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SEPTEMBER 2026 CIRCANA BOOKSCAN – TOP 20 AUTHOR, MANGA, SUPERHERO GRAPHIC NOVELS
New Disney, ‘Absolute Batman’ Volumes Top Superheros, while ‘Dungeon Crawler Carl’ and ‘JJK’ Stay Strong
Posted by Brigid Alverson on October 21, 2026 @ 5:11 pm CT
New releases topped the Superhero chart, while Dungeon Crawler Carl and Jujutsu Kaisen continue to dominate the Author and Manga best-seller lists, according to the charts of the Top 20 best-selling Adult graphic novels from Circana BookScan data for September 2026 (8/30/2026 – 10/3/2026) provided to ICv2.
The Long-Lived King was the bestselling Superhero title, followed by the newly released Absolute Batman softcover at #2 and the hardcover edition at #4. Between these two is the Marvel Premier Collection of Avengers: Secret Wars, which came out in August.
Also debuting on the chart are The Transformers: The Movie Deluxe Edition at #6 and Alex Ross’s Marvel Dimensions, from Abrams (see “‘Marvel Dimensions’”) at #10.
DC Comics owns the chart with 11 titles, Marvel has four plus two Abrams MarvelArts graphic novels, IDW Publishing has two, and Disney has one, but the Owl House title is the top seller for the month.
| Circana BookScan Top 20 “Superhero” Graphic Novels – September 2026 (8/30/26– 10/3/26) | |||
| Rank | Title | Author | Publisher |
| 1 | THE LONG-LIVED KING: AN ORIGINAL THE OWL HOUSE GRAPHIC NOVEL | DANA TERRACE | DISNEY |
| 2 | ABSOLUTE BATMAN VOL. 3: DEVIL’S WORKSHOP | SCOTT SNYDER | DC COMICS |
| 3 | AVENGERS: SECRET WARS [MARVEL PREMIER COLLECTION] | JONATHAN HICKMAN | MARVEL COMICS |
| 4 | ABSOLUTE BATMAN VOL. 3: DEVIL’S WORKSHOP HC | SCOTT SNYDER | DC COMICS |
| 5 | ABSOLUTE BATMAN VOL. 1: THE ZOO | SCOTT SNYDER | DC COMICS |
| 6 | BATMAN: UNDER THE RED HOOD: DC COMPACT COMICS EDITION | JUDD WINICK | DC COMICS |
| 7 | THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE DELUXE EDITION HC | RALPH MACCHIO | IDW PUBLISHING |
| 8 | BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN: DC COMPACT COMICS EDITION | JEPH LOEB | DC COMICS |
| 9 | ABSOLUTE BATMAN VOL. 2: ABOMINATION | SCOTT SNYDER | DC COMICS |
| 10 | BATMAN: THE COURT OF OWLS SAGA: DC COMPACT COMICS EDITION | SCOTT SNYDER | DC COMICS |
| 11 | MARVEL DIMENSIONS HC | ALEX ROSS | ABRAMS |
| 12 | AVENGERS: TIME RUNS OUT [MARVEL PREMIER COLLECTION] | JONATHAN HICKMAN | MARVEL COMICS |
| 13 | ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER VOL. 2: THE AGENCY | DENIZ CAMP | DC COMICS |
| 14 | X-MEN: ELSEWHEN HC | JOHN BYRNE | ABRAMS |
| 15 | TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: THE LAST RONIN HC | KEVIN EASTMAN | IDW PUBLISHING |
| 16 | ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN BY JONATHAN HICKMAN VOL. 1: MARRIED WITH CHILDREN | JONATHAN HICKMAN | MARVEL COMICS |
| 17 | DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN [MARVEL PREMIER COLLECTION] | FRANK MILLER | MARVEL COMICS |
| 18 | ABSOLUTE MARTIAN MANHUNTER VOL. 1: MARTIAN VISION | DENIZ CAMP | DC COMICS |
| 19 | NIGHTWING: LEAPING INTO THE LIGHT: DC COMPACT COMICS EDITION | TOM TAYLOR | DC COMICS |
| 20 | BATMAN: YEAR ONE | FRANK MILLER | DC COMICS |
| Source: Circana |
Dungeon Crawler Carl is the best-selling Author title for the fifth month in a row. Most of the rest of the chart is older titles, including four volumes each of Solo Leveling and Invincible, but there are two September releases: Vol. 9 of Villains Are Destined to Die and Vol. 2 of Heaven Official’s Blessing.
