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 100million 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.
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.[40] 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.
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]
^In addition to
tankōbon sales, One Piece has had a total estimated circulation of approximately 3.1billion copies in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine.[d]
^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.
^In addition to
comic album sales, Asterix had a total estimated circulation of approximately 93.5million copies in the
comic magazinePilote, which serialized Asterix from October 1959 to 1973.[g]
^In addition to tankōbon volume sales, Case Closed / Detective Conan chapters have had a total estimated circulation of approximately 1.3billion copies in Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine, which has been serializing Detective Conan since January 1994.[i]
^In addition to tankōbon volume sales, Naruto chapters had a total estimated circulation of approximately 2.3billion copies in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump.[d]
^In addition to tankōbon sales, Slam Dunk had a total estimated circulation of approximately 1.7billion copies in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine.[d]
^In addition to tankōbon volume sales, KochiKame chapters had a total estimated circulation of approximately 6billion copies in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump.[d]
^Includes Crayon Shin-chan, its sequel series, New Crayon Shin-chan, and its spin-off.
^In addition to tankōbon volume sales, Bleach chapters had a total estimated circulation of approximately 2billion copies in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump.[d]
^In addition to tankōbon sales, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure had a total estimated circulation of approximately 3.6billion copies in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine.[d]
^In addition to tankōbon volume sales, Fist of the North Star chapters had a total estimated circulation of approximately 1.1billion copies in the manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump.[d]
^
abcdWhile 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.
^
ab"One Piece Manga Sets Guinness World Record With Over 500 Million Published". Anime News Network. August 4, 2022.
Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2023. Shueisha announced on Thursday that Eiichiro Oda's One Piece manga has surpassed 500 million copies published worldwide as of the release of the manga's 103rd compiled book volume on the same day. 416,566,000 of those copies are in Japan, and 100 million copies are in 60 countries and territories outside of Japan.