Comic Books Market Analysis

Global Comic Book Market Overview

Comic Book Market Size was valued at USD 7.2 Billion in 2022. The Comic Book market Technology is projected to grow from USD 8.0 Billion in 2023 to USD 18.6 Billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.10% during the forecast period (2023 - 2032).Rising money, growing interest, ongoing format advancements that have improved the reading experience overall, and growing comic book appeal in developed and developing countries, are the key market drivers enhancing the market growth.

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Comic Book Market Trends

• Rising income and interest and continuing developments is driving the market growth

Important variables including rising money and interest as well as continual format innovations that have enhanced the reading experience overall have helped to boost the market for comic books. Additionally, both in industrialised and emerging nations, comic books are rising in popularity. A large percentage of Americans also read these novels on a monthly basis. According to a Comicsbeat analysis, the popularity of comic books increased significantly in 2021, with sales rising by almost 70% above those of 2018 and 2019.

As a substantial component of book publishing that librarians and educators increasingly recognise as common reading for children and young people, comic books are anticipated to experience an increase in demand during the projected period. The worldwide comic book market has seen significant transformation and has been evolving in new directions during the past ten years. A new generation of shrewd editors is supporting the expansion of the commissioning process. The three main components of book commissioning—marketing, publicity, and sales & distribution—have all developed in ways that are advantageous to the market.

Comic books have survived decades of changes in the entertainment landscape. Kids all throughout the world have grown up reading comics like Tintin, Asterix, Spiderman, and Teen Titans despite the digital wave crashing into the comparatively small readership of books. Given the large fan bases of titans like Marvel Comics and DC Comics, it is realistic to assume that the majority of individuals have read comic books at some point in their lives. Over the past few years, these factors have been driving market expansion. Additionally, both among adults and kids worldwide, the market for comic books has grown dramatically since 2021. For instance, a survey conducted in 2021 by the leading decision intelligence organisation revealed that 38% of Americans acknowledged to reading comic novels. Furthermore, 28% of American women said they have read these books. Thus, driving the Comic Book market revenue.

Recent Development :

In June 2022, The emergence of AI-assisted comics marks a significant trend in the realm of comic book art. the unveiling of "Abolition of the Man," the pioneering AI-illustrated comic book, hinted at a forthcoming era where artificial intelligence plays a pivotal role in crafting fresh and distinctive comic content.

in 2022 ,Simultaneously, there's a concerted effort within the industry to spotlight under-represented characters and narratives. Publishers are revisiting classic comics that showcase diverse characters while also spearheading the creation of new stories tailored to a broader audience. Notably, Rebellion's relaunch of "Black Beth," a superheroine originating from the 1970s, exemplifies this initiative. This strategic move resonates with the increasing demand for comics that authentically reflect the diversity of their readership.

Comic Book Market Segment Insights

Comic Book Product Type Insights

The Comic Book Market segmentation, based on product type, includes physical comic and digital comic. Physical comic segment dominated the global market in 2022. Compared to reading on a screen, the printed word has a number of compelling advantages. It has a certain sturdiness that the comparatively transitory and easily editable digital language does not, and it is also easier on the eyes and to peruse. Additionally, a Pew Research Centre research from 2021 found that traditional non-digital copy continued to be the most popular reading medium among adults and kids, which is anticipated to drive the market's growth during the forecast period.

Comic Book End User Insights

The Comic Book Market segmentation, based on end user, includes kids and adults. Adults segment dominated the global market in 2022. Adults who read manga as a hobby can improve their creativity, which benefits their mental and physical health. Reading and collecting uncommon and distinctive comic books and periodicals is a pastime enjoyed by many adult collectors. They purchase many copies of brand-new books and keep them for collecting to make money.

Comic Book Distribution Channel Insights

The Comic Book Market segmentation, based on distribution channel, includes book stores, comic stores, online stores, and others. Book stores segment dominated the Comic Book Market in 2022. This is due to the abundance of comic books produced by various authors and publishers. Additionally, the majority of people go to book stores because they have helpful employees there who can advise them on a wide choice of stories in every genre. Due to the simplicity and convenience of online shopping, the category of online stores is predicted to account for a sizeable portion of the market during the projection period. Furthermore, reliable payment gateway systems have been made available by online payment programmes like Google Pay, Amazon Pay, and others, supporting online shopping activities.

Figure 1: Comic Book Market, by Distribution Channel, 2022 & 2032 (USD Billion)

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Comic Book Regional Insights

By region, the study provides the market insights into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. The North America Comic Book Market dominated this market in 2022 (45.80%). The region's increased sales of the product are mostly due to the region's extensive comic book store population. For instance, data released by Publisher Weekly in 2020 showed that the direct market had a network of over 2,000 independent comic book stores and periodicals in the United States alone. These comic book stores mostly purchase non-returnable goods from Diamond Comics Distributors, the biggest comic book distributor in North America, at wholesale pricing. These shops provide a variety of graphic novels, prose books, and classic periodical comics. Further, the U.S. Comic Book market held the largest market share, and the Canada Comic Book market was the fastest growing market in the North America region.

