Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this afternoon. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days *
2 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
3 (+1). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
4 (-1). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
5 (+7). The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb *
6 (-). Watchmen
7 (N). The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks *
8 (-1). Mercy Thompson Homecoming
9 (+6). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
10 (+1). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
11 (+5). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
12 (+7). The Complete Persepolis
13 (+7). The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become
14 (-9). Stitches: A Memoir
15 (-2). Asterios Polyp
16 (-8). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
17 (-3). Batman: The Killing Joke
18 (+3). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
19 (-9). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
20 (-11). Fables Vol. 12: The Dark Ages
21 (+2). Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Deluxe Edition
22 (-4). The Complete Peanuts 1971-1974 Box Set
23 (+3). Batman: The Long Halloween
24 (-2). Parker: The Hunter
25 (-8). Batman: Year One
26 (+17). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
27 (+9). The Stonekeeper's Curse (Amulet, Book 2)
28 (+2). American Born Chinese
29 (R). Final Crisis
30 (-1). Predators and Prey (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Vol. 5) *
31 (-7). Angel, Volume 5: Aftermath *
32 (N). The Cartoon History of the Modern World, Part 2: From the Bastille to Baghdad *
33 (+9). The Very Silly Mayor *
34 (R). Batman: Hush
35 (R). Achewood Volume 2: Worst Song, Played On Ugliest Guitar
36 (-11). Yotsuba&!, Vol. 6
37 (+12). Bone: One Volume Edition
38 (+9). The Surrogates
39 (N). Locke & Key: Head Games *
40 (+8). Stephen King's Dark Tower: Treachery
41 (-9). Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 4)
42 (N). The Sandman Vol. 5: A Game of You
43 (N). Bloom County Complete Library Volume 1 *
44 (-16). V for Vendetta
45 (-5). Fun Home
46 (R). Blankets
47 (R). The Sandman Vol. 4: Season of Mists
48 (R). Bone Volume 6: Old Man's Cave
49 (N). Marvel 1602 Premiere HC *
50 (R). Halo: Uprising



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 Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks seemingly charts new way up at slot 7 this week; but I had previously left it off the charts on the mistaken belief that it was not a graphic novel. There's no way for me to go back and correct the old charts, but it's here now.

* The highest actual debut this week belongs to Larry Gonick's The Cartoon History of the Modern World, Part 2. I think I've had mine on pre-order for over a year now...

* Also debuting this week are pre-orders for Locke & Key: Head Games; Bloom County Complete Library Volume 1; and Marvel 1602 Premiere HC.

* Yotsuba&! falls a bit, but is the only manga on the list this week.

* R. Crumb's Genesis is the top non-Wimpy Kid item this week, no doubt helped by the preview that appeared on BoingBoing last Friday.

Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this morning. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days *
2 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
3 (+2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
4 (+4). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
5 (+1). Stitches: A Memoir
6 (+4). Watchmen
7 (-4). Mercy Thompson Homecoming
8 (+7). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
9 (+4). Fables Vol. 12: The Dark Ages
10 (+1). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
11 (-4). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
12 (+6). The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb *
13 (+1). Asterios Polyp
14 (R). Batman: The Killing Joke
15 (-6). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
16 (-12). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
17 (-). Batman: Year One
18 (+4). The Complete Peanuts 1971-1974 Box Set
19 (-3). The Complete Persepolis
20 (-8). The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become
21 (-1). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
22 (+3). Parker: The Hunter
23 (-). Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Deluxe Edition
24 (+22). Angel, Volume 5: Aftermath *
25 (+10). Yotsuba&!, Vol. 6
26 (-5). Batman: The Long Halloween
27 (N). Fullmetal Alchemist, Volume 20
28 (-). V for Vendetta
29 (+20). Predators and Prey (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Vol. 5) *
30 (+2). American Born Chinese
31 (N). The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz HC
32 (+6). Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 4)
33 (-3). The Complete Peanuts, 1973-1974
34 (N). Classic G.I. Joe Volume 5 *
35 (-11). The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
36 (-7). The Stonekeeper's Curse (Amulet, Book 2)
37 (R). The Manga Guide to Calculus
38 (R). The Sandman Vol. 3: Dream Country
39 (R). Angel: After the Fall, Vol. 4
40 (-14). Fun Home
41 (-22). The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics
42 (R). The Very Silly Mayor *
43 (+4). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
44 (-2). The Arrival
45 (-18). Tumor Chapter 1 (Kindle)
46 (N). The Best American Comics 2009 *
47 (N). The Surrogates
48 (R). Stephen King's Dark Tower: Treachery
49 (-4). Bone: One Volume Edition
50 (R). The Boys, Vol. 4

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 University Effect is pretty much done, and the four Wimpy Kid volumes sit atop the list, where I suspect they will reside for quite some time.

