List of best-selling comic series

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This page provides lists of best-selling comic book series to date. It includes Japanese manga, American comic books, and European comics. This list includes comic books that have sold at least 100 million copies.

There are three separate lists, for three different comic book publication formats: collected comic book volumes, periodical single-issue floppy comics, and comic magazines. They are separated because the sales figures of these publication formats are not directly comparable.

Collected comic book volumes

This list is for comics printed in a traditional book format (paperback or hardcover), typically with a similar number of pages as novels. The list includes graphic novels printed exclusively in this format, and trade paperback/hardcover books which compile periodical comic chapters/issues into larger collected volumes. Japanese manga tankōbon volumes and European comic albums account for the vast majority of collected comic book volume sales.[1] American trade paperbacks and graphic novels are also included in the list.

These comic series were originally serialized either as chapters (typically 15-30 pages each) in comic publications (such as comic magazines) or as single-page comic strips in non-comic publications (such as newspapers), before being collected into a larger comic book volume (which compiles either multiple comic chapters or numerous comic strips).[1] For comic series originally serialized as chapters in comic magazines or manga magazines, their estimated circulation figures in those magazines are given in footnotes.

Denotes comic series currently running
More information Comic series, Creator(s) ...
Comic seriesCreator(s)PublisherNo. of collected
volumes		SerializedApproximate sales
One PieceEiichiro OdaShueisha114Weekly Shōnen Jump
1997 – present		600 million†[2]
AsterixRené Goscinny
Albert Uderzo
Dargaud
Les Éditions Albert René		411959 – present[a]393 million[3][c]
Golgo 13Takao SaitoShogakukan219Big Comic
1968 – present		300 million†[4]
Lucky LukeMorrisDupuis
Dargaud
Lucky Comics		821946 – present300 million[5]
PeanutsCharles M. SchulzN/aN/a1950 – 2000300 million[6]
Case ClosedGosho AoyamaShogakukan107Weekly Shōnen Sunday
1994 – present		270 million[7][e]
Dragon BallAkira ToriyamaShueisha42Weekly Shōnen Jump
1984–1995		260 million[8]
NarutoMasashi KishimotoShueisha72Weekly Shōnen Jump
1999 – 2014		250 million[9][g]
The Adventures of TintinHergéCasterman
Le Lombard
Egmont Group		241929 – 1976250 million[10]
Spike and SuzyWilly VandersteenStandaard Uitgeverij3651945 – present230 million[11]
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no YaibaKoyoharu GotougeShueisha232016–2020220 million†‡[12]
Slam DunkTakehiko InoueShueisha31Weekly Shōnen Jump
1990 – 1996		185 million[13][h]
KochiKame: Tokyo Beat CopsOsamu AkimotoShueisha201Weekly Shōnen Jump
1976 – 2016		157.2 million[14][i]
DiabolikAngela Giussani
Luciana Giussani		Astorina8621962 – present150 million[15]
Jujutsu KaisenGege AkutamiShueisha30Weekly Shōnen Jump
2018 – 2024		150 million†‡[16]
Crayon Shin-chanYoshito UsuiFutabasha65Manga Action
1990 – present		148 million[j][17]
Attack on TitanHajime IsayamaKodansha34Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine
2009 – 2021		140 million[18]
GarfieldJim DavisN/aN/a1978 – present135 million[19]
OishinboTetsu Kariya
Akira Hanasaki		Shogakukan111Big Comic Spirits
1983 – 2014		135 million[20]
BleachTite KuboShueisha74Weekly Shōnen Jump
2001 – 2016		130 million[21][k]
JoJo's Bizarre AdventureHirohiko ArakiShueisha1381987 – present120 million†[22][l]
KingdomYasuhisa HaraShueisha78Weekly Young Jump
2006 – present		120 million†‡[23]
Amar Chitra KathaAmar Chitra Katha Pvt. Ltd.4491967 – present100 million[24]
Astro BoyOsamu TezukaKobunsha23Shōnen
1952 – 1968		100 million[25]
Casper the Friendly GhostSeymour Reit and Joe OrioloHarvey ComicsN/a1949 – present100 million[26]
Baki the GrapplerKeisuke ItagakiAkita Shoten155Weekly Shōnen Champion
1991 – present		100 million†[m][27]
Fist of the North StarBuronson and Tetsuo HaraShueisha27Weekly Shōnen Jump
1983 – 1988		100 million[28][n]
Hajime no IppoGeorge MorikawaKodansha145Weekly Shōnen Magazine
1989 – present		100 million†[29]
The Kindaichi Case FilesYōzaburō Kanari, Seimaru Amagi, Fumiya SatōKodansha1011992 – present100 million†[30]
My Hero AcademiaKōhei HorikoshiShueisha42Weekly Shōnen Jump
2014 – 2024		100 million†‡[31]
TouchMitsuru AdachiShogakukan26Weekly Shōnen Sunday
1981 – 1986		100 million[32]
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Periodical single-issue floppy comics

