Demo-Graphics has generally focused on the demographics of comic fans but occasionally we have also reported on other fandoms and communities. In August 2025, we kicked off a new regular look at those interested in tabletop games. That includes board games, roleplaying games, and card games. Why? The question still remains… who are the fans of tabletop games?
What is Demo-Graphics?
Each month I dive into data from Facebook looking at the various demographics it can tell us about comic, and now tabletop game, fans. This isn’t hard numbers, purchasers, or “Wednesday warriors,” but best used to show trends in the industry and the potential of the market out there.
How does it work?
We use key terms, “likes”, that users have indicated and have come up with our own set to measure each month. There’s over 50 terms used (and no I won’t release them). We stick to specific terms for the industry such as “board games” and “collectible card games” as well as publishers and leave out broad terms.
Other things to know…
This data is important in that it shows who the potential audience could be. These are not purchasers, these are people who have shown an affinity for tabletop games, are potential purchasers, and those with a clear interest.
Also, with this being online/technology, due to laws and restrictions, those under the age of 13 are underrepresented.
The data that is presented as a wide range. I’ve taken the average of the range. So, if it’s presented as somewhere between 500 and 1,000 people, the number would be 750.
So, let’s kick off the first entry with the big question…
Facebook “Tabletop Gamer” Population: Around 78.45 million in the United States
The Facebook population increased by about 2.15 million over the month but the tabletop community dropped by about 550,000. The comic fans also saw a drop, though one that was far more dramatic.
Gender
Men remained the majority increasing slightly to 50.16%, up from the previous month’s 50%. Women saw their percentage increase slightly o 47.99%, up from the previous month’s 47.78%. Both of those gains come from “other,” those whose gender are unknown and not reported, which dipped to 1.85% from 2.22% in March. There were drops in the population across the board with men down 150,000, women down 100,000, and “other” down 300,000.
Age
When it comes to percentages, the age groupings shifted very little. There’s some slight changes in tenths of a percent but no wild swings. All of the groupings either remained the same or dropped from the previous month.
Relationship Status
All relationship statuses either remained the same or dropped a bit from the previous month. Both “in a relationship” and “unspecified” decreased by 100,000 each.
More Stats!
For Education we’re tracking individuals who have at least a college degree. 20.8 million individuals, 26.51% of the population have at least a college degree. That’s a decrease in the number of individuals and percentage from the previous month which was 21 million and 26.58%. In 2022, 37.7% of the American population had at least a college degree.
13.7 million fans, 17.46%, are parents! That’s an decrease of 100,000 individuals and 0.01 percentage points.
And finally, what’s the crossover with fans of board games and video games? 48.1 million, 61.31% of board game fans also enjoy comics. 47.8 million, 60.93% also enjoy video games. Combined, 66.6 million like board games or video games and 28.55 million enjoy board games and video games. Get your licensing engines revving!
Demo-Graphics is back! Demo-Graphics was relaunched in 2025 because the question still remains… who are comic fans?
What is Demo-Graphics?
Each month I dive into data from Facebook looking at the various demographics it can tell us about comic fans. This isn’t hard numbers, purchasers, or “Wednesday warriors,” but best used to show trends in the industry and the potential of the market out there. This has shown the shift towards women being a major force in readers and a shift to the younger demographic.
How does it work?
We use key terms, “likes”, that users have indicated and have come up with our own set to measure each month. There’s over 50 terms used (and no I won’t release them). We stick to specific terms for the industry such as “comics” and “graphic novels” and “one-shots” as well as publishers and leave out broad terms like specific characters or stories. Just because someone likes Batman doesn’t mean they like comics.
Other things to know…
This data is important in that it shows who the potential comic audience could be. These are not purchasers, these are people who have shown an affinity for comics, are potential purchasers, and those with a clear interest.
Also, with this being online/technology, due to laws and restrictions, those under the age of 13 are underrepresented.
Since the last time this feature was run, Facebook has made adjustments as to what it can report so some data is no longer available and we’ve also added in new data that hasn’t been reported before, and it now presents the data as a wide range. I’ve taken the average of the range. So, if it’s presented as somewhere between 500 and 1,000 people, the number would be 750.
