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The secret to the success of DC’s Compact Comics as it becomes a industry staple
Launched in 2023, DC Compact Comics has made a comfy sum off of reprinting titles like The Dark Knight Returns and The Court of Owls. DC’s president, Jim Lee, shared his thoughts on why
NewsbyGrant DeArmitt, Staff Writer
Published on Fri Sep 18 2026
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In 2023, DC Comics decided the way to make their biggest comics even bigger… was to shrink them. That’s the year that DC Compact Comics was born, the line of full-color reprints that takes the publisher’s biggest titles – like All-Star Superman and Kingdom Come – and worked them down into more traditional paperback book size. Following its launch, DC Compact was responsible for 4 out of the 10 best-selling graphic novels of 2024, and publishers like Marvel, Image, and Dark Horse all came up with their own versions of the idea. It’s one of the biggest success stories in recent comics history…
And Jim Lee has a pretty good idea of the reasons why.
Lee said as much at his San Diego Comic Con 2026 spotlight panel, where the DC Comics president and COO was, unsurprisingly, happy to talk about all the recent successes of the superhero publisher. Specifically, he got onto the topic of the smaller reprints whe. a fan asked how the project had changed the industry.
“I think Compact Comics change things for a couple of reasons,” began the groundbreaking X-Men artist, “One is the more low price point. It’s much more affordable.”
Lee has a great point there. His own seminal Gotham story – Batman: Hush – exists as a DC Compact Comic for a list price of just $9.99. But there’s one more factor besides the cover price that Lee credits DC Compact’s success to.
“I think the fact that it resembles the format of manga comics,” he continued, “Makes it recognizable for people that aren’t accustomed to western comics. I think that form factor makes it more attractive.”
As you know if you’ve followed the writings of Popverse’s resident manga expert, Trent Cannon, the Japanese style of comic-making is becoming a bigger industry in the US every year. It’s pretty easy to see why, if you’re already collecting books like that medium, you’d be more attracted to buying a similarly-sized Batman story.
As for me, I’m waiting for DC Compact to reprint its Scooby-Doo stories, but that’s a different article entirely.
Interested? Here’s where to find your closest local comic store, courtesy of Sweet, and here’s a guide to how (and where) to read comics online. If you’re looking for the best comics in recent memory, check out the Eisner Awards winners and the Harvey Awards nominees. And if you like free comics, here’s everything we know about Free Comic Book Day 2027.
About Comic-Con International: San Diego
Comic-Con is the premier event for all things comics and related popular art, including movies, television, gaming, interactive multimedia, and so much more! Enjoy cosplay galore and take part in unique programming, exclusive previews, and presentations, not to mention the expansive and diverse Exhibit Hall featuring merchandise and displays representing all fandoms.
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Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.
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