* The highest debut belongs to the latest Fullmetal Alchemist volume at position #27. The highest manga on the list is Yotsuba&!, two places higher at #25; it continues to climb the chart as more people discover its awesomeness. Rounding out the manga is the return of The Manga Guide to Calculus.

* The second highest debut belongs to Marvel's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz adaptation, and one of their Dark Tower volumes also returns to the list. IDW score a debut on the list with a batch of former Marvel comics with the latest Classic GI Joe collection. Too bad none of those 5000 Marvel-owned characters that Disney are acquiring make the list anywhere...

* Down near the bottom of the list, the soon-to-be-a-major-motion-picture-starring-Bruce-Willis The Surrogates hops onto the mainstream radar. I suspect that most people seeing the movie will have no clue that it was originally a comic book.

Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this morning. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days *
2 (+6). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
3 (-1). Mercy Thompson Homecoming
4 (-1). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
5 (+5). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
6 (N). Stitches: A Memoir
7 (-3). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
8 (+9). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
9 (+2). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
10 (-5). Watchmen
11 (-5). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
12 (+6). The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become
13 (-1). Fables Vol. 12: The Dark Ages
14 (+5). Asterios Polyp
15 (-2). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
16 (-7). The Complete Persepolis
17 (-1). Batman: Year One
18 (-11). The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb *
19 (N). The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics
20 (-6). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
21 (+1). Batman: The Long Halloween
22 (+4). The Complete Peanuts 1971-1974 Box Set
23 (+9). Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Deluxe Edition
24 (R). The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
25 (+4). Parker: The Hunter
26 (-2). Fun Home
27 (-7). Tumor Chapter 1 (Kindle)
28 (-5). V for Vendetta
29 (+2). The Stonekeeper's Curse (Amulet, Book 2)
30 (-3). The Complete Peanuts, 1973-1974
31 (N). World of Warcraft Vol. 2 HC
32 (-11). American Born Chinese
33 (+10). Final Crisis
34 (-8). A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge
35 (+1). Yotsuba&!, Vol. 6 *
36 (N). Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth *
37 (-4). Batman: Dark Victory
38 (-4). Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 4)
39 (-). Serenity, Vol. 2: Better Days
40 (N). Warcraft: Legends Volume 5
41 (N). The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation
42 (-5). The Arrival
43 (R). Mouse Guard Volume 2: Winter 1152
44 (R). Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation
45 (R). Bone: One Volume Edition
46 (N). Angel, Volume 5: Aftermath *
47 (-7). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
48 (-13). The Joker
49 (-21). Predators and Prey (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Vol. 5) *
50 (R). The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House


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:

* Now that classes are in swing, the University Effect seems to be wearing off. This causes other books (e.g. the Wimpy Kid volumes) to slide back up into the top ten. Watchmen slides down to the #10 slot, which I believe is the lowest it has been since I started keeping track of these charts.

* A very high debut for David Small's Stitches: A Memoir, which goes to show that the surest way to pop up into the top ten is a positive review in the New York Times.

* Other debuts include the Spiegelman- & Mouly-edited The TOON Treasury of Classic Children's Comics; a couple of volumes based on the Warcraft computer games; Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth, a biography of Bertrand Russell; and The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation, which has been out for a year now.

* The only manga on the list is the pre-order for the latest volume of Yotsuba&!. And Marvel is absent; how long will their new Mouse-eared overlords stand for Marvel's anemic trade program?

Which late comic will we kick around now?

2009 is a banner year, with both Ultimate Hulk vs. Wolverine & Planetary publishing their long-delayed conclusions.

Which comic will now become the poster child for extremely late comics?

I'm voting for the final issue of Ambush Bug: Year None, which was originally due out in January...

Monkey Covers

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

It's Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter vs. Marvel Apes on Ron Lim's monkey variant cover to Anita Blake: The Laughing Corpse - Book One #1 (2008).

