List of best-selling comic series

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  (Redirected from )

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
Comic series Creator(s) Publisher No. of collected
volumes		 Serialized Approximate sales
One Piece Eiichiro Oda Shueisha 100 Weekly Shōnen Jump
1997 – present		 490 million[2][b]
Asterix René Goscinny
Albert Uderzo
 Dargaud
Les Éditions Albert René		 42 1959 – present[c] 370 million[3][e]
Peanuts Charles M. Schulz N/A N/A 1950 – 2000 300 million[4]
Golgo 13 Takao Saito Shogakukan 182 Big Comic
1968 – present		 300 millioncopies in circulation/print[5]
Lucky Luke Morris, René Goscinny Dupuis
Dargaud
Lucky Comics		 81 1946 – present 300 million[6]
Dragon Ball Akira Toriyama Shueisha 42 Weekly Shōnen Jump
1984 – 1995		 300 million[7] [8][f][g]
Naruto Masashi Kishimoto Shueisha 72 Weekly Shōnen Jump
1999 – 2014		 250 million[15][h]
Detective Conan Gosho Aoyama Shogakukan 100 Weekly Shōnen Sunday
1994 – present		 250 million[16][j]
Spike and Suzy Willy Vandersteen Standaard Uitgeverij 357 1945 – present 230 million[17]
The Adventures of Tintin Hergé Casterman
Le Lombard
Egmont Group		 24 1929 – 1976 200 million[18]
Doraemon Fujiko Fujio Shogakukan 45 1969 – 1996 170 millioncopies in circulation/print[19]
KochiKame: Tokyo Beat Cops Osamu Akimoto Shueisha 200 Weekly Shōnen Jump
1976 – 2016		 156.5 million[20][k]
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Koyoharu Gotōge Shueisha 23 Weekly Shōnen Jump
2016–2020 		150 million[21]
Diabolik Angela Giussani
Luciana Giussani		 Astorina 862 1962 – present 150 million[22]
Crayon Shin-chan Yoshito Usui Futabasha 67 1990–present 148 million[l][23]
Garfield Jim Davis N/A N/A 1978 – present 135 million[24]
Oishinbo Tetsu Kariya
Akira Hanasaki		 Shogakukan 111 Big Comic Spirits
1983 – present		 135 million[25]
Bleach Tite Kubo Shueisha 74 Weekly Shōnen Jump
2001–2016		 120 million[26][m]
Slam Dunk Takehiko Inoue Shueisha 31 Weekly Shōnen Jump
1990 – 1996		 120 million[27][n]
Amar Chitra Katha Amar Chitra Katha Pvt. Ltd. 449 1967 – present 100 million[28]
Astro Boy Osamu Tezuka Kobunsha 23 Shōnen
1952 – 1968		 100 million[29]
Attack on Titan Hajime Isayama Kodansha 30 Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine
2009 – 2021		 100 million[30]
Casper the Friendly Ghost Seymour Reit and Joe Oriolo Harvey Comics N/A 1949 – present 100 million[31]
Fist of the North Star Buronson and Tetsuo Hara Shueisha 27 Weekly Shōnen Jump
1983 – 1988		 100 million[32][o]
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Hirohiko Araki Shueisha 122 Weekly Shōnen Jump
1987 – present		 100 million[33][p]
The Kindaichi Case Files Yōzaburō Kanari, Seimaru Amagi, Fumiya Satō Kodansha 86 1992–present 100 millioncopies in circulation/print[34]
Touch Mitsuru Adachi Shogakukan 26 Weekly Shōnen Sunday
1981 – 1986		 100 million[35]

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.[36] 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.[37]

Comic series Creator(s) Publisher No. of issues Serialized Approximate sales
Spider-Man Stan Lee
Steve Ditko		 Marvel 13,500[38] 1963 – present 909 million[q][r]
X-Men Stan Lee
Jack Kirby		 Marvel 12,000[39] 1963 – present 770 million[18][s]
Superman Jerry SiegalJoe Shuster DC 18000 1938 – present 500 million[40]
Batman Bob KaneBill Finger DC 15000 1939 -present 387 million[41]
Captain America Joe Simon
Jack Kirby		 Marvel 9,000[42] 1941 – present 210 million[18]
Diabolik Angela Giussani
Luciana Giussani		 Astorina 862 1962 – present 150 million[22]
Spawn Todd McFarlane Image Comics 600[43] 1992 – present 150 million[44]
The Phantom Lee Falk Frew Publications 3,000[45] 1936 – present 150 million[18]

