN Once Upon a Time: Shadow of the Queen marks Marvel's only appearance on this week's chart. Mission in a Bottle, the story of the founding of Honest Tea company in comics form, debuts at the midway point.
  • Two Kindle editions of print comics show up next to each other: issue #0 of William Shatner's Tekwar, and the first issue of DC's Forever Evil event mini-series. The Tekwar comic might be benefiting from the fact that the first Tekwar novel was one of yesterday's Kindle Daily Deals. Forever Evil's appearance I believe is the first time that a regularly-priced new comic issue was landed on the chart.
  • Rounding out the debuts this week are Sailor Moon Short Stories, Blue Is the Warmest Color, the third New 52 Batman compilation, the latest Chew compilation, and Jeff Smith's RASL.
  • The University effect is still in high gear as college students continue to return to classes for the fall semester and buy their required texts on Amazon. Persepolis, Maus, Fun Home and Understanding Comics lead the way.
  • Kindle Watch: Only seven of the chart positions this week are taken up by Kindle editions, down one from last week. The loss of WK & DD Kindle editions was mostly made up for by the rising of other Kindle comics up onto the chart.