Comic Book Resources has posted Diamond’s Top 50 Manga for 2005, along with the previously released Top 100 Comics and Top 100 Graphic Novels. (Scroll down.)
As I suspected, Whiskers McNinja made a respectable showing beyond the top 100 GNs, with the other seven volumes of Viz’s Naruto scattered across the manga list. As David Taylor predicted, Dark Horse’s Samurai Executioner did much the same, with four other volumes joining its top 100 GN entry.
None of DC’s CMX titles cracked the top 50. I vaguely remember mention of a plan for DC to target their traditional comic shop audience for carry-over to the CMX line (or was it the other way around?), but the publisher’s only entry is Dead Boy Detectives at #10, a digest-sized Sandman spin-off. (The first two volumes of Neil Gaiman’s legendary Vertigo title are still showing up in the Top 100 Graphic Novels chart.) David Taylor talked about DBD in his look at Diamond’s Top 50 Manga for July 2005.
Even Tenjho Tenge didn’t show up, despite regular appearances on the monthly list when a new volume arrives. The category that defines the year-end list seems to be titles that are evergreen performers, though, with consistent interest and steady sales of older volumes as new readers sign up. (Look at how many installments of Fruits Basket appear.) Tenjho Tenge might not be in that category, relying more on an existing base of readers.
After DBD, Dark Horse’s MegaTokyo Vol. 3 is the second best-selling OEL book, landing at #13. Only one of Tokyopop’s OEL books made the cut, with Warcraft Vol. 1 popping in at #23. I thought Keith Giffen’s excellent Big Two pedigree might give I Luv Halloween a bump. Giffen is present on the list, though, having provided the adaptations for the three volumes of Tokyopop’s Battle Royale that landed at 28, 32, and 33.
The manga adaptation of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (Disney Press) came in at #29.
There’s only one hit for Del Rey (Negima Vol. 5 at #46). Given their bookstore focus, it isn’t particularly surprising. Del Rey’s titles usually arrive in bookstores weeks before they show up at a comic shop. (Chris Butcher explains why.)
I’m looking forward to Brian Hibbs’s annual look at BookScan’s graphic novel numbers for the year, mentioned in this thread at The Engine.