Now that 2025 is in the history books, I keep reading articles in the comics press that seem to say that the year was a successful one for many local comics shops in the U.S.
A GREAT YEAR?
Let’s start off with something from a recent article from David Harper at sktchd.com about 2025: “It appears to have been a great year for comic shops.” He went on to say that “many didn’t just have a typically good year; they reached levels that shocked even them.”
Given that many organizations and comics creators are still recovering from Diamond Comic Distributors filing for bankruptcy and the COVID-19 pandemic, which literally shut down much of the United States and other countries, that is quite the surprise, at least it was to me!
That article goes on to present quotes from people running several local comics shops, including The Comics Place in Bellingham, Washington, Now or Never Comics in San Diego, and Space Cadet’s Collection Connection in Shenandoah, Texas. Jen King from that latter store even said, “My favorite thing about 2025 is the big change from ‘collecting/speculating’ in comics to reading them. I love that Wednesday mornings are full of people wanting to chat about what they read last week and are looking forward to reading this one.”
She went on to say, “Our numbers for the year are up 31 percent over last year. I’m sure some of that is tied to the increase in prices on comics and graphic novels, but we have also seen an increase in average sales. They are now $40 to $50, where before they were $25 to $30.”
Harper continues in his article: “The average shop was up just under 21 percent, at least amongst those who reported numbers. But crucially, it was more than just metrics. The vibes were much, much better.”
Granted, some stores were forced to close, so the news wasn’t entirely upbeat. Also, the article points out that some establishments are still struggling with the ordering process. I know that the store I frequent sometimes has products arriving on various days instead of exactly when they would prefer to have them, so customers can buy them in a more timely manner. There is still room for improvement there.
Still, the article concludes on a strongly positive note. “2025 was probably the best and hardest year I’ve had,” said John Hendrick of Dublin’s Big Bang Comics. “The workload was probably the most severe it’s ever been. But it was a year of growth in every way.”
Even a year ago, Screenrant.com posted an article titled, “Despite Recent Upsets, the Comics Industry is Already Looking Up in 2025.” It was written by Justin Epps, and he said that “many retailers are more optimistic than ever.” Subheads in that article included, “Despite the Issues, Comics Retailers Are Doing Alright” and “Publishers and Retailers Working Together Can Keep the Industry Thriving,” which was somewhat prophetic given how Marvel and DC have been making crossovers big business. I should mention that they also quoted the sktchd.com website even back then.
About halfway through 2025, wickedcomicbooks.com posted an article titled, “What’s Going on with the Comic Book Market in 2025?” by the Wicked Comic Book Staff. Their take was that “the heart of comics is still beating. I’ve seen this industry fall on its face and get back up so many times. If there’s one thing comics teach us, it’s resilience.” Their advice was to “keep buying what you love. Support your local shop when you can. Don’t sweat the trends. Stay curious.”
So, it’s not all entirely upbeat, even in the comics press. Still, I tend to look on the positive side, so I’m hopeful that, when we look back on 2026, it will be even better than it has been in 2025.
MY OWN PERSPECTIVE
I count several comic shop owners among my friends, and they tell me that the last year was mostly stable, or even better, when it comes to their customers and their ordering. Yes, some were disappointed when valued clients had to reduce the number of books they bought or cancel their pull lists altogether, but they know their people well enough to read the signs of trouble ahead.
The truth is that some store owners order as if they have unlimited resources. I went to one store in northeastern Pennsylvania that literally had boxes and boxes full of what was a “hot” title at the time. However, the number of people who wanted all those comics didn’t meet his expectations. A few weeks later, a big truck pulled up to the front of the store and then carried away many of those boxes, soon to be put up for sale so other stores could get what they needed from his bounty. The “Permanently Closed” sign on the front door was a sad sight for me to see the next time I stopped by, but it was also not unexpected.
The people who are the most successful when it comes to operating an LCS almost always tell me that they strive to know their clients as well as they can. If someone orders a ton of books, then suddenly falls way behind on picking up their pull list, that’s a huge red flag. Also, if they order a lot of toys and other related merchandise that can be harder to sell, then say they don’t want it when they come by, that’s another huge red flag.
Get to know your customers as well as you can. Learn what they really want instead of what they say they want. Monitor how faithful clients are in picking up what they ordered. If someone doesn’t stop by for a few weeks (or longer), be sure to remind your customers that you may have to find other homes for the books in their boxes if they fall behind. It’s just common business sense.
So, 2026 is now upon us, and I think we’re all more optimistic about the comics industry than we may have been a year ago. If we can keep this trend going in the years ahead, I’m truly excited about what our future will look like!
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