(Standard disclaimer about super-hero apes from a parallel universe not really being monkeys applies.)


Image courtesy of the Comic Book DB. Click on the image for a larger version.

Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this morning. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days *
2 (-). Mercy Thompson Homecoming
3 (+1). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
4 (-1). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
5 (-). Watchmen
6 (+2). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
7 (R). The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb *
8 (-2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
9 (-). The Complete Persepolis
10 (+2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
11 (+3). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
12 (-2). Fables Vol. 12: The Dark Ages
13 (+3). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
14 (-7). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
15 (+7). Batman: The Killing Joke
16 (+10). Batman: Year One
17 (+2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
18 (-7). The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become
19 (-1). Asterios Polyp
20 (R). Tumor Chapter 1 (Kindle)
21 (+3). American Born Chinese
22 (+8). Batman: The Long Halloween
23 (-3). V for Vendetta
24 (-7). Fun Home
25 (-4). A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge
26 (-14). The Complete Peanuts 1971-1974 Box Set *
27 (-4). The Complete Peanuts, 1973-1974 *
28 (-). Predators and Prey (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Vol. 5) *
29 (-16). Parker: The Hunter
30 (N). Masterpiece Comics
31 (N). The Stonekeeper's Curse (Amulet, Book 2)
32 (-7). Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Deluxe Edition
33 (N). Batman: Dark Victory
34 (-1). Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 4)
35 (+1). The Joker
36 (N). Yotsuba&!, Vol. 6 *
37 (-2). The Arrival
38 (N). Bleach, Vol. 28
39 (R). Serenity, Vol. 2: Better Days
40 (-1). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
41 (+2). Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns
42 (-2). The Boys, Vol. 4
43 (-14). Final Crisis
44 (-7). Batman: Hush
45 (N). The Very Silly Mayor *
46 (R). Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 1
47 (R). The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1
48 (-21). The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale
49 (R). No Future For You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 2)


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:

* Relatively calm at the top of the list, with the exception of The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb returning unexpectedly high at #7.

* Why does Maus II drop while the rest of the University Effect comics remain stable in the top ten? And why is The Complete Maus so far down at #49? Are there that many professors assigning only Part I for their students to read?

* Highest debut belongs to R. Sikoryak's Masterpiece Comics, followed closely by the second Amulet volume by Kazu Kibuishi.

* There's a mini Batman resurgence this week. The Green Lantern bubble seems to have mostly burst though, at least for the time being.

* I'm so very pleased to see that the highest charting manga this week is the newest Yotsuba&! volume, due out in just a couple of weeks!

* The only other manga to chart is a volume of Bleach, and there's no Marvel to be seen at all.

Monkey Covers

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

Now that's what I want in my Jimmy Olsen comics: Jimmy facing off against a giant green ape! Brad Walker, John Livesay & Pete Pantazis do the honors on the cover to Action Comics #854 (2007).

(Standard disclaimer about giant Kryptonite-infused apes not really being monkeys applies.)


Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this afternoon. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days *
2 (-). Mercy Thompson Homecoming
3 (+4). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
4 (+2). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
5 (-). Watchmen
6 (+2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
7 (+4). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
8 (+6). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
9 (-). The Complete Persepolis
10 (-7). Fables Vol. 12: The Dark Ages
11 (-7). The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become
12 (+8). The Complete Peanuts 1971-1974 Box Set *
13 (+4). Parker: The Hunter
14 (+12). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
15 (-3). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
16 (+2). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
17 (+5). Fun Home
18 (-8). Asterios Polyp
19 (-6). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
20 (+1). V for Vendetta
21 (N). A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge
22 (+2). Batman: The Killing Joke
23 (+4). The Complete Peanuts, 1973-1974 *
24 (-5). American Born Chinese
25 (-10). Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Deluxe Edition
26 (-1). Batman: Year One
27 (-4). The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale
28 (R). Predators and Prey (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Vol. 5) *
29 (R). Final Crisis
30 (R). Batman: The Long Halloween
31 (+6). Mouse Guard Volume 2: Winter 1152
32 (R). Watchmen (hardcover)
33 (-17). Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 4)
34 (+14). Bone: One Volume Edition
35 (+6). The Arrival
36 (+7). The Joker
37 (N). Batman: Hush
38 (+2). Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation
39 (-9). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
40 (-9). The Boys, Vol. 4
41 (N). Unknown Soldier Vol. 1: Haunted House
42 (N). The Manga Guide to Calculus
43 (-1). Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns
44 (-6). Dark Avengers Assemble (Dark Avengers, Vol. 1) *
45 (N). Blankets
46 (R). Stephen King's Dark Tower: Treachery
47 (-14). Angel: After the Fall, Vol. 4
48 (+1). The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1

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:

* Mercy Thompson Homecoming is finally released, but can't quite topple the newest Wimpy Kid pre-order. It will be interesting to see how long it hangs out int he top ten.

