From anime dominating the tv space in recent memory – with shows like “Attack on Titan” becoming one of the most-streamed series at the time – to superhero films topping box office charts every year, both forms of entertainment are no longer the niche interests they were 20 years ago. However, their source materials, comic books and manga, are a different story. Although comics did see a spike in sales in 2024 and 2025, it’s still manga that lines the wallets of brick-and-mortar book stores like Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million, pulling in $14.97 billion in sales for 2024 alone. Even Jim Lee, creative chief officer of DC Comics, has agreed with the sentiment.

“I’m very happy that the manga has been so successful, because it gives me a ‘goal’ to aim for. The manga market is bigger than our industry, so the question becomes, ‘What can we learn from this?’” Lee said to Japanese publication NikkeiXTrend.

Luckily, it seems as if DC is already on the right track.

The biggest complaint that the comic industry tends to receive from new readers is that they simply aren’t sure where to begin.

In the past 25 years, Marvel Comics has had seven different “relaunch” initiatives ,whereas DC has had five, each meant to work as a new “starting off point” for readers. Yet they never seem to work out as intended, with readership still remaining low throughout the 2000s and 2010s, even with the success of Marvel on the big screen. However, it wasn’t until 2024 that the industry seemed to begin climbing out of its financial hole, with a certain comic line selling in the millions: DC’s “Absolute” universe. Selling over 8.2 million units since October 2024, the spin-off universe — akin to Marvel’s “Ultimate” line from the 2000s – has put comic book readers under a spell since launching its new line.

But out of the multitude of comic book refreshes in the past 25 years, why has this one stuck with audiences?

It’s simply because of the creative control that the artists and writers of these acclaimed series have been given.

From the stories’ beginning, middle and end, to the art and character designs, everything found within the pages of the “Absolute” universe comes from a small group of minds, rather than a larger overarching company mindset.

In a way, this is incredibly similar to manga, which is produced by a head writer/artist, alongside a few assistants. While assistants will change over time, the head writer/artist will stay the same until the very end, such as Tatsuki Fujimoto’s “Chainsaw Man” or Eiichiro Oda’s “One Piece.”

In fact, “Absolute Batman” writer Scott Snyder has stated that he only plans for his hit series to run for 35 to 40 issues, with the entire story planned out from the beginning.

Because of this — as well as the “Absolute” universe’s detachment from confusing, mainline comics — it’s easy for any reader to jump into reading the series whenever they want, which is why the new series’ sales have only risen in 2025.

Another notable change that DC Comics has made is the launch of its Compact Comics series. While comics are typically either bought through issues or premium collections (typically costing $25 or more), manga can be bought for around $10, with a majority of publications. DC’s Compact Comics, selling complete series in small, bite-sized packages for $10, has allowed American graphic novels to have a fighting chance on the market, and it has proven incredibly successful, with Marvel answering with its own “premier collection” at $15.

And although it might be a pipe dream, another way that comic books could strike the same chord as manga is through more faithful adaptations. While the movies have proved to be huge Hollywood juggernauts, the box office return is beginning to wane, as modern audiences are beginning to find Marvel’s large catalog of lore intimidating, just like comics. It would be a brilliant idea to follow the footsteps of anime by adapting the comics beat-by-beat, allowing viewers to grow more interested in the actual stories found in the books, allowing comic sales to finally begin to match those of the films, just as manga has done for anime.