Given how much pre-publication buzz was generated by the first volume of Hetalia, should it be any surprise that this week's New York Times Graphic Books Bestseller List is dominated by the #1 spot claimed by Hidekaz Himaruya's politically incorrect (and pretty goofy) pretty-boy manga?
I wonder if these sales figures are only for print editions of Hetalia, given that it's also available as a digital download for PCs and smart phones via Comixology and Zinio? If this strong performance only counts the printed books, then Hetalia may possibly have racked up even more sales than this list can track; that's definitely food for thought as we enter the age of digital comics.
Also worth noting: the sixth and final volume of Shakugan no Shana, a newcomer to the NYT Top 10 made its debut this week, and two perennially popular titles, Rosario + Vampire and Black Butler bubbled back up to the top after almost a month's absence. Meanwhile, Naruto Volume 48 is hanging on to its place in the top 10 even after almost four months -- now that's staying power.
Here's the rest of the New York Times Graphic Books Manga Top 10 for the week ending September 25, 2010.
| This Week | Last Week | Weeks on List | Title | Author/Artist | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NEW | 1 wk | Hetalia: Axis Powers Vol. 1 | Hidekaz Himaruya | TOKYOPOP |
| 2 | 2 ↔ | 6 wks | Maximum Ride Vol. 3 | James Patterson and NaRae Lee | Yen Press |
| 3 | 1 ↓ | 4 wks | Bleach Vol. 32 | Tite Kubo | Shonen Jump / VIZ Media |
| 4 | 4 ↔ | 4 wks | Alice in the Country of Hearts Vol. 4 | Quinrose and Soumei Hoshino | TOKYOPOP |
| 5 | 5 ↔ | 17 wks | Naruto Volume 48 | Masashi Kishimoto | Shonen Jump / VIZ Media |
| 6 | 4 ↓ | 2 wks | Dogs: Bullets and Carnage Vol. 4 | Shirow Miwa | VIZ Signature / VIZ Media |
| 7 | 10 ↑ | 6 wks | Bakuman Vol. 1 | Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata | Shonen Jump / VIZ Media |
| 8 | NEW | 1 wk | Shakugan no Shana Vol. 6 | Yashichiro Takahashi and Ayato Sasakura | VIZ Media |
| 9 | RET | 14 wks | Black Butler Vol. 2 | Yana Toboso | Yen Press |
| 10 | RET | 6 wks | Rosario + Vampire Season II Vol. 2 | Akihisa Ikeda | Shonen Jump Advanced / VIZ Media |
NOTE: "RET" means that a title has returned to the Top 10 after an absence of a week or more. Weeks on the chart are counted as weeks on the Top 10.
Image credits: © 2008 Hidekaz Himaruya / GENTOSHA COMICS INC.
Comments
An acquaintance of mine recommended Rosario I should start the first series. >_>
I heard good things about Hetaila’s anime adaptaion. Ugh is it really that good? Hrm I might give it a shot.
Dogs is overrated, there are other stuff on Ultra Jump that deserve the VizSig treatment.
I read bakuman, and even though it’s on the regular Viz Shonen Jump imprint, I’m impressed. I was upset about the lack of color pages. They didn’t have to be glossy. But if they included the color pages that were in the Tankōbon in the same type of paper Uzumaki’s color pages are, I would have been satisfied. I probably would have paid retail for the volume… Now instead, I’ll wait.
yeah, hetalia is awesome. i would really suggest that everyone read it. even guys. the jokes are funny, and the characters have such odd personalities that it’s just something you start to love. the hype was worth it, and it pwns almost all other series. in my opinion, that is. i still respect everyone else’s opinion. please give it a shot.