* The rest of the top ten—seven out of ten titles—is dominated by the University Effect. Expect to see it continue through at least mid-September.

* Despite reports from certain comics gossip columnists, followers of these charts know that the Arkham Asylum GN has been hanging about in the low teens–mid twenties–upper thirties on the Amazon bestseller lists for many months now. There might be a little bump from the video game, but it's not very significant and we know that you can't judge trends just by looking at a one-time snapshot. If it moves up into the top ten, then maybe we'll have something; but until now we haven't ever seen movement on the graphic novel charts based on a video game release.

* The highest debut, A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, saw some favorable mainstream press, and was as high as at least #4 earlier in the week. Another debut, the first Unknown Soldier collection, also had some MSM attention, but didn't get nearly as high of a jump in the charts.

Could Digital Comics Save the Midlist?

I was contemplating this morning the coming wave of digital comics. (And by digital comics I don't mean Webcomics—those that are born online—but rather digital editions of print comics.)

It's no secret that the past decade or so has not been kind to the midlist in the direct market. A system has evolved by which the major publishers are chasing the hits with splashy first month sales. As in other media (films, books, music) this serves to depress sales of midlist titles, making it very hard for a comic series to have a long life selling in the middle of the pack. And you almost never see a comic series have a nice regular upward growth in sales.

It occurs to me that a couple of different digital comics models could be a boon to midlist titles.

The first, the "iTunes model" that is nearly imminent with Longbox, could results in long tail effects being realized. This would especially be a boon to smaller publishers that aren't picked up by a majority of comics shops, as they would have a way to point their widely dispersed potential audience to an online location for purchase. Since marginal costs for distributing digital comics is close to zero and "shelf space" is virtual, such comics can potentially find their audience much more easily,

The second, a subscription model, would potentially be more helpful for midlist titles at major publishers. An analogue for this is cable television subscription channels such as HBO or Showtime. These networks are selling a package to viewers, not individual programs. This means that a critically acclaimed title adds to the overall package and is not viewed in terms of opportunity costs lost by not doing the next big crossover event. (In an interview I recently heard with the head of documentary programming for HBO, she said that in her 30 years with the network no one had ever even gone over ratings with her!)

I for one want a comic market that can support a title like Nexus and that can nurture the next Bone.

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover! A chimpanzee has an Ace up his, um, sleeve? on John Bolton's cover to Proposition Player #5 (200). (Standard disclaimer about poker-playing chimps not really being monkeys applies.) Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this afternoon. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days *
2 (+1). Mercy Thompson Homecoming *
3 (+8). Fables Vol. 12: The Dark Ages
4 (-2). The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become
5 (-1). Watchmen
6 (+1). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
7 (-2). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
8 (-2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
9 (-). The Complete Persepolis
10 (-2). Asterios Polyp
11 (+1). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
12 (+2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
13 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
14 (+4). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
15 (-5). Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Deluxe Edition
16 (-5). Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 4)
17 (-1). Parker: The Hunter
18 (-1). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
19 (+14). American Born Chinese
20 (+16). The Complete Peanuts 1971-1974 Box Set *
21 (+7). V for Vendetta
22 (+17). Fun Home
23 (+9). The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale
24 (-5). Batman: The Killing Joke
25 (+4). Batman: Year One
26 (-). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
27 (+18). The Complete Peanuts, 1973-1974 *
28 (+12). Green Lantern: Rebirth
29 (-4). Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 2
30 (R). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
31 (+12). The Boys, Vol. 4
32 (N). New Avengers Vol. 11: Search for the Sorcerer Supreme *
33 (-10). Angel: After the Fall, Vol. 4
34 (+8). Wolves at the Gate (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 3)
35 (+13). No Future For You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 2)
36 (-12). Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 1
37 (-2). Mouse Guard Volume 2: Winter 1152
38 (N). Dark Avengers Assemble (Dark Avengers, Vol. 1) *
39 (R). Lost Girls Hardcover Edition
40 (-13). Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation
41 (R). The Arrival
42 (-12). Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns
43 (R). The Joker
44 (N). Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels
45 (R). Serenity, Vol. 2: Better Days
46 (N). Invincible, Book 11: Happy Days *
47 (R). The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
48 (-2). Bone: One Volume Edition
49 (R). The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1

