One Piece To Rule Them All

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ANN reports that One Piece has sold 32.34 million copies of its 60 volumes in 2010.

For comparison, the top 500 trade paperbacks in America in 2009, across all publishers (Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, etc.), sold a combined 25.8 million copies. Heck, Marvel and DC sold about 33 million issues in 2009. (source)

In other words, a single Japanese series sold 20% more trade paperback volumes this year as the two largest comic companies in America combined sold all of their trade paperbacks last year.

That's how much Japan buys manga.

Thanks to Ed Sizemore of Comics Worth Reading for the conversation that inspired this article.