Comic Books Statistics By Market, Revenues, Sales and Growth
Updated · Apr 07, 2025
WHAT WE HAVE ON THIS PAGE
Introduction
Comic Books Statistics: Comic books have dominated the world of entertainment arts for many years. Comic Books are one of the most fun categories of books to read as they come with pictures. Besides, they are the best fit for you if you want to develop some reading habits. Year after year, the comic book business continues to prosper and appreciates a large fan base across the globe, including occasional readers and serious fans in equal measure.
This article looks at the comic books’ statistics market, the revenues and growth forecasts, and statistics on the most popular comics for 2025.
Editor’s Choice
- According to comic books statistics, in the year 2023, it was observed that the bulk of the revenue earned from comic books was through sales of printed comic books, as this accounted for over 74% of the entire market.
- Brick-and-mortar shops also had a significant share of the comic book business, accounting for more than 68% of the market.
- More than 60% of the share of comic books published in the market was children’s comic books, which had the largest market.
- With more than 56% of the share, the Asia Pacific region generated the largest revenue for consumer comics within global regions.
- In the Asia Pacific region, the comic book market was valued at USD 9.07 billion in 2023.
- On a global scale, the comic book sector, particularly the use of Web3 technologies, is projected to rise at a rate of 25% on an annual basis.
- In the United States, out of all the comic book readers, 25% were baby boomers, which indicates the diversity in the age distinction of the readers. In the US market, Marvel Comics was responsible for 38.8% share, with DC Comics and Image Comics accounting for 24.3% and 11.9%, respectively.
- Most U.S. comic book sales, about 90%, were taken care of by Comichron and Diamond Comics, indicating a very narrow concentration in the distribution system.
- Research conducted on the international comic books statistics market shows that the older demographics, precisely the 12 to 29-year age group, accounted for 57% of the comic books, hence proving the suitability of such books to this age group.
- An average comic book reader reads about four comic books per week, which translates to about 16 comic books in a month.
- At a mean cost of $4 per comic, the average monthly expenditure goes to $64, almost equal to buying three hardcover books.
- This particular instance of this book’s value is approximately $731000.
- Comic book statistics show that women comprise 46.67% of the total comic book audience, thus resulting in almost equal gender diversification.
- According to NPD Group, the ‘Spawn Scorched #1’ comic book was the best-selling comic book title in January of the year 2022. In 2019, Marvel Comics was the most dominant comic book publisher, with a market share of 44.72%.
- One of DC Comics’ famous superheroes, Batman, has sold 474 million comic books. Furthermore, 54% of people aged between 19 and 29 in the United States read comic books from DC.
- In 2018, the average anime and manga reader was between 25 and 29 years old. 63% of the comic books and graphic novels sold in bookstores are bought by men.
- Marvel is also leading in the comic book industry, with over 40% of the shares.
- The country of Japan commands 43% of the worldwide comic industry, with the domestic manga industry estimated at 613 billion yen.
Facts About Comic Books
- Comic book statistics show that the comic book publishing sector in the United States generated $1.2 billion in revenue in 2022. Market forecasts indicate that by 2028, the market is estimated to reach $19.5 billion, with a CAGR of 7.1%.
- Despite North America being the current leader in the comic books market, the Asia-Pacific region is projected to be the second largest market in the years 2022-2028.
- The best-selling comic book of all time has sold over 8 million copies.
- Yet, 59% of the population in the US has never read a comic book in their lives.
- Again, the estimated value of the comic book market in the Asia-Pacific region was $8.01 billion at the end of the review period in 2022.
- In April 2022, the fifth issue of TMNT: The Last Ronin became the best-selling comic book in North America, with 100.46 thousand copies supplied to comic shops across the Continent.
- There are only a few players in the superhero business, and Marvel, with over 40% market share, dominates the industry.
- Even so, it is worth noting that while comic book characters are much cherished on screen, the same cannot be said about the printed form. Comichron and Diamond Comics utilise a combined force that is reputed to distribute nearly 90% of all comic books in the United States.
- Some stats reveal that, on average, a comic reader reads around four comics in a week, which brings the total to 16 books in a month. This means that such a member spends an average of $64 every month on comics, and each comic costs around $4.
- According to comic book statistics, in the year 22, ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ by Dr. Seuss topped the list of frontlist children’s titles, generating sales of 482.35 thousand volumes in the country.
