Superhero fever grips the nation as Superman swoops back into cinemas
Man of Steel inspires a nation to reminisce over the best superheroes of our time as sales of retro comics soar on eBay.co.uk
As the hotly anticipated summer blockbuster, Man of Steel, finally graced the big screen last weekend it appears that superhero fever has well and truly swept the UK. eBay.co.uk has seen Brits take to the site en masse over the past fortnight in search of action stories from the world’s most iconic superheroes, with sales of comic books rising by a massive 60%*.
With Man of Steel being named one of the biggest openings in cinema history, the superhero’s popularity is also soaring on eBay.co.uk, with sales of Superman comic books shooting up 98%* in the last two weeks. However it’s not just the adventures of Clark Kent that Brits are after this summer, according to the average sales of comic books on the site over the last fortnight, Britain’s most popular super heroes are:
1. Superman
2. Batman
3. Spider-man
4. Catwoman
5. The Incredible Hulk
Sales of superhero figurines are also on the up as adults and children alike find a place in the home for the classic toy for all ages. Superman toys are up 150%* compared to this time last year, with Spiderman not far behind at 75%*.
It appears that it’s not just Superman memorabilia that has gained a surge in popularity with the superhero, or British actor Henry Cavill who plays the man himself, inspiring Brits across the country to bulk up this summer. Since the beginning of the month, sales of bench press machines have risen by a huge 67%* as Brits attempt to replicate the infamous Superman torso. Sales of dumbells are also on the up, this time by 25%*, with sales of free weights rising 42%*.
eBay.co.uk spokesman, Steven Heywood said, ‘It is clear that Superman’s return to the big screen has reignited our love affair with the nation’s favourite superhero. eBay has not only seen a surge in sales of comic books on the site, it also appears Superman is inspiring a nation of superhero wannabes to bulk up too’.
-ENDS-
* eBay internal data