Comic Book Statistics: 120+ Figures on Releases, Variant Covers and Prices (2026)
Updated . Next update 1 November 2026. By CollectionPlnr.
4,941 new English-language single-issue comics came out in 2025, according to CollectionPlnr catalogue data (as at 13 October 2026), and comics and graphic novel sales in the US and Canada were around $1.94 billion in 2024, according to ICv2.
So far in 2026 (to 13 October) another 4,266 have come out, carrying 11,131 variant covers between them.
Two numbers are easy to misread. A variant cover is not a new comic: it is the same issue with different cover art, so we count issues and covers separately. And market sales are dollars spent across comics and graphic novels, while our release counts are single issues only, so one cannot be divided by the other.
This page covers new comic releases, publishers, #1 issues, variant and ratio covers, later printings, cover prices and upcoming releases from our own catalogue, plus sourced figures on market size, comic shop share, distribution, grading, record sales and Free Comic Book Day. Every external figure links to the publisher that released it.
Top picks
Releases
- New single issues in 2025: 4,941
- New single issues in 2026 (to 13 October): 4,266
- #1 issues in 2025: 853
- Top publisher by releases, 2025: Marvel, 21.1%
Variant covers
- Variant covers per new issue, 2025: 2.76
- New issues with at least one variant, 2025: 65.1%
- Most variant covers on one issue since 2025: 115
Prices
- Median cover price, 2026 (to 13 October): $4.99
- New issues priced above $3.99, 2026 (to 13 October): 56.0%
- Highest price paid for a comic: $15 million (Action Comics #1, CGC 9.0)
Market
- North American comics and graphic novel sales, 2024: $1.94 billion
- Single-issue (periodical) sales, 2024: $460 million
- DC share of comic shop sales, Q4 2025: 32.6%
How many new comics come out each year?
4,941 new English-language single issues came out in 2025, and 4,266 in 2026 (to 13 October), according to CollectionPlnr catalogue data (as at 13 October 2026).
| Year | New single issues | Of which #1 issues | #1 share | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 6,335 | 879 | 13.9% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2018 | 5,839 | 977 | 16.7% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2019 | 5,516 | 965 | 17.5% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2020 | 3,943 | 639 | 16.2% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2021 | 4,241 | 794 | 18.7% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2022 | 4,766 | 931 | 19.5% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2023 | 4,712 | 879 | 18.7% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2024 | 4,690 | 832 | 17.7% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2025 | 4,941 | 853 | 17.3% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2026 (to 13 October) | 4,266 | 754 | 17.7% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
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<figure><a href="https://www.collectionplnr.com/statistics/comic-books"><img src="https://www.collectionplnr.com/statistics/charts/comic-books-2026-new-comics-per-year.png" alt="Bar chart of new English-language single-issue comics per year from 2017 to 2026: 2017 6,335, 2018 5,839, 2019 5,516, 2020 3,943, 2021 4,241, 2022 4,766, 2023 4,712, 2024 4,690, 2025 4,941, 2026 (to 13 October) 4,266." width="1200" height="675" loading="lazy"></a><figcaption>Source: <a href="https://www.collectionplnr.com/statistics/comic-books">Comic Book Statistics 2026</a> by CollectionPlnr</figcaption></figure>Across the last decade the busiest full year was 2017 with 6,335 issues and the quietest was 2020 with 3,943, so 2025 sits in the lower half of that range.
These counts are single issues only: one row per comic, with variant covers, trade paperbacks, hardcovers and other collected editions left out.
Which publishers release the most comics?
