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The comic industry has long been fractured between mainstream giants and independent creators. Historically, Marvel and DC sold millions of copies, but today those numbers have diminished drastically. The recent success of Spawn and other creator-owned titles underscore a significant shift: consumers are hungry for stories they enjoy, not just franchise tie-ins or reboots.
The problem for Marvel and DC isn’t their movies or television shows — which often generate billions — but their declining comic book sales. Titles like X-Men or Spider-Man used to sell hundreds of thousands monthly. Now, those figures are rare. Meanwhile, independent publishers like Boom Studios and creators like McFarlane are thriving by meeting audience demands directly.