Dark Horse vs IDW:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Dark Horse had