# Who is the best-known comic-book character? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 4, 2016, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642 "2016-11-04T21:07:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/21 "2016-11-05T07:16:44Z")
Clearly it’s Mandrake the Magician, but with the extremely small possibility of my being wrong, then it has to be Little Dot. Somewhere in the top 5 are Oor Wullie, Strontium Dog, and Ignatz Mouse. Oh wait. _Best_ known? Superman. ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/22 "2016-11-05T07:24:34Z")
Well, Goku still originated in manga (albeit heavily based on the Monkey King, Son Goku/Sun Wukong), as do most popular anime. Sorry to say, but Astro Boy takes a back seat to most, like Naruto (blech), Sailor Moon, and Speed Racer. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/23 "2016-11-05T13:30:16Z")
There are occasional million-selling American comic books, but these are the result of marketing gimmicks that trick idiot speculators into buying multiple copies. STAR WARS comics sell much better than most superhero comics–STAR WARS #1 (2015) sold north of a million copies. (It should be noted that the 1977 STAR WARS #1, which sold pretty well, actually came out a month or two before the movie, so the legitimate answer to this question might well be Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader.) Comics sales are pretty anemic these days. Even with all the movies, a typical Marvel comic book sells in the 20-70,000 range, numbers that Marvel used to cancel books over back in the 80s. In the 1940s, there were actually several comics that sold several million, whose characters are only peripherally remembered today, like the Golden Age versions of Captain Marvel and Daredevil. Comics publishing and distribution were handled by the mob, so perhaps those numbers should be taken with a grain of salt. There were some Brazilian comics–like _Condorito_ and _Monica’s Gang_–that regularly moved more units than X-Men in its heyday. I guess it all depends on what you mean by “well-known.” ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/24 "2016-11-05T19:16:26Z")
> [@Trancephalic](#): > > I’d wager Pikachu and Goku are far more known than Astro Boy. In fact, I’d wager Pikachu is up there with Superman and Mickey Mouse, if not moreso. > [@Trancephalic](#): > > Well, Goku still originated in manga (albeit heavily based on the Monkey King, Son Goku/Sun Wukong), as do most popular anime. Sorry to say, but Astro Boy takes a back seat to most, like Naruto (blech), Sailor Moon, and Speed Racer. If you look at the post you’re responding to, I specified _superhero_ comic book character. I don’t consider Goku / Naruto / the Sailor Scouts as superheros, although I guess you could make that case for the last-named… For overall comic book characters, I still suspect it’s Donald Duck, but the evidence seems to be leaning Mickey. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/25 "2016-11-05T20:13:15Z")
Superman. Hands down. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/26 "2016-11-05T20:24:53Z")
“E”. That’s a character used in comics, right? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/27 "2016-11-05T20:29:05Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > (It should be noted that the 1977 STAR WARS #1, which sold pretty well, actually came out a month or two before the movie, so the legitimate answer to this question might well be Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader.) The novelization came out even earlier, making them technically literary characters before they were comic book characters before they were movie character. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/28 "2016-11-06T00:39:56Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Looks like a clear winner for Batman, in all three languages, with Spiderman second. Odd but I got similar results a while back. Every source I could find put Batman first, then Spidey, Iron Man, then Supes. If you Google discussions on it, it seems that Americans think of Superman first, while most other countries think of Batman. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/29 "2016-11-06T03:44:16Z")
It’s definitely not any of the Marvel characters. Think of it this way: When little kids play superheroes, what’s the first (and often only) costume accessory they put on? A cape. And Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Hulk don’t wear capes. But Superman and Batman do. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/30 "2016-11-06T05:07:40Z")
Superman. It’s gotta be. And while his trappings may be specifically American, he has a universality to him that transcends that aspect. Captain America is American through and through, but Superman is an immigrant and an outsider, so it translates better beyond U.S. borders. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/31 "2016-11-06T05:45:25Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s definitely not any of the Marvel characters. Think of it this way: When little kids play superheroes, what’s the first (and often only) costume accessory they put on? A cape. And Captain America, Iron Man, Spider-Man, and Hulk don’t wear capes. But Superman and Batman do. I suspect that “kid tying blanket around his neck,” is more trope than fact. How many kids really do that? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/32 "2016-11-18T16:43:04Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I suspect that “kid tying blanket around his neck,” is more trope than fact. How many kids really do that? I did, 1966-ish, didn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/33 "2016-11-18T23:07:10Z")
Me too. I only remember one time very clearly, but I definitely did it. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/34 "2016-11-18T23:24:57Z")
I think recent movies might have had an impact, but not enough to bump Iron man or Captain america to the top. I think Batman is at this point more well known than Superman though. ---
**Author:** ![Trancephalic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trancephalic/32/380_2.png) [@Trancephalic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trancephalic)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/35 "2016-11-18T23:39:58Z")
Alfred E. Neuman and the black and white Spies got to be up there, too, yeah? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/36 "2016-11-18T23:47:11Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I’m not sure I’d say “surely” about Superman, given that Batman’s comic debuted only one year later – and is, AFAICT, currently outselling Superman’s, along with everyone else’s – and the character has managed to headline billion-dollar blockbusters the way Superman hasn’t; you’ve got everything from the Adam West incarnation to the various animated shows, plus the outings by Michael Keaton and so on. There’s also The Phantom, who predates both of them and is insanely popular in Scandinavia and Oceania. The answer to the OP’s question really depends on where it’s being asked. ---
**Author:** ![Lobot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce7236/32.png) [@Lobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobot)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642/37 "2016-11-19T02:08:56Z")
I grew up with old Phantom comics and I’m Australian, so you’re right. But I think Superman towers above all others in part because he’s the prototypical superhero. Even his name is prototypical. Someone who has no interest in superheroes can still name Superman. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-best-known-comic-book-character/770642.md?page=1)