So, let’s kick off the latest entry with the big question…
Facebook “Comic Fan” Population: Around 81.6 million in the United States
After last month’s adjustment, comic fans decreased this month by about 2 million individuals. But, overall, Facebook gained around 2.15 million individuals. Men decreased by 1.35 million while women decreased by 800,000. The population that doesn’t list either gender increased by about 150,000.
Gender
Women remained a majority of the population but now over half of fans. Last month they accounted for 49.9% of the population but now are 50.12%. Men decreased as a percentage from last month’s 48.6% to 48.1%. Those who don’t report themselves as “male” or “female” account for 1.78, up from 1.6%.
Age
The biggest issue with all of this reporting is the limitation of those under the age of 13 using the system. With new laws limiting the use of social media by children, it’ll be interesting to see if this shifts at all. But, compared to the previous month, the percentages have changed very little with a few going up or down a tenth of a percent.
Relationship Status
Compared to the previous goofed stats, the percentages for this month remains pretty steady interestingly. Like “ages” above, they have all shifted up or down a tenth of a percent with no major swings.
New Stats!
Education: 21.8 million have a college degree or higher. About 36.4% of Americans have a bachelor degree or better while about 26.72% of comic fans do.
Parents: 13.9 million (17.03%)
Board Game Fans: 51.5 million (63.11%) Video Game Fans: 47.1 million (57.72%) Board Game and Video Game Fans: 31.15 million (38.17%) Board Game or Video Game Fans: 67.05 million (82.17%)
Demo-Graphics has generally focused on the demographics of comic fans but occasionally we have also reported on other fandoms and communities. In August 2025, we kicked off a new regular look at those interested in tabletop games. That includes board games, roleplaying games, and card games. Why? The question still remains… who are the fans of tabletop games?
What is Demo-Graphics?
Each month I dive into data from Facebook looking at the various demographics it can tell us about comic, and now tabletop game, fans. This isn’t hard numbers, purchasers, or “Wednesday warriors,” but best used to show trends in the industry and the potential of the market out there.
How does it work?
We use key terms, “likes”, that users have indicated and have come up with our own set to measure each month. There’s over 50 terms used (and no I won’t release them). We stick to specific terms for the industry such as “board games” and “collectible card games” as well as publishers and leave out broad terms.
Other things to know…
This data is important in that it shows who the potential audience could be. These are not purchasers, these are people who have shown an affinity for tabletop games, are potential purchasers, and those with a clear interest.
Also, with this being online/technology, due to laws and restrictions, those under the age of 13 are underrepresented.
The data that is presented as a wide range. I’ve taken the average of the range. So, if it’s presented as somewhere between 500 and 1,000 people, the number would be 750.
So, let’s kick off the first entry with the big question…
Facebook “Tabletop Gamer” Population: Around 79 million in the United States
The Facebook population dropped by about 4.5 million but tabletop games is only down 3.2 million from the previous month.
Gender
Men remained the majority making up exactly 50%. There were drops in the population across the board with men down 1.2 million, women down 1.65 million, and “other” down 350,000.
Age
When it comes to percentages, the age groupings shifted very little. There’s some slight changes in tenths of a percent but no wild swings. Almost all groups decreased, “19-24” remained the same, and “18 and under” increased slightly.
Relationship Status
All relationship statuses dropped from the previous month and there’s a few that came close to decreasing 1 percentage point.
More Stats!
For Education we’re tracking individuals who have at least a college degree. 12 million individuals, 26.58% of the population have at least a college degree. That’s a decrease in the number of individuals and percentage from the previous month which was 22.5 million and 27.37%. In 2022, 37.7% of the American population had at least a college degree.
13.8 million fans, 17.47%, are parents! That’s an increase of 700,000 individuals and 1.5 percentage points.
And finally, what’s the crossover with fans of board games and video games? 48.2 million, 61.01% of board game fans also enjoy comics. 48.35 million, 61.2% also enjoy video games. Combined, 67.05 million like board games or video games and 28.7 million enjoy board games and video games. Get your licensing engines revving!
Demo-Graphics is back! Demo-Graphics was relaunched in 2025 because the question still remains… who are comic fans?
What is Demo-Graphics?
Each month I dive into data from Facebook looking at the various demographics it can tell us about comic fans. This isn’t hard numbers, purchasers, or “Wednesday warriors,” but best used to show trends in the industry and the potential of the market out there. This has shown the shift towards women being a major force in readers and a shift to the younger demographic.