Marvel released the most new single issues in 2025 (1,043, 21.1% of the total), ahead of DC and Image, according to CollectionPlnr catalogue data (as at 13 October 2026).
| Publisher | 2025 issues | 2025 share | 2026 (to 13 October) issues | 2026 share | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marvel | 1,043 | 21.1% | 1,015 | 23.8% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| DC | 867 | 17.5% | 566 | 13.3% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| Image | 741 | 15.0% | 624 | 14.6% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| Dark Horse | 311 | 6.3% | 260 | 6.1% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| Dynamite Entertainment | 197 | 4.0% | 151 | 3.5% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| IDW | 197 | 4.0% | 195 | 4.6% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| Mad Cave Studios | 177 | 3.6% | 179 | 4.2% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| BOOM! Studios | 158 | 3.2% | 104 | 2.4% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| D.C. Thomson | 158 | 3.2% | 49 | 1.1% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| Oni Press | 87 | 1.8% | 90 | 2.1% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
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<figure><a href="https://www.collectionplnr.com/statistics/comic-books"><img src="https://www.collectionplnr.com/statistics/charts/comic-books-2026-publisher-share.png" alt="Horizontal bar chart of publisher shares of new English-language single issues in 2025: Marvel 21.1%, DC 17.5%, Image 15.0%, Dark Horse 6.3%, Dynamite Entertainment 4.0%, IDW 4.0%, Mad Cave Studios 3.6%, BOOM! Studios 3.2%." width="1200" height="675" loading="lazy"></a><figcaption>Source: <a href="https://www.collectionplnr.com/statistics/comic-books">Comic Book Statistics 2026</a> by CollectionPlnr</figcaption></figure>The top three publishers account for 53.7% of new single issues, and every other publisher together for the remaining 46.3%.
A publisher's share of releases is not its share of sales: a publisher can release fewer comics and still sell more copies of each.
How many new #1 issues are published each year?
853 comics numbered #1 came out in 2025, 17.3% of all new single issues, according to CollectionPlnr catalogue data (as at 13 October 2026).
The #1s in numbers:
- #1 issues in 2025: 853 · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
- #1 issues in 2026 (to 13 October): 754 · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
- Share of new issues that are #1s, 2025: 17.3% · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
- Share of new issues that are #1s, 2017: 13.9% · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
Roughly one new comic in 6 is a #1, which counts new series, relaunches and one-shots numbered 1. The per-year counts are in the first table above.
How many variant covers does a new comic have?
New comics carried 2.76 variant covers per issue on average in 2025 (13,657 variants across 4,941 issues), against 1.48 in 2017, according to CollectionPlnr catalogue data (as at 13 October 2026).
| Year | New single issues | Variant covers | Variants per issue | Issues with a variant | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 6,335 | 9,389 | 1.48 | 57.1% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2018 | 5,839 | 8,346 | 1.43 | 52.8% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2019 | 5,516 | 8,920 | 1.62 | 54.9% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2020 | 3,943 | 7,433 | 1.89 | 58.1% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2021 | 4,241 | 11,197 | 2.64 | 67.7% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2022 | 4,766 | 11,964 | 2.51 | 63.9% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2023 | 4,712 | 12,322 | 2.62 | 64.1% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2024 | 4,690 | 11,804 | 2.52 | 63.1% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2025 | 4,941 | 13,657 | 2.76 | 65.1% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2026 (to 13 October) | 4,266 | 11,131 | 2.61 | 67.0% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
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<figure><a href="https://www.collectionplnr.com/statistics/comic-books"><img src="https://www.collectionplnr.com/statistics/charts/comic-books-2026-variants-per-issue.png" alt="Bar chart of average variant covers per new comic from 2017 to 2026: 2017 1.48, 2018 1.43, 2019 1.62, 2020 1.89, 2021 2.64, 2022 2.51, 2023 2.62, 2024 2.52, 2025 2.76, 2026 (to 13 October) 2.61." width="1200" height="675" loading="lazy"></a><figcaption>Source: <a href="https://www.collectionplnr.com/statistics/comic-books">Comic Book Statistics 2026</a> by CollectionPlnr</figcaption></figure>Variants per issue are 1.9 times the 2017 level, while the number of issues has not grown, so the growth is in covers rather than comics. 34.9% of 2025 issues had no variant at all, so the average is pulled up by books with dozens of covers.
