With 2024 now behind us, it is time to sift through all the single-issue comic sales rankings and come up with some final numbers. Looking back over the entire year helps give us an idea of how each publisher did in a more macro view than our customary monthly lens that we use during the year.
Most Top 10 Wins in 2024
While Marvel Comics started getting a bit more competition in the battle for the Top 10 in the latter part of 2024, the year as a whole remained largely the same as prior years. Marvel Comics destroyed the competition in the fight for Top 10 supremacy in 2024. And it was not even close.
Marvel Comics placed a monstrous 79 comics in the Top 10 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up as Marvel Comics placed 76 comics in the Top 10 in 2023.
DC Comics came in a distant and completely non-competitive second place with just 20 comics in the Top 10 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were down as DC Comics had 34 comics in the Top 10 in 2023.
Image Comics was nipping DC Comics’ heels and took third place with 14 comics in the Top 10 in 2024. Image Comics’ Top 10 success is due to the lucrative Hasbro license. The Hasbro franchise comics comprised 12 of Image Comics’ 14 comics in the Top 10 in 2024. Without the Hasbro titles, Image Comics would have been down in the gutter with IDW Publishing in a tie.
Year-over-year numbers were up over the 6 comics that Image Comics had in the Top 10 in 2023.
IDW Publishing was a non-factor in the battle for the Top 10 as it had just 2 comics in the Top 10 during 2024. Of course, the only two IDW Publishing comics in the Top 10 in 2024 were from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.
Year-over-year numbers were flat as IDW Publishing also had 2 comics in the Top 10 during 2023.
Dynamite Entertainment had 2 comics in the Top 10 during 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up as Dynamite Entertainment had zero comics in the Top 10 during 2023.
Most Top 25 Wins in 2024
Marvel Comics continued its unrivaled dominance over all other publishers in the battle for the Top 25 in 2024. Marvel Comics dispatched all challengers by taking first place with 189 issues in the Top 25 during 2024.
Still, year-over-year numbers were down from the 198 comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 25 during 2023.
Once again, DC Comics came in a distant second place by placing a mere 69 issues in the Top 25 during 2024. This highlights the massive gulf that existed between Marvel Comics and DC Comics in 2024. Perhaps the All In initiative and the Absolute Universe titles can close the gap in 2025. We shall see.
Year-over-year numbers were down from the 81 comics that DC Comics had in the Top 25 during 2023.
Image Comics came in third place with 29 issues in the Top 25 during 2024. The Hasbro franchise comics accounted for 24 of Image Comics’ 29 issues. Once again, without the Hasbro license, Image Comics would be dead in the water in the Battle for the Top 25. In fact, Image Comics would have lost to even IDW Publishing in the Top 25 for 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the 13 comics that Image Comics had in the Top 25 during 2023.
IDW Publishing came in fourth place with just 6 issues in the Top 25 during 2024. Of course, all six issues came from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the 4 comics that IDW Publishing had in the Top 25 during 2023.
Dynamite Entertainment came in fifth place with 5 comics in the Top 25 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the zero comics that Dynamite Entertainment had in the Top 25 during 2023.
BOOM! Studios remained a non-player in the battle of the Top 25 as it had only 1 comic in the Top 25 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the zero comics that BOOM! Studios had in the Top 25 during 2023.
Most Top 50 wins in 2024
Marvel Comics annihilated all other publishers by placing 368 comics in the Top 50 in 2024. Marvel Comics steamrolled all other publishers in the battle for the Top 50 during 2024. It just was not even close.
Having said that, the year-over-year numbers were down from the 381 comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 50 during 2023.
DC Comics took second place by placing just 143 comics in the Top 50 during 2024. The gap between Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the Top 50 in 2024 emphasizes the long climb that DC Comics has ahead of it going into 2025. Winning the Top 50 is what drives real profit. It may be unrealistic to expect DC Comics to transform into legitimate competition for the Top 50 in 2025. But, DC Comics must narrow this massive gulf in 2025.
Year-over-year numbers were down from the 167 comics that DC Comics had in the Top 50 during 2023.
Image Comics came in a non-competitive third place with just 57 comics in the Top 50 in 2024. 38 of Image Comics’ 57 issues were from Hasbro-licensed franchises.
Year-over-year numbers up from the 25 comics that Image Comics had in the Top 50 during 2023.