| Circana BookScan Top 20 Author Graphic Novels – September 2026 (8/30/26– 10/3/26) | |||
| Rank | Title | Author | Publisher |
| 1 | DUNGEON CRAWLER CARL VOL. 1 | MATT DINNIMAN | VIZ MEDIA |
| 2 | SOLO LEVELING VOL. 1 | CHUGONG | IZE PRESS |
| 3 | SOLO LEVELING: RAGNAROK VOL. 1 | JIN | IZE PRESS |
| 4 | THE HOBBIT: A GRAPHIC NOVEL HC | J. R. R. TOLKIEN | WILLIAM MORROW |
| 5 | INVINCIBLE COMPENDIUM VOL. 1 | ROBERT KIRKMAN | IMAGE COMICS |
| 6 | THE CALVIN AND HOBBES PORTABLE COMPENDIUM SET 1: VOL. 1 | BILL WATTERSON | ANDREWS MCMEEL |
| 7 | THEY CALLED US ENEMY | GEORGE TAKEI | TOP SHELF PROD. |
| 8 | INVINCIBLE VOL. 1 | ROBERT KIRKMAN | IMAGE COMICS |
| 9 | 1984: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL HC | GEORGE ORWELL | MARINER BOOKS |
| 10 | MONSTERS WE MAKE VOL. 1 | CORYXKENSHIN | IDW PUBLISHING |
| 11 | SOLO LEVELING VOL. 15: SIDE STORIES 2 | CHUGONG | IZE PRESS |
| 12 | THE ADVENTURE ZONE: STORY AND SONG | GRIFFIN MCELROY | FIRST SECOND |
| 13 | INVINCIBLE COMPENDIUM VOL. 3 | ROBERT KIRKMAN | IMAGE COMICS |
| 14 | HEAVEN OFFICIAL’S BLESSING VOL. 1: TIAN GUAN CI FU HC | MO XIANG TONG XIU | INKLORE |
| 15 | HEAVEN OFFICIAL’S BLESSING VOL. 2: TIAN GUAN CI FU HC | MO XIANG TONG XIU | INKLORE |
| 16 | INVINCIBLE COMPENDIUM VOL. 2 | ROBERT KIRKMAN | IMAGE COMICS |
| 17 | VILLAINS ARE DESTINED TO DIE VOL. 9 | GWON GYEOEUL | IZE PRESS |
| 18 | LORD OF THE FLIES: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL HC | WILLIAM GOLDING | PENGUIN CLASSICS |
| 19 | SOLO LEVELING VOL. 2 | CHUGONG | IZE PRESS |
| 20 | BENEATH THE TREES WHERE NOBODY SEES | PATRICK HORVATH | RANDOM HOUSE |
| Source: Circana |
The top title on the manga chart, on the other hand is Vol. 1 of Jujutsu Kaisen, which has been around for a while; the series has ended, and the sequel, Jujutsu Kaisen Modulo, is set to launch in January 2027. The main series isn’t going anywhere, apparently, because there are eight volumes on the current chart.
The latest volume of Spy x Family is the #2 title, with new volumes of Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure at #7 and Kaiju No. 8 at #14. Two other new releases made the September manga chart: the second volume of the deluxe hardcover Witch Hat Atelier: Grimoire Edition and the new VIZ Media title The Amazing Digital Circus, a manga adaptation of an animated webseries by the creators of Murder Drones (see “VIZ Media Announces”).
| Circana BookScan Top 20 Manga Graphic Novels – September 2026 (8/30/26– 10/3/26) | |||
| Rank | Title | Author | Publisher |
| 1 | JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 1 | GEGE AKUTAMI | VIZ MEDIA |
| 2 | SPY X FAMILY VOL. 16 | TATSUYA ENDO | VIZ MEDIA |
| 3 | JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 2 | GEGE AKUTAMI | VIZ MEDIA |
| 4 | THE SUMMER HIKARU DIED VOL. 1 | MOKUMOKUREN | YEN PRESS |
| 5 | JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 29 | GEGE AKUTAMI | VIZ MEDIA |
| 6 | JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 0 | GEGE AKUTAMI | VIZ MEDIA |
| 7 | JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE: PART 7–STEEL BALL RUN VOL. 9 | HIROHIKO ARAKI | VIZ MEDIA |
| 8 | DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA VOL. 1 | KOYOHARU GOTOUGE | VIZ MEDIA |
| 9 | GACHIAKUTA VOL. 1 | KEI URANA | KODANSHA |
| 10 | ONE PIECE OMNIBUS EDITION VOL. 1 | EIICHIRO ODA | VIZ MEDIA |
| 11 | WITCH HAT ATELIER: GRIMOIRE EDITION VOL. 2 | KAMOME SHIRAHAMA | KODANSHA |
| 12 | JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 3 | GEGE AKUTAMI | VIZ MEDIA |
| 13 | JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 26 | GEGE AKUTAMI | VIZ MEDIA |
| 14 | KAIJU NO. 8 VOL. 16 | NAOYA MATSUMOTO | VIZ MEDIA |
| 15 | WITCH HAT ATELIER: GRIMOIRE EDITION VOL. 1 | KAMOME SHIRAHAMA | KODANSHA |
| 16 | THE APOTHECARY DIARIES VOL. 1 | NATSU HYUUGA | SQUARE ENIX |
| 17 | JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 30 | GEGE AKUTAMI | VIZ MEDIA |
| 18 | JUJUTSU KAISEN VOL. 4 | GEGE AKUTAMI | VIZ MEDIA |
| 19 | BLUE LOCK VOL. 1 | MUNEYUKI KANESHIRO | KODANSHA |
| 20 | THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS VOL. 1 | GLITCH PRODUCTIONS | VIZ MEDIA |
| Source: Circana |
For charts of September 2026 graphic novel sales from Circana:
September 2026 Circana – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels
For the charts with the actual sales numbers from Circana, see these articles on the ICv2 Pro site:
September 2026 Circana – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
September 2026 Circana – Top 20 Author, Manga, and Superhero Graphic Novels with Actual Sales
Circana collects weekly point-of-sale data on print books from over 16,000 locations including e-tailers, chains, mass merchandisers, independent bookstores, and more. Circana covers approximately 85% of the U.S. trade print book market. The ranks on this chart are based on piece sales. Some publishers classify titles that are primarily text, or art books, as graphic novels; we’ve removed those titles from the ranking above.
For past Top 20 Graphic Novel lists, see the “Top 20 GN Index.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brigid Alverson
Contributing Editor. Alverson has been writing about comics since she launched MangaBlog in 2005. She wrote the Comics A.M. column for Robot 6 (now part of CBR), and currently edits the Good Comics for Kids blog at School Library Journal. In her earlier life, she had roles at magazine and book publishers.
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