Solo Leveling Tops the New York Times Manga Bestseller List

Manga and webcomics continue to make a strong showing in the mainstream. The 13th volume of Chugong and DUBU’s Korean webcomic Solo Leveling topped The New York Times’ monthly Graphic Books and Manga bestseller list, released in early September.

Close behind, the 27th volume of Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen landed at number three, keeping the popular series firmly in the conversation even after its story concluded.

The previous month’s list was busy too. An earlier Jujutsu Kaisen volume placed in the top five, while titles like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run and a recent volume of One Piece also charted.

For context, The New York Times launched its dedicated Graphic Books and Manga bestseller list back in October 2019, and it has become a handy gauge of how the medium is selling beyond dedicated fan circles.

My take: A Korean webcomic sitting at the very top of a New York Times list is a real sign of the times. The lines between manga, manhwa, and comics keep blurring, and readers are clearly all the richer for it.