How does it work?
We use key terms, “likes”, that users have indicated and have come up with our own set to measure each month. There’s over 50 terms used (and no I won’t release them). We stick to specific terms for the industry such as “comics” and “graphic novels” and “one-shots” as well as publishers and leave out broad terms like specific characters or stories. Just because someone likes Batman doesn’t mean they like comics.
Other things to know…
This data is important in that it shows who the potential comic audience could be. These are not purchasers, these are people who have shown an affinity for comics, are potential purchasers, and those with a clear interest.
Also, with this being online/technology, due to laws and restrictions, those under the age of 13 are underrepresented.
Since the last time this feature was run, Facebook has made adjustments as to what it can report so some data is no longer available and we’ve also added in new data that hasn’t been reported before, and it now presents the data as a wide range. I’ve taken the average of the range. So, if it’s presented as somewhere between 500 and 1,000 people, the number would be 750.
So, let’s kick off the latest entry with the big question…
Facebook “Comic Fan” Population: Around 83.6 million in the United States
This month’s amount might seem like a big drop from the previous month but… we noticed in some changes with Facebook, they added a bunch of key words that have little to do with comics (ex. “publishing”). We removed two or three terms from the previous month causing the dip… sigh. We’ll be far more vigilant in future months to make sure things remain consistent and no erroneous terms are added.
Overall, the Facebook population dropped by about 4.5 million individuals, so we’d have likely seen a drop and before catching the error, the total “comic” population dipped by about 3 million. So, there was likely a decrease this month, we just don’t know by how much.
Gender
Women remained a majority of the population with 49.9%. The biggest shift is that those who don’t report themselves as “male” or “female” account for 1.6%.
Age
The biggest issue with all of this reporting is the limitation of those under the age of 13 using the system. With new laws limiting the use of social media by children, it’ll be interesting to see if this shifts at all.
Relationship Status
Compared to the previous goofed stats, the percentages for this month remains pretty steady interestingly.
New Stats!
Education: 22.85 million have a college degree or higher. About 36.4% of Americans have a bachelor degree or better while about 27.33% of comic fans do.
Parents: 14.45 million (17.28%)
Board Game Fans: 50.8 million (60.77%) Video Game Fans: 48.95 million (58.55%) Board Game and Video Game Fans: 31 million (37.08%) Board Game or Video Game Fans: 68.35 million (81.76%)
Demo-Graphics has generally focused on the demographics of comic fans but occasionally we have also reported on other fandoms and communities. In August 2025, we kicked off a new regular look at those interested in tabletop games. That includes board games, roleplaying games, and card games. Why? The question still remains… who are the fans of tabletop games?
What is Demo-Graphics?
Each month I dive into data from Facebook looking at the various demographics it can tell us about comic, and now tabletop game, fans. This isn’t hard numbers, purchasers, or “Wednesday warriors,” but best used to show trends in the industry and the potential of the market out there.
How does it work?
We use key terms, “likes”, that users have indicated and have come up with our own set to measure each month. There’s over 50 terms used (and no I won’t release them). We stick to specific terms for the industry such as “board games” and “collectible card games” as well as publishers and leave out broad terms.
Other things to know…
This data is important in that it shows who the potential audience could be. These are not purchasers, these are people who have shown an affinity for tabletop games, are potential purchasers, and those with a clear interest.
Also, with this being online/technology, due to laws and restrictions, those under the age of 13 are underrepresented.
The data that is presented as a wide range. I’ve taken the average of the range. So, if it’s presented as somewhere between 500 and 1,000 people, the number would be 750.
So, let’s kick off the first entry with the big question…
Facebook “Tabletop Gamer” Population: Around 82.2 million in the United States
The overall Facebook population in the US increased by about 100,000 in February, but the tabletop gaming community saw a decrease of about 3.2 million. Since August, the tabletop gaming Facebook population increased by about 3.2 million
Gender
In January, women became the minority after being the majority in January 2026. They were 39.4 million compared to men at 40.7 million. Women were a majority of 400,000 in January 2026.
Age
While “18 and under” increased and “19-24” remained the same, every other age group dropped from the pervious month.
Relationship Status
“Single” increased from the previous month by about 300,000 and “Engaged” remained the same. The other groupings all saw decreases from the previous month.
