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The comic book industry is too reliant on older characters like Batman, Spider-Man, and the Transformers, and it's holding us back says Robert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman says the original sin of the comic book industry is its inability to move on from characters created generations ago
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Batman is one of the most popular characters in the comic book industry. Absolute Batman was the top-selling comic of 2024, and Batman’s monthly adventures regularly garner huge numbers, topping sales charts. Looking at data like that, it seems like the Dark Knight is a positive thing for the comic book industry. However, Robert Kirkman believes the overreliance on characters like Batman is hurting the medium long-term.
Kirkman, who co-created Invincible and The Walking Dead, explains that focusing on decades-old characters (which he admits he does as well) has kept the industry from exploring new things.
“Things have their day and then settle down,” Robert Kirkman says during a keynote speech at ComicsPRO 2026.
“I sometimes think the original sin of this industry, the thing that holds it back the most, is that we as an industry often refuse to move on. Batman was created in the 1930s. Spider-Man was created in the 1960s. Transformers was created in the '80s. Invincible was created in the 2000s. All of these started as new ideas. They had their peaks in popularity, and they’ve had new peaks and new valleys to varying degrees of success ever since.”
Of course, as long as Batman and Spider-Man bring in huge sales numbers, it’s doubtful that Marvel and DC will be giving them less of a focus anytime soon. Still, Spider-Man debuted two decades after many of DC’s most iconic heroes, and Invincible made his first appearance 40 years later. It might take a while, but the next breakout character is just waiting to be created.
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About ComicsPRO Industry Conference
Every year, the giants of the North American comic industry congregate behind closed doors for a closed-door conference to talk about the changing landscape of comics, what they've learned, and what they are all planning to do in the future. It's not a comic convention for fans, though - it's in a B2B event called the ComicsPRO Annual Meeting, and this year Popverse is going there to bring it all to you. At the 2026 Comics PRO Annual Meeting, Popverse will be covering the announcements, the conversations, and the insight from the likes of Marvel Comics, DC Comics, VIZ Media, Yen Press, Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and more.
Dates
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Location
Glendale, California
United States
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