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]

Comic magazine Publisher Country No. of issues Serialized Approximate sales
Weekly Shōnen Jump Shueisha Japan 2,406[46] 1968 – present 7.6 billion[46][a]
Weekly Shōnen Magazine Kodansha Japan 2,942[47] 1959 – present 5.2 billion[t]
Weekly Young Jump Shueisha Japan 1,765[48] 1979 – present 2.2 billion[u]
Weekly Shōnen Sunday Shogakukan Japan 2,805[49] 1959 – present 1.9 billion[v]
Weekly Young Magazine Kodansha Japan 1,976 1980 – present 1.8 billion[w]
Micky Maus Egmont Ehapa Germany 3,169 1951 – present 1 billion[x]
The Beano DC Thomson United Kingdom 4,000+ 1938 – present 1 billion[51]
Classics Illustrated Elliot Publishing Co.
Gilberton Company, Inc.
Frawley Corporation		 United States 169 1941 – 1971 1 billion[52]
Ribon Shueisha Japan 694[53] 1955 – present 594 million[y]
MAD Magazine EC Comics, DC Comics United States 557 1952 – present 430 million[54]
CoroCoro Comic Shogakukan Japan 480[55] 1977 – present 407 million[z]
Nakayoshi Kodansha Japan 756 1954 – present 400 million[aa]
Monthly Shōnen Jump Shueisha Japan 317[56] 1970 – 2007 215 million[ab]
Action Comics DC Comics United States 1,000 1938 – present 188 million[ac]
Pilote Dargaud France 420[68] 1959 – 1989 117 million[d]