More Stats!
For Education we’re tracking individuals who have at least a college degree. 22.5 million individuals, 27.37% of the population have at least a college degree. That’s a decrease in the number of individuals and percentage from the previous month which was 23.4 million and 27.4%. In 2022, 37.7% of the American population had at least a college degree.
13.1 million fans, 15.94%, are parents! That’s a massive drop of 2.6 million individuals and 3.44 percentage points.
And finally, what’s the crossover with fans of board games and video games? 50.15 million, 61.01% of board game fans also enjoy comics. 52.45 million, 63.81% also enjoy video games. Combined, 70.7 million like board games or video games and 31.55 million enjoy board games and video games. Get your licensing engines revving!
Demo-Graphics is back! Demo-Graphics was relaunched in 2025 because the question still remains… who are comic fans?
What is Demo-Graphics?
Each month I dive into data from Facebook looking at the various demographics it can tell us about comic fans. This isn’t hard numbers, purchasers, or “Wednesday warriors,” but best used to show trends in the industry and the potential of the market out there. This has shown the shift towards women being a major force in readers and a shift to the younger demographic.
How does it work?
We use key terms, “likes”, that users have indicated and have come up with our own set to measure each month. There’s over 50 terms used (and no I won’t release them). We stick to specific terms for the industry such as “comics” and “graphic novels” and “one-shots” as well as publishers and leave out broad terms like specific characters or stories. Just because someone likes Batman doesn’t mean they like comics.
Other things to know…
This data is important in that it shows who the potential comic audience could be. These are not purchasers, these are people who have shown an affinity for comics, are potential purchasers, and those with a clear interest.
Also, with this being online/technology, due to laws and restrictions, those under the age of 13 are underrepresented.
Since the last time this feature was run, Facebook has made adjustments as to what it can report so some data is no longer available and we’ve also added in new data that hasn’t been reported before, and it now presents the data as a wide range. I’ve taken the average of the range. So, if it’s presented as somewhere between 500 and 1,000 people, the number would be 750.
So, let’s kick off the latest entry with the big question…
Facebook “Comic Fan” Population: Around 115.8 million in the United States
The first half of 2025 was off to an interesting start as we saw a decrease in the overall population for five months in a row. From January 2025 to June 2025, there was a loss of 8.45 million individuals. But, July stopped the slide with an increase of about 3.5 million individuals. August saw a jump of 24.8 million individuals while Facebook in the United States saw a decrease of about 500,000 individuals. September saw another bump of 850,000 while overall Facebook population increased by 2.2 million. October was a slight decrease in “comic fans” but also in the overall Facebook user population for the US. While November and December 2025 also saw drops.
January 2026 saw an increase of about 400,000 individuals. That turned out to be a short jump as February saw a decrease of 200,000 individuals, a rounding difference. Men dropped 400,000 while those that don’t have their gender identified increased by 200,000.
Gender
The overall population of comic fans dipped a little from the previous month. February saw a decrease of 200,000 individuals, a rounding difference. Men dropped 400,000 while those that don’t have their gender identified increased by 200,000.
Age
February saw some slight shifts from the previous month. “18 and under,” “40-44,” “50-54,” and “55-59” all increased. “19-24,” “25-29,” and “30-34” all decreased. The rest remained the same. These were small shifts, nothing major.
Relationship Status
Those marked “Single” saw a big jump from the previous month, 700,000 individuals. “Married” saw an increase of about 450,000 and “Unspecified” increased 250,000.
New Stats!
Education has been combined to see how many individuals have at least a college degree. This month saw an increase in both percentage and population size with 35.5 million, up about 350,000 individuals to 30.66%. In 2024, 31.3% of the American population had at least a college degree.
20.5 million fans are parents! That’s a decrease from the previous month which was 22.65 million.
And finally, what’s the crossover with fans of board games and video games? 64.2 million, 55.44% of comic fans also enjoy board/tabletop/card games, a massive increase from the previous month. An increase from the previous month, 70.4 million, 60.79% also enjoy video games. Combined, 91.85 million like board games or video games and 42.1 million enjoy board games and video games. Get your licensing engines revving!
