Just when you thought digital streaming and endless screen time had conquered all, the classic paper-and-staple comic book is making a comeback of heroic proportions. New data reveals that comic book stores are experiencing a massive 27% surge in sales in 2025, and the surprising heroes of this story are none other than Gen Z. Forget dusty long boxes and gatekept lore; a new generation is storming the gates of local comic shops, and they’re not just browsing—they’re buying.
The numbers don’t lie. According to industry analyst ICv2, comic stores using the ComicHub POS system saw sales skyrocket by 27% from January through August 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. That’s double the already impressive 13.3% increase from 2023 to 2024. This isn’t a fluke or a temporary spike—it’s a fundamental shift in how young people are engaging with sequential art, and it’s reshaping the entire comics landscape.
The “Un-Graying” of the Comic Book Audience
For years, a common narrative has been the “graying” of the comic book audience, with the average reader being a long-time, dedicated collector. Industry insiders worried that comics were becoming a niche hobby for aging fans, with few young people entering the fold. However, according to a new white paper from industry analyst ICv2, that trend is reversing in dramatic fashion.
At a New York Comic Con 2025 presentation, ICv2 founder Milton Griepp unveiled data showing a seismic shift in the market. Retailers across the country are reporting that Gen Z has arrived in comic shops in record numbers this year, reversing another longtime trend as the comics audience gets younger.
“2025 is shaping up to be a good year for comic shops, with sales from January through August by stores using the ComicHub POS system up 27% compared to the same period in 2024,” ICv2 reported.
This isn’t just a minor uptick; it’s a full-blown renaissance. Retailers are reporting a constant influx of new faces, many of whom are younger and more interested in reading stories than collecting for investment. The era of the reader is back, and it’s changing the very fabric of the industry. Walk into any comic shop on a Wednesday afternoon, and you’ll likely see a diverse crowd of young readers flipping through the latest issues, asking questions, and genuinely excited about what they’re discovering.
Caption: Comic book stores are seeing a resurgence in foot traffic, thanks to a new generation of readers.
Credit: Stock Image
Source: Shutterstock
What’s Driving Gen Z to Comic Shops?
So, what’s pulling younger readers away from their phones and into brick-and-mortar stores? According to Griepp and other industry experts, it’s a perfect storm of factors. Post-pandemic, Gen Z is craving in-person community, and comic shops, with their passionate staff and welcoming atmosphere, are providing it. After years of isolation and digital-only interactions, there’s a renewed appreciation for physical spaces where people can gather, share interests, and connect over stories.
Comics are also seen as an “inexpensive, high-quality” form of entertainment, a welcome relief in today’s economy. While movie tickets, streaming subscriptions, and video games continue to rise in price, a single comic book issue typically costs between $3.99 and $4.99, offering hours of entertainment and re-readability. For young people on tight budgets, that value proposition is hard to beat.
Furthermore, many of these new readers are “graduating” from other forms of graphic storytelling. Having grown up on a steady diet of manga, kids’ graphic novels like Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man, and webtoons, they are now seeking out new worlds to explore. This has created a direct pipeline of new fans into the world of American comics, a trend that publishers are finally starting to capitalize on. For those new to the medium, a beginner’s guide to reading comics can be an invaluable resource.
The data backs this up. Both manga and graphic novels for young readers have boomed over the past 15 years, and readers who are “graduating” from these formats are discovering periodical comics. They’re bringing with them an openness to serialized storytelling and a hunger for new narratives that the industry hasn’t seen in decades.
DC’s “Absolute” Masterstroke and Marvel’s Missed Opportunity
Perhaps the biggest success story in this new landscape is DC’s Absolute Universe. Launched in 2024, this new imprint reimagines DC’s iconic heroes with fresh, contemporary storylines, free from the baggage of decades of continuity. It’s the perfect entry point for new readers, and the sales numbers prove it. Absolute Batman #1 sold nearly 400,000 copies in its first month, and the 2025 follow-up, Batman #1, smashed records by selling over half a million copies—making it one of the best-selling comics of the year.
