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The direct market just posted its best year in decades. And the CEO of ICv2 just admitted the entire boom is male-only.
Milton Griepp stood up at ComicsPRO 2026 and said what everyone's been thinking: Absolute Batman's surge is "male-skewing," and publishers desperately need "a blow-out periodical hit that appeals to female readers on the same scale as Saga." Translation? The industry just rebuilt itself on the same demographic foundation that collapsed in the 1990s. A boom built on one gender isn't a recovery—it's a leveraged bet with no hedging strategy.
This video breaks down the structural problem, the economic data, and the playbook to fix it before the next collapse.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - The Male-Only Boom
0:16 - What Retailers See Every Wednesday
1:38 - The Symptom (8M Units, Zero Female Pull)
3:04 - The Diagnosis (The Saga Gap Explained)
5:24 - The Evidence (ICv2 Data + Sources)
8:56 - The Prescription (The Four-Point Playbook)
10:53 - Final Thoughts
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Intro music: https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/dragon-boss-fight/993
Outro music: https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/the-last-time/863
Disclaimer: This video/podcast is not sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links, which means we'll receive a small commission from anything you buy. Thank you for your support.
Keywords: #comicalopinions #comics #comicreview #comicbookreview #comicbooks #NCBD #Marvel #DCComics #Dynamite #ImageComics #ComicWriting #comicrecommendations #underratedcomics #absolutebatman #RainaTelgemeier #davpilkey #batwoman
By Comic Book Reviews, News, and OpinionsThe direct market just posted its best year in decades. And the CEO of ICv2 just admitted the entire boom is male-only.
Milton Griepp stood up at ComicsPRO 2026 and said what everyone's been thinking: Absolute Batman's surge is "male-skewing," and publishers desperately need "a blow-out periodical hit that appeals to female readers on the same scale as Saga." Translation? The industry just rebuilt itself on the same demographic foundation that collapsed in the 1990s. A boom built on one gender isn't a recovery—it's a leveraged bet with no hedging strategy.
This video breaks down the structural problem, the economic data, and the playbook to fix it before the next collapse.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - The Male-Only Boom
0:16 - What Retailers See Every Wednesday
1:38 - The Symptom (8M Units, Zero Female Pull)
3:04 - The Diagnosis (The Saga Gap Explained)
5:24 - The Evidence (ICv2 Data + Sources)
8:56 - The Prescription (The Four-Point Playbook)
10:53 - Final Thoughts
Read your copy of The Revelation Cycle👉 https://amzn.to/4cokw7x
Read this week's Comical Opinions newsletter👉 https://comicalopinions.substack.com
=========================================== Subscribe to our newsletter to read more comic reviews and analysis every week.
=========================================== Subscribe now👉 https://comicalopinions.com/subscribe
=========================================== Subscribe to our Podcast to listen along on your commute to work
=========================================== Youtube: @comicalopinions
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/comical-opinions/id1704756807
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5lndyl8prFAUzKZcU7BZEb
Stitcher: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/comical-opinions/PC:1001078368
Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/Comical-Opinions-Podcast/B0CGT32QLD
=========================================== Connect with Comical Opinions on your favorite social media platform
=========================================== ✔️YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@comicalopinions/?sub_confirmation=1
✔️Twitter: https://twitter.com/ComicalOpinions
✔️Facebook: https://facebook.com/ComicalOpinions
✔️Instagram: https://instagram.com/ComicalOpinions
✔️TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@comicalopinions
Intro music: https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/dragon-boss-fight/993
Outro music: https://www.fesliyanstudios.com/royalty-free-music/download/the-last-time/863
Disclaimer: This video/podcast is not sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links, which means we'll receive a small commission from anything you buy. Thank you for your support.
Keywords: #comicalopinions #comics #comicreview #comicbookreview #comicbooks #NCBD #Marvel #DCComics #Dynamite #ImageComics #ComicWriting #comicrecommendations #underratedcomics #absolutebatman #RainaTelgemeier #davpilkey #batwoman