Sales: Over 600 million Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the best selling comic character of all time! And of course it had to be the original, and most iconic, superhero of the lot who has the number one spot. Created, much like Captain America, by a couple of Jewish kids who were sick of this Hitler jerk, Superman was hugely popular in the thirties as a model American who embodied everything good about the national identity, at a time when that identity mattered most. The fact that he wasn't actually American didn't matter, with that patriotic colour scheme and shield making Supes one of the most recognisable fictional characters this side of Mickey Mouse. Superman has never been out of print since his first issue of Action Comics in 1938, and has been spun-off into everything from all-ages comics, films, TV shows and lunchboxes. With the upcoming release of Batman Vs Superman, I don't think this pair will be getting toppled anytime soon.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