Comic Books Market Worldwide
(Source: market.us)
- As reported by Comic Books Statistics, the international comic book industry is anticipated to increase from USD 16.2 billion in 2023 to nearly USD 27.2 billion by 2033, thereby registering a high compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3% during the next decade.
- The comic book industry is also one of the more lucrative sections of the publishing industry, which attracts a good number of consumers who are fans of comics and those who have begun reading them thanks to movies and the internet. This expansion in terms of revenue is mainly due to the character and story arcs of comic books becoming a phenomenon due to prominent movies and television shows based upon them.
- In addition, the growing popularity of digital comics has made portal and mobile content available for consumption within seconds, even via laptop, tablet, and mobile phone.
Highest-Grossing Movies Based on Comic Books Worldwide
(Source: statista.com)
- In May 2023, the movie Avengers: Endgame (2019) became the highest-grossing film worldwide based on a comic book, grossing 2.79 billion dollars worldwide at the box office.
- Following it was Avengers: Infinity War, released in 2018, which garnered around 2.05 billion dollars in revenue, with Spider-Man: No Way Home earned in 2021 at 1.91 billion dollars worldwide.
Estimated Sales of Comic Books
(Source: statista.com)
- Biographical Information about the publishing houses providing comic books, at least those that operate in the USA and Canada, suggests that over the last decade, there has been unprecedented growth in this sector, save for a slight fall experienced in 2017.
- Even players such as Marvel, DC, and other devoted publishers within the comic genre have contributed.
- According to comic book statistics, during the year twenty-one, comics and related content sales grossed more than two billion dollars in those countries.
- The trade through the regular channels of distribution, as mentioned in this conversation, sales through fairs, online sales, or the networks of bookshops accounted for less than 40% of the total sales revenue around 2016, but this increased to about 56% in 21.
- The former contributes to the latter, that is, the COVID-19 pandemic, which imposed more movement restrictions, coupled with housing and an increased desire for online shopping.
- Stores that have historically generated higher sales revenue than other retail outlets in the industry regarded 2016 as a transition year instead of 2017 in terms of sales velocity despite their further growth.
Leading Comic Books Movies Dominate Market
(Source: statista.com)
- For years now, Marvel has not only mastered the gladiatorial fight for the attention of the superheroes’ audience but also the financial aspects with the production of Avengers Spiderman, among other series.
- As of May 2022, Marvel has managed to produce three out of the eight movies that have grossed the highest earnings globally. Since Disney purchased Marvel back in 2009, it has been evident that the investment has been fruitful, and it still is to this day. Even more, comic books still hold the number one position in the industry, and they’ve been drawing picture stories for more than seventy years.
- According to comic book statistics from ICv2, the overall sales of comics and graphic novels in specialised comic book stores revealed that Marvel had an approximately 37% share of those sales. In contrast, DC Comics was placed second with only a 26% share.
- Image Comics, predominantly recognised for Todd McFarlane’s well-known Spawn character, is another publisher with a revenue share in the double digits.
- Marvel is widely recognised as the number one publisher, a fact that has remained unchanged since the commencement of the collection of comic book sales statistics by ICv2 from Diamond Comic Distributors in the last quarter of 2020.
Types of Comic Books Users Read
(Reference: statista.com)
- Comic book statistics provide information about the various comic book genres read by people worldwide as of June 2013.
- Based on a poll carried out by the Comic Book Resources website, for instance, 67% of the respondents claimed they typically read month-to-month comic books.
- This suggests that comic book readers at that period favoured monthly outgoing comic issues.
Comic Books User Demographics
- The typical comic book audience is 34 years old, with a roughly equal percentage of men and women among its readers.
- Comic book fairs and other related activities are an important source of income for the industry as they bring together devotees and creators from every corner of the planet.
- As such, female readership within the sector has surged, and women constitute almost 40% of the total demographics.
- The price of one single copy of a comic book is generally around $4, although it varies with the publisher, the series, and the type of comic book.
- More than 30% of comic book readers are active on social media, where they connect with other fans, post fan art, and talk about the comics they like.
- In the US, the average age of comic book readers is 37 years.
- There has been a rise in the usage of female comic characters, which has also led to the demand for titles with a strong female lead.