This list is for single-issue floppy comics, also known as the American comic book format. Unlike the paperback book format, floppy comics are thinner periodicals and stapled together. Each floppy comic issue is typically 20–40 pages, and usually consists of a single chapter (as opposed to a larger comic book volume that typically includes multiple chapters). A floppy comic is comparable to a comic magazine, but is thinner in size and is dedicated to a single character or group of characters (whereas a comic magazine is thicker and serializes multiple different unrelated series).[1]

Single-issue floppy comics are the most common publication format for American comics, and account for the vast majority of American superhero comic sales.[33] This list also contains periodical publications from other countries that are similarly dedicated to a single character or group of characters. Some of the numbers reported here may also include sales of trade paperback volumes, which account for a small portion of American comic sales.

According to the most recently available data, the best-selling American single-issue comic of all time was X-Men #1, which was published in 1991 and has since sold almost 8.2 million copies.

More information Comic series, Creator(s) ...
Comic seriesCreator(s)PublisherNo. of issuesSerializedApproximate sales
SupermanJerry Siegel
Joe Shuster		DC Comics18,732[34]1938 – present600 million[35][o]
BatmanBob Kane
Bill Finger		DC Comics23,193[36]1939 – present484 million[p][o]
Spider-ManStan Lee
Steve Ditko		Marvel13,500[40]1963 – present387 million[q][o]
X-MenStan Lee
Jack Kirby		Marvel12,000[45]1963 – present260 million[46][o]
Captain AmericaJoe Simon
Jack Kirby		Marvel9,000[47]1941 – present210 million[46]
Fantastic FourStan Lee
Jack Kirby		Marvel5,899[48]1961 – present150 million[49]
DiabolikAngela Giussani
Luciana Giussani		Astorina8621962 – present150 million[15]
SpawnTodd McFarlaneImage Comics600[50]1992 – present150 million[51]
The PhantomLee FalkFrew Publications3,000[52]1936 – present150 million[46]
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Comic magazines

Cover of Weekly Shōnen Jump issue #1 (1968). Weekly Shōnen Jump is the best-selling comic magazine.

This list is for comic magazines, which are anthology magazines that serialize multiple different unrelated comic series. This list includes Japanese manga magazines, European comic magazines, and English-language comic magazines.

In Japan, manga magazines account for the vast majority of manga sales. Most manga series first appear in manga magazines, before later being sold separately as collected tankobon volumes.[1]

More information Comic magazine, Publisher ...
Comic magazinePublisherCountryNo. of issuesSerializedApproximate sales
Weekly Shōnen JumpShueishaJapan2,406[53]1968 – present7.6 billion[53][r]
Weekly Shōnen MagazineKodanshaJapan2,942[54]1959 – present5.2 billion[s]
Weekly Young JumpShueishaJapan1,765[55]1979 – present2.2 billion[t]
The BeanoDC ThomsonUnited Kingdom4,200+1938 – present2 billion[56]
Weekly Shōnen SundayShogakukanJapan2,805[57]1959 – present1.9 billion[u]
Weekly Young MagazineKodanshaJapan1,9761980 – present1.8 billion[v]
Micky MausEgmont EhapaGermany3,1691951 – present1 billion[w]
Classics IllustratedElliot Publishing Co.
Gilberton Company, Inc.
Frawley Corporation		United States1691941 – 19711 billion[59]
RibonShueishaJapan694[60]1955 – present594 million[x]
MAD MagazineEC Comics, DC ComicsUnited States5571952 – present430 million[61]
CoroCoro ComicShogakukanJapan480[62]1977 – present407 million[y]
NakayoshiKodanshaJapan7561954 – present400 million[z]
Monthly Shōnen JumpShueishaJapan317[63]1970 – 2007215 million[aa]
Action ComicsDC ComicsUnited States1,0001938 – present188 million[ab]
PiloteDargaudFrance420[70]1959 – 1989117 million[b]
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See also

