List Of 10 Best-Selling Comic Books Of 2023 In Comic Stores Is Dominated By Only TWO Superheroes

List Of 10 Best-Selling Comic Books Of 2023 In Comic Stores Is Dominated By Only TWO Superheroes

Comic book stores have revealed the issues which sold the highest number throughout 2023, and while there's a single Image Comics title on the list, the rest of this Top 10 is dominated by just two heroes.

News
By JoshWilding - Dec 28, 2023 10:12 AM EST
Filed Under: Marvel Comics
Source: Bleeding Cool

Despite the fact there are an awful lot of comic book adaptations in theaters and on television/streaming, comic books themselves remain a relatively niche product. Even many hardcore fans no longer pick up monthly titles, either opting to wait on digital releases or choosing not to read them at all due to recent creative decisions.

That may go some way in explaining this list of 2023's 10 best-selling comic books in 2023. Roughly 150 comic book stores were surveyed across North America and the UK and the ranking below has been created based on sales. 

And, only two superheroes dominate the list: Batman and Spider-Man. 

Chip Zdarsky's current Batman run has dominated the charts, taking up a total of seven spots on the list (including #1). Amazing Spider-Man joins it for that widely-touted issue featuring the short-lived death of Ms. Marvel and the debut of new symbiote character Rek-Rap. 

There's only one other title that's managed to make the cut and it's Robert Kirkman's (The Walking Dead, Invincible) Void Rivals. That introduced readers to the Energon Universe, uniting properties like Transformers, GI Joe, and more.

Here's the full top 10 (via Bleeding Cool).

1. Batman #131 (Chip Zdarsky, Mike Hawthorne)
2. Batman #135 (Chip Zdarsky, Jorge Jiménez, Mike Hawthorne)
3. Batman #132 (Chip Zdarsky, Mike Hawthorne)
4. Batman #133 (Chip Zdarsky, Mike Hawthorne)
5. Batman Knight Terrors #1 (Joshua Williamson, Guillem March, David Lafuente)
6. Batman #136 (Chip Zdarsky, Belén Ortega)
7. Amazing Spider-Man #26 (Zeb Wells, John Romita Jr.)
8. Batman #134 (Chip Zdarsky, Mike Hawthorne)
9. Amazing Spider-Man #17 (Zeb Wells, Ed McGuinness)
10. Void Rivals #1 (Robert Kirkman, Lorenzo De Felici)

It's interesting, but perhaps not surprising, to see Batman and Spider-Man all over this list. They remain two of the world's most popular superheroes (perhaps the most popular) and it makes sense that even lapsed readers are likely still keeping up with their monthly adventures if nothing else. 

In terms of the presence on screen, The Batman was released in 2022 and Michael Keaton's Caped Crusader took centre stage in The Flash this summer. Next up for the character is The Batman II and DC Studios' reboot, The Brave and the Bold. 

As for the wall-crawler, countless versions of the hero appeared in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse back in June and Marvel Studios is thought to be in the midst of developing Spider-Man 4, the long-awaited follow-up to Spider-Man: No Way Home. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse remains undated.

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MotherFuckerJon
MotherFuckerJon - 12/28/2023, 11:01 AM
Zdarskys Batman isn't even really all that good. His Daredevil run is MUCH better. Don't get me started on the current Spider-Man ongoing.
TheFinestSmack
TheFinestSmack - 12/28/2023, 11:09 AM
And what do these sales look like if we throw manga into the mix?
WhatIfRickJames
WhatIfRickJames - 12/28/2023, 11:11 AM
Looks like it's dominated by one character not two.
WhatIfRickJames
WhatIfRickJames - 12/28/2023, 11:12 AM
And the thumbnail is totally [frick]ing inaccurate. Should be Bats
CerealKiller1
CerealKiller1 - 12/28/2023, 11:12 AM
Josh isn’t gonna see this because I’m blocked, but ‘Rek-Rap’ has nothing to do with symbiotes, he’s a character from Limbo
DocSpock
DocSpock - 12/28/2023, 11:23 AM

Only one question from this.

