Summary

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin ranks second in the top 20 adult graphic novels of 2023, beating out several notable manga titles.
• TMNT: The Last Ronin stands out as one of the only three non-manga comics in the ranking, making it the only Western comic to make the top 10.
• The Last Ronin's unique storytelling, separate comic universe, and video game have made it a fan-favorite TMNT comic series and a must-read for fans.

The top 20 adult graphic novels from 2023 have been revealed with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin coming out on top among the comic market. Data provided by Circana BookScan places it in second place in the ranking, topped only by the manga, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. As a result, it is the only Western comic to rank in the top 10.

Circana BookScan is known for its graphic novel rankings, tallying sales information monthly and annual records. The monthly data, shared by ICv2, reveal sales trends as they occur throughout the year before culminating in a record of the year's bestsellers. The current ranking is made up primarily of manga titles, a trend that was regularly present in the months of 2023.

Unsurprisingly, the same manga titles would be featured prominently in the year's final records. What is more surprising is that TMNT: The Last Ronin has set itself apart as one of only three non-manga comics in the ranking.

TMNT Takes The Top For Comics, Beat For Top Overall By Demon Slayer

TMNT: The Last Ronin has the creative team of Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Peter Laird, Esau and Isaac Escorza, Ben Bishop, Shawn Lee, and Luis Antonio Delgado. The collection was released in 2022, making its second-place ranking even more impressive. The next non-manga title to make the ranking is The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht. This is a graphic novel centered on fables. Kascht is a well-known caricaturist; Watterson is best-known for creating the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes. Notable about the two non-manga ranking comics is that they are also different from one another as a collection of issues and a graphic novel.

Rounding out the non-manga comics in the Lore Olympus, the hit webcomic series created by Rachel Smythe. IDW Publishing's TMNT: The Last Ronin sured several notable manga titles in this ranking. They include several volumes of Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, Spy x Family, and My Hero Academia. Other notable manga titles in the ranking are the debut volume of Blue Lock, one of last year's new One Piece volumes, and the hardcover edition of Berserk's first volume. The only manga volume to up all three comics was the debut of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Last Ronin Is Essential TMNT Reading

Marking a big shift in storytelling for the franchise, TMNT: The Last Ronin has been a standout title for many reasons. It takes place in its own comic universe and has spawned a couple of sequels. It is also the inspiration for the video game of the same name. It has quickly become a fan-favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle comic series that stands out in a big way. It is a title that is undoubtedly a must-read for TMNT fans, which has certainly earned its place among the year's best-selling adult graphic novels.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is currently available from IDW Publishing.

Source: ICv2