These 11 top selling comic book characters of all time are the bedrock of the comic book industry. The ordinary person knows the top 3 (red guy, black guy, red and blue guy), little boys and big boys who are little on the inside know a few more. Do you know the remaining?
Comic books or as some would call them graphic novels have become a norm and a common reference in today’s pop culture. With different platforms and industries integrating with one another, comic book characters have become well-known and popular. You are probably familiar with a lot of the names included in this list as you’ll often see them in toys, movies, video games and a lot of other places. The characters listed here are the ones that became very popular and sold highly. They are the reason why their respective companies would continue making comics today.
When considering this list, we only take into account the popularity of the character during their individual stints in comics, as well as their sales in other platforms as well. You might notice that names like the X-Men, Justice League or Avengers aren’t included in this list. This is because we take into account the character more than the team. One cannot doubt that the ones listed here have had a significant impact on the Top Selling Comic Book Issues of This Century.
We can’t accurately put numbers when it comes to how much these characters have sold in total. A good indicator is how much they’ve sold in the past and how much popular they still are today. Let’s find out more as we explore these 11 top selling comic book characters of all time.
11. The Phantom
The Phantom started out in a newspaper strip during the 1930s. Over time as his adventures continued he was also put into comic book issues that surprisingly sold well overseas. The amount of popularity he gained would even lead him to a movie adaptation during the 1990s. The only thing notable about him though as compared to other heroes is his violent leotard.
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10. Tintin
Another character that started out in the newspaper, Tintin eventually got his own magazine and was selling all over the world translated to different languages. There was just something appealing about the way he figured out mysteries and his global adventures. He has had a few cartoons and movies and memorabilia for Tintin is sought highly by collectors.
9. Thor
Out of all the Norse gods, Thor would become the most popular in modern society because of his inclusion in the Marvel universe. The hammer-wielding Thunder God has seen its fair share of popularity in the comics and today’s run of Avengers. You can even buy your own Mjolnir and pretend to have been chosen by the hammer.
8. Hulk
Despite Hulk not having so much success being the main role in a movie. The Hulk has been one of Marvel’s most iconic superheroes and is responsible for one of the most popular and most expensive comic issues today. A reason for this is that a lot of people relate to the duality that is Bruce Banner and the Hulk.
7. Green Lantern
Another character that has not had much success in the movie industry, Green Lantern retains consistency as one of the most popular characters from DC. He is responsible for a few of the most sold issues of the company and is sadly responsible for the lowest issues sold in a month as well. Despite this, Green Lantern continues to sell well to children and adults alike.
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6. Iron Man
Seems that everyone wants their own suit of armor with how much popularity and sales Iron Man is getting. The Iron Man movie franchise has been responsible for one of the highest selling movies of Marvel. In the comics, he is more notably popular as a character in the Avengers rather than an individual comic. His own issues continue to sell well though – and that is more then enough to put him in the 6th place on this list of top selling comic book characters of all time.
5. Wolverine
Arguably the most popular of the X-Men and the most iconic, Wolverine comes up the fifth in this list. He has been a success in his own comic series and his recent death in the comics has sparked a large jump in this year’s comic book sales. Because of the Wolverine’s popularity he continues to be a fundamental point of all X-Men stories.
4. Captain America
Rounding out the original Avengers, Captain America is one of the top-selling and oldest comic characters around. He was first presented during World War II as propaganda against Hitler. He’s also one of the characters that have appeared in movies the most.
3. Spider-Man
Spider-Man has had one of the largest sales in comics having sold almost 400 million comics as of today. He gained a lot of popularity during his early run in comics and also during the 90s. He’s also one of the first superheroes to be adapted into today’s movie industry. His story, in particular, sparked a lot of interest from comic book readers.
2. Batman
Since DC released the Caped Crusader into the comic industry his sales have been nonstop. He’s gained a lot of popularity and sales in comic books alone. He’s also had numerous adaptations in TV shows and even the recent Trilogy made by Christopher Nolan. He continues to sell well with popular video games, movies and comic series.
1. Superman
If there was a definite description of a superhero then Superman would be it. Superman’s debut in Action Comics was one of the highest selling comics of all time and is considered as one of the most expensive issues of comics today. He’s been going at it since the 1930s and has been selling well in different platforms.
That has been the list of 11 top selling comic book characters of all time. You might be a fan of these characters yourselves.