Further, the major countries studied in the market report are The US, Canada, German, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, and Brazil.

Figure 2: COMIC BOOK MARKET SHARE BY REGION 2022 (USD Billion)

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Europe Comic Book market accounted for the healthy market share in 2022. The market expansion in the area is being driven by the rising number of titles being published each year, which is supported by the increase in digital publishing in various forms, the digitization of backlists, expanding print-on-demand services, and rising self-publishing titles.  Many European nations have seen a slow rise in e-book and audiobook sales following COVID-19, and in some cases, publishers have chosen to only release particular titles in digital formats. Further, the German Comic Book market held the largest market share, and the U.K Comic Book market was the fastest growing market in the European region

The Asia Pacific Comic Book market is expected to register significant growth from 2023 to 2032. Local publishers dominate the area, and it is predicted that there would be an increase in demand for foreign comic books. However, because there are so many different languages spoken in this area, there is a bigger demand for books written in regional languages than for books written in English. Due to the widespread use of high-speed Internet in the nations in this region, e-book demand is also rising. Moreover, China’s Comic Book market held the largest market share, and the Indian Comic Book market was the fastest growing market in the Asia-Pacific region.

Comic Book Key Market Players & Competitive Insights

Leading market players are investing heavily in research and development in order to expand their product lines, which will help the Comic Book market, grow even more. Market participants are also undertaking a variety of strategic activities to expand their global footprint, with important market developments including new product launches, contractual agreements, mergers and acquisitions, higher investments, and collaboration with other organizations. To expand and survive in a more competitive and rising market climate, Comic Book Industry must offer cost-effective items.

Manufacturing locally to minimize operational costs is one of the key business tactics used by manufacturers in the global Comic Book Industry to benefit clients and increase the market End User. In recent years, the Comic Book Industry has offered some of the most significant advantages to medicine. Major players in the Comic Book market, including Marvel Entertainment, LLC, Dark Horse Media, LLC, Image Comics, DC Entertainment, Archie Comics, IDW Media Holdings, Inc., Akita Publishing Co., Ltd., Futabasha Publishers Ltd., Rebellion, and DMG Entertainment, are attempting to increase market demand by investing in research and development operations.

Computer-generated (CG) animated characters and feature-length motion pictures are produced by Marvel Entertainment LLC (Marvel), a division of Walt Disney Co. Along with its subsidiaries, it licences and commercialises its characters, comic book publications, and film production and distribution. Through comic books and animated films, games, podcasts, and television shows, the company caters to the entertainment needs of children, adolescents, and young people. It also offers advertising and bespoke solutions, household appliances, kitchen and home décor goods, gift cards, and books. Its clothing division caters to men, women, children, and youth. The business offers its services all around the world. The American city of New York City serves as the headquarters of Marvel. Marvel released two significant giveaways in July 2022 to mark the publication of 30,000 comics, including the free distribution of 30 comic books and the launch of the brand-new Infinity Series Avengers Unlimited on the Marvel Unlimited app.

Media services are offered by Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. (WBD), formerly known as Discovery Inc. The business creates original content and collaborates on projects in the general entertainment, adventure, heroes, home, cuisine, and travel, sports, crime and investigation, survival, exploration, health, and children's categories. The programming is distributed by WBD through a variety of platforms, such as pay television, free-to-air TV broadcast, digital platforms, and content licencing agreements. The business also runs a variety of digital direct-to-consumer goods and production studios. The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, HGTV, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Food Network, MotorTrend, Trvl Channel, and Eurosport are just a few of its television brands. WBD's U.S. headquarters are in New York. The merger of Warner Bros and Discovery was completed in April 2022, which greatly benefited DC Comics.

• Marvel Entertainment, LLC


• Dark Horse Media, LLC


• Image Comics


• DC Entertainment


• Archie Comics


• IDW Media Holdings, Inc.


• Akita Publishing Co., Ltd.


• Futabasha Publishers Ltd.


• Rebellion


• DMG Entertainment

Comic Book Industry Developments

August 2022 Frankenstein: New World, a new comic book, has been released, according to Dark Horse Media, LLC. Dark Horse Comics' well-known character Hellboy has included Frankenstein, and fans of the Hellboy universe are increasingly asking for the comic.

Comic Book Market Segmentation

Comic Book Product Type Outlook

• Physical Comic


• Digital Comic

Comic Book End User Outlook

• Kids


• Adults

Comic Book Distribution Channel Outlook

• Book Stores


• Comic Stores


• Online Stores


• Others

Comic Book Regional Outlook

• North America
  
  
  
  • US
  
  
  • Canada
  
  
  
  


• Europe
  
  
  
  • Germany
  
  
  • France
  
  
  • UK
  
  
  • Italy
  
  
  • Spain
  
  
  • Rest of Europe
  
  
  
  


• Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  • China
  
  
  • Japan
  
  
  • India
  
  
  • Australia
  
  
  • South Korea
  
  
  • Australia
  
  
  • Rest of Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  


• Rest of the World
  
  
  
  • Middle East
  
  
  • Africa
  
  
  • Latin America