IDW Publishing came in fourth place with 14 issues in the Top 50 in 2024. All of their issues in the Top 50 came from the TMNT franchise. IDW Publishing would be totally irrelevant without that valuable license.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the 9 issues that IDW Publishing had in the Top 50 during 2023.
Dynamite Entertainment took fifth place with 9 comics in the Top 50 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the zero comics that Dynamite Entertainment had in the Top 50 during 2023.
BOOM! Studios came in sixth place with a mere 6 issues in the Top 50 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the zero comics that BOOM! Studios had in the Top 50 during 2023.
Oni Press took seventh place with 2 comics apiece in the Top 50 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the zero comics that One Press had in the Top 50 during 2023.
Titan Comics came in eighth place with 1 comic in the Top 50 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the zero comics that Titan Comics had in the Top 50 during 2023.
The Battle for the Top 50 is the most valuable fight. It is this part of the sales chart that has historically driven all of the quality sales numbers. The results of the battle for the Top 50 for all of 2024 also highlight why the health of superhero comics, specifically Marvel Comics and DC Comics, is so vitally important to the North American market. This is what drives sales.
All of this highlights that the only relevant publishers in 2024 were Marvel Comics and DC Comics. The other publishers are non-factors in the battle for the Top 50. Image Comics is only separated from other publishers like IDW Publishing, Dynamite Entertainment, and BOOM! Studios due to that coveted Hasbro license. IDW Publishing is only in the Top 50 for 2024 because of the TMNT license.
The important battle for the Top 50 also emphasizes that superhero comics and licenses from the 1980s are what drive sales. All the other random niche titles from genres outside of what is mentioned above are irrelevant.
Most Top 75 wins in 2024
Marvel Comics dominated all publishers in taking first place with a total of 525 comics in the Top 75 during 2024. Marvel Comics’ unrivaled success did not slow down at all in the Top 75.
However, year-over-year numbers were down from the 534 comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 75 during 2023.
DC Comics meekly took second place with a total of 227 comics in the Top 75 during 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were down from the 260 comics that DC Comics had in the Top 75 during 2023.
Image Comics came in a distant third place with just 99 comics in the Top 75 in 2024. 63 issues of Image Comics’ 99 issues were from the Hasbro franchise.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the 69 comics that Image Comics had in the Top 75 during 2023.
IDW Publishing came in fourth place with only 18 comics in the Top 75 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the 12 comics that IDW Publishing had in the Top 75 during 2023.
Dynamite Entertainment took fifth place with 13 comics in the Top 75 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the 1 comic that Dynamite Entertainment had in the Top 75 during 2023.
BOOM! Studios came in sixth place with a mere 8 comics in the Top 75 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were down from the 11 comics that BOOM! Studios had in the Top 75 during 2023.
Titan Comics took seventh place with 3 comics in the Top 75 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the 2 comics that Titan Comics had in the Top 75 during 2023.
Oni Press came in eighth place with 2 comics in the Top 75 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the zero comics that Oni Press had in the Top 75 during 2023.
Dark Horse Comics, DSTLRY, and Penthouse Comics tied for ninth place with 1 comic apiece in the Top 75 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were flat compared to the 1 comic that Dark Horse Comics had in the Top 75 during 2023.
Year-over-year numbers were flat compared to the 1 comic that DSTLRY had in the Top 75 during 2023.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the zero comics that Penthouse Comics had in the Top 75 during 2023.
Most Top 100 wins in 2024
Marvel utterly overwhelmed the competition by cruising to a first-place finish with 673 comics in the Top 100 in 2024.
Having said that, year-over-year numbers were down from the 681 comics that Marvel Comics had in the Top 100 during 2023.
DC Comics came in second place, so far behind Marvel Comics that Marvel Comics couldn’t even see DC Comics in its rearview mirror. DC Comics took second place with 298 comics in the Top 100 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were down from the 347 comics that DC Comics had in the Top 100 during 2023.
What a stunning difference in the number of titles that each of the Big Two placed in the Top 100. It is distressing to see how much worse DC Comics has performed in the Top 100 compared to a year ago. DC Comics is going to have to hope that the Absolute Universe franchise saves the day. Because, at this point, I have no faith in their clueless editorial staff.
Image Comics took third place with 143 comics in the Top 100 in 2024. 71 issues of Image Comics’ 143 issues were from the Hasbro franchise.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the 104 comics that Image Comics had in the Top 100 during 2023.
Dynamite Entertainment came in fourth place with 23 comics in the Top 100 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the 7 comics that Dynamite Entertainment had in the Top 100 during 2023.