- The industry also has a niche and dedicated set of collectors who put price appreciation in the secondary market as they hunt for rare and limited comics.
- In France, female readers represent 46% of all comic book readers, which shows that even the reading population has started to diversify.
Recent Developments
- As part of a plan for shared publicity, last month, two comics brands, Marvel and DC Comics, informed about the re-issuing of literary works that feature major crossovers in their history, such as the DC Versus Marvel Omnibus and the DC/Marvel: The Amalgam Age Omnibus.
- This includes the respective histories of the two leading comic book publishers, which have already been published for the first time in several decades.
- According to comic book statistics, in March 2023, several comic book publishers, including Image Comics, BOOM! Studios, Archie Comics, and others signed a licensing agreement with GlobalComix to develop mobile digital comics.
- This cooperation aimed to introduce a new mobile application for mobile comic books, which would develop the market for digital comic books and facilitate the reading and distribution of electronic comic books and graphic novels.
- As a result, Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics jointly announced the alliance in July 2023, announcing the expansion of a new range of Marvel art books. This allows DC Comics to take advantage of its strength in producing high-quality art books and helps to grow Marvel’s collector’s art book range.
- In August 2024, Shogakukan, in collaboration with Marvel, created a new and exciting crossover comic named Ultraman: Along Came a Spider-Man. This comic combines Japan’s Ultraman comic series with Japan’s Marvel superhero Spider-Man series. Its goal is to combine Japanese comic culture with images of Western superstars to target the world.
- In January 2024, Dark Horse Comics allied with Tapas Entertainment, a digital comic-based company, to add to its creator-owned titles’ portfolio.
- The webtoons offered sources that are so popular right now that they have made a comeback in print form, and they have many more creators to work with who will go on to enlarge these audiences’ reach.
- In July 2024, Image Comics presented exclusive debuts during San Diego Comic-Con 2024, such as limited variant covers for titles including Geiger, Spawn Kills, and others. This serves to underscore Image’s commitment to offering exclusive treats for its consumers and collectors alike.
- In March 2024, Dark Horse revealed several new projects, one of which included The Marble Queen and Monster Crush. These new titles show that Dark Horse is attempting to broaden its scope and appeal to more than just the expected fans of young adult literature and comics.
Conclusion
The comic book business is thriving without any hints of relaxation. Enhanced by the innovations of the digital age, the diversification of media, and the existence of loyal followers, the growth of this franchising business is likely to remain optimistic in 2024 and the years afterward. Encyclopaedia of Comic Books statistics claims that revenue from the worldwide comic books market is expected to grow from 16.2 billion dollars in 2023 to almost 27.2 billion dollars within a decade – in 2033.
North America and Asia Pacific lead this market, while aspects like conventions are still part and parcel of the business. Widening the gamut of distribution and certainly an evergrowing fan base across continents leaves a lot to be desired in terms of the future of comic books.
FAQ.
The global comic book market is estimated to reach almost USD 27.2 billion in 2033, up from USD 16.2 billion in 2023, and will grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.3% for the next ten years.
Asia-Pacific is now the strongest revenue-generating region in the comic book industry due to its 56% share of the worldwide market. As of 2023, the Eastern Asia comic book markets were valued at USD 9.07 billion.
According to their share of the market gross in 2022, the comics market in the US is dominated by Marvel at 38.8%, DC at 24.3% and Image Comics at 11.9%. Comichron and Diamond Comics control around 90% of the comic book distribution network in the USA.
The archetypal comic book reader is roughly 34 years old, with almost even gender proportions, as females account for almost 40% of the comic readership. In the United Kingdom, the average reader is slightly older, at 37.
Emerging collaborations include older sequential installations by DC and Marvel Comics now being reprinted, the production of several art volumes between Marvel and Dark Horse, and a comic ultra-man: Along came a Spider-Man, which is a crossover with Shogunkan and Marvel comics.
Maitrayee, after completing her graduation in Electrical Engineering, transitioned into the world of writing following a series of technical roles. She specializes in technology and Artificial Intelligence, bringing her experience as an Academic Research Analyst and Freelance Writer, with a focus on education and healthcare under the Australian system. From an early age, writing and painting have been her passions, leading her to pursue a full-time career in writing. In addition to her professional endeavors, Maitrayee also manages a YouTube channel dedicated to cooking.
