compiled/edited by BK Munn

(Note: This is the first edition of this list since August 2011. I’m basically starting over at zero, with hopefully some new refinements and additions as the year progresses.)
This semi-regular feature of Sequential presents a snapshot of comics sales in Canada.
Part 1 .
Intro: The bestselling graphic novels and comics collections in Canada, courtesy of BookManager. The full list by BookManager is available, with some work, here. The list is compiled by BookManager based on sales through over 400 independent bookstores, including several comic book stores and the D+Q store. Sales through most comic shops and larger retailers like Chapters-Indigo are not reflected in this list. BookManager national sales Rankings are updated weekly. For balance, you might want to try the Amazon.ca and Chapters-Indigo lists. See here for our previous Sequential list.

Sequential’s Over-All Top 30
from BookManager

1. Hark a Vagrant Kate Beaton (D+Q)
2. Inappropriate Tales for Young People Graham Roumieu (Random House)
3. Bone 1, Jeff Smith (Scholastic)
4. Bone 4, Jeff Smith (Scholastic)
5. Walking Dead Vol. 1, Kirkman, et al (Image)
6. Bone 11, Jeff Smith (Scholastic)
7. Bone 2, Jeff Smith (Scholastic)
8. Naruto 54, (VIZ)
9. Best of Archie Comics Various Archie and Friends All-stars, Dan DeCarlo et al (Archie)
10. Walking Dead Volume 15, Kirkman et al (Image)
—–
11. Bone 4, Jeff Smith (Scholastic)
12. Louis Riel, Chester Brown (D+Q)
13. MetaMaus, Spiegelman (Knopf Doubleday)
14. Walking Dead Vol. 2, Kirkman et al (Image)
15. Bone 7, Jeff Smith (Scholastic)
16. Bone 8, Jeff Smith (Scholastic)
17. The Adventures of Herge Bocquet, (D+Q)
18. Bone 5, Jeff Smith (Scholastic)
19. Sunday Brunch: The Best of Zits Sundays Jerry Scott (Andrews McMeel)
20. Bone 3, Jeff Smith (Scholastic)
—–
21. Naruto, Vol. 53 Masashi, Kishimoto
22. Walking Dead 3, Kirkman et al (Image)
23. Percy Jackson 1, Rick Riordan et al (Disney)
24. Bone Prequel: Rose, Smith/Vess (Scholastic)
25. Habibi, Craig Thompson (Knopf Doubleday)
26. Asterix and Obelix’s Birthday, Uderzo (Orion)
27. Black Bird 12, (VIZ)
28. Scott Pilgrim 1, Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni)
29. Bone 6, Jeff Smith (Scholastic)
30. Essex County, Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf)

Part 2. Canadian Content:
You have to wade through an awful lot of translated Japanese manga, U.S. superhero fantasies, and collected editions of Sherman’s Lagoon to come up with a list of 30 bestselling books created by Canadians. In total, BookManager lists over 4000 graphic novels, trades, and strip collections, the vast majority of which are not by Canadians. On this list, a single sale in a single tiny bookstore can make all the difference. This list does not include books that are only illustrated but not written/created-by Canadians.

Sequential’s All-Canadian Top 30
from BookManager

1. Hark a Vagrant Kate Beaton (D+Q)
2. Inappropriate Tales for Young People Graham Roumieu (Random House)
3. Louis Riel, Chester Brown (D+Q)
4. Scott Pilgrim 1, Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni)
5. Essex County, Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf)
6. Paying For It, Chester Brown (D+Q)
7. The Great Northern Brotherhood of Canadian Cartoonists, Seth (D+Q)
8. Scott Pilgrim 3, Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni)
9. Two Generals, Scott Chantler (McClelland & Stewart)
10. Scott Pilgrim 2, Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni)
—–
11. The Blue Dragon, Robert LePage et al (House of Anansi)
12. Scott Pilgrim 6, Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni)
13. You are a Cat! Shirwin Tija (Conundrum)
14. Scott Pilgrim 4, Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni)
15. Kill Shakespeare 2, Connor McCreery et al (IDW)
16. Scott Pilgrim 5, Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni)
17. The Klondike, Zach Worton (D+Q)
18. Bigfoot, Pascal Girard (D+Q)
19. Big Foot, Graham Roumieu (Plume)
20. 500 Years of Resistance, Gord Hill (Arsenal Pulp Press)
—–
21. Pyongyang, Guy Delisle (D+Q)
22. Burma Chronicles, Guy Delisle (D+Q)
23. Pure Pajamas, Marc Bell (D+Q)
24. The Listener, David Lester (Arbeiter Ring)
25. Skim (pb) Mariko and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood)
26. Red: A Haida Manga, Michael Yahgulanaas (D&M)
27. Harvey, Herve Bouchard/Janice Nadeau (Groundwood)
28. Nightschool, Vol. 1, Svetlana Chmakova (Yen)
29. Lost At Sea, Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni)
30. Kenk, Richard Poplak et al (Pop Sandbox)