IDW Publishing took fifth place with 22 comics in the Top 100 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the 16 comics that IDW Publishing had in the Top 100 during 2023.
BOOM! Studios slotted in sixth place with 14 comics in the Top 100 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were down from the 24 comics that BOOM! Studios had in the Top 100 during 2023. BOOM! Studios became even more irrelevant in 2024.
Titan Comics registered in seventh place with 12 comics in the Top 100 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the 4 comics that Titan Comics had in the Top 100 during 2023.
Dark Horse Comics and Oni Press tied for eighth place with 5 comics apiece in the Top 100 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the 3 comics that Dark Horse Comics had in the Top 100 during 2023.
DSTLRY came in tenth place with 2 comics in the Top 100 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were flat compared to the 2 comics that DSTLRY had in the Top 100 during 2023.
Penthouse Comics and Mad Cave Studios tied for eleventh place with 1 comic apiece in the Top 100 in 2024.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the zero comics that Penthouse Comics had in the Top 100 during 2023.
Year-over-year numbers were up from the zero comics that Mad Cave Studios had in the Top 100 during 2023.
Top 5 Franchises in 2024
The X-Men franchise grabbed first place with 31 issues in the Top, 76 issues in the Top 25, and 127 issues in the Top 50.
The Spider-Man franchise took second place with 32 issues in the Top 10, 58 issues in the Top 25, and 97 issues in the Top 50 in 2024.
The Batman franchise slotted in at third place with 13 issues in the Top 10, 31 issues in the Top 25, and 75 issues in the Top 50.
The Avengers franchise came in at fourth place with 11 issues in the Top 10, 28 issues in the Top 25, and 63 issues in the Top 50.
The Ultimate Universe franchise rounded things out by taking fifth place with 27 issues in the Top 10, 39 issues in the Top 25, and 47 issues in the Top 50.
Smallest Drop Between Debut and Second Issue in 2024
Two titles only dropped two spots in the sales rankings after their debut issue.
Deniz Camp’s Ultimates #1 took the number 1 spot in June 2024. Ultimates #2 took the number 3 spot in July 2024.
Jed MacKay’s X-Men #1 took the number 1 spot in July 2024. X-Men #2 took the number 3 spot in August 2024.
Two titles only dropped one spot after their debut issue.
Gail Simone’s Uncanny X-Men #1 took the number 1 spot in August 2024. Uncanny X-Men #2 took the number 2 spot in September 2024.
Jason Aaron’s Absolute Superman #1 debuted at the number 1 spot in November 2024. Absolute Superman #2 took the number 2 spot in December 2024.
Scott Snyder’s Absolute Batman #1 took the number 1 spot in October 2024. Absolute Batman #2 took the number 2 spot in November 2024.
However, one title ruled over all of them in 2024. One title managed to retain the number 1 spot with its debut issue and its second issue.
Jonathan Hickman’s Ultimate Spider-Man #1 took the number 1 spot in January 2024 and then took the number 1 spot again in February 2024. That is phenomenal. This is a testament to the power of Hickman, combined with the power of a version of Peter Parker that fans have been demanding for years.
Biggest Drop Between Debut and Second Issue in 2024
John Layman’s Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum #1 debuted at the number 92 spot. Suicide Squad: Kill Arkham Asylum #2 dropped to the number 178 spot. This 86-spot drop tied for tenth place. This was no surprise. The video game was a massive sales failure, so the comic book followed the same path.
Steve Orlando’s Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver #1 debuted at the number 23 spot. Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver #1 fell to the number 109 spot. This 86-spot drop tied for tenth place.
Tom King’s Jenny Sparks #1 debuted at the number 74 spot. Jenny Sparks #2 fell to the number 163 spot. This 89-spot drop was good for ninth place.
Peter Tomasi’s Sinister Sons #1 debuted at the number 110 spot. Sinister Sons #2 fell out of the Top 200 and was unranked. This was at least a 90-spot drop, which was good for eighth place.
Rob Liefeld’s Deadpool Team-Up #1 debuted at the number 33 spot. Deadpool Team-Up #2 fell to the number 127 spot. This 94-spot drop was good for seventh place.
Declan Shalvey’s Mystique #1 debuted at the number 26 spot. Mystique #2 fell to the number 121 spot. This 95-spot drop was good for sixth place.
Jason Loo’s Werewolf by Night Red Band #1 debuted at the number 17 spot. Werewolf by Night Red Band #2 fell to the number 114 spot. This 97-spot drop was good for fifth place.
