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Top 100 Graphic Novels: October 2011

Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac

The Flash found himself in a dark and twisted reality in Geoff Johns and Andy Kubert's Flashpoint mini-series for DC Comics, and the collected hardcover edition of this event that led into the relaunch of the entire DC Universe was the best-selling graphic novel for the month of October.

In total, DC Comics had five of the month's top ten graphic novels. In addition to Flashpoint, Batman: Arkham City, the graphic novel by Paul Dini based on the best-selling Ubisoft video game, was the month's #3 graphic novel, and Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely's complete All-Star Superman trade paperback ranked #8 for the month. DC also had two books from their Vertigo imprint in the top ten — The Unwritten Volume 4: Leviathan ranked #4 and American Vampire Volume 1 ranked #6.

Image Comics had two books in the top ten, both related to Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead, the best-selling zombie comic book that has spawned a television adaptation on AMC that has just begun its second season. The Walking Dead Volume 7 hardcover ranked #2 for the month, and The Walking Dead Survivor's Guide, a companion to the series, ranked #7.

Three other publishers each had one title in October's top ten.

Dark Horse Comics' Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Strange Allies placed at #5. Avatar Press' Alan Moore's Neonomicon ranked #9.

Finally, Marvel Comics rounded out the top ten with Ultimate Comics Spider-Man: The Death of Spider-Man, the collected edition of the storyline that saw Peter Parker sacrifice his life to save his friends and family, at #10.

Finishing the Premier publishers, IDW Publishing's top book in October at #61 was Bloom County: The Complete Library Volume 5, the fifth and final volume of their complete chronological reprinting of Berkeley Breathed's acclaimed comic strip of the 1980s.

TOP 100 GRAPHIC NOVELS
Based on Total Unit Sales of Products Invoiced in October 2011