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i See Weekly Shōnen Jump § Manga series.
  2. ^ In addition to tankōbon sales, One Piece has had a total estimated circulation of approximately 3.1 billion copies in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine.[a]
  3. ^ Serialized in Pilote from 1959 – 1973. Collected comic album releases of the Pilote comics were published from 1961 – 1973. Since 1974, each instalment has been published as a complete album with no prior magazine serialization.
  4. ^ a b See Pilote § Circulation.
  5. ^ 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.[d]
  6. ^ Other sources estimate the total Dragon Ball manga volume tankobon sales worldwide to be over 300 million copies.[9][10][11][12][13][14] See Dragon Ball (manga) § Reception for worldwide sales breakdown.
  7. ^ In addition to tankōbon sales, Dragon Ball had a total estimated circulation of approximately 2.96 billion copies in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine.[a]
  8. ^ 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.[a]
  9. ^ See Weekly Shōnen Sunday § Circulation
  10. ^ 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.[i]
  11. ^ 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.[a]
  12. ^ Includes Crayon Shin-chan, its sequel series, New Crayon Shin-chan, and its spin-off.
  13. ^ 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.[a]
  14. ^ In addition to tankōbon sales, Slam Dunk had a total estimated circulation of approximately 1.7 billion copies in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine.[a]
  15. ^ 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.[a]
  16. ^ In addition to tankōbon volume sales, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure chapters had a total estimated circulation of approximately 3.6 billion copies in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump.[a]
  17. ^ Spiderman should be at 909 million according to the existing citations.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ X-men sales from 1963-2014 770 million 2015: 1,984,679 based on [1] 2016: 2,757,495 based on [2] 2017: 3,801,671 based on [3] 2018: 4,315,701 based on [4] 2019: 4,450,897 based on [5]
  20. ^ See Weekly Shōnen Magazine § Circulation.
  21. ^ See Weekly Young Jump § Circulation
  22. ^ See Weekly Shōnen Sunday § Circulation.
  23. ^ See Weekly Young Magazine § Circulation
  24. ^ In 1998, the total number of Micky Maus copies ever sold exceeded 1 billion.[50]
  25. ^ See Ribon § Circulation.
  26. ^ See CoroCoro Comic § Circulation.
  27. ^ See Nakayoshi § Circulation.
  28. ^ See Monthly Shōnen Jump § Circulation
  29. ^ Action Comics sales – est. 187,508,831 copies
    • Up until 1989 – 170,851,312[57]
    • 1993 – 2,203,000[58]
    • 1996–2001 – 3,055,766[58]
    • 2002–2006 – est. 2,400,000[58]
    • 2007–2008 – est. 1,200,000[58]
    • 2009 – 192,400[59]
    • 2010 – 439,000[60]
    • 2011 – 950,600[61]
    • 2012 – 1,035,600[62]
    • 2013 – 777,500[63]
    • 2014 – 583,704[64]
    • 2015 – 440,757[65]
    • 2016 – 1,080,297[66]
    • 2017 – 1,179,798[67]
    • 2018 – 1,119,097[36]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Miller, John Jackson (November 16, 2010). "X-Men #1, One Piece, and world records". Comichron. Archived from the original on June 4, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  2. ^ Loo, Egan (July 18, 2021). "One Piece Manga Tops 490 Million in Circulation Worldwide". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved July 19, 2021. Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga has surpassed 490 million copies in circulation worldwide [...] That includes over 400 million in Japan and 90 million in at least 57 countries and regions overseas.
  3. ^ Ye, Sonia (October 19, 2017). "With the crazy 'Italics', Asterix returns for 37th adventure". Reuters. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  4. ^ "Good Grief! Peanuts Ends". CBS News. January 2, 2000. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  5. ^ "8号ではさいとう・たかを「ゴルゴ13」の200巻到達とシリーズ累計3億冊突破を記念し、「ゴルゴ13」が巻頭カラーで登場する。さらに、ともに連載作が200巻を突破したさいとうと「こちら葛飾区亀有公園前派出所」の秋本治による対談も掲載。". Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  6. ^ "Lucky Luke creator dies". BBC News. July 20, 2001. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  7. ^ "Le manga Dragon Ball cumule plus de 300 millions de copies dans le monde entier" (in French). August 10, 2021.
  8. ^ 『ドラゴンボール超』劇場版最新作、2022年に公開決定. Toei Animation (in Japanese). May 9, 2021. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  9. ^ Johnson, G. Allen (January 16, 2019). "'Dragon Ball Super: Broly,' 20th film of anime empire, opens in Bay Area". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on January 16, 2019. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  10. ^ Booker, M. Keith (2014). Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas. ABC-CLIO. p. xxxix. ISBN 9780313397516. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  11. ^ "よりスピーディーに、より迫力を増して復活する「ドラゴンボール改」in TAF2009". Livedoor News (in Japanese). Livedoor. March 21, 2009. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
  12. ^ "映画「ドラゴンボール」テーマソングは浜崎あゆみ". MSN Sankei News. December 10, 2008. Archived from the original on December 12, 2008. Retrieved December 12, 2008.
  13. ^ "ピッコロは緑だけど触角なし......実写『ドラゴンボール』映像". Oricon News (in Japanese). December 15, 2008. Archived from the original on August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  14. ^ "Top Manga Properties in 2008 - Rankings and Circulation Data". Comipress. December 31, 2008. Archived from the original on July 4, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  15. ^ "「ＮＡＲＵＴＯ―ナルト―」作者・岸本斉史さん 新連載『サムライ８（エイト）八丸伝（ハチマルデン）』スタート 君も完璧じゃなくていい : エンタメ・文化". 読売新聞オンライン (in Japanese). May 3, 2019. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  16. ^ "Detective Conan Manga Has 250 Million Copies in Circulation Worldwide". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  17. ^ De Roo, Marc (May 23, 2020). "De Springlevende Strip". De Tijd (in Dutch). Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  18. ^ a b c d "Lists: Best Selling Comic Books of All Time". Insider Monkey. February 26, 2015. Archived from the original on November 11, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  19. ^ Iwamoto, Tetsuo (September 3, 2012). "Happy birthday! Doraemon will be born 100 years from today". Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original on January 24, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  20. ^ "「こち亀」フジで８年ぶりアニメ化　原作連載４０周年記念" (in Japanese). Sankei. June 20, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  21. ^ Inc, Natasha. "「鬼滅の刃」累計1億5000万部を突破！3月には塗絵帳が2冊同時発売". コミックナタリー (in Japanese). Retrieved February 14, 2021.
