All over the world, comics have gone through many evolutions in their time and have had their ups and downs, but they’ve never lost their popularity. Not entirely, anyway. And some prove that by still pulling in massive sales numbers.
Here’s a list of the best-selling comics. Now, to be clear, it’s difficult to say “comics” and have it mean just one thing. It could be targeted to omit Manga as a separate category or to specifically be about superhero comics. Should it be single issues or include sales from initial prints in magazines like Weekly Shōnen Jump? A lot of comics sales data are simply estimates because they were never strictly tracked, so it’s hard to even be accurate.
For the purposes of this list, we’ll be looking at collected comics sales. That means anything that was re-printed in a trade paperback, tankōbon, or book format. The comic equivalent of syndication. You can often still buy them, and these sales have also been better tracked, so it’s just a reliable way to rank them. So let’s go.
10. The Adventures of Tintin
If you’re not totally familiar with comics, prepare to learn of Europe’s beloved icons. The Adventures of Tintin started in 1929 in Belgium. Created by Georges Remi, it managed to survive the Nazi occupation of his home country during World War II. No small task, considering the comic’s eponymous character is commonly depicted as a reporter with the storylines originally having political undertones.
Having survived difficulties going even beyond a global war, The Adventures of Tintin is a fantastic action-adventure series. It has managed some worldwide acclaim, and I know it best from the cartoon based on the series that aired when I was young. Collections of the comic itself have sold over 200 million copies.
9. Naruto
A Japanese manga series that will be no doubt familiar to many Westerners as well, Naruto is one of the entries here that have found worldwide success. Starting in 1999, it ran through 72 volumes before ending in 2014. It’s currently sold somewhere north of 250 million copies.
Naruto follows the exploits of the titular ninja and his friends as they complete missions for their home village of Konoha. It sprawls itself out from there, covering the protagonists as they improve their skills and grow.
8. Dragon Ball
With the recent passing of series creator and legendary mangaka Akira Toriyama, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dragon Ball now belongs higher on the list. However, based on a statement from 2022, the series had sold over 260 million copies worldwide.
Does the series itself need any introduction? Maybe not. Based very, very, very loosely on Journey to the West, It follows the adventures of Son Goku as he seeks out the eponymous orbs and battles foes. If you’re a fan of the anime, you may think of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z as distinct entities, but in terms of the manga, it’s the same series, so the sales number covers both.
7. Case Closed
While researching these entries, I was confused for a minute because I kept seeing this referred to as Case Closed, but I mostly know it as Great Detective Conan or Meitantei Conan. It follows a high school detective who gets de-aged to middle school (following along so far?) and continues to solve crimes in his new diminutive form. It sounds overly contrived, but it is actually an excellent mystery thriller series.
It was created by Gosho Aoyama in 1994, Case Closed (or Great Detective Conan) continues to run, having reached over 100 volumes and selling over 270 million units.
6. Doraemon
Starting back in 1969 and running until 1996, Doraemon is an institution and cultural icon in Japan. While the series ended some time ago, the titular character lives on through anime adaptations, video games, and other merchandise, helping the manga continue to find new readers.
Created by Hiroshi Fujimoto and Motoo Abiko under the pen name Fujiko Fujio, it ran until Fujimoto’s death in 1996, which left the series notoriously without an ending. However, that has not hampered its popularity. Its tankōbon releases have garnered somewhere between 250-300 million sales.
5. Golgo 13
I mostly remember Golgo 13 as that one NES game with the sex scene in it. However, that game was based on a thriller Manga that started in 1968. It follows the titular assassin who… assassinates people using a scoped M16 rifle. Sometimes, he then has to deal with the repercussions of his chosen profession.
Golgo 13 has sold over 300 million copies, solidifying it as one of the best-selling manga of all time. While its creator, Takao Saito, died of cancer in 2021, his wish was that the series would continue. As such, it’s now carried on by a group of creators under Saito Production.
4. Lucky Luke
Having started back in 1946, Lucky Luke is a ubiquitous comic series, but mostly in Europe. It was created in Belgium by Morris (Maurice De Bevere) and has traded hands with new writers and artists over the years. Lucky Luke follows the eponymous cowboy do-gooder and his steed, Jolly Jumper as they battle The Dalton Gang and various historical figures.
While less well known in North America, Lucky Luke has brought in over 300 million in sales worldwide.
3. Peanuts
One of the most influential comic strips to ever hit newspapers, Peanuts ran for 50 years from 1950-2000 when the creator, Charles Schulz, died from cancer. Following Charlie Brown and his childhood friends, at its peak, Peanuts was printed in 2600 newspapers across the world. However, that impressive number isn’t a part of the (by now well over since this is an old estimate) 300 million sales number that I’m stating right in this sentence. No, that’s purely just the collected editions that make them available today.
Personally, I remember the series best for 1965’s A Charlie Brown Christmas special. Mostly because it contains some of the only Christmas music my ears can actually stomach.
2. Asterix
If you’re North American, the inclusion of Asterix here might be a bit surprising. However, it’s incredibly popular on its home continent of Europe. Set back in the Gallic Wars, it follows Asterix (and often Obelix) as they fight against the Roman Empire.
Created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo back in 1959, the series has traded hands with new writers and artists taking it on, but it has never lost popularity. It even has its own amusement park. The series has sold an estimated 393 million copies.
1. One Piece
One Piece is hardly the oldest Manga on the block, having first started back in 1997, but it has been going non-stop since then. There are over 100 tankōbon, which is impressive. But even more impressive is the fact that the series has sold over 500 million of its collected volumes worldwide.
Created by Eiichiro Oda, One Piece follows Monkey D. Luffey and his crew of Straw Hat Pirates. The manga has received various adaptations, which has no doubt lended to its popularity, and there’s no sign of any slowing down.
