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Although we’re used to those strategic “print run sellout” press releases coming from publishers at a steady clip, it’s less often that comics publishers tout topping the BookScan sales chart, which tracks sales in bookstores, and other non DM outlets, for the week. However, Dark Horse notes that Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Promise Part 1 “soared” to the top of the BookScan chart last week. This is the Gene Luen Yang-penned bridging story between the popular TV show and the eagerly awaited sequel, Legend of Korra. The art is by the Japanese team Gurihiru.

While the book sales charts show a lot more variation than the Marvel/DC two-horse race at Diamond’s periodical charts, it is noteworthy—if in no way surprising—that a graphic novel with a huge kid readership is doing well in bookstores. As the BookScan chart from all of 2011 showed, children’s books are now the fastest growing and best established GN category in bookstores. We would be very surprised if this trend did not have an impact on the non-Big Two publishers out there over the course of 2012.

The next part of the story, Avatar: The Last Airbender—The Promise Part 2, goes on sale May 30th.

1 COMMENT

  1. But remember:

    – kids books don’t sell.
    – “new” properties don’t sell (it’s based on a 5 year old cartoon, so it’s new)
    – I’m sure there are a million other pieces of conventional wisdom this breaks

    For real, though…I’m glad to see this is so successful. Gene Luen Yang is a *huge* talent so he deserves all the success to come his way.

  2. I ordered a baker’s dozen for the store when it was first available from Diamond and put a sign in the window the first day it was available for sale.

    All gone in less than a week, putting in a third order today and I’m constantly ordering the backstock of previous books as well.

    But kids books don’t sell.

  3. Bought this for my niece since she loves Avatar and is excited for Korra. She loved the lost episode GN that Dark Horse put out so I decided to get this to complement her comic reading habit. :)