This success is particularly remarkable, given in 1997 there were literally twice as many comic book stores, while 2016 saw the high-profile "DC Rebirth" initiative that relaunched DC Comics' entire range.. Summer traditionally performs well in terms of comic book sales; that's why most publishers save major events and relaunches for the summer, when footfall and demand are at their highest. Its nothing! The nearly 75 variant covers probably didnt hurt either. The book, Marvel Comics No. This was down from June 2022 when DC Comics had four titles in the Top 10. As you can see, the issue makes sure to let you know that this edition is the worlds cheapest comic magazine.. This page is not available in other languages. With Scott Sassa gone, they installed the 55-year-old Joseph Calamari, whod been at the helm of Marvel in the 80s, as its new CEO. In his free time (which is pretty scarce, thanks to his three kids), Deyan enjoys traveling and exploring new places. Statista. From the first Tetris game all the way to Falcon Heavy. For this one, I am counting everything. Questionable management decisions and a general slump in sales in the comic book industry drove Marvel Comics into bankruptcy in 1996. Within two years, Marvel was on the stock market, and Perelman went on a spending spree: he bought shares in a company called ToyBiz, snapped up a couple of trading card companies, Panini stickers, and a distribution outfit, Heroes World. Please do not hesitate to contact me. The problem, however, would be convincing Marvels board of directors and, just as vitally, gaining the requisite financing. "Comics with The Highest Estimated Number of Shipments to Comic Book Stores in North America in April 2022 (in 1,000 Units). And yes, that wiggle room matters. For years, Marvel had struggled to get its properties onto the big screen: the rights to Spider-Man were stuck in a tangled web which wouldnt be unpicked until the late 90s, while 1986s Howard The Duck was a critical and financial disaster. And who is buying all these comics? That would mean from 2009 to 2019 there would an additional 4570 comics published. Heidi MacDonald-04/14/2023 4:45 pm. If the films didnt make money, those superheroes would suddenly belong to the bank. It's in dollars and DC is #1 which is not surprising because they shipped 95 comics in May and June compared to Marvel's 18. But the most relevant one here is whats known as the Speculator Boom. Once again, the official Marvel series index isnt very useful. The closest I could come to an answer came from a blog called Retrogeekery. Deyan has been fascinated by technology his whole life. season 5 episodes 1 & 2 review: Orientation, Moon Knight: The History of Marvel's Next TV Star, Always Sunny to Talking Sopranos: The Best TV Rewatch Podcasts Hosted By Cast & Creators, The Star Trek Story Bridging the Gaps Between Deep Space Nine and Picard, Taskmaster and The Underrated Comic Genius of Kiell Smith-Bynoe, How Marvel Went From Bankruptcy to Billions. This growth trend expects to continue, although there was some disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You need a Statista Account for unlimited access. How many characters are there? Why not produce the movies under your own banner, and reap the profits for yourself? Ill get to the number of characters and heroes, but to know just how big the Marvel Comics universe is, we need to look at the history of Marvel. (2022) Black Panther and the Agents of Wakanda (2019 - 2020) . statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account. A stockholder named Carl Icahn tried to oppose Perelman, and the financial press eagerly reported on the very public spat which ensued. The flaw in his plan, however, was that he promised investors in Marvel even further brand extensions, and more price increases. For several decades Marvel and DC were the top companies in the industry. A company that had grown in stature throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s thanks to the often stunning art and storytelling in such comics as Fantastic Four and The Amazing Spider-Man, Marvels financial success had reached a peak by the early 90s. Likely, Batman is just more popular. They werent the only heroes introduced by Timely Comics, though. It was an idea that could, in theory, be worth untold millions: while Marvels stock had bounced back since 1996, Maisel argued that going into movie production could see it soar still further. Over 94 million copies of comic books and graphic novels were sold in 2021 in the United States. Printed comics generated $1.28 billion in revenue in 2020, up from $1.21 billion in 2019. sustainable. Going on to produce other Marvel films thereafter including Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Hulk Feige was brought in as president of Marvel Studios in 2007. How many Marvel comics there are? However, DC rarely beat Marvel in terms of market share. The X-Men and Spider-Man movies were huge hits, but Marvel only saw a small percentage of the profits. By the 1980s, comic book collecting had gained the interest of the mainstream media, which latched onto stories about Golden Age comics selling for thousands of dollars. This is a list of active and upcoming Marvel Comics printed comic books (as opposed to digital comics, trade paperbacks, hardcover books, etc.). and lower prices. Comic books are traditionally seen as a male-dominated industry, and the statistics reflect that. I want to know how big the Marvel Comics universe is. With the financial intrigue in the boardroom settling down, Marvel began to turn its attention to a target it had been trying to hit since the 1980s: the movie business. The list is updated as of April 27, 2023. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. 