The comic book landscape is experiencing a seismic shift, and it’s looking exceptional for DC Comics while Marvel faces an unfamiliar position: second place. For decades, these titans have dominated the industry, accounting for over half of all comics sold annually. Their characters have left indelible marks on pop culture, and month-to-month sales battles between them have been fierce, with Marvel traditionally maintaining a slight edge.
That advantage made sense. Marvel benefited enormously from the MCU’s cultural dominance, pumping new life into its properties while DC’s film adaptations struggled (to put it diplomatically). Comics-wise, Marvel has consistently held the largest market share of any publisher. But an interesting trend has emerged over recent months, showing DC capturing hearts and minds across the fanbase. Given the current state of both publishers, it’s no shock that DC has started absolutely crushing Marvel.
DC Dominates November’s Sales Charts
Every month, ICv2 releases reports detailing the previous month’s comic sales based on data from the ComicHub system, which samples over a hundred stores from nearly 3,000 that sell American comics. ICv2’s November reports—covering the top 20 graphic novels and top 50 individual comics—paint a striking picture.
In individual comics, DC claimed 9 of the top 10 spots, with Marvel’s only entry being Amazing Spider-Man #15. While Marvel had more titles overall in the top 50 (organized by both units sold and dollars earned), the top tier was almost entirely DC territory. The graphic novel sales told a similar story: DC held 16 of the top 20 spots when organized by units, and over half when ranked by dollars.
ICv2 acknowledges these rankings don’t represent every store but paint a broader industry picture. Their third quarter 2025 market share report shows Marvel still leads at 36.6%. However, the trend lines are revealing: DC jumped from 25.5% market share in Q2 to 29.5% in Q3—a four-point gain. Marvel, meanwhile, only gained 0.1% between quarters.
Translation? DC is surging while Marvel stagnates.
The Absolute Universe Is an Absolute Hit
What explains DC’s recent surge? One look at the sales reports reveals the ongoing love affair with the Absolute Universe. Titles like Absolute Batman and Absolute Wonder Woman consistently dominate the charts, demonstrating that DC’s bold reimagining of its core characters resonates powerfully with readers.
Marvel’s Ultimate line, by contrast, was more scattered across the top 50, with only one Ultimate trade cracking the top 20 graphic novels. It’s difficult to generate sustained excitement when Marvel has already signaled the line is being phased out—a decision that increasingly looks premature given DC’s success with similar concepts.
But DC’s success extends beyond the Absolute Universe. The graphic novel charts show that easily-accessible Compact Editions are massive sellers, addressing a real need for affordable entry points. Meanwhile, the top 50 comics report revealed strong performance from DC’s recent Batman relaunch and the DC K.O. event.
The All In Initiative Is Paying Off
What we’re witnessing isn’t DC randomly throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks. It’s the payoff of the carefully coordinated All In initiative—a comprehensive relaunch that refreshed multiple titles while maintaining narrative continuity and accessibility for new readers.
Fans are responding to consistency paired with creative risk-taking. The Absolute Universe represents genuine innovation rather than safe iteration. These aren’t minor tweaks to established formulas; they’re bold reimaginings that ask “What if we started fresh but kept what makes these characters essential?”
DC bet that readers were hungry for something genuinely new within familiar frameworks, and the sales prove they were right. The publisher hasn’t just released successful individual titles—it’s created a coordinated ecosystem where success in one book drives interest in others.
What Went Wrong for Marvel?
Marvel isn’t in crisis mode—let’s be clear about that. The publisher still leads in overall market share and continues selling millions of comics. But the momentum has shifted, and several factors explain why.
First, the Ultimate Universe’s premature death sentence undermined reader investment. Why commit to a bold new vision when the publisher has already announced it’s temporary? DC’s Absolute Universe, by contrast, feels like a genuine commitment to long-term storytelling.
Second, Marvel’s recent output has felt more reactive than proactive. While DC made coordinated moves with All In, Marvel’s strategy has seemed more scattered—individual successful books rather than a cohesive vision driving the line forward.
Third, the MCU’s recent struggles may finally be affecting comics sales. For years, Marvel’s films provided a rising tide that lifted all boats. But with the franchise experiencing fatigue and diminishing returns, that external momentum has waned.
Marvel’s 2026 Challenge
Is Marvel doomed? Absolutely not, and suggesting otherwise would be silly. But DC is undeniably having a banner year. If this energy continues, we might witness a genuine market shift in the coming years.
Marvel knows something big is needed. Plans for Armageddon—a major 2026 event—are already generating buzz, with rumors swirling about what it could mean for the House of Ideas. The publisher has faced challenges before and emerged stronger. They have the talent, characters, and institutional knowledge to respond.
But they need to act decisively. DC isn’t winning through accidents or luck—they’re winning through coordinated strategy, creative boldness, and giving readers reasons to invest in multiple titles rather than cherry-picking favorites.
The Bigger Picture
This moment represents more than just one publisher temporarily outselling another. It demonstrates that the comic book audience is hungry for innovation, that bold creative choices can be rewarded commercially, and that even longtime market dynamics can shift when one publisher executes a clear vision while another treads water.
For fans, competition between DC and Marvel has always been part of the medium’s charm. But healthy competition requires both publishers operating at peak performance, pushing each other to greater creative heights. Right now, DC is doing that pushing.
Marvel’s response will determine whether this is a temporary blip or the beginning of a genuine power shift. Either way, it’s an exciting time to be a comic book fan. When publishers compete this intensely, readers win.
DC is this close to becoming the bigger half of the Big Two. The question is whether Marvel will rise to meet the challenge or watch their longtime dominance slip away, one Absolute Universe issue at a time.
