“Constantly restocking them in big numbers”: Comic store says Superman comics are suddenly cool again

There was a time when Superman defined the comics landscape. Shortly after the hero’s debut in the late 1930s, Action Comics was selling 500,000 copies of every issue of Superman comics; by World War Two, the company was selling over a million copies per month.

Is Superman cool again?

In a post made on X, Jetpack Comics, a comic book and gaming store in Rochester, New Hampshire, claimed that they had seen an increase in interest for Superman comics since the release of the James Gunn-directed Superman film.

“We’ve had billion dollar comic movies drop and didn’t see a soul in here looking for comics to go along with it,” the post reads. “But since @JamesGunn’s Superman dropped, it’s been non-stop. Single issues, collected editions, action figures. You name it. Superman is cool again.”

While specific data about Superman comics sales is difficult to determine before the month’s end, there are other indications that interest in Superman comics might be increasing.

For example, Google Trends for “superman comics” show a sizable peak in the week of July 13th to the 19th, and searches for “Absolute Superman,” the recent DC comics series featuring the hero, show a comparable peak around the same time.

However, while it may be Jetpack Comics’ experience that movies do not necessarily equate to interest, it should be noted that other comics stores have reported interest in heroes being piqued after the release of major films and television shows featuring the characters.

For example, speaking to Morning Consult, Joe Annabi, ordering manager at Golden Apple Comics, claimed that there was an “exponential increase in interest” following the trailer release for WandaVision; a year following the show’s release, the store claimed it was still having difficulty keeping single issues in stock.

But good sales does not necessarily mean that the hero is “cool.” So, are people coming around on Superman?

The Superman rebrand

After years of DC films being characterized by dark colors and moody heroes, the new Superman takes a decidedly more colorful — even comical — approach. Superman’s costume has shifted from the tight, reptile-skin-like dark navy and worn red look sported by Henry Cavill to a version much more inspired by the original comics: a bright blue suit complete with a vibrant red cape. The movie itself also has a significantly lighter tone than its predecessors.

This dramatic shift annoyed some fans. For example, the film experienced some “review bombing” early into its run, where people flood review sites like Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb with negative reviews — outlets have alternately blamed bots and Zack Snyder fans for this practice, but there’s not enough evidence to conclude whether this was the case or whether these were genuine fan reactions.

@arris_quinones The Superman movie is doing something no other comic book movie has done. #superman #krypto #movies #dccomics #jamesgunn #greenscreen ♬ original sound – arris_quinones

Box office performance remains steady

However, as the movie has lingered in the box office, fan response — and, crucially, real world and cultural impact — has remained strong. “Nerd” oriented outlets like Nerdist have proclaimed the film to be “really, really good,” and other film-related publications have said that the film gave them a renewed appreciation for the character.

Plus, while previous entries in the Superman film oeuvre generated memes for the wrong reasons, this iteration has been a font of fan-generated content, from memes to behind-the-scenes production explanations to people sharing their own experiences with the actors in the film.

Not only that, but it seems that there may be a link between the film’s viewership and other offline behavior. As previously reported by the Daily Dot, the dog training app Woofz noted that the film’s canine character Krypto may have sparked a surge in online interest in dog adoption, with Google searches like “adopt a dog near me” rising over 500% and even specific breeds like Schnauzers seeing a nearly 300% spike.

The positive emotional response to the film from fans can’t be discounted. While previous Superman films were characterized by their dark, moody atmosphere, the new Superman film left viewers so hopeful that the feeling of ‘post-Superman bliss’ itself became a meme.

The store responds

In an email to the Daily Dot, Rich Brunelle of Jetpack Comics says that interest in Superman has continued.

“We have continued to see people coming in every day getting Superman books and merch and excitedly talking about how they loved the movie — so much that they felt compelled to get down here and get SOMETHING Superman,” Brunelle wrote. “The cool part is that it’s not just one age group. I’ve had all ages interested.”

As for why this movie is having such an impact, Brunelle has theories.

“I think part of the reason is the great job DC has done promoting their books since James Gunn and Peter Safran took the helm of the movie universe,” he explained. “We have been impressed seeing them promote the comics at every turn, even having James hold up the actual books and tell you who did them, and that he’s basing lots of what he’s doing on these volumes. Then telling people to ‘GO TO YOUR LOCAL COMIC SHOP’ is huge. We love our friends in the MCU, but I haven’t seen many videos of Kevin Feige holding a trade paperback telling you to go to a comic book store.”

“They also have their new line of DC Compact editions that reprint some of the greatest DC stories of all time in a smaller format for a mere ten bucks,” he added. “Younger readers love these, and we have are constantly restocking them in big numbers.”

The movie’s hopeful message plays a part

The aforementioned positive vibe of the movie, he notes, may also play a role.

“Combine that all with the fact that the world is a rough place for lots of people right now. Escaping to the movies and walking out with a smile on your face is something a lot of people could use, so I feel like a nice hopeful start to this new universe with a hero who is kind and cares for all resonates with many of us,” he shared. “The walk out of the theater, wanting to keep that going — so the next stop is your local comic shop to read more tales of the last son of Krypton.”

Whether this feeling translates into “cool factor” is a matter of debate. For its part, the New York Times recently declared, after saying that they loved the movie, that “Superman Is Not Cool. And That’s Great.”

For fans, maybe it’s simply time for an uncool superhero — or maybe it’s time to change the idea of cool altogether.

Where to start with the Superman comics

For those who have yet to experience Superman in comic book form, Brunelle has recommendations.

“For the people looking for single issues, Superman Unlimited by Dan Slott and Rafael Albuquerque is a great series to jump in on because it’s only 3 issues deep so far — fun new series that’s very accessible to new readers,” he wrote. “Yesterday, we had lots of folks grabbing the new issue of Superman’s ongoing series by Joshua Williamson and Dan Mora — another great jumping in point.”

“For collected editions, we’ve seen All Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely selling way more than normal, and it already had a big bump from the point that James Gunn told fans he was pulling from that for this new film,” he continued. “Also, Superman Up in the Sky by Tom King and Andy Kubert, Superman Secret Origin by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, and even a book that has been a best seller since it’s movie got announced, Supergirl Woman of Tomorrow by Tom King and Bilquis Evely has skyrocketed to the point where we are ordering in more copies every week despite stocking it quite deep in store.”

We’ve reached out to Jetpack Comics and @arris_quinones via email.