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 new Fables volume jumps up into the top five, while the new Walking Dead volume remains up there as well. Both have recently been picked up as potential tv series; perhaps a bunch of actors looking to get a leg up on the properties prior to casting calls? Of course, both comics have well-established track records as comics that appeal to the non-Wednesday crowd and that many people prefer to read in collections, which make them prime candidates for strong Amazon sellers.

* Mercy Thompson Homecoming inches ever so closer to the top of the list as it nears its release date next week. It's been creeping up the list for quite some time now, indicating that there will be a good number of copies going out next week to Amazon customers. (Maybe the publisher will make enough money to pay their freelancer payment backlog?)

* The University Effect continues, with Maus, Persepolis, Watchmen, & Understanding Comics all remaining in the top ten or rising up towards it.

* Two of the three new titles this week are pre-orders of Avengers hardcovers from Marvel, showing that a few Marvel fans are willing to wait a few extra weeks in order to get the sizable Amazon discount. The only other new item is the latest volume of Invincible, also in pre-order; if Image/Kirkman can successfully wage a 'from the creator of The Walking Dead' campaign, maybe it will see greater success in the coming weeks?

Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this afternoon. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days *
2 (+23). The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become
3 (+3). Mercy Thompson Homecoming *
4 (-2). Watchmen
5 (+6). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
6 (-2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
7 (+2). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
8 (-5). Asterios Polyp
9 (+4). The Complete Persepolis
10 (-5). Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Deluxe Edition
11 (+13). Fables Vol. 12: The Dark Ages *
12 (+9). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
13 (-5). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
14 (-7). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
15 (+1). Maximum Ride, Vol. 1 Manga (kindle)
16 (-1). Parker: The Hunter
17 (-3). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
18 (+5). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
19 (-9). Batman: The Killing Joke
20 (-8). Tumor Chapter 1 (kindle)
21 (+10). Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 4)
22 (-3). Final Crisis
23 (+3). Angel: After the Fall, Vol. 4
24 (+8). Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 1
25 (R). Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 2
26 (+7). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
27 (-10). Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation
28 (-10). V for Vendetta
29 (-1). Batman: Year One
30 (+7). Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns
31 (N). Pax Romana *
32 (R). The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale
33 (-4). American Born Chinese
34 (R). The Walking Dead, Book 1
35 (-8). Mouse Guard Volume 2: Winter 1152
36 (R). The Complete Peanuts 1971-1974 Box Set *
37 (R). The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics
38 (+7). The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 1)
39 (+3). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
40 (-5). Green Lantern: Rebirth
41 (R). Stephen King's Dark Tower: Treachery
42 (+4). Wolves at the Gate (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 3)
43 (-13). The Boys, Vol. 4
44 (N). The Walking Dead, Book 3
45 (N). The Complete Peanuts, 1973-1974 *
46 (-2). Bone: One Volume Edition
47 (R). The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House
48 (R). No Future For You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 2)
49 (N). Classic G.I. Joe Volume 3


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:

* Huge movement for The Walking Dead, possibly tied to the announcement that's it's being developed as a television series for AMC.

* Highest debut goes to Jonathan Hickman's Pax Romana. For a collection by a non-name (though very talented) creator and not featuring an established character or franchise, this is quite impressive.

* We may be beginning to see the start of a university effect, where GNs that are assigned as reading in college classes take a bump up at the start of the semester. This would affect books like Maus, Persepolis, Understanding Comics, and Watchmen. Stay tuned over the next few weeks to see if this holds true.

* Is Green Lantern DC's new Batman?

* A GI Joe volume squeaks in at #49, showing that just because you have the top movie in the country doesn't mean that it will translate to big comics sales.

* I added in the 'R' code to differentiate items which are returning to the list, as opposed to items which are appearing on the list for the first time.

