ICv2 has the Diamond sales numbers for the first quarter of 2008, and the news is mixed: Graphic novel sales were up 5%, but periodical comics were down enough to drag the total down to a 7% drop.
ICv2 also posted the graphic novels chart for March, so let’s take a look at how manga fared. As always, the first number in parenthesis is the book’s rank on the overall graphic novel chart, and the second number in parens is the number of copies sold this month in comics stores.
1. (3) Naruto, vol. 28 (5,427)
2. (5) Fruits Basket, vol. 19 (5,313)
3. (11) Berserk, vol. 22 (3,756)
4. (17) Negima, vol. 17 (3,158)
5. (20) Bleach, vol. 22 (3,064)
6. (22) Fullmetal Alchemist, vol. 16 (3,015)
7. (46) XXXHolic, vol. 11 (2,101)
8. (61) MPD-Psycho, vol. 4 (1,700)
9. (68) One Piece, vol. 17 (1,572)
10. (75) Welcome to the NHK, vol. 6 (1,468)
11. (81) Samurai Deeper Kyo, vol. 27 (1,310)
12. (82) Nana, vol. 9 (1,300)
13. (91) Claymore, vol. 11 (1,181)
14. (97) Black Cat, vol. 13 (1,112)
15. (98) Shaman King, vol. 15 (1,112)
At first glance, this looks like a good month for manga, because it’s actually unusual to see manga in the top ten of the direct market charts. But it really is an illustration of what Milton Griepp was saying at the ICv2 Graphic Novel conference (of which more shortly), that the top layer of books is doing well, but the bottom two-thirds are hurting. Usually, the bottom half of the chart is well populated with manga, but this month there are fewer titles but two in the top ten. Of course, those two are Naruto and Fruits Basket; this would be less likely to happen in a non-Naruto month. But it does seem like there are fewer manga on the chart than in previous months.
