Here are the top 20 selling comics in the US book trade market in 2019 according to Bookscan (which measures sales through bookstores not Diamond, as Comichron only measures Diamond sales and nothing else)
Rank Titlle Author Imprint YTD
1 DOG MAN: FOR WHOM THE BALL ROLLS PILKEY, DAV GRAPHIX 1,095,532
2 DOG MAN: BRAWL OF THE WILD PILKEY, DAV GRAPHIX 789,489
3 DOG MAN: FETCH-22 PILKEY, DAV GRAPHIX 608,483
4 GUTS TELGEMEIER, RAINA GRAPHIX 454,603
5 DOG MAN: LORD OF THE FLEAS PILKEY, DAV GRAPHIX 379,390
6 DOG MAN AND CAT KID PILKEY, DAV GRAPHIX 296,041
7 DOG MAN PILKEY, DAV GRAPHIX 285,484
8 DOG MAN UNLEASHED PILKEY, DAV GRAPHIX 279,525
9 DOG MAN: A TALE OF TWO KITTIES PILKEY, DAV GRAPHIX 253,025
10 STRANGE PLANET PYLE, NATHAN W. MORROW GIFT 242,793
11 DRAMA TELGEMEIER, RAINA GRAPHIX 165,463
12 BOY-CRAZY STACEY GALLIGAN, GALE GRAPHIX 156,222
13 SMILE TELGEMEIER, RAINA GRAPHIX 143,056
14 BEST FRIENDS HALE, SHANNON FIRST SECOND 134,442
15 THE LOST HEIR (WINGS OF FIRE GRAPHIC NOVEL #2) SUTHERLAND, TUI T. GRAPHIX 128,713
16 SISTERS TELGEMEIER, RAINA GRAPHIX 124,984
17 GHOSTS TELGEMEIER, RAINA GRAPHIX 113,036
18 THE DRAGONET PROPHECY SUTHERLAND, TUI T. GRAPHIX 111,800
19 JUST JAIME LIBENSON, TERRI BALZER & BRAY/HARPERTEEN 105,294
20 MY HERO ACADEMIA, VOL. 1 HORIKOSHI, KOHEI VIZ MEDIA 98,720
not a lot of muscled guys punching muscled guys to be found here. You're looking at a portion of the field that focuses on super-hero comics, most of which feature fisticuffs, and assuming it's the entire American market. It would be as if you looked at just the martial arts comics in Japan and wondered why all Japanese comics focused on people fighting each other.
Broaden your horizons as to what compromise American comics in the current market.
If you want to look at the broader scope of comics sold in the US, here's BrianHibbs analysis of the 2019 Comichon numbers in his
Tilting at Windmills column. It has links to previous years analysis as well. It demonstrates what a small part of the market Marvel and DC actually are when you look at the entire comics market and not just Diamond's direct market.
-M