Holy Economic History of the American Comic Book Industry, Batman!

Since their inception, comic books have served a variety of functions in the American economy. Besides entertainment, comic books have served as valuable collectables , sources of hedonic value, the foundation for a culture of fandom, and the generator of IP for cross-media adaptations and licensed consumer products. The history of the American comic book industry can be understood mainly to the development of these market functions, both singularly and in relation to the others.