DC Comics boss knows why anime and manga has an "advantage" over American comics: "I'm very happy that manga has been so successful, because it gives me a 'goal' to aim for"

DC Comics boss Jim Lee has commented on the "advantage" manga and anime has over American comics – and how he enjoys the challenge that their competition presents.

"The stories told in Japanese manga and anime are incredibly powerful," Lee told Japanese publication Nikkei XTrend (via Anime Corner). "I often find myself wondering, 'What is missing in Western comics, and why aren’t they able to achieve the same flavor?' Also, I think manga has an 'advantage' over American comics, which are mostly about superheroes, and that’s where the majority of sales and readers are concentrated."

Lee has been the president, publisher, and chief creative officer at DC Comics since 2023. He started out as an artist for Marvel Comics, and his style was used for the designs in X-Men: The Animated Series.

"In Japan, it’s closer to 'literature,' and anyone can read it, and it’s not just hero stories. There’s a much wider range of genres, like stories about cooking and soccer. You can draw stories from that," he continued. "So I’m very happy that the manga has been so successful, because it gives me a 'goal' to aim for. The manga market is bigger than our industry, so the question becomes, 'What can we learn from this?'"

Manga and anime are only on the rise across the globe, including in the West. Just last week, streaming giant Netflix partnered with MAPPA, the animation studio behind Jujutsu Kaisen, to "work together on new projects with a global perspective, from story development to merchandise."

For more, check out our picks of the best anime to add to your watchlist, or take a look at our guide to all the new anime in 2026.