The January 2026 Circana BookScan Top 20 adult graphic novels chart delivered a surprise at the top: Kei Urana’s Gachiakuta volume 1 claimed the #1 spot, unseating perennial bestsellers and reminding readers that fresh voices can still dominate the market. The monthly ranking — which tracks physical point-of-sale sales across the U.S. trade market — also highlights the continuing commercial strength of long-running heavy-hitters like Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure alongside rising titles and special editions.
Table of Contents
January 2026 — The Top 20 at a glance
Below are the top placements from Circana BookScan’s Top 20 adult graphic novels for January 2026, showing a mix of new releases, omnibus editions, and classic series reprints:
- #1 — Kei Urana’s Gachiakuta volume 1
- #2 — Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen volume 28
- #3 — Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen volume 1
- #4 — Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run volume 5
- #5 — Mokumokuren’s The Summer Hikaru Died volume 1
- #6 — Chugong & DUBU’s Solo Leveling volume 14 (side stories)
- #7 — Koyoharu Gotouge’s Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba volume 1
- #8 — Kei Urana’s Gachiakuta volume 2
- #10 — Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen volume 2
- #11 — Kei Urana’s Gachiakuta volume 9
- #12 — Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece Omnibus Edition volume 1
- #13 — Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen volume 26
- #14 — Neoshoco’s Phantom Busters volume 2
- #15 — Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen Volume 0: Blinding Darkness
- #16 — Sumiko Arai’s The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t a Guy At All volume 3
- #17 — Destroy All Humans… A Magic: The Gathering Manga volume 6 limited edition
- #18 — Hirohiko Araki’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run volume 1
- #19 — Kōhei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia volume 42
- #20 — Kentarō Miura’s Berserk Deluxe volume 1
Why Gachiakuta’s #1 ranking matters
Kei Urana’s Gachiakuta taking the top spot signals a few important trends in the manga and graphic novel market. First, readers are still eager to discover new series with distinct artistic voices and storytelling styles. Second, strong publisher support for cataloging and distribution (including timely English-language releases) can propel a title quickly into the best-seller list.
Gachiakuta’s presence at #1, alongside its other volumes at #8 and #11, suggests a collector and fan-driven buying pattern: readers are purchasing multiple volumes rather than only sampling a single release. That multi-volume strength is often a sign that word-of-mouth and early reviews are translating into sustained physical sales.
Solo Leveling and the power of side stories
The appearance of Solo Leveling volume 14 — a collection of side stories produced after the main series concluded — at #6 shows how popular IP can continue to generate sales even after the core narrative ends. Side-story volumes and spin-offs often reignite interest in the main series and bring back lapsed readers who want more lore, art, and character moments.
Established franchises still dominate overall sales
While new series can break through, the list demonstrates that established franchises remain retail powerhouses. Jujutsu Kaisen appears multiple times in January’s chart (including volume 1, 2, 26, 28, and Volume 0), indicating steady backlist purchases alongside new volume releases. Classic series and deluxe editions — such as JoJo’s Steel Ball Run and Berserk Deluxe — continue to find audiences through reprints, premium editions, and omnibus releases.
What Circana BookScan measures (and why it matters)
Circana BookScan (formerly NPD BookScan) reports point-of-sale data from over 16,000 U.S. retail locations, covering roughly 85% of the U.S. trade print book market. The monthly Top 20 adult graphic novels chart ranks titles by piece sales across bookstores, chains, mass merchandisers, and e-tailers. Because the chart focuses on physical sales and excludes many children’s-market graphic novels and text-heavy art books (which some publishers still classify as graphic novels), it offers a clear snapshot of adult-oriented comic and manga purchasing patterns. For the original report and methodology, see the ICv2 summary. Source: ICv2
What collectors and casual readers should watch next
- Print runs and limited editions: Limited-edition bundles (like the Magic: The Gathering manga release at #17) can spike sales for a single month due to bundled extras and collector demand.
- Backlist demand: Volumes #1–3 of big franchises often resurge on the chart after an anime season or a new manga arc announcement; keeping volumes in print is essential for sustained sales.
- Spin-offs and side-story volumes: These releases can drive renewed interest and cross-sell the main series to new readers.
How to use the January rankings
Whether you’re curating a shop display, deciding what to collect next, or planning your next manga purchase, the Circana list is a practical guide to what readers are buying now. Newcomers like Gachiakuta can be a worthwhile investment for readers seeking something fresh, while the continued presence of Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure reminds collectors that staples still move consistently on shelves.
Further reading and references
For a closer look at the full chart and commentary on month-to-month trends, consult the ICv2 writeup and Circana’s official resources. ICv2 — January 2026 Chart and Circana (BookScan).
Final thoughts
January 2026’s Top 20 adult graphic novels chart is a reminder that the manga and graphic novel market balances the familiar with the surprising: established megahits continue to sell strongly, but new series with compelling art and storytelling can surge to the top when conditions align. For readers, this means both safe bets and exciting discoveries are readily available on bookstore shelves. Keep an eye on backlist reprints, limited editions, and side-story volumes — they’re increasingly influential in shaping what sells month to month.