Is one person on earth surprised that Batman and Spider-Man are the 2 most popular?????
EZBeast
EZBeast - 12/28/2023, 11:54 AM
@DocSpock - I'd argue and say it's almost all batman with a touch of Spiderman when it comes to sales but yeah they're easily the first 2 characters that pop in my head when I think of superheroes.
FireandBlood
FireandBlood - 12/28/2023, 11:23 AM
Comics don’t sell like that unless it’s Batman or Spider-Man. Been saying this when you bozos pick out minority characters that don’t sell, like anybody else does either.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 12/28/2023, 11:29 AM
Hate they always tend to do these lists using individual comics, makes it hard to get a true feel of what characters are doing well when the result is so slanted to multiple issues of the same few comic runs feeding into questionable narratives about characters who are selling comparatively well when you take into account how much of the lists are all Batman and Spiderman plus the biggest teamup/crossovers.

I mean it is only a surprise when Batman and Spiderman are NOT topping lists of sales (and oft overlooks some iterations of theirs are not doing so well as oft a LOT of Batman/Spiderman alternate/ltd runs in stores at the same time as their main runs). In addition as others have stated these lists oft exclude the likes of manga so there is that too although that may be more down to their sales spread over more titles as unsure from this if it covers all genres or not (just assume it is the normal lists that have tended to exclude Manga in the past).
dragon316
dragon316 - 12/28/2023, 1:34 PM
@Apophis71 - I have one complaint on manga , manga may sell more be more popular how is it I was looking for manga book out of print most I had spend on manga volume 1 manga book is 249.00 if manga is so popular it should have more copies where people should not be buying 90.-300 on volume of manga to complete series that is out of print it’s not like that with comics if I want old comic Batman 500 for example I be spending under 30.0 unsigned for knightfall series
bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 12/28/2023, 11:39 AM
Make that one. Spider-Man isn't even a close second.

Guess these numbers are proof enough fans can't get enough of Batman, and might be a reason why we're getting two live-action Batmen.
RolandD
RolandD - 12/28/2023, 11:41 AM
C’mon Josh. Batman dominated this list and Spider-Man gets an honorable mention.
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 12/28/2023, 11:56 AM
Just wait, X-Men will be making a comeback very soon.
TheloniousJay
TheloniousJay - 12/28/2023, 12:05 PM
The Amazing Spider-Man series is really good. It's been going into my box since the first issue.

I can't wait for the new X-Men and Avengers runs next month.
marvel72
marvel72 - 12/28/2023, 12:13 PM
Batman has a ton of titles each month, over half are probably Batman related.

Spider-Man I did expect to see more,still going to claim Miles Morales is popular.
CAPTAINPINKEYE
CAPTAINPINKEYE - 12/28/2023, 12:24 PM
What has happened to the X-Men?
In the 80s, 90s and 00s they were always in the the top 5.
MarvelZombie616
MarvelZombie616 - 12/28/2023, 12:57 PM
You won't find a kid on the planet that doesn't know Spiderman.
Batman is the most liked superhero among older kids and adults.
marvel72
marvel72 - 12/28/2023, 1:02 PM
@MarvelZombie616 -
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 12/28/2023, 1:04 PM
Of course it's Batman and Spider-Man. Mostly Batman.

Do the movies realise exactly how much they've failed this character? The Flash bombs and The Batman is considered a success with only $700m+?

Meanwhile Spider-man's making billions and he's not half as popular.
Jacory
Jacory - 12/28/2023, 3:02 PM
@ObserverIO - what are you going on about? $700m+ against a $200m budget is a financial success, and movie popularity doesn't always equate to comics popularity.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 12/29/2023, 4:11 AM
@Jacory - I did say it was considered a success.

But we all know a Batman movie should make more. Comics popularity has proven equal to movie popularity before, particularly with these two characters.

Batman has historically been the biggest cbm franchise in the world, until the MCU and even then The Dark Knight movies were in direct competition.

I remember when the two big movies going head to head were The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises. That's how big Batman is.
marvel72
marvel72 - 12/28/2023, 1:20 PM
Everyone wanted to read and see Ms.Marvel die.
dragon316
dragon316 - 12/28/2023, 1:36 PM
Surprise see Batman have more books Spider-Man makes list with one book maybe it’s story maybe Batman is more popular hard to say with our doing poll
ModHaterSLADE
ModHaterSLADE - 12/28/2023, 2:01 PM
Having the best Rogue's Gallery in comics is one hell of an advantage.

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