The genius of the Absolute Universe lies in its accessibility. You don’t need to know who killed Jason Todd or understand the nuances of Crisis on Infinite Earths to enjoy these stories. They’re designed to be entry points, with reimagined origins and fresh takes on classic characters. Absolute Wonder Woman, Absolute Superman, and other titles in the line have all performed exceptionally well, proving that when you give new readers a clear on-ramp, they’ll take it.
Caption: The cover to Absolute Batman #1, a key driver of new reader interest.
Credit: DC Comics
Source:https://www.dc.com
In stark contrast, Marvel’s attempt to capture a similar audience with its new Ultimate Universe has seemingly fizzled out. Despite a strong start in 2023, Marvel announced at NYCC 2025 that the line would be ending in April 2026. While the reasons for this are complex, it highlights the challenge of creating accessible content that resonates with today’s readers. The success of lines like Absolute Universe underscores the importance of representation in comics and fresh, modern storytelling.
It’s worth noting that Marvel’s Ultimate Universe did have its successes, particularly with Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate X-Men, but the line as a whole struggled to maintain momentum. This suggests that accessibility alone isn’t enough—the stories themselves need to resonate with contemporary audiences and offer something genuinely new.
The Shift From Collectors to Readers
Another fascinating trend revealed in the ICv2 white paper is the shift in what’s selling. The back issue market, traditionally dominated by collectors seeking high-grade, slabbed comics for investment, is seeing a change. Retailers are reporting that sales of slabbed comics are down, while sales of inexpensive reader copies are up. This is a huge change from the past, where everything was about “what’s this worth?”
This shift reflects a fundamental change in why people are buying comics. The new generation isn’t primarily interested in comics as investments or collectibles—they want to read them. They’re buying affordable copies, often in trade paperback or digest format, and they’re consuming them voraciously. This is great news for the industry, as it suggests a sustainable, engaged readership rather than a speculative bubble.
The popularity of DC and Marvel digest format books among Gen Z readers is particularly noteworthy. These affordable, portable collections are perfect for young readers who want to catch up on storylines without breaking the bank. Image Comics’ Invincible Compendium series has also been a massive hit, offering thousands of pages of content at a reasonable price point.
The Industry’s New Challenge: Keeping Up With Demand
This boom in readership has created a new, unexpected problem for the industry: keeping books on the shelves. The disruption caused by the bankruptcy of Diamond Comic Distributors, once the near-exclusive distributor for the direct market, has created ongoing supply chain issues. Publishers, surprised by the sudden surge in demand, have been caught unprepared, leading to shortages of popular graphic novels and trade paperbacks.
As Milton Griepp noted, “There is a problem, though, which is that the success is hampered by the fact that there’s not always availability to comic stores of the graphic novels they want to get.” This is a good problem to have, but one the industry will need to solve quickly to maintain its newfound momentum.
The distribution landscape is in flux, with companies like Universal Distribution expanding into the U.S. market after acquiring Alliance Game Distributors in Diamond’s bankruptcy proceedings. The hope is that increased competition and new players will create a more robust and responsive distribution network that can meet the demands of this growing market.
Digital Comics and the Future of the Medium
Interestingly, while physical comic sales are booming, the digital comics market is also thriving. Platforms like Webtoon and Patreon are routinely amassing millions of readers, and publishers are starting to take notice. According to panelists at the ICv2 Insider Talks event, digital comics represent a largely untapped market among print publishers, with the numbers in the digital space being “staggering.”
Research from Milton Griepp’s time at Amazon’s digital comics platform Comixology showed that people who read comics on their mobile devices are also more likely to purchase print comics. This suggests a mutually beneficial relationship between digital and print, rather than a zero-sum competition. Readers who discover comics digitally often seek out physical copies of their favorite series, while print readers use digital platforms to explore new titles.