A variant cover is the same comic with different cover art. It is counted here as a cover, not as a new comic. Later printings are counted separately below.
Which comics had the most variant covers?
Vampirella #1 (676) from Dynamite Entertainment had the most, with 115 variant covers, among comics released since 1 January 2025, according to CollectionPlnr catalogue data (as at 13 October 2026).
| Comic | Publisher | On sale | Variant covers | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vampirella (2025) #1 (676) | Dynamite Entertainment | 26 March 2025 | 115 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| Mark Spears Monsters (2024) #8 | Keenspot Entertainment | 17 December 2025 | 88 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| SilverHawks (2025) #1 | Dynamite Entertainment | 29 January 2025 | 72 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| Marvel / DC: Spider-Man / Superman (2026) #1 | Marvel | 22 April 2026 | 72 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| Ben 10 (2026) #1 | Dynamite Entertainment | 6 May 2026 | 71 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2024) #20 (300) | IDW | 22 July 2026 | 69 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| Marvel / DC: Deadpool / Batman (2025) #1 | Marvel | 17 September 2025 | 59 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| The Amazing Spider-Man (2025) #1 (965) | Marvel | 9 April 2025 | 55 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| Vampirella (2025) #2 (677) | Dynamite Entertainment | 21 May 2025 | 54 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| DC / Marvel: Superman / Spider-Man (2026) #1 | DC | 25 March 2026 | 53 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
Launch issues, anniversary issues and crossover #1s attract the biggest cover counts, because each retailer exclusive and incentive cover is its own variant.
What are the most common ratio variants?
1:10 is the most common incentive ratio, on 31.9% of the 1,520 ratio variants recorded for comics released since 1 January 2025, according to CollectionPlnr catalogue data (as at 13 October 2026).
The rarer end:
- Ratio variants at 1:25 or rarer: 36.1% · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
- Ratio variants at 1:500 or rarer: 14 · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
- Ratio variants at 1:1,000 or rarer: 6 · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
- Highest ratio recorded: 1:2,500 · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
| Ratio | Variant covers | Share of ratio variants | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:5 | 44 | 2.9% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 1:7 | 66 | 4.3% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 1:10 | 485 | 31.9% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 1:15 | 162 | 10.7% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 1:20 | 209 | 13.8% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 1:25 | 289 | 19.0% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 1:30 | 19 | 1.3% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 1:40 | 5 | 0.3% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 1:50 | 150 | 9.9% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 1:75 | 10 | 0.7% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 1:100 | 45 | 3.0% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 1:250 | 11 | 0.7% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 1:500 | 8 | 0.5% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 1:1,000 | 5 | 0.3% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
A 1:10 variant means a shop has to order 10 copies of the regular cover to be allowed one copy of the variant, which is why the high ratios are scarce from day one.
Ratios are shown only for the last two years, because older ratio variants are less consistently recorded and a year-by-year comparison would mislead. Ratios used on fewer than five covers are left out of the table but counted in the totals.
How many comics go back to print?
471 second or later printings were recorded for comics released in 2025, according to CollectionPlnr catalogue data (as at 13 October 2026).
Later printings by year of the original issue:
- Second or later printings, 2023 issues: 317 · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
- Second or later printings, 2024 issues: 428 · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
- Second or later printings, 2025 issues: 471 · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
- Second or later printings, 2026 (to 13 October) issues: 218 · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
A second printing usually means the first print run sold through, so a book going back to print is a demand signal. The count for the latest year can still rise as new printings are announced.
How much does a new comic cost?
The median cover price of a new single issue is $4.99 in 2026 (to 13 October), up from $3.99 in 2017, according to CollectionPlnr catalogue data (as at 13 October 2026).
