Digital comics are on the rise, it’s official! This week pop culture experts, ICv2.com have released an eye opening analysis of growth in the digital comics market with digital comics sales growing to a staggering $90 million in 2013.

Ever since the iPad launched in 2010 we’ve seen digital comics sale soar thanks to apps and services like ComiXology, DriveThruComics and Comics Plus. However since those early adoption years which saw sales more than double year-on-year, the growth rate has begun to decline from the exhausting pace in 2012. That’s not to say it’s stagnating, far from it, as sales have still risen by a robust 29% compared to 2012 levels. In dollar terms, the growth is still the second highest since the advent of digital comic sales in 2009, with a $20 million increase, second only to 2012’s $45 million increase.

North American Digital Comics Sales
Year	Digital Sales	$ Change	% Change
2009	$1,000,000	N/A	N/A
2010	$8,000,000	$7,000,000	700%
2011	$25,000,000	$17,000,000	213%
2012	$70,000,000	$45,000,000	180%
2013	$90,000,000	$20,000,000	29%
© 2014 ICv2

ICv2.com CEO Milton Griepp, comments “There was no way that digital comics could continue the explosive growth of the past couple years.  That being said, 29% increase in any industry is still a great number.”

“It will be interesting to see if this will change in 2014 with the traditional business model of app based purchasing changing as a result of the Amazon purchase of ComiXology.” Alex Thomas of Pipedream Comics commented. “With so many new online stores opening up and new digital comics hitting the marketplace every week, the digital comics landscape has never been healthier!”

According to ICv2.com digital comics sales growth are still out pacing eBook growth, which actually went negative in 2013.  Print comics and graphic novels have been growing even as digital comics sales have been growing rapidly, evidence that comics may indeed be different from other media and have the potential for growth due to the increased access that digital comics bring. Read more as to how digital comics are different here