How Amazon's Bestseller Lists Work

Those of you who have been following our weekly snapshots of the Amazon Top 50 Comics lists—and/or the recent discussion over at Comics Worth Reading of the same—may find the following article of interest

Over on Slate's The Big Money blog, Marion Maneker discusses "Secrets of the Amazon Best-Seller List," with speculation on how the list is derived, and how some authors attempt to game the system.

In short, Maneker quotes author Andy Kessler, who speculates:

"I'm not sure the exact number," Kessler says of the weightings, "but my guess is 40 percent hour, 30 percent day, 20 percent week, and 10 percent month. So if you have a huge spike in sales, you don't completely dislodge books that have been in the top 10 or top 100 for months and months. Though you might pass them for a very fun hour."

(link via Marc-Oliver Frisch)

Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this afternoon. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days *
2 (-). Watchmen
3 (-). Asterios Polyp
4 (+2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
5 (-1). Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Deluxe Edition
6 (+6). Mercy Thompson Homecoming *
7 (+2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
8 (+2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
9 (+2). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
10 (+15). Batman: The Killing Joke
11 (+3). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
12 (-4). Tumor Chapter 1 (kindle)
13 (+11). The Complete Persepolis
14 (+6). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
15 (-10). Parker: The Hunter
16 (-3). Maximum Ride, Vol. 1 Manga (kindle)
17 (-10). Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation
18 (+10). V for Vendetta
19 (-3). Final Crisis
20 (N). The Impostor's Daughter: A True Memoir
21 (+14). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
22 (N). The Impostor's Daughter: A True Memoir (kindle)
23 (+13). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
24 (N). Fables Vol. 12: The Dark Ages *
25 (N). The Walking Dead, Vol. 10: What We Become *
26 (-5). Angel: After the Fall, Vol. 4
27 (-9). Mouse Guard Volume 2: Winter 1152
28 (+16). Batman: Year One
29 (N). American Born Chinese
30 (-4). The Boys, Vol. 4
31 (-16). Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 4)
32 (+2). Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 1
33 (-6). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
34 (+16). Prince Valiant, Vol. 1: 1937-1938 *
35 (-13). Green Lantern: Rebirth
36 (N). The Joker
37 (-18). Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns
38 (N). The Arrival
39 (+10). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
40 (-23). Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Deluxe Edition
41 (N). Green Lantern Vol. 2: Revenge of the Green Lanterns
42 (N). Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
43 (-3). Nevermore *
44 (N). Bone: One Volume Edition
45 (+3). The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 1)
46 (N). Wolves at the Gate (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 3)
47 (-15). Serenity, Vol. 2: Better Days
48 (N). The Photographer: Into War-torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders
49 (N). Al Williamson's Flash Gordon: A Lifelong Vision of the Heroic
50 (N). Predators and Prey (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Vol. 5)

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


Commentary:

* Cooke's Parker: The Hunter falls out of the top 10; a temporary dip, or has it run its course? Mazzucchelli's Asterios Polyp stays the course as a top three, just below Watchmen and the new Wimpy Kid.

* Highest debut of the week belongs to Laurie Sandell's The Impostor's Daughter, which comes in at #20 for the hardcover and #22 for the Kindle edition. This is the first time we've seen both the print and digital edition of a comic his the charts at the same time.

* The latest collections of Fables & The Walking Dead debut as pre-orders in the mid-twenties.

* Green Lantern & Buffy interest both seem to be waning this week, while old reliable Batman keeps chugging along.

* No graphic novels from Marvel again this week. Surprisingly, no manga on the chart either.

Monkey Covers

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

Monkeys in the zoo laugh at the funny people on Chris Schaare's cover to Wow Comics #66 (1948).

(Standard disclaimer about funnily-dressed people not really being monkeys applies.)


Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this afternoon. All the previous caveats apply.


