Is the Death of Superman the best selling GN of all-time?

Cafe Society
1

I saw a preview for the new direct to DVD Superman cartoon, The Death of Superman. In the promo, it says it is based on the “best selling graphic novel of all-time.”

That surprises me. Excusing the distinction between “graphic novel” and “trade paperback,” I would never have guessed The Death of Superman would have held that honor.

If you’d asked me that question, I would have answered Watchmen with some confidence. If not Watchmen, something like DKR or Kingdom Come.

Anyone have a list of the best selling TPB/GNs?

2

I suspect that the advertising lied.

While I wouldn’t be surprised to find that it was the top seller–only including DC comics as of 1999–I doubt that it’s the true number one. Manga have been topping the list for several years according to a quick google trying to find such a list–so probably one of them is it.

3

Scans better than “The best-selling graphic novel based on a DC character who isn’t Batman”

:smiley:

4

ICV2.com does a monthly list of the top selling graphic novels. The archives are here.

Apparently it doesn’t take much to be the bestselling graphic novel of the month and the title changes on a monthly basis.

I couldn’t find overall sales totals on that site though.

However, a movie tie-in is probably the best place to look for a bestseller. And so my guess would be V for Vendetta at over 500,000.

5

ICV2 only covers TPBs sold through comic shops, right?

That wouldn’t fully include Sage Rat’s suggestion of manga books, which sell well in bookstores.

I found an article that came out last week that says, through comic shops, the YTD best seller of TPBs sold only 35,000 copies.

Watchmen is still in the top ten of THIS year selling 12,705 copies this year! It was #10 overall and #3 for DC Comics. What a cash cow!

If it isn’t manga, Watchmen has GOT to be #1! It is still selling well nearly 20 years after first going into print!

Can you imagine how many will sell if the movie gets made (I think it will this time!)?

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