Over the past century, the American comic book industry has cemented its place in the pop culture and literature of each decade. The superheroes of each decade have conquered innumerable villains, and overcome the toughest of trials that kept their readers on the edge of their seats. The likes of The Hulk, Spider Man, and Batman have become so commonplace as to be inducted as pieces of Americana. Superheroes can fly, they can punch through walls, and melt buildings using their eyes. They can save the world from imminent destruction time and time again, but can they save themselves?

Once a very prevalent element of society, comic books have experienced a slide due to fading interest. The “Golden Age” of comics, from the 1930s through the late 1940s, introduced some of America’s favorite and most enduring heroes such as Superman. Comic books took society by storm, and quickly became a hugely profitable industry for the successful publishers. The 1950s and ’60s saw the development of additional widely popular superheroes, and allowed Marvel and DC to carve themselves a comfortable niche as the largest publishers, as iconic artists and writers such as Stan Lee and Steve Ditko captured America’s imagination.

Part of this decline is due to an aging demographic of fans. Many existing comic book fans are twenty to thirty-year-olds who were captured by the comic boom of two decades ago. However, the issue for comic book publishers is not how to keep these fans, but rather how to reach the youth. Today, it is rare to find a child who is interested enough in Batman or Superman beyond the brand image, the toys, and the movies to pick up a comic book. This is an issue that commercial comic book publishers are dying to solve.

“The problem is that most young people don’t really read,” says Perry Plush of Zanadu Comics, a Seattle comic store. “They’re all more visual, into computers. The comic industry has just been getting smaller and smaller and smaller, because the audience for comics is aging.”

The decline in the sales of comic books has become quite evident, and is reinforced by the publishers’ numbers, released monthly. October 2009 marked a year of particularly poor production for comics. Publishers’ records showed a combined 17% decline for both comics and graphic novels over the year period, the biggest decline since May.

In August, Disney stirred mass controversy by buying out Marvel Comics, one of the largest publishers. Comic book aficionados everywhere cried in outrage at the four billion dollar buyout, wondering if they would soon see an unwelcome change in their favorite comics. Marvel fans had nightmares about Wolverine learning a lesson about friendship from Mickey Mouse. They posted their outrage on the Marvel website, one fan saying, “We can expect our favorite characters to become so watered-down and kiddie-fied that reading their adventures will end up being no more engaging than See Spot Run.”

One concern of the comic book community is that Disney may cut out Marvel’s exclusive distributor, Diamond Comic Distributors, which distributes for many different comic companies. If Disney cuts out Diamond, Diamond will lose 36.5 percent of their dollar share.

“It all depends on how much Disney is involved with Marvel,” says Plush, “if they let Marvel stand alone and do what they know how to do, then things will go okay. But if they Disney starts in telling them how to print then that won’t work.”

Disney also plans to distribute through huge supermarkets like Wal-Mart. This could bode well for the industry in general, as a reappearance in supermarkets and drug stores could incite a revival, especially in the youth market. “The more people that can see a book the better off it is,” says Plush.

However, if Disney follows through with their plan to distribute through larger stores, it could mean a shift in the dynamic of how comics are purchased. Since comic books have left drug stores and supermarkets, they have settled into specialty comic book stores. These stores have carved a very particular niche, and carry a variety of comics, including genres differing wildly from the likes of your friendly neighborhood Spiderman.

The modern age has also brought a shift in style from the more classic comics and has seen the development of many popular independent comics. “There’s a genre for comics in almost anything,” says Plush. “The main sellers are superhero, but there’s always room for funny animal, Goth comics, even comics about baseball.”

The next year is an important one for the comic industry, as Disney takes over Marvel, and as publishers everywhere look to pull out of their rut. The comic book industry is one of America’s most timeless treasures, and one can only hope that it hangs on through its time of peril.