3 Superman #1 (First Solo Superman Comic) The Man of Steel himself would undoubtedly get his own solo series after his stellar introduction rocked the country. Timely characters were often portrayed as fighting against the Nazis and the Japanese even before the United States entered World War II. On Thursday, March 17, a CGC Universal grade 9.2 Marvel Comics #1 sold for an astounding $2,427,777.65 at the auction site, Comic Connect. Via Mashable, we've learned that author Douglas Wolk read every single Marvel Universe comic, from the birth of the Fantastic Four in 1961 to today. The Phantom. But then a series of bursting financial bubbles and questionable business deals saw Marvels stock value collapse; shares once worth $35.75 each in 1993 had sunk to $2.375 three years later. More: Who is the Spawn Universe's New Star, Gunslinger Spawn? Even a quirky film like Guardians Of The Galaxy a space opera some regarded as a gamble made more than $750 million. The issue isnt an anthology, but it did have a special promotional edition that sold for a mere nine cents half a year after DCs one-cent-more-expensive promotional stunt. Its a big jump from Fantastic Four #60s 752,699 copies and Star Wars #1s just over one million. The 2010s saw the emergence of another new wave of talent, with writer Matt Fraction and artist David Aja turning in a visually arresting run on Hawkeye, longtime Spider-Man writer Dan Slott teaming with artist Mike Allred for a bold take on a classic character in Silver Surfer, and writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Adrian Alphona breaking new ground with their critically acclaimed Ms. Marvel. We also owe a grudging debt to Diamond Comics distributors, for the companys monopolistic takeover of the American comic book shipping market, and its regular reporting of comic book pre-order sales ever since. The 2015 version continued the Everyone is here! vibe by destroying the Marvel multiverse. Comic books are traditionally seen as a male-dominated industry, and the statistics reflect that. It was all about the issues presidential tie-in story and variant cover, released to coincide with the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States. But for the purpose of this exercise, well talk about the superhero side of Marvel (you know, the Avengers and whatnot). The total number of characters in this index is about 1,502 (believe me, I counted). In the face of mounting losses, Perelman decided to press on into new territory: he set up Marvel Studios, a venture which he hoped would finally get the companys most famous characters on the big screen after years of legal disputes. DC Comics limped into second place with a pathetic two titles in the Top 10. With their newfound clout, Marvel managed to reacquire the rights to characters it had sold over the years, including Iron Man, Black Widow, Thor, and Hulk. Yet somehow, Marvel fought through all the corporate intrigue which dogged the company in late 1996 and for many long months afterwards, and emerged from the rubble a decade later as a film industry behemoth. This is the first, and maybe most, difficult question because there is no definitive answer. Its success spawned a wave of television programs, beginning with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Peter seemingly died in Otto Octavius ailing form, and his last wish moved Otto himself to renounce villainy and fight crime as the Superior Spider-Man. If we assume all series have about six issues (which isnt true, because some can have three while others can have 50 depending on their run) it would total 29,418 comics. written by Matt Tuck March 25, 2022. Then Marvels financial woes began, and Arad struggled to convince Hollywood executives of the companys cinematic value. They have long been a leading name in the industry and a top rival of DC. Then fast forward to the early 60s, after DC Comics ushered in a so-called Silver Age of comics. links. to incorporate the statistic into your presentation at any time. However, with the growing popularity of the Marvel and DC film series, comics have found a large new audience, and the industry has grown significantly. It was the third-highest-selling comic of 1992, and the seventh comic, Spawn #1, sold 1.7 million copies. There are always surprises like this. Now let's say if Marvel kept producing the same amount of comics year after year. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. DC and Marvel are constantly battling for the top spot, but both outstrip their smaller competitors by a long way. Check out these interesting. Marvel Studios, the companys film and television division, continued to set records with its flagship Avengers, but it also packed theatres with relatively unknown heroes such as the Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Ant-Man (2015), and Doctor Strange (2016). This trend continued with a flood of other superhero characters introduced by Marvel Comics during the early 1960s, including Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, and the X-Men. Our research owes a lot to Comichrons detailed compilations of the categories of best-selling comics; the sites post about the difficulties of naming the best-selling comics ever is good and edifying reading. Of all the comic book sales statistics on this list, this one is probably the least surprising. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Whether Perelman was directly to blame or not, the consequences for the industry as a whole were painful in the extreme. Still, according to Comichron, Loot Crate only purchased a mere several hundred thousand copies even if those orders dont count, Star Wars #1 wont be dethroned from the spot of best selling comic of the 21st century anytime soon. Perelmans response was to file for bankruptcy, thus giving him the power to reorganize Marvel without the stockholders consent. 