2026 (to 13 October) in three numbers:
- Share of new issues priced above $3.99: 56.0% · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
- Share of new issues priced at $3.99: 21.2% · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
- Share of new issues priced at $6.00 or more: 6.6% · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
| Year | Median cover price | Issues with a US price | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $3.99 | 5,880 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2018 | $3.99 | 5,433 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2019 | $3.99 | 5,147 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2020 | $3.99 | 3,665 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2021 | $3.99 | 3,941 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2022 | $3.99 | 4,469 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2023 | $3.99 | 4,383 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2024 | $4.99 | 4,308 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2025 | $4.99 | 4,570 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| 2026 (to 13 October) | $4.99 | 4,022 | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| Cover price | Issues | Share | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $3.99 | 914 | 22.7% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| $3.99 | 854 | 21.2% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| $4.00 to $4.99 | 1,713 | 42.6% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| $5.00 to $5.99 | 274 | 6.8% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| $6.00 to $7.99 | 165 | 4.1% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
| $8.00 or more | 101 | 2.5% | CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026) |
The typical new comic moved to $4.99 in 2024. These are printed cover prices in US dollars, not what collectors pay later on the secondary market.
How many comics are solicited for release?
1,378 upcoming comics are listed with a confirmed release date after 13 October 2026, 674 of them in the next 30 days, according to CollectionPlnr catalogue data (as at 13 October 2026).
- Upcoming comics with a confirmed release date: 1,378 · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
- Of which out in the next 30 days: 674 · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
- Furthest-out release date listed: 9 December 2027 · CollectionPlnr catalogue (Oct 2026)
The further out the date, the fewer comics are listed so far, so the near-term count is the most complete. Every one of these is on our release calendar.
How big is the comic book market?
Comics and graphic novel sales in the US and Canada were around $1.94 billion in 2024, up 4.0% on 2023, according to ICv2.
| Measure | Figure | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|
| North American comics and graphic novel sales, 2024 | $1.94 billion | ICv2 (Jul 2025) |
| Change in North American comics and graphic novel sales, 2024 vs 2023 | +4.0% | ICv2 (Jul 2025) |
| North American comics and graphic novel sales, 2023 | $1.87 billion | ICv2 (Jul 2024) |
| Change in North American comics and graphic novel sales, 2023 vs 2022 | -7% | ICv2 (Jul 2024) |
| North American comics and graphic novel sales, 2022 (restated, excluding digital) | $2.01 billion | ICv2 (Jul 2024) |
| North American comics and graphic novel sales, 2019 (pre-Covid baseline) | $1.1 billion | ICv2 (Jul 2024) |
| Growth in North American comics and graphic novel sales, 2024 vs pre-Covid 2019 | +73% | ICv2 (Jul 2025) |
| North American periodical comic (single issue) sales, 2024 | $460 million | ICv2 (Jul 2025) |
| Change in periodical comic dollar sales, 2024 vs 2023 | +12.2% | ICv2 (Jul 2025) |
| Graphic novels' share of North American comics dollar sales, 2024 | over 76% | ICv2 (Oct 2025) |
| Change in comic shop (direct market) dollar sales, 2024 vs 2023 | +13.3% | ICv2 (Oct 2025) |
| Change in graphic novel sales in the book channel, 2024 vs 2023 | -1.4% | ICv2 (Jul 2025) |
| Change in comic shop sales, January to August 2025 vs same period 2024 (ComicHub stores) | +27% | ICv2 (Oct 2025) |
Graphic novels are over 76% of the dollars, so single issues ($460 million in 2024) are the smaller format by value, even though they are what most collectors mean by a new comic.
No 2025 market total had been published at the time of this update; it will be added when it is.
What happened to Diamond Comic Distributors?