Demo-Graphics has generally focused on the demographics of comic fans but occasionally we have also reported on other fandoms and communities. In August 2025, we kicked off a new regular look at those interested in tabletop games. That includes board games, roleplaying games, and card games. Why? The question still remains… who are the fans of tabletop games?
What is Demo-Graphics?
Each month I dive into data from Facebook looking at the various demographics it can tell us about comic, and now tabletop game, fans. This isn’t hard numbers, purchasers, or “Wednesday warriors,” but best used to show trends in the industry and the potential of the market out there.
How does it work?
We use key terms, “likes”, that users have indicated and have come up with our own set to measure each month. There’s over 50 terms used (and no I won’t release them). We stick to specific terms for the industry such as “board games” and “collectible card games” as well as publishers and leave out broad terms.
Other things to know…
This data is important in that it shows who the potential audience could be. These are not purchasers, these are people who have shown an affinity for tabletop games, are potential purchasers, and those with a clear interest.
Also, with this being online/technology, due to laws and restrictions, those under the age of 13 are underrepresented.
The data that is presented as a wide range. I’ve taken the average of the range. So, if it’s presented as somewhere between 500 and 1,000 people, the number would be 750.
So, let’s kick off the first entry with the big question…
Facebook “Tabletop Gamer” Population: Around 85.4 million in the United States
The overall Facebook population in the US decreased by about 1.3 million in January, but the tabletop gaming community saw an increase of about 3.65 million. Since August, the tabletop gaming Facebook population increased by about 6.4 million
Gender
In January, women remained majority with 41.9 million compared to men at 41.5 million. Women were behind men by about 850,000 in the previous month.
Age
Every age group saw an increase from the previous month to varying degrees. The percentages remained fairly consistent with some shifts in the tenths of a percent.
Relationship Status
The relationships status’ all gained from the previous month and percentages only shifted a little for each. For the most part, “single,” and “in a relationship” lost ground in the percentages.
More Stats!
For Education we’re tracking individuals who have at least a college degree. 23.4 million individuals, 27.40% of the population have at least a college degree. That’s an increase in the number of individuals but the percentage saw a decrease by about a half a percentage point. In 2022, 37.7% of the American population had at least a college degree.
15.7 million fans, 18.38%, are parents! That’s an increase of 900,000.
And finally, what’s the crossover with fans of board games and video games? 52.15 million, 61.07% of board game fans also enjoy comics. 55.65 million, 65.16% also enjoy video games. Combined, 74.1 million like board games or video games and 33.3 million enjoy board games and video games. Get your licensing engines revving!
Demo-Graphics is back! Demo-Graphics was relaunched in 2025 because the question still remains… who are comic fans?
What is Demo-Graphics?
Each month I dive into data from Facebook looking at the various demographics it can tell us about comic fans. This isn’t hard numbers, purchasers, or “Wednesday warriors,” but best used to show trends in the industry and the potential of the market out there. This has shown the shift towards women being a major force in readers and a shift to the younger demographic.
How does it work?
We use key terms, “likes”, that users have indicated and have come up with our own set to measure each month. There’s over 50 terms used (and no I won’t release them). We stick to specific terms for the industry such as “comics” and “graphic novels” and “one-shots” as well as publishers and leave out broad terms like specific characters or stories. Just because someone likes Batman doesn’t mean they like comics.
Other things to know…
This data is important in that it shows who the potential comic audience could be. These are not purchasers, these are people who have shown an affinity for comics, are potential purchasers, and those with a clear interest.
Also, with this being online/technology, due to laws and restrictions, those under the age of 13 are underrepresented.
Since the last time this feature was run, Facebook has made adjustments as to what it can report so some data is no longer available and we’ve also added in new data that hasn’t been reported before, and it now presents the data as a wide range. I’ve taken the average of the range. So, if it’s presented as somewhere between 500 and 1,000 people, the number would be 750.
So, let’s kick off the latest entry with the big question…
Facebook “Comic Fan” Population: Around 116 million in the United States
The first half of 2025 was off to an interesting start as we saw a decrease in the overall population for five months in a row. From January 2025 to June 2025, there was a loss of 8.45 million individuals. But, July stopped the slide with an increase of about 3.5 million individuals. August saw a jump of 24.8 million individuals while Facebook in the United States saw a decrease of about 500,000 individuals. September saw another bump of 850,000 while overall Facebook population increased by 2.2 million. October was a slight decrease in “comic fans” but also in the overall Facebook user population for the US. While November and December 2025 also saw drops.