1 . With the boom still in full swing, thats exactly what collectors did as former Comics International news editor Phil Hall recalls, fans were buying five copies to keep pristine and unopened, and a sixth to tear into and read. Superhero-like, Marvel survived its darkest hour in 1996, and from the jaws of defeat, pulled a multi-billion dollar victory. The anticipation of a new dawn for the franchise with Star Wars: The Force Awakens collided with a fandom adrift after the majority of its canon was declared defunct. But whats trending? Japan is the largest global comic market, and the popular manga One Piece is the biggest selling comic book collection in the world. With steadily increasing sales over the past few years, you can expect the sale of comic books to continue to grow - especially as characters increase in popularity due to cinema appearances. List of current Marvel Comics publications. But were not just talking about Ultimate Spider-Man #1, released in the year 2000. But now, it looked as though Arads approach was going to bear fruit. Once he had enough sales numbers in place to prove this hypothesis, he then took Marvel public, selling 40% of its stock for vastly more than he paid for the entire company. Advertising spending in the U.S. 2020-2024, Film industry in the United States and Canada - statistics & facts, Profit from additional features with an Employee Account. Plus, it also depends on what you want to count as Marvel. Marvel Comics also owns and publishes series like Star Wars or classic monster series like Frankenstein. But the first comic, the one that truly started it all was Marvel Comics No. Buy Comics . But the strength of summer 2021 is particularly remarkable given all publishers are currently releasing fewer books each week as a result of the pandemic. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set Summer 2021 had the best comic book sales in five years. As a Premium user you get access to background information and details about the release of this statistic. For several decades Marvel and DC were the top companies in the industry. That this plan was clearly impossible became evident to most comics retailers early in 1993, as more and more fans simply quit collecting due to the high cost, and amid a widespread perception of declining quality in Marvel comics., [related article: Complete Marvel Movie Release Calendar]. If in 2009, Marvel had 32,000 comics, this would give them about 457 comics per year for 70 years. Although not as mainstream as some Marvel and DC titles, it was still the best-selling comic book in January 2022. 1-800-548-3314. Although they dont explain which index this is, Im assuming it refers to the 2009 edition of The Official Index to the Marvel Universe, which does state in its introduction that they have that number of issues. By the time 2021 wrapped up, they held 31.7% of all sales. List of current Marvel Comics publications, Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham: The Silver Age, Star Wars: Darth Vader - Black, White & Red, "The Amazing Spider-Man (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Captain America: Symbol of Truth (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Captain Marvel (2019) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Carnage (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Daredevil (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Deadpool (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Doctor Strange (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Fantastic Four (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Ghost Rider (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Guardians of the Galaxy (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Immortal X-Men (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Invincible Iron Man (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Miles Morales: Spider-Man (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Moon Knight (2021) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Red Goblin (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Scarlet Witch (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "She-Hulk (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Spider-Man (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Venom (2021) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Wolverine (2020) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "X-Force (2019) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "X-Men (2021) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "X-Men Red (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Alien (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Planet of the Apes (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Predator (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Star Wars (2020) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Star Wars: Bounty Hunters (2020) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Star Wars: Darth Vader (2020) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2020) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Star Wars: The High Republic (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Star Wars: The High Republic #10 Preview", "Star Wars: The High Republic #1 Preview", "Avengers: Beyond (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Avengers: War Across Time (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "The Avengers: War Across Time #5 Preview", "Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Betsy Braddock: Captain Britain #5 Preview", "Bishop: War College (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Bloodline: Daughter of Blade (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Bloodline: Daughter of Blade #5 Preview", "Clobberin' Time (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Cosmic Ghost Rider (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Hallows' Eve (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Hellcat (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "I Am Iron Man (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Joe Fixit (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham: The Silver Age (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Miracleman by Gaiman & Buckingham: The Silver Age #7 Preview", "New Mutants Lethal Legion (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Punisher (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Rogue & Gambit (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Silver Surfer: Ghost Light (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Spider-Gwen: Shadow Clones (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Venom: Lethal Protector II (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Warlock: Rebirth (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "X-23: Deadly Regenesis (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "The X-Cellent (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Star Wars: Darth Vader - Black, White & Red (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Star Wars: Darth Vader - Black, White & Red #4 Preview", "Star Wars: Sana Starros (2023) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Star Wars: Yoda (2022) #1 | Comic Issues | Marvel", "Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #1 Preview", "Moon Knight: City of the Dead #1 Preview", "Spider-Man 2099: Dark Genesis #1 Preview", "Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season 2 #1 Preview", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_current_Marvel_Comics_publications&oldid=1152250782, This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 02:41. But dont worry if you dont know either; even hardcore Marvel fans would be hard-pressed to give you definite answers about the number of comics that exist (the other questions are, thankfully, a bit easier to answer). There followed a bewildering power struggle which raged for almost two years. Marvel Comics depended on the Spider-Man franchise, X-Men Franchise, and Daredevil franchise. However, the unverified sale is the first on the list to break the $1m marker at $1.5m. The precursor to Marvel Comics was founded in 1939 by pulp magazine publisher Martin Goodman. Or it may have been the more than four dozen variant covers. . Sales in million units Superman Batman Spider-Man X-Men Captain America The Adventures of Tintin Dragon Ball The Phantom. But youve probably already guessed. Please enter a valid email and try again. The comic book world is not a particularly inclusive industry, and its customers are primarily from a white background. Print sales still outweigh digital editions significantly, but digital sales increased by 750 million dollars in 2020. Lee and Kirby attempted to make their comic book characters more original by allowing them to interact with each other in a realistic fashion, including heroes often fighting or arguing with each other. Four years later MacFarlane and a number of other popular artists, including Jim Lee, Erik Larsen, and Rob Liefeld, left Marvel to found rival Image Comics, a company that allowed creators to retain the copyrights of their characters. is huge in Japan, and they have 43% of the total global market share, making them the biggest market for comics in the world. The global market for print comic books was worth $7.79B in 2022, up from $7.14B in 2021. By the time 2021 wrapped up, they held 31.7% of all sales. However, all opinions expressed on our site are solely ours, and this content is in no way provided or According to Comichron, which collates comic book sales across the direct market, in summer 2021 comic book sales were at one of their highest points in the last 25 years. As a Premium user you get access to the detailed source references and background information about this statistic. The best of the best: the portal for top lists & rankings: Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy: Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). And I was also young enough that I got duped into clipping Marvel Value Stamps. The comic book industry has seen many changes in recent years, largely due to the influence of comic book movies. But, like Ali at Retrogeekery says, its probably best to round this number up to 40,000 thanks to variations in comic publishing. Most of the beloved Marvel characters from the comic books, films, and TV series wouldn't exist if it hadn't been for the legendary writer Stan Lee. Learn more about how Statista can support your business. These. The crossovers promise to destroy the long-standing Ultimate Marvel setting and end a 15-year era may have propelled sales. So, though unofficial, I think the Marvel fandom database could be the closest to the real number. During the 1990s and early 2000s a new wave of writers, including Brian Michael Bendis (Daredevil, The Avengers), Jonathan Hickman (Fantastic Four), and Ed Brubaker (Captain America), became well known for their mature and sometimes controversial takes on Marvels characters. Email Us - $0.00. In it, he argued that the success of the comic book market was a bubble one brought on by encouraging collectors to buy multiple editions and hoard them up in the hope that theyll one day be worth a fortune. What was the first Marvel comic? This week ICv2 rolled out a publisher's share chart. The first comic book issued by Marvels precursor Timely Comics, in October 1939, featured the debut of the characters Human Torch, Sub-Mariner, the Angel, Ka-Zar, and the Masked Raider. Check out our list of the top 15 most powerful characters, or laugh with this 60s Marvel superhero kit. Ill admit I dont know the answer to any of those questions. The issue was designed to be a natural jumping on point for new readers, by restarting Peter Parkers superhero story over from the beginning and modernizing it as it went. So Timely Comics became Atlas Magazines. Sales have been bolstered by variant incentives and one-shots, major relaunches including the likes of X-Men and Moon Knight, and events such as the X-Men's Hellfire Gala, War of the Bounty Hunters, and Fear State. In this index, the Hulk has 8 different entries and Spider-Man has 13. Updates? But youre selling bubbles and tulips, and one day the bubble will burst, and the tulips will rot in the warehouse..

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