1 (+27). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days *
2 (-1). Watchmen
3 (-1). Asterios Polyp
4 (-1). Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Deluxe Edition *
5 (-). Parker: The Hunter
6 (-2). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
7 (N). Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation
8 (N). Tumor Chapter 1 (kindle)
9 (+4). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
10 (-4). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
11 (-4). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
12 (+3). Mercy Thompson Homecoming *
13 (+12). Maximum Ride, Vol. 1 Manga (kindle)
14 (-3). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
15 (-3). Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 4)
16 (-7). Final Crisis
17 (+4). Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Deluxe Edition
18 (+5). Mouse Guard Volume 2: Winter 1152 *
19 (-3). Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns
20 (-12). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
21 (+3). Angel: After the Fall, Vol. 4
22 (-). Green Lantern: Rebirth
23 (+9). The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
24 (+6). The Complete Persepolis
25 (-6). Batman: The Killing Joke
26 (-16). The Boys, Vol. 4
27 (N). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
28 (-8). V for Vendetta
29 (-12). Fruits Basket Volume 23
30 (-4). Berserk Volume 30
31 (-4). Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 2
32 (+18). Serenity, Vol. 2: Better Days
33 (N). Green Lantern Corps: Sins of the Star Sapphire
34 (-). Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 1
35 (-2). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
36 (+12). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
37 (+5). Tales Designed to Thrizzle: Volume 1 *
38 (+1). Batman: R.I.P.
39 (N). Stephen King's Dark Tower: Treachery
40 (N). Blade Of The Immortal Volume 21: Demon Lair II
41 (N). The Adventures of Johnny Bunko (kindle)
42 (-24). 100 Bullets Vol. 13: Wilt
43 (N). Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 19
44 (-8). Batman: Year One
45 (-8). Lost Girls Hardcover Edition
46 (-1). Nevermore *
47 (-12). Watchmen (Absolute Edition)
48 (N). The Long Way Home (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 1)
49 (N). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
50 (N). Prince Valiant, Vol. 1: 1937-1938 *

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


Commentary:

* A reminder that last week's chart positions are from Saturday morning, not Friday, so take the week-to-week comparisons with an even larger grain of salt than usual.

* As expected, the new Wimpy Kid volume rockets up to the number one position. Expect it to stay entrenched there for a long time. Surprisingly, the other Wimpy Kid volumes aren't getting a bounce back up to the top.

* Highest debut of the week is Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451: The Authorized Adaptation, with an impressive top ten showing. There must be a mainstream review out there somewhere.

* Right behind 451°F is the kindle edition of Joshua Hale Fialkov's Tumor Chapter 1, which is free. That explains it's high chart showing, but also points for a potentially good marketing ploy as comics lurch towards digital distribution.

* Asterios Polyp looks like it will have some legs on the charts.

Amazon Top 50

Sorry the list is so late this time. Last Friday I was on a 14-hour leg of a road trip, and wasn't able to grab the Amazon bestseller list. I did manage to get a copy of it Saturday morning though, and here is the delayed list. Since this snapshot was done Saturday rather than Friday, you should keep that in mind when comparing week-to-week, in addition to all the previous caveats.


1 (+1). Watchmen
2 (+5). Asterios Polyp
3 (+1). Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Deluxe Edition *
4 (-3). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
5 (+11). Parker: The Hunter
6 (-3). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
7 (+11). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
8 (+9). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
9 (-). Final Crisis
10 (+3). The Boys, Vol. 4
11 (-1). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
12 (+32). Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 4)
13 (-7). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
14 (+14). The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
15 (-). Mercy Thompson Homecoming *
16 (-4). Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns
17 (-2). Fruits Basket Volume 23
18 (-13). 100 Bullets Vol. 13: Wilt
19 (+4). Batman: The Killing Joke
20 (+1). V for Vendetta
21 (-7). Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Deluxe Edition
22 (+5). Green Lantern: Rebirth
23 (N). Mouse Guard Volume 2: Winter 1152 *
24 (+2). Angel: After the Fall, Vol. 4 *
25 (-17). Maximum Ride, Vol. 1 Manga (kindle)
26 (N). Berserk Volume 30 *
27 (+3). Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 2
28 (N). Diary of a Wimpy Kid 4 *
29 (N). The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics
30 (-19). The Complete Persepolis
31 (-). Bone: One Volume Edition
32 (+13). The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House
33 (-4). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
34 (-9). Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 1
35 (N). Watchmen (Absolute Edition)
36 (+4). Batman: Year One
37 (+4). Lost Girls Hardcover Edition
38 (N). American Born Chinese
39 (N). Batman: R.I.P.
40 (-8). Wolves at the Gate (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 3)
41 (+7). No Future For You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 2)
42 (N). Tales Designed to Thrizzle: Volume 1 *
43 (N). The Photographer: Into War-torn Afghanistan with Doctors Without Borders
44 (N). Empowered, Vol. 5
45 (-23). Nevermore *
46 (N). New Avengers Vol. 10: Power *
47 (N). Predators and Prey (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Vol. 5) *
48 (-28). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
49 (N). Y: The Last Man Vol. 8: Kimono Dragons
50 (-15). Serenity, Vol. 2: Better Days