January 2026 sees an increase of about 400,000 individuals. Whether this is a temporary bump, seasonal changes, or something else, we’ll have to wait and see.
Gender
The overall population of comic fans grew but that doesn’t mean it did so for each gender. “Men” dropped about 500,000 individuals while women saw an increase of 250,000.
Age
Like gender, age too wasn’t consistent in gains. “18 and under,” “35-39,” and “65+” all saw gains while the rest remained the same or dipped.
Relationship Status
Generally, all of these actually decreased in population over the month. “Engaged” saw a slight increase of about 50,000 and “unspecified” remained the same. Beyond that, all other demographics saw a decrease.
New Stats!
Education has been combined to see how many individuals have at least a college degree. This month saw a decrease in both percentage and population size with 35.15 million, down about 200,000 individuals. In 2024, 31.3% of the American population had at least a college degree.
22.65 million fans are parents! That’s an increase from the previous month which was 22.1 million.
And finally, what’s the crossover with fans of board games and video games? 66.45 million, 57.28% of comic fans also enjoy board/tabletop/card games, a massive increase from the previous month. An increase from the previous month, 71.1 million, 61.29% also enjoy video games. Combined, 93.2 million like board games or video games and 44.4 million enjoy board games and video games. Get your licensing engines revving!
2025 was a hellscape of a year so in my comics reading habits, I fell hard into the “escapism” genre, including a lot of DC Comics. I don’t know if it was residual goodwill from James Gunn’s Superman, or the fact that they hired some of my favorite writers and artists, but I enjoyed so many books from the company formerly known as National Comics this past year. I also fully embraced the one-shot format this year, and honestly, the majority of this favorite comics list could have been made up of one-shots. I’ve always been a pop single girlie (And even purchased CD singles once upon a time) so it’s natural that I would enjoy this kind of thing in comics whether it’s Archie meeting my favorite stoners from the View Askewniverse, a glorious intercompany crossover between Thor and Shazam, or the singular book that topped this list.
There’s something rewarding about struggling with a comic early on, but eventually embracing and having it become one of your favorites. That describes my relationship with Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijingaard‘s The Power Fantasy to a tee. I always enjoyed Wijingaard’s approach to fashion, layout, and color palette, but the book’s narrative started to draw me in during year two as he and Gillen toppled dominoes and showed just how frightening a world with godlike heroes could be. This concept has been explored in more juvenile ways in the past (I won’t name any names). However, Kieron Gillen and Caspar Wijingaard take more of a premium cable anti-hero approach in The Power Fantasy that is quite riveting and prioritize ethics and relationships over punching although this book had its fair share of pyrotechnics in 2025.
Writer Aaron Reese sadly passed away in January 2025, but they left us with a lasting legacy of Bytchcraft, a magical and fiercely queer series about a coven of witches in New York battling the apocalypse. Reese and artist Lema Carril crafted a world with a fascinating cosmology and magic system that definitely had Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, or Supernatural vibes, but its cast didn’t resemble the contents of a Duke’s Mayo bottle. Also, Carril’s eye for fashion made the characters some of the best-dressed in comics to go with a flashy color palette from Bex Glendining. Above all, Bytchcraft is a call to be queer and do magick, and I will clutch to it in the coming years.
A tense smash and grab job under the nose of a kaiju attack is one of the coolest concepts I’ve heard in a while, and Van Jensen and Kelsey Ramsay pull it off in their Godzilla : Heist miniseries with style, grace, and social commentary. Genre blends are tough to do, but Ramsay’s line art and Heather Breckel’s colors know when to go for gritty urban crime mode or pull it back for the big monster reveal. Plotwise, there’s plenty of cool gadgets, double crosses, and general mayhem, but it’s all grounded by protagonist Jai, who wants to get back at the British government for being imperialist losers and screwing over his mother. And the King of Monsters ends up being the perfect partner for this vengeance quest.