Taigami’s Kid Venom #1 at 17. Kid Venom #2 fell to the number 118 spot. This 101-spot drop was good for fourth place.
Jason Holtham’s Night Thrasher #1 debuted at the number 91 spot. Night Thrasher #2 fell out of the Top 200 and was unranked. This was at least a 109-spot drop, which was good for third place.
Bryan Hill’s Blade #1 debuted at the number 18 spot. Blade #2 fell to the number 127 spot. This 109-spot drop was good for second place.
Rodney Barnes’ Star Wars: Ahsoka #1 debuted at the number 11 spot. Star Wars: Ahsoka #2 fell to the number 134 spot. This 121-spot drop was good for first place.
Fastest To Being Unranked
Three Marvel Comics and DC Comics titles managed to go unranked by just the second issue in 2024.
Mat Groom and Kyle Higgans’ Ultraman X Avengers #1 debuted at the number 114 spot. Ultraman X Avengers #2 fell out of the Top 200 and was unranked.
Josie Campbell’s My Adventures with Superman #1 debuted at the number 124 spot. My Adventures with Superman #2 fell out of the Top 200 and was unranked.
Jason Holtham’s Night Thrasher #1 debuted at the number 91 spot. Night Thrasher #2 fell out of the Top 200 and was unranked.
Brandon Thomas’ Black Lightning #1 debuted at the number 95 spot. Black Lightning #2 fell out of the Top 200 and was unranked.
However, four Marvel Comics and DC Comics titles managed to go unranked with their debut issue.
Louise Simonson’s Power Pack: Into the Storm #1 debuted unranked.
Joseph Illidge’s Milestone Universe: The Shadow Cabinet #1 debuted unranked
Anthology comic DC Power 2024 #1 debuted unranked.
Justina Ireland and David Walker’s Marvel’s Voices Legends #1 debuted unranked.
Dead Titles Walking
Marvel
Marvel Comics had 247 dead titles walking out of its 850 new comics in 2024. This means that 29% of the new Marvel Comics issues in 2024 were dead titles walking.
Year-over-year numbers were down as Marvel Comics had 274 dead titles walking out of its 826 new comics during 2023. This meant that 33% of Marvel Comics’ new comics during 2023 were dead titles walking.
DC
DC Comics had 296 dead titles walking out of 578 new comics in 2024. This means that a whopping 51% of the new DC Comics issues in 2024 were dead titles walking. It is never a good sign when over half of your new comic books are dead titles walking.
Year-over-year numbers were slightly down from the 298 dead titles walking that DC Comics had during 2023. This meant that 47% of DC Comics’ new issues in 2023 were dead titles walking.
Joshua Williamson Award for 2024
Chip Zdarsky took fifth place with twenty-two comics in the Top 50 in 2024.
Zeb Wells came in fourth place with twenty-one comics in the Top 50 in 2024.
Joshua Williamson took third place with twenty-seven comics in the Top 50 in 2024. Williamson was the winner of the Joshua Williamson Award for 2023. So, this was a valiant attempt to defend his crown.
The long-time veteran, Jonathan Hickman, grabbed second place with twenty-nine comics in the Top 50 in 2024.
However, one writer ruled above all during 2024. That would be none other than Jed MacKay, who had a whopping forty-four comics in the Top 50 in 2024. Damn! It was not even close. The difference between fifth place and second place was close. However, the gap between MacKay in first place and Hickman in second place was massive.
There is no doubt that 2024 was the year of Jed MacKay. Congrats to Jed Mackay for earning the crown as the winner of the Joshua Williamson Award for 2024!
Tini Howard Award for 2024
Tini Howard took fifth place with nine comics in the Dead Titles Walking category. Tini Howard was the winner of the Tini Howard Award in 2023. Unfortunately, she was unable to successfully defend her crown.
Tom King, Erica Schultz, the Jackson Lanzig/Collin Kelly team, and Steve Foxe all tied for fourth place with 11 comics apiece in the Dead Titles Walking category.
Steve Orlando took second place with twelve comics in the Dead Titles Walking category.
However, Josie Campbell muscled out all of the competition to take first place and win the Tini Howard Award for 2024 with an impressive sixteen comics in the Dead Titles Walking category.
All right, that is it for our year-in-review for the 2024 comic book sales rankings. I am looking forward to the surprises that 2025 is certain to bring us!