Notes

  1. [a]
    Serialized in Pilote in 1959 – 1973. Collected comic album releases of the Pilote comics were published in 1961 – 1973. Since 1974, each instalment has been published as a complete album with no prior magazine serialization.
  2. [b]
    See Pilote § Circulation.
  3. [c]
    In addition to comic album sales, Asterix had a total estimated circulation of approximately 93.5 million copies in the comic magazine Pilote, which serialized Asterix from October 1959 to 1973.[b]
  4. [d]
    See Weekly Shōnen Sunday § Circulation
  5. [e]
    In addition to tankōbon volume sales, Case Closed / Detective Conan chapters have had a total estimated circulation of approximately 1.3 billion copies in Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine, which has been serializing Detective Conan since January 1994.[d]
  6. [f]
    See Weekly Shōnen Jump § Manga series
  7. [g]
    In addition to tankōbon volume sales, Naruto chapters had a total estimated circulation of approximately 2.3 billion copies in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump.[f]
  8. [h]
    In addition to tankōbon sales, Slam Dunk had a total estimated circulation of approximately 1.7 billion copies in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine.[f]
  9. [i]
    In addition to tankōbon volume sales, KochiKame chapters had a total estimated circulation of approximately 6 billion copies in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump.[f]
  10. [j]
    Includes Crayon Shin-chan and its sequel series, New Crayon Shin-chan
  11. [k]
    In addition to tankōbon volume sales, Bleach chapters had a total estimated circulation of approximately 2 billion copies in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump.[f]
  12. [l]
    In addition to tankōbon sales, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure had a total estimated circulation of approximately 3.6 billion copies in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine.[f]
  13. [m]
    Includes Baki the Grappler's sequel series; New Grappler Baki, Hanma Baki, Baki-Dou, Baki-Dou (2018) and Baki Rahen
  14. [n]
    In addition to tankōbon volume sales, Fist of the North Star chapters had a total estimated circulation of approximately 1.1 billion copies in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump.[f]
  15. [o]
    While the vast bulk of the sales are from single-issue floppy comics, the number may also include trade paperback volumes, which account for a small portion of the sales.
  16. [p]
    Batman comic sales – 484.900.656 copies
    • Up until 2015 – 460 million[35]
    • 2016 – 5,049,826[37]
    • 2017 – 4,877,167[38]
    • 2018 – 4,622,530[33]
    • 2019 – 6,070,761[39]
  17. [q]
    Spider-Man comic sales – 384,827,202 copies
    • Up until April 2014 – 360 million[41]
    • May–December 2014 – 3,366,050[42][43]
    • 2015 – 4,719,795[44]
    • 2016 – 4,248,366[37]
    • 2017 – 3,465,005[38]
    • 2018 – 4,522,479[33]
    • 2019 – 4,505,507[39]
  18. [r]
    See Weekly Shōnen Jump § Manga series.
  19. [s]
    See Weekly Shōnen Magazine § Circulation.
  20. [t]
    See Weekly Young Jump § Circulation
  21. [u]
    See Weekly Shōnen Sunday § Circulation.
  22. [v]
    See Weekly Young Magazine § Circulation
  23. [w]
    In 1998, the total number of Micky Maus copies ever sold exceeded 1 billion.[58]
  24. [x]
    See Ribon § Circulation.
  25. [y]
    See CoroCoro Comic § Circulation.
  26. [z]
    See Nakayoshi § Circulation.
  27. [aa]
    See Monthly Shōnen Jump § Circulation
  28. [ab]
    Action Comics sales – est. 187,508,831 copies
    • Up until 1989 – 170,851,312[64]
    • 1993 – 2,203,000[42]
    • 1996–2001 – 3,055,766[42]
    • 2002–2006 – est. 2,400,000[42]
    • 2007–2008 – est. 1,200,000[42]
    • 2009 – 192,400[65]
    • 2010 – 439,000[66]
    • 2011 – 950,600[67]
    • 2012 – 1,035,600[68]
    • 2013 – 777,500[69]
    • 2014 – 583,704[43]
    • 2015 – 440,757[44]
    • 2016 – 1,080,297[37]
    • 2017 – 1,179,798[38]
    • 2018 – 1,119,097[33]

References

External links

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