Diamond Comic Distributors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on 14 January 2025, according to ICv2, after DC (2020) and Marvel (2021) had already moved their comic shop distribution elsewhere.
| Event | Date or figure | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|
| DC Comics ends Diamond distribution to comic shops, moving to Lunar and UCS | 5 June 2020 | ICv2 (Jun 2020) |
| Marvel signs exclusive comic shop distribution deal with Penguin Random House | 25 March 2021 | ICv2 (Mar 2021) |
| Diamond Comic Distributors files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy | 14 January 2025 | ICv2 (Apr 2025) |
| Debtor-in-possession financing for Diamond during Chapter 11 | up to $41 million | ICv2 (Jan 2025) |
| Alliance Entertainment terminates its agreement to buy Diamond | 24 April 2025 | ICv2 (Apr 2025) |
| Court approves sale of Diamond's comic business to Ad Populum and its game arm to Universal Distribution | 30 April 2025 | ICv2 (Apr 2025) |
| Final order cut-off for Marvel and other PRH comics through Diamond | 26 May 2025 | ICv2 (May 2025) |
| Total professional fees in Diamond's Chapter 11 case | nearly $18 million | ICv2 (Feb 2026) |
| Publisher consignment inventory held in the Diamond bankruptcy (at Diamond cost) | nearly $50 million | ICv2 (Feb 2026) |
For collectors the practical effect is that new comics now reach shops through several distributors rather than one, so final order cut-offs can differ by publisher.
How many collectibles has CGC graded?
CGC has certified more than 20 million collectibles since 2000, according to CGC's own figures (2026).
- Collectibles certified by CGC since 2000 (comics, cards, video games and more): more than 20 million · CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) (2026)
That total covers every category CGC grades, not comics alone; CGC does not publish a comics-only running total on a page we could verify.
What is the most expensive comic ever sold?
A CGC 9.0 copy of Action Comics #1 sold for $15 million in a private sale, the highest price reported for a comic, according to ICv2 (Jan 2026).
The auction market around the records:
- Heritage Auctions Comics and Comic Art category sales, 2025: $216.2 million · ICv2 (Jan 2026)
- Heritage Auctions Comics and Comic Art category sales, 2024: over $205 million · ICv2 (Jan 2025)
| Sale | Price | Source (date) |
|---|---|---|
| Record price for a comic: Action Comics #1, CGC 9.0, private sale via ComicConnect | $15 million | ICv2 (Jan 2026) |
| Record auction price for a comic: Superman #1, CGC 9.0, Heritage Auctions | $9.12 million | ICv2 (Nov 2025) |
| Action Comics #1, CGC 8.5, Heritage Auctions (auction record in 2024) | $6 million | ICv2 (Jan 2025) |
| Superman #1, CGC 8.0 (previous Superman #1 auction record, 2022) | $5.3 million | ICv2 (Nov 2025) |
| Fantastic Four #1, CGC 9.6, Heritage Auctions (title record) | $2.04 million | ICv2 (Jan 2025) |
| Record auction price for US comic art: Tales of Suspense #39 splash page by Don Heck, Heritage Auctions | $3.875 million | ICv2 (Jul 2026) |
These are completed sales, not asking prices. Apart from the original art, every sale on the list is a first issue from the 1930s or 1960s in a high grade.
What are the key Free Comic Book Day facts?
Free Comic Book Day 2026 fell on 2 May 2026, and more than 2,000 comic shops take part each year, according to ICv2.
- Free Comic Book Day 2026 date: 2 May 2026 · ICv2 (Dec 2025)
- Free Comic Book Day 2025 date: 3 May 2025 · ICv2 (Nov 2024)
- Titles available on Free Comic Book Day 2025: 46 titles · ICv2 (Nov 2024)
- Comic shops taking part in Free Comic Book Day each year: more than 2,000 · ICv2 (Oct 2025)
- Universal Distribution acquires Free Comic Book Day from Sparkle Pop: 8 October 2025 · ICv2 (Oct 2025)
- Titles announced for Comics Giveaway Day 2026, the rival Penguin Random House event: 21 titles · ICv2 (Dec 2025)
Comics Giveaway Day is a separate giveaway event from Penguin Random House, listed here for comparison.