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


Commentary:

* The most notable thing this week is the relatively poor showing of the Wimpy Kid volumes. Is this a function of taking the reading on Saturday rather than Friday? We'll find out this Friday I suppose. Also, sneaking in at #28 is the pre-order for the fourth Wimpy Kid volume; expect to see this move up and settle in to the top slot before too long.

* The highest debut this week belongs to the second Mouse Guard hardcover (in pre-order); another title I expect to move up into the top ten when it comes out next month.

* Watchmen moves back to the top slot, and the reappearance of the Absolute Edition on the chart, are probably the result of the Watchmen DVD being released.

* I wonder if the Green Lantern surge will last for the entirety of Blackest Night? That plus the new direct-to-DVD animated movie plus the announcement of a live-action feature film are no doubt pushing the property up the charts.

Monkey Covers

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

Spawn fights Cy-Gor on Greg Capullo & Todd McFarlane's cover to Spawn #57 (1997).

(Standard disclaimer about cybrnetic gorillas not really being monkeys applies.)


Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Monkey Covers

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

An armored gorilla punches some dude in the face on John Byrne's cover to Doomsday + 1 #6 (1976).

(Standard disclaimer about armored gorillas not really being monkeys applies.)


Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Amazon Top 50

Here are the Top 50 Graphic Novels on Amazon this morning. All the previous caveats apply.

1 (-). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
2 (-). Watchmen
3 (+3). Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
4 (+13). Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Deluxe Edition *
5 (+13). 100 Bullets Vol. 13: Wilt
6 (-1). Diary of a Wimpy Kid
7 (-4). Asterios Polyp
8 (+5). Maximum Ride, Vol. 1 Manga (kindle)
9 (-5). Final Crisis
10 (+13). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
11 (-1). The Complete Persepolis
12 (-5). Green Lantern: Rage of the Red Lanterns
13 (+12). The Boys, Vol. 4
14 (N). Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? Deluxe Edition
15 (-3). Mercy Thompson Homecoming *
16 (+18). Parker: The Hunter
17 (+4). Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
18 (-3). Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
19 (-11). Fruits Basket Volume 23
20 (+22). Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
21 (-5). V for Vendetta
22 (N). Nevermore *
23 (-9). Batman: The Killing Joke
24 (N). Batman: Arkham Asylum (15th Anniversary Edition)
25 (-5). Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 1
26 (N). Angel: After the Fall, Vol. 4 *
27 (N). Green Lantern: Rebirth
28 (+2). The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes
29 (N). Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began
30 (-11). Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps War, Vol. 2
31 (-5). Bone: One Volume Edition
32 (+11). Wolves at the Gate (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 3)
33 (N). Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 19 *
34 (-23). Naruto, Volume 45
35 (N). Serenity, Vol. 2: Better Days
36 (-8). Negima!: Magister Negi Magi, Vol. 23
37 (-8). Scott Pilgrim, Vol. 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life
38 (+12). Warriors: Tigerstar and Sasha #3: Return to the Clans
39 (+6). Star Trek: Countdown TPB
40 (-7). Batman: Year One
41 (N). Lost Girls Hardcover Edition
42 (-20). The Complete Calvin and Hobbes
43 (N). The Arrival
44 (-35). Time of Your Life (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8, Vol. 4)
45 (-1). The Sandman Vol. 2: The Doll's House
46 (-22). Stephen King's Dark Tower: Treachery
47 (N). Green Lantern Corps: Sins of the Star Sapphire
48 (-9). No Future For You (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 2)
49 (N). The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale
50 (N). Fables, Vol. 11: War and Pieces


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


Commentary:

* Debuts this week include the latest Angel: After the Fall collection; Green Lantern: Rebirth; the latest Fullmetal Alchemist; and the new single-volume edition of Lost Girls.

* Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? continues to rise up the list; it's Neil Gaiman and Batman, two things that the Amazon Bestseller List loves, so I expect to see this new hardcover on the list for a good haul.