Culture and Capital

Japanese manga now commands roughly 50% of the $2 billion US comics market and a staggering 76% of trade bookstore sales. While Marvel and DC doubled down on the “legacy code” of infinite, circular superhero narratives, Japanese creators captured Gen Z with a superior product architecture: linear, finite narratives defined by moral complexity and permanent consequence. This is a masterclass in market disruption, where a patient, 20-year customer acquisition strategy finally t