Something is changing in the way the world reads comics. Over the past year, Google Trends shows that searches for “African comics” in the United States grew by more than 550%. Readers are no longer only asking for superheroes. They are asking for heroes who come from Africa, who carry its history, its kings, its queens and its spirits. We studied what they search for, and here is what we found.
“African comics”: the search that keeps rising
Interest in African comics rises every year from January to March, around Black History Month, and it is stronger each year than the year before. Readers want to know which African comic books to read, where they come from and who makes them. That is why we published our list of the top African comic books to read in 2027.
Readers want lists of Black superheroes
Searches for “Black superheroes” grew by about 20% in a year, and the fastest-rising questions are lists: the best Black superheroes, a list of Black superheroes, how many Black superheroes there are. Readers want to discover heroes they have never met. Our list of 30 African superheroes answers exactly that question.
Black female comic book characters
Searches for Black comic book characters come in waves, and one of the questions that keeps returning is about Black female characters. African history is full of women who ruled, fought and prophesied. We gathered them in 16 African queens and warriors in comics.
“African American superheroes”: the words America uses
Many American readers do not type “African superheroes”. They type “African American superheroes”, a search that grew by about 30%. These readers are looking for a bridge between Africa and its diaspora, and that bridge is at the heart of the ISOLELE Universe. Read our guide to African American superheroes and diaspora heroes.
Where people search the most
In the United States, the strongest interest comes from Maryland, Washington, D.C., New York and Georgia, followed by Connecticut, Tennessee and Alabama. These are places with large Black communities, universities, museums and comic book readers who want to see themselves on the page.
In the Congo, people search in French
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, readers search for “bande dessinée”, not “comics”. Since late September 2026, that search jumped so high that Google marks it as a breakout. The three regions searching the most are Kinshasa, Katanga, home of Lubumbashi, and South Kivu, home of Bukavu, where part of ISOLELE’s illustrators work. Read more in our journey through Congolese comics from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi and Bukavu.
Putting the ISOLELE Universe on the map
The ISOLELE Universe was born in Kinshasa, at l’Échangeur de Limete. Its heroes are drawn by hand, without AI, by 49 illustrators in Kinshasa and Bukavu, and its books are read in English and French. The searches show that the world is ready for African comic books. Our answer is a whole universe: more than 50 characters, the saga of Zaiire, the Prince of Kongo, and ISOLELE UMOJA, the first ISOLELE festival, on July 3 and 4, 2027 in Kinshasa.
A note on the numbers: Google Trends measures how popular a search is compared with other times and places, not the exact number of people. A breakout can start from a small base. What matters is the direction, and the direction is clear.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are African comic books popular?
Yes, and interest is growing fast. In the United States, searches for African comics grew by more than 550% in one year, with a peak every year from January to March.
What are people searching for in African comics?
Lists of Black superheroes, Black female comic book characters, African American superheroes and the best African comic books to read.
Where can I read African comic books from the Congo?
The ISOLELE Universe, created in Kinshasa, publishes Zaiire: The Prince of Kongo and Shango and Zaiire in English and French, and presents more than 50 characters for free on this site.
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