In its second and unfortunately final year, Deniz Camp, Juan Frigeri, and Phil Noto’s The Ultimatescontinues to be revolutionary pop art. Camp and Frigeri turn corporate mascots into avatars of resistance infusing them with leftist, anti-capitalist, and anti-imperialist ideologies while simultaneously making us care about them larger-than-life human beings. The Ultimates also gives each single issues its own unique identity whether that’s a commentary on the school-to-prison pipeline courtesy of Luke Cage, an epic poem set in Asgard, a kung-fu epic, or the wonderful Noto-drawnissues with Doom aka Earth-6160 Reed Richards trying to recreate the Fantastic Four that can be read in five different ways. It’s one of the best Marvel runs in recent memory, and I bittersweetly look forward to seeing how it all wraps and then going back and following the threads Deniz Camp seeded in early issues.
The combination of Hayden Sherman being a layout deity, Jordie Bellaire unleashing a color palette that is part Gothic nightmare and part ancient Greek pottery-inspired, and Kelly Thompson giving Diana a proper heroic-in-the-face-of-darkness character arc made Absolute Wonder Woman one of my favorite reads of 2025. Even the fill-in arcs drawn by Mattia De Iulis and Matias Bergara reveal important information about the cost of Wonder Woman using her abilities and her literally hellish past. But the real highlight is we got an honest to Hera Minotaur/labyrinth plotline featuring the return of some favorites from Greg Rucka’s Wonder Woman run as well as Sherman nailing the claustrophobic feel with their visuals. Also, Absolute Zatanna and the end-of-year crossover with Absolute Batman cemented this book as a proper blockbuster title.
Ryan North, Mike Norton, and Ian Herring’sKrypto : The Last Dog of Kryptonwas the one comic in 2025 that made ugly cry. Structured by seasons, Krypto explored tough topics like death and pet abuse in an honest, yet empathetic way and was also filled with a multitude of wholesome moments establishing its protagonist as the ultimate good boy. (Who can sometimes be naughty.) North and Norton drop the Silver Age concept of Krypto being able to talk and instead rely on body language and gestures to move the story forward. He also provides a listening ear and insight into characters like Lex Luthor and Superboy as well as the ordinary folks who cross his paths. Krypto : The Last Dog of Krypton isn’t just *the* definitive Krypto comic, but an evergreen for DC in general.
Al Ewing, Steve Lieber, and Lee Loughridge’s beyond sadly cut short six issue Metamorpho, The Element Manseries (Right before its lead’s triumphant big screen debut.) was the funniest and most clever comic of 2025. On the surface, Metamorpho is a send-up of Silver Age comics with Ewing channeling the late Stan Lee in his omniscient, mock-Beat, fourth wall leaning narration. However, as the series progressed and revealed its Big Bad, Metamorpho revealed itself as a love letter to the weird and wacky side of superhero comics, which is something I feel like DC has over Marvel. (See the Brotherhood of Dada and Brother Power the Geek, for example.) To name a few things, we had a Mod-themed antagonist, a supervillainous skewering of generative AI, and an emotional arc for Simon Stagg’s Neanderthal servant, Java. Finally, this book wouldn’t have succeeded without Lieber’s period-perfect visuals and impeccable comedic timing, especially during the more espionage-tinged issues where he pulls off Jim Steranko-esque layouts without being a weird racist.
3. Flip (First Second)
Cartoonist Ngozi Ukazu puts an original spin on the body swap genre in her graphic novel, Flip. In the book, a Black working class nerdy girl named Chi-Chi swamps bodies with a wealthy white jock named Flip Henderson, who she has a crush on and accidentally asks to the school dance via Power Point in an engaging, embarrassing opening scene. Flip showcases Ukazu’s skills with character acting, and it’s rewarding to slow down and see how Flip and Chi-Chi move differently in each other’s bodies. The story also has poignant commentary on race, class, and mental health, but also fun K-Pop dances and fandom. Seriously, every time Chi-Chi, her friends, and eventually Flip chat about their favorite K-Pop group and their biases, the comic takes on a sparkling energy. In a world of full of division, Flip makes the bold call to empathize with folks, who have different experiences, in an entertaining way.