QTY
RANK
DOLLAR
RANK
INDEX ITEM CODE DESCRIPTION PRICE VENDOR
1 3 3.27 AUG110244 FLASHPOINT HC $22.99 DC 
2 1 2.71 AUG110454 WALKING DEAD HC VOL 07 (MR) $34.99 IMA
3 5 2.50 JUN110266 BATMAN ARKHAM CITY HC $22.99 DC 
4 14 2.40 JUL110296 UNWRITTEN TP VOL 04 LEVIATHAN (MR) $14.99 DC 
5 59 2.04 JUN118158 STAR WARS THE CLONE WARS STRANGE ALLIES TP $7.99 DAR
6 12 1.94 JUL110284 AMERICAN VAMPIRE TP VOL 01 (MR) $19.99 DC 
7 30 1.93 AUG110455 WALKING DEAD SURVIVORS GUIDE TP $12.99 IMA
8 6 1.81 JUL110247 ALL STAR SUPERMAN TP $29.99 DC 
9 13 1.72 JUL110881 ALAN MOORE NEONOMICON TP (MR) $19.99 AVA
10 10 1.65 AUG110700-M ULT COMICS SPIDER-MAN DOSM PREM HC $24.99 MAR
11 11 1.64 JUL111057 DANIEL CLOWES DEATH-RAY HC (MR) $19.95 DRA
12 40 1.60 JUN110034 AXE COP TP VOL 02 BAD GUY EARTH $12.99 DAR
13 31 1.50 AUG110713 CAPTAIN AMERICA TRIAL OF CAPTAIN AMERICA TP $19.99 MAR
14 45 1.49 AUG110723 INVINCIBLE IRON MAN TP VOL 07 MY MONSTERS $15.99 MAR
15 43 1.43 AUG110734 X-23 TP VOL 01 KILLING DREAM $16.99 MAR
16 38 1.35 AUG110732 ULTIMATE COMICS AVENGERS BLADE VS AVENGERS TP $19.99 MAR
17 20 1.31 JUL111296 TWILIGHT MANGA GN VOL 02 $19.99 HAC
18 52 1.31 AUG110725 VENOM TP LETHAL PROTECTOR $16.99 MAR
19 24 1.28 JUL110887 FREAKANGELS TP VOL 06 (MR) $19.99 AVA
20 25 1.28 JUN110040 BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL TP VOL 24 MASSACRE $19.99 DAR
21 32 1.28 AUG110719 FANTASTIC FOUR BY JONATHAN HICKMAN TP VOL 04 $19.99 MAR
22 84 1.27 JUL068351 WALKING DEAD TP VOL 01 DAYS GONE BYE $9.99 IMA
23 21 1.27 JUL110251-M BATMAN THE LONG HALLOWEEN TP $24.99 DC 
24 44 1.26 AUG110726 RED HULK PLANET RED HULK TP $19.99 MAR
25 53 1.23 JUL110250 BATMAN LIFE AFTER DEATH TP $14.99 DC 
26 105 1.17 JUL110848 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG ARCHIVES TP VOL 16 $7.95 ARC
27 36 1.15 AUG110727 SHIELD TP ARCHITECTS OF FOREVER $19.99 MAR
28 27 1.14 JUN110269 BATMAN EYE OF THE BEHOLDER HC $22.99 DC 
29 39 1.08 AUG110906 INCORRUPTIBLE TP VOL 05 $16.99 BOO
30 42 1.06 JUL110257 GOTHAM CENTRAL TP BOOK 03 ON THE FREAK $19.99 DC 
31 90 1.05 JUN110039 GATE 7 TP VOL 01 $10.99 DAR
32 68 1.04 AUG111274 YOTSUBA & ! GN VOL 10 $11.99 HAC
33 7 1.03 JUN110343 100 BULLETS HC BOOK 01 (MR) $49.99 DC 
34 33 1.01 AUG110702-M ULTIMATE COMICS X ORIGINS PREM HC $24.99 MAR
35 64 0.97 AUG110824 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG LEGACY VOL 01 $14.95 ARC
36 74 0.94 AUG111264 BLACK BUTLER TP VOL 07 $11.99 HAC
37 54 0.92 JUL110748 DARK TOWER FALL OF GILEAD TP $19.99 MAR
38 87 0.90 JUN110041 GANTZ TP VOL 19 $12.99 DAR
39 51 0.89 MAY110030 SAVAGE SWORD OF KULL TP VOL 02 $19.99 DAR
40 34 0.88 JUL111007 WARLORD OF MARS TP $24.99 DYN
41 118 0.87 JUL111277 BATTLE ANGEL ALITA LAST ORDER TP VOL 15 $9.99 VIZ
42 28 0.87 AUG110721 MARVEL FIRSTS 1960S TP $29.99 MAR
43 17 0.86 JUN110278 JUSTICE LEAGUE GENERATION LOST HC VOL 02 $39.99 DC 
44 97 0.86 AUG110730 THOR TRIALS OF LOKI TP $16.99 MAR
45 119 0.86 JUL111264 VAMPIRE KNIGHT TP VOL 13 $9.99 VIZ
46 60 0.83 AUG110716 DOCTOR STRANGE TP STRANGE TALES $29.99 MAR
47 89 0.81 APR110444 WALKING DEAD TP VOL 14 NO WAY OUT (MR) $14.99 IMA
48 66 0.80 MAY110722-M FANTASTIC FOUR 1234 PREM HC $19.99 MAR
49 70 0.76 JUL110727 SPIDER-MAN RETURN OF ANTI-VENOM PREM HC $19.99 MAR
50 49 0.76 JUN110271 BIRDS OF PREY HC VOL 02 DEATH OF ORACLE $24.99 DC 
51 50 0.75 MAY110190 NEW TEEN TITANS GAMES HC $24.99 DC 
52 9 0.75 MAY110718-M MMW INCREDIBLE HULK HC VOL 06 $59.99 MAR
53 131 0.75 JUL111278 ROSARIO VAMPIRE SEASON II TP VOL 06 $9.99 VIZ
54 55 0.74 AUG110705 PUNISHERMAX PREM HC FRANK $24.99 MAR
55 78 0.73 JUL110278 MARZI TP $17.99 DC 
56 102 0.73 AUG111271 SOUL EATER TP VOL 07 $11.99 HAC
57 98 0.72 SEP088204 WALKING DEAD TP VOL 02 MILES BEHIND US (NEW PTG) $14.99 IMA
58 63 0.71 JUN110280 SUPERMAN BATMAN SORCERER KINGS HC $22.99 DC 
59 8 0.71 MAY110720-M MMW ATLAS ERA STRANGE TALES HC VOL 05 $64.99 MAR
60 57 0.71 JUL110715-M MMW AMAZING SPIDER-MAN TP VOL 06 $24.99 MAR
61 22 0.70 AUG110382 BLOOM COUNTY COMPLETE LIBRARY HC VOL 05 $39.99 IDW
62 142 0.69 JUL111267 BAKUMAN TP VOL 07 $9.99 VIZ
63 61 0.68 AUG111018 HARK A VAGRANT HC (MR) $19.95 DRA
64 85 0.68 AUG110967 WARLORD OF MARS DEJAH THORIS TP VOL 01 COLOSSUS OF MARS (MR) $16.99 DYN
65 108 0.67 DEC058055 BATMAN DARK KNIGHT RETURNS TP $14.99 DC 
66 144 0.67 AUG110731 WARRIORS THREE TP DOG DAY AFTERNOON $15.99 MAR
67 19 0.67 APR110207 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES THE CURSE DELUXE ED $49.99 DC 
68 37 0.67 APR111034 PRINCE VALIANT HC VOL 04 1943-1944 $29.99 FAN
69 4 0.66 MAR110352 ABSOLUTE IDENTITY CRISIS HC $99.99 DC 
70 92 0.66 JUL110260 SUPERMAN MON EL TP VOL 02 MAN OF VALOR $17.99 DC 
71 220 0.65 JUL111183 SMURFS GN VOL 08 SMURF APPRENTICE $5.99 NBM
72 69 0.65 MAY110280 WORLD OF WARCRAFT CURSE OF THE WORGEN HC $22.99 DC 
73 113 0.64 JUL110263 VICTORIAN UNDEAD II TP SHERLOCK HOLMES VS DRACULA $14.99 DC 
74 65 0.64 AUG110709 WOLVERINE WOLVERINES REVENGE PREM HC $24.99 MAR
75 2 0.64 MAY110714-M X-MEN CLAREMONT AND LEE OMNIBUS HC VOL 01 $125.00 MAR
76 35 0.61 JUL111154 HOLY TERROR HC (MR) $29.99 LEG
77 126 0.61 JUL111290 NAOKI URASAWA 20TH CENTURY BOYS GN VOL 17 $12.99 VIZ
78 88 0.61 MAY110484 WITCHBLADE REDEMPTION TP VOL 03 $19.99 IMA
79 122 0.60 JUL110253 GREEN LANTERN THE MOVIE PREQUELS TP $14.99 DC 
80 46 0.60 AUG110385 DANGER GIRL DLX ED TP $29.99 IDW
81 47 0.59 JUL111081 DISNEY MICKEY MOUSE HC VOL 02 TREASURE ISLAND $29.99 FAN
82 71 0.59 AUG110690-M MMW FANTASTIC FOUR TP VOL 07 $24.99 MAR
83 58 0.59 MAY110724-M CAPTAIN AMERICA RED GLARE PREM HC $29.99 MAR
84 109 0.59 AUG111268 HIGH SCHOOL OF DEAD GN VOL 04 (MR) $13.99 HAC
85 23 0.59 MAY110730 X-MEN X-CUTIONERS SONG HC $49.99 MAR
86 94 0.58 AUG110722 INVADERS NOW TP $19.99 MAR
87 205 0.57 JUL111288 POKEMON ADVENTURES PLATINUM GN VOL 03 $7.99 VIZ
88 135 0.56 OCT060163 BATMAN YEAR ONE DELUXE SC $14.99 DC 
89 41 0.56 AUG110729 SPIDER-MAN COMPLETE BEN REILLY EPIC TP BOOK 02 $39.99 MAR
90 15 0.55 JUN118167 MANARA LIBRARY HC VOL 01 $59.99 DAR
91 101 0.54 AUG110707 X-MEN LEGACY LOST LEGIONS PREM HC $19.99 MAR
92 99 0.54 AUG110338 GI JOE V2 ONGOING TP VOL 01 COBRA CIVIL WAR $17.99 IDW
93 111 0.54 JUL110291 GREEN WOMAN TP (MR) $17.99 DC 
94 115 0.53 JUN110965 DARKWING DUCK TP VOL 03 FOWL DISPOSITION $14.99 BOO
95 136 0.53 AUG110711 NEW X-MEN BY GRANT MORRISON GN TP BOOK 06 $14.99 MAR
96 93 0.52 AUG110374 ANGEL AFTER THE FALL TP VOL 03 $19.99 IDW
97 180 0.51 JUL111281 BLUE EXORCIST GN VOL 04 $9.99 VIZ
98 134 0.51 AUG111273 SPICE AND WOLF GN VOL 05 (MR) $12.99 HAC
99 121 0.51 JUL110259 SUPERMAN NIGHTWING AND FLAMEBIRD TP VOL 02 $17.99 DC 
100 156 0.50 MAY110447 CHEW TP VOL 04 FLAMBE (MR) $12.99 IMA