  22. ^ a b "Diabolik - Il giornale". Archived from the original on March 1, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  23. ^ "クレしんは1958年生まれの臼井儀人さんが1990年からマンガ連載を開始（アニメは1992年）し、2015年の段階で国内外と関連書籍を合わせると1億4800万部" (in Japanese). Chika Lab. May 20, 2020.
  24. ^ "Garfield Passes 5 Million 'Likes' on Facebook". Animation World Network. August 29, 2012. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  25. ^ "お探しのページは移動もしくは削除された可能性があります。". Prtimes (in Japanese). October 2, 2020. Archived from the original on October 2, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  26. ^ "Bleach Manga Has 120 Million Copies in Print Worldwide". Anime News Network. January 23, 2017. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  27. ^ "『SLAM DUNK』 アニメーション映画化決定". January 7, 2021. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  28. ^ "In India, New Life for Comic Books as TV Cartoons". The New York Times. July 19, 2009. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  29. ^ Fujishima, Sorasaku (1990). 戦後マンガ民俗史 (in Japanese). Kawai Publishing. pp. 328, 360. ISBN 978-4879990242.
  30. ^ "Attack on Titan Manga Celebrates 100 Million Copies With Giant Mural at NYC Madison Square Garden". Anime News Network. December 25, 2019. Archived from the original on December 27, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  31. ^ "Even at 60, Casper still has his favorite TV and comic haunts". San Antonio Express-News. October 26, 2009. Archived from the original on December 8, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  32. ^ "武論尊 ： 「北斗の拳」実は綱渡りだった 26年ぶり伏線回収に「出しきった」 (1/2)". Mainichi Shimbun Digital (in Japanese). April 19, 2014. Archived from the original on April 20, 2014. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  33. ^ ""Jojo's Bizarre Adventure" Manga Has Printed 100 Million Copies". Crunchyroll. December 16, 2016. Archived from the original on December 18, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2016.
  34. ^ "【特報】祝・「金田一」シリーズ累計1億部突破!! この快挙を記念し「金田一1億部突破ポスター」のPDFデータを無料公開します！". Kodansha. June 11, 2019. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  35. ^ 傑作純愛ラブストーリー「タッチ」が、長澤まさみさん主演で実写化! (in Japanese). Toho. December 13, 2004. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved November 28, 2013.
  36. ^ a b "2018 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on January 28, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  37. ^ "Comichron FAQ: The Bestselling Comic Book of All Time". www.comichron.com. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
  38. ^ "Spider-Man Comics". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  39. ^ "X-Men Comics". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  40. ^ https://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/2019.html, Wikipedia, October 18, 2021, retrieved January 25, 2022
  41. ^ "Batman". DC. February 23, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  42. ^ "Captain America Comics". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  43. ^ "Spawn (Simmons) Comics". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  44. ^ "Todd McFarlane: The Devil You Know". newvideo.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  45. ^ "The Phantom Comics". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  46. ^ a b "「ジャンプ図書館」開催 50年分のジャンプが無料で読める". ITmedia News (in Japanese). February 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 14, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
  47. ^ "Shonen Magazine, Shonen Sunday Mark 50th Anniversary (Updated)". Anime News Network. March 18, 2008. Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
  48. ^ "Weekly Young Jump (Volume)". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  49. ^ "Weekly Shonen Sunday". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  50. ^ "Meilensteine". www.ehapa.de. Archived from the original on February 1, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  51. ^ Beano Annual 2017. Dundee, Scotland: D.C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. 2016. p. 112. ISBN 978-1-84535-603-3.
  52. ^ "Once the Bane of English Teachers,Classics Illustrated Comics Are Back". Education Week. January 10, 1990. Archived from the original on March 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
  53. ^ "Ribon". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  54. ^ "Mad Circulation 1961-2018". Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  55. ^ "CoroCoro Comic". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  56. ^ "Monthly Shōnen Jump". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on December 15, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  57. ^ "Action Comics Sales Figures". Comichron. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  58. ^ a b c d "Comic Book Sales by Month". Comichron. Archived from the original on March 6, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  59. ^ "2009 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  60. ^ "2010 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  61. ^ "2011 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
  62. ^ "2012 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 14, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  63. ^ "2013 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  64. ^ "2014 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  65. ^ "2015 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on August 21, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  66. ^ "2016 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  67. ^ "2017 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops". Comichron. Archived from the original on January 23, 2018. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
  68. ^ "Pilote". Comic Vine. Archived from the original on September 14, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2018.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""