DC Comics president admits manga holds key advantage over Western comics

DC Comics President and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee has acknowledged that Japanese manga holds a significant advantage over Western comics, citing broader storytelling diversity and cultural positioning as key factors in its global success.

In an interview with Nikkei XTrend published on January 26, Lee reflected on the sustained popularity of manga and anime, noting that Japanese storytelling resonates with a wider audience compared to American comics, which remain largely centered on superhero narratives.

According to Lee, the dominance of superheroes in the U.S. comics market has limited its creative and commercial reach. He explained that most American comic sales and readership are concentrated within that single genre, while manga in Japan spans a wide range of themes and subjects.

Lee contrasted this with Japan’s publishing landscape, where manga is treated as mainstream literature and covers diverse genres such as sports, cooking, and everyday life, in addition to fantasy and action. He said this genre variety allows manga to appeal to readers across different age groups and interests.

Speaking to Nikkei XTrend, Lee described Japanese manga storytelling as “incredibly powerful” and said its success prompts him to question what Western comics may be lacking. He emphasized that manga’s advantage goes beyond visual style, pointing instead to differences in narrative sensibility and cultural approach.

“The manga market is larger than our industry,” Lee said, adding that American publishers should view its success as an opportunity to learn rather than compete directly. He suggested that understanding why certain stories succeed in Japan but not in the West could help inform future creative strategies for American comics.

Lee also expressed optimism about manga’s global growth, stating that its achievements give him a benchmark to strive toward within the Western comics industry.

The comments come amid a continued international surge in anime and manga popularity. Recent releases such as Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc have posted record-breaking sales in the United States. This expansion aligns with the Japanese government’s broader strategy to grow the country’s entertainment exports to an estimated 20 trillion yen (approximately $130 billion USD) by 2033.

As manga’s global influence continues to rise, Lee indicated that discussions around what Western comics can adopt from Japanese storytelling traditions are likely to remain ongoing.