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NEWS: NPD Bookscan via The Beat: Manga Made Up 76.71% of Adult Fiction Graphic Novel Sales in 2021

i don't understand why American comics are dying

They aren't. As The Beat noted, NPD BookScan reported that superhero comic graphic novel also grew in U.S. sales in 2021. Not 71.1% more like manga, but they still grew.

Egan Loo wrote:

They aren't. As The Beat noted, NPD BookScan reported that superhero comic graphic novel also grew in U.S. sales in 2021. Not 71.1% more like manga, but they still grew.

Isn't that because of this line:

"The Beat explained to ANN the discrepancy in these numbers is because NPD Bookscan included the approximately 1 million copies of My Hero Academia sold in 2021 in the Superhero subcategory, while The Beat staff moved My Hero Academia's sales to the Manga subcategory in its reporting."

Seems like NPD is attributing My Hero Academia's sales to American comic categories. Which, technically, I guess, is true it's a superhero title, but just furthers muddies the waters.

i don't understand why American comics are dying

Kyiev wrote:

i don't understand why American comics are dying

I'll answer your question with another question: Why would someone read comics over manga? What do they offer that manga does not? I can't think of anything, personally. Manga are cheaper, more diverse, and much higher quality. American comics aimed at kids like Dog Man do well, but personally I don't think there's much in the way for teenagers and adults to compete with manga or other forms of entertainment like video games and television.

AmpersandsUnited wrote:

Kyiev wrote: i don't understand why American comics are dying I'll answer your question with another question: Why would someone read comics over manga? What do they offer that manga does not? I can't think of anything, personally. Manga are cheaper, more diverse, and much higher quality. American comics aimed at kids like Dog Man do well, but personally I don't think there's much in the way for teenagers and adults to compete with manga or other forms of entertainment like video games and television.

This assumes a frankly myopic dichotomy where people who like reading comics will ONLY read either manga or western comics, rather than the reality that most fans will read some combination of both. Plenty will lean towards a preference, depending on their tastes and availability, but generally if you enjoy Japanese comics, you're also probably willing to read English ones, and can find some that are to your taste.

Kyiev wrote:

i don't understand why American comics are dying

Unless that was sarcasm, one explanation is the freq. of American comics to be Social Jump Weekly-pandering, namely from Marvel and DC. Putting sociopolitical topics in American comics is not bad per se. It is when you inject or introduce sociopolitical topics in current comics when such topics were not in the OG comic versions, be it at all or as often or as blatant, that it can be or is an issue.

Kyiev wrote:

i don't understand why American comics are dying

**removed for soapboxing**

People act like comics have never included any sociopolitical commentary until the last 15 years. American comics have always been upfront with their social and political statements as well as multitudes of manga. It's nothing new in any way. American comic collecting/ reading have shifted to be a more niche hobby even more than it used to be. There's no denying that and the sales figures show that. At the end of the day I'm glad people are reading comics regardless of the country of origin.

Saskatoonshred wrote:

Kadmos1 wrote: Kyiev wrote: i don't understand why American comics are dying **removed for soapboxing** People act like comics have never included any sociopolitical commentary until the last 15 years. American comics have always been upfront with their social and political statements as well as multitudes of manga. It's nothing new in any way. American comic collecting/ reading have shifted to be a more niche hobby even more than it used to be. There's no denying that and the sales figures show that. At the end of the day I'm glad people are reading comics regardless of the country of origin.

Don't even bother, there's nothing that'll convince the 'go woke go broke' crowd that politics have always existed in CBs and that they haven't led to a decline in sales

People act like comics have never included any sociopolitical commentary until the last 15 years. American comics have always been upfront with their social and political statements as well as multitudes of manga. It's nothing new in any way. American comic collecting/ reading have shifted to be a more niche hobby even more than it used to be. There's no denying that and the sales figures show that. At the end of the day I'm glad people are reading comics regardless of the country of origin.

bagman wrote:

Saskatoonshred wrote: Kadmos1 wrote: Kyiev wrote: i don't understand why American comics are dying **removed for soapboxing** People act like comics have never included any sociopolitical commentary until the last 15 years. American comics have always been upfront with their social and political statements as well as multitudes of manga. It's nothing new in any way. American comic collecting/ reading have shifted to be a more niche hobby even more than it used to be. There's no denying that and the sales figures show that. At the end of the day I'm glad people are reading comics regardless of the country of origin. Don't even bother, there's nothing that'll convince the 'go woke go broke' crowd that politics have always existed in CBs and that they haven't led to a decline in sales

Oh I know there's no convincing them otherwise. It's just fun to see their half assed responses and maybe a like .1% will actually learn something lol.

It's not wokeness, American superhero comics are just really hard to get into these days. If I want to read, say, Demon Slayer, where do I start? Chapter 1, easy peasy. If I want to get into Spider-Man? Uhh...

You basically have to take a college course to follow superhero stories these days, with all the retcons, alternate universes, change in writers ect. Ect.