Methodology
Our own figures come from the CollectionPlnr catalogue of 899,436 English-language comic issues, as at 13 October 2026.
A new single issue is an English-language comic in single-issue format with a stated cover price, counted once by its main cover. Trade paperbacks, hardcovers, omnibuses, digests and other collected editions are left out, as are books with an ISBN. Each issue is dated by its on-sale date, or its release date where no on-sale date is recorded.
Variant covers are counted per main issue and exclude later printings, which are counted separately. Ratio variants are variant covers with a stated incentive ratio such as 1:25.
Median cover price uses the US dollar cover price printed on each issue. Issues priced only in other currencies are left out of the price figures.
Upcoming comics are release listings with a confirmed future release date. Recent months fill in as listings are confirmed, so the latest year-to-date counts can rise slightly after an update.
External figures are included only after we read the source page and confirmed the exact figure on it. Each one shows its publisher and publication date, and is re-checked at every monthly update.
This edition is updated on the 1st of every month during 2026. On 1 January 2027 it is frozen as a permanent archive and the 2027 edition starts at the same address.
Sources
- CollectionPlnr, CollectionPlnr comic catalogue: 899,436 English-language comic issues (13 October 2026)
- ICv2, Comics and Graphic Novel Sales up in 2024 (11 July 2025)
- ICv2, North American Comics and Graphic Novel Market Down 7% in 2023 (15 July 2024)
- ICv2, ICv2 White Paper: It's a New World (14 October 2025)
- ICv2, DC Had #1 Comic Store Market Share in Q4 2025 (14 January 2026)
- ICv2, DC Cutting Off Diamond (5 June 2020)
- ICv2, Marvel Continues Transformation of Direct Market (25 March 2021)
- ICv2, Bankruptcy Court Approves Diamond Sale, Price, Terms (11 April 2025)
- ICv2, Diamond Files for Reorganization Under Chapter 11 Bankruptcy (14 January 2025)
- ICv2, Alliance Entertainment Terminates Diamond Purchase Agreement (25 April 2025)
- ICv2, Universal Gets Alliance, Ad Populum Gets Diamond Comic et. al. (30 April 2025)
- ICv2, Diamond Will No Longer Distribute Marvel Comics (21 May 2025)
- ICv2, Final Tally on Diamond's Chapter 11 Fees (5 February 2026)
- CGC (Certified Guaranty Company), About CGC (2026)
- ICv2, 'Action Comics' #1 Sells for $15 Million (10 January 2026)
- ICv2, Newly Found High-Grade 'Superman' #1 Brings Record Price (21 November 2025)
- ICv2, Heritage Auctions Set New Records in 2024 (14 January 2025)
- ICv2, Don Heck's 'Tales of Suspense' #39 Original Art Splash Page Sells for Record $3.875 Million (13 July 2026)
- ICv2, Heritage Auctions Passes $2 Billion in Sales (6 January 2026)
- ICv2, Universal Announces More Free Comic Book Day Details (9 December 2025)
- ICv2, Silver Sponsors Announced for Free Comic Book Day 2025 (21 November 2024)
- ICv2, Free Comic Book Day Acquired (8 October 2025)
- ICv2, PRHPS Reveals 2026 Not-Free-Comic-Book-Day Titles (17 December 2025)
FAQ
- How many comic books are published each year?
- 4,941 new English-language single issues were published in 2025, according to CollectionPlnr catalogue data (as at 13 October 2026). That counts each comic once, without its variant covers.
- How many variant covers do comics have?
- 2.76 per new issue on average in 2025, but 34.9% of issues had none at all; a few books have dozens.
- How much is the comic book industry worth?
- Comics and graphic novel sales in the US and Canada were around $1.94 billion in 2024, according to ICv2.
Editions
This page is updated on the 1st of every month. Each January the previous year's edition is frozen and kept as a permanent archive.
- Comic Book Statistics 2026 (this page, live)