After a strong launch in 2024, Scott Snyder, Nick Dragotta,Marcos Martin, Clay Mann, and Jock’sAbsolute Batman reached masterpiece status this year finishing especially strong with the conclusion of the horrific “Abomination” arc and even more horrifying stand-alone story that introduced Absolute Joker. Toxic, working class, and incredibly jacked Batman just works in our day and age, and Snyder and company aren’t afraid to take big swings and put truly original spins on iconic heroes, villains, and all the folks in-between. Reading this comic is like taking both a physical and psychological beating, and there is real power in the punches and moves Dragotta draws and in Martin’s flat colors. And the lobster to this juicy steak of a comic is the Absolute Batman Annual where skilled cartoonists like Daniel Warren Johnson, James Harren, and Meredith McClaren put their own stamp on this grimdark universe and also draw Batman breaking Nazis’ limbs and doing cool wrestling moves.
My favorite comic was Adventure Time : The Bubbline College Special aka the cutest sapphic romance ever between a STEM princess and a humanities vampire queen. This one-shot from one of the most hilarious cartoonists in the game, Caroline Cash, is a love letter to slow burn romances, fan fiction, unexpected LGBTQ+ representation in pop culture, and finding someone you connect with even if you start out on the wrong foot. Cash’s color palette revels in the trippy weirdness of the Adventure Time universe while still making room for tender glances and shoulder brushes. It hits the right balance between indie and mainstream, which is about perfect for my own personal comics-enjoying aesthetic.
Honorable mentions: Giant-Size Criminal (Image), Street Sharks (Oni Press), Exquisite Corpses (Image), DC x Sonic the Hedgehog (DC/IDW), Thor/Shazam (Marvel/DC)
Demo-Graphics has generally focused on the demographics of comic fans but occasionally we have also reported on other fandoms and communities. In August, we kicked off a new regular look at those interested in tabletop games. That includes board games, roleplaying games, and card games. Why? The question still remains… who are the fans of tabletop games?
What is Demo-Graphics?
Each month I dive into data from Facebook looking at the various demographics it can tell us about comic, and now tabletop game, fans. This isn’t hard numbers, purchasers, or “Wednesday warriors,” but best used to show trends in the industry and the potential of the market out there.
How does it work?
We use key terms, “likes”, that users have indicated and have come up with our own set to measure each month. There’s over 50 terms used (and no I won’t release them). We stick to specific terms for the industry such as “board games” and “collectible card games” as well as publishers and leave out broad terms.
Other things to know…
This data is important in that it shows who the potential audience could be. These are not purchasers, these are people who have shown an affinity for tabletop games, are potential purchasers, and those with a clear interest.
Also, with this being online/technology, due to laws and restrictions, those under the age of 13 are underrepresented.
The data that is presented as a wide range. I’ve taken the average of the range. So, if it’s presented as somewhere between 500 and 1,000 people, the number would be 750.
So, let’s kick off the first entry with the big question…
Facebook “Tabletop Gamer” Population: Around 81.75 million in the United States
The overall Facebook population in the US increased by about 6.6 million but the tabletop gaming community saw an increase of about 3.5 million. This is something new we’re tracking so it’ll be interesting to see if this is a seasonal thing where it increases during the end of the year holidays. Since August, the tabletop gaming Facebook population increased by about 2.75 million
Gender
There’s been increases across the board in gender with men, women, and those not reporting either all seeing a bump from the previous month. In the big shift, women are now a majority with 40.35 million compared to men at 39.5 million. Women were behind men by about 350,000 in the previous month.
Age
Nearly every age group saw an increase from the previous to varying degrees. Those age 19-24 saw a dip of 100,000. When it comes to percentage of what’s recorded, the segments from 50 and up all gained in their percentage.
Relationship Status
The relationships status’ all gained from the previous month and percentages only shifted a little for each.
More Stats!
For Education we’re tracking individuals who have at least a college degree. 22.85 million individuals, 27.95% of the population have at least a college degree. That’s an increase in the number of individuals as well as the percentage. In 2022, 37.7% of the American population had at least a college degree.
14.8 million fans, 18.1%, are parents! That’s an increase of 1.1 million.
And finally, what’s the crossover with fans of board games and video games? 50.15 million, 61.35% of board game fans also enjoy comics. 52.15 million, 63.79% also enjoy video games. Combined, 70.1 million like board games or video games and 31.85 million enjoy board games and video games. Get your licensing engines revving!
What’s Next?
All of this continues the re-starting point. The terms will be refined as we go forward and we’ll take a look at any previous published reports to see what the legacy data says, and of course, we need to see how this compares to comic fans! Stay tuned as we look back at both for 2025!