This information may not be reproduced in any format without the express permission of Diamond Comic Distributors.

For retailers, Diamond offers the Top 300 Comics and Top 300 Graphic Novels sales charts on the Diamond Tools page of the Diamond Retailer Services website to provide more information about the industry's top selling publications.

How does Diamond calculate the charts? It all starts at the comic book shop.

Data for Diamond’s sales charts – which include the monthly market shares and all top product charts – are compiled by Diamond Comic Distributors from a universe of over 3,500 accounts, comprised of comic book specialty shops and other merchant stores and buyers. The shops are primarily located in North America, with a percentage of sales also to international stores and buyers located throughout the world. The account base includes not only brick-and-mortar comic book specialty shops, but also Internet stores, chain stores, and other specialty stores.

Unit and dollars sales are calculated based upon orders invoiced and shipped to Diamond accounts during any given month, which comprises initial pre-orders, advance reorders, and reorders, minus any copies that are received back from a title marked as returnable.

About the Diamond Sales Index: The Sales Index of selected monthly Best Seller Charts is presented as a comparative tool for retailers and publishers. It presents Diamond’s monthly sales for individual titles in relation to Diamond’s total sales for the issue of DC Comics' monthly Batman comic book. (Batman is used as the control title – with a value of 100 – because sales of Batman usually remain relatively stable.) This allows for easy comparison to other titles and helps retailers gauge their orders for all other titles. This formula is only a guide, other factors may impact a titles’ ability to sell in certain locations and clientele.