With comic book characters lighting up the big screen, the demand for actual comics has gone up.
“The North America Comic Book Market was valued at USD 1.36 Billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 2.39 Billion by 2030, rising at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 9.91%. The North America comic book market is experiencing significant growth, driven by the increasing popularity of graphic novels, digital comics, and superhero-based content,” according to data from Research and Markets.
And while the biggest players, Walt Disney’s Marvel and Warner Bros. Discovery’s DC, dominate the market, other players have grown, too.
“Superhero franchises from major studios like Marvel and DC continue to dominate both the comic and film industries, attracting a broader audience. Additionally, the rising interest in diverse storytelling, including independent and niche genres, is expanding the market,” the report shared.
Despite the growing market, Humanoids, the U.S. arm of a French comic book company, has followed its parent company into Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Humanoids files Chapter 7 bankruptcy
Humanoids has a long and colorful history.
“Humanoids began under the name Les Humanoïdes Associés in the turbulent early 1970s in Paris, which — like San Francisco and New York — was alive with the spirit of artistic revolution. As young people were debating ideas in unprecedented ways, graphic novel artists Jean Giraud (known as Mœbius) and Philippe Druillet, along with writer Jean-Pierre Dionnet, were determined to push the limits of their art and of the medium as a whole. They joined forces to create a comics magazine like none before: ‘Métal Hurlant’ (French for ‘Screaming Metal’),” the company shared on its website.
“Metal Hurlant,” which was adapted into the 1981 movie “Heavy Metal,” remains the company’s best-known comic. It also publishes others, mostly in the science fiction space, including:
- The Incal
- The Metabarons
- Urban Legendz
- Luisa: Now and Then
- The Twilight Man
- Shy Ninja
Humanoids had originally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January. Its debts, however, have forced the company to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. In the filing, Humanoids showed less than $50,000 in assets and between $10 million and $50 million in liabilities.
This filing follows its parent company, Les Humanoïdes Associés, being placed under judicial liquidation and facing serious financial trouble, according to a report from Bleeding Cool News.
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“Layoffs are coming for the French staff, with non-payment of June salaries sparking shock among employees. Restructuring will make Humanoids more modest, with a focus on the iconic ‘Métal Hurlant’ magazine,” according to the website.
The French part of the company, however, is expected to survive, while the U.S. branch is being liquidated.
Humanoids Chapter 7 bankruptcy FAQ
- Company: Humanoids, Inc. (U.S. branch of Les Humanoïdes Associés)
- Initial filing: Chapter 11 bankruptcy (January 2025)
- Status: Converted to Chapter 7 liquidation (October 2025)
- Court: U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of Maryland (Baltimore Division)
- On September 9, 2025, Diamond Comic Distributors initiated an adversary proceeding against Humanoids in the Maryland Bankruptcy Court. This legal action pertains to disputes over consigned inventory and related financial obligations. Source:PacerMonitor
Humanoids was tied up in Diamond Comics’ Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Some of Humanoids’ troubles in the U.S. come from its relationship with distributor Diamond Comics, which is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy itself.
Humanoids has filed a court document asking for the return of inventory held by Diamond.
On June 25, 2025, Diamond Comic Distributors submitted the motion that would allow it to sell, liquidate, and dispose of its current inventory, Graphic Policy reported. Humanoids submitted an objection to that motion.
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“First, Humanoids says that the merchandise isn’t consignment at all and doesn’t meet the criteria to be. If it’s not consignment, then Diamond doesn’t have the right to do what they want. And, there needs to be an entire process regarding this to determine what the merchandise is and who ‘owns’ it. Humanoids claims Diamond’s motion is the wrong process,” the comic books and legal policy website wrote.
Humanoids issued a written request for the return of its merchandise back in February.
The Diamond bankruptcy is currently being contested in multiple ways.
Diamond Comic Distributors bankruptcy timeline
- Diamond filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 on January 14, 2025. mdb.uscourts.gov
- The U.S. Bankruptcy Court has approved a sale of Diamond’s assets to Universal Distribution LLC and Ad Populum, with Universal acquiring the Alliance Game Distributors assets, and Ad Populum acquiring Diamond’s comic, book, toy, and grading assets. diamondcomics.com
- However, legal challenges remain, particularly concerning the inventory held on consignment by Diamond. Many publishers have objected to Diamond’s efforts to liquidate those consigned goods. PublishersWeekly.com
- The trustee in the case has moved to convert the case to Chapter 7 or dismiss it on grounds that Diamond failed to file required monthly operating reports. icv2.com
- As of late August 2025, concerns have been raised that the debtor’s estate is in “administrative insolvency” and that its records are in disarray. icv2.com
The state of any remaining Humanoids comic inventory held by Diamond remains in limbo.
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