The rise of LitRPG (literary role-playing game) audiobooks is another fascinating development. Vault Comics and Aethon Books report that at least half, and sometimes a majority, of their sales come from audio formats. These highly accessible and addictive formats are drawing in consumers who previously might have been non-readers, expanding the audience for graphic storytelling in unexpected ways.
What Publishers Need to Do Next
The success of 2025 has provided a clear roadmap for publishers. As Griepp noted in his presentation, “For a long time, comic publishers have targeted the hardcore comic consumer, and now they have an opportunity to target these new, younger consumers from Gen Z who will become the basis of the market over the coming years.”
The key lesson is accessibility. If you create a book that’s easy for people to get into, they’re more likely to buy it and tell their friends. But accessibility alone isn’t enough. Griepp harkened back to the 1980s, when “there were so many books that came out that are still in print today, because they were such a dramatic change from the past, and they were so rewarding to their readers.”
Series like Invincible and Absolute are a start, but Griepp challenged the industry to go all-in on innovation. “How do publishers nurture that kind of creativity and build on that in the future?” he asked. The answer will determine whether this boom is a temporary surge or the beginning of a new golden age for comics.
Publishers also need to address the supply chain issues that are hampering growth. Working with new distributors, investing in better inventory forecasting, and ensuring that popular titles remain in stock will be crucial to maintaining momentum. Nothing kills enthusiasm faster than a new reader walking into a shop only to find that the book they want is sold out with no restock date in sight.
The Broader Cultural Shift
This resurgence in comic book sales is part of a broader cultural shift. Gen Z, having grown up in an increasingly digital world, is showing a renewed appreciation for physical media. Vinyl records, physical books, and now comic books are all experiencing revivals as young people seek out tangible, collectible experiences. There’s something special about holding a comic book in your hands, flipping through the pages, and adding it to a shelf—something that a digital file can never quite replicate.
Moreover, comic shops are becoming community hubs in a way they haven’t been in years. They’re hosting events, signings, game nights, and reading groups, creating spaces where fans can connect in person. This sense of community is invaluable, particularly for a generation that has spent so much of their formative years online. For more on how comics impact pop culture, the broader cultural influence of the medium continues to grow.
What This Means for the Future of Comics
The future of comics looks brighter than it has in years. This influx of young, enthusiastic readers is a clear sign that the medium is not only surviving but thriving. It’s a wake-up call for publishers to focus on what matters most: creating accessible, high-quality stories that resonate with a diverse audience. The success of DC’s Absolute Universe provides a clear roadmap, and as the industry adapts to this new reality, we can expect to see more innovative and exciting comics for years to come.
The total value of the comics and graphic novel business in 2024 was estimated at $1.94 billion, settling around Covid-era highs. The industry saw exponential growth over the first year of the pandemic and has not dropped back down now that normalcy has largely returned. With the current trajectory, 2025 is on track to exceed those numbers significantly.
For fans, this is an exciting time. More readers mean more diverse stories, more experimentation, and more investment in the medium. For retailers, it’s an opportunity to build lasting relationships with a new generation of customers. And for publishers, it’s a chance to prove that comics are not a relic of the past but a vibrant, evolving art form with a bright future ahead.
The comic book boom of 2025 is more than just a sales spike—it’s a cultural moment. It’s proof that great storytelling, accessible entry points, and welcoming communities can create something truly special. As Gen Z continues to discover the joy of comics, the industry has a responsibility to nurture that enthusiasm and ensure that this new golden age is just the beginning.
References:
- Publishers Weekly, “In a ‘New World,’ Comics Are Making a Comeback”: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/comics/article/98824-in-a-new-world-comics-are-making-a-comeback.html
- Bleeding Cool, “Comic Stores Are Booming Again As Readers Are Getting Younger”: https://bleedingcool.com/comics/comic-stores-are-booming-again-audiences-getting-younger/
- ICv2, “ICv2 White Paper: It’s a New World”: https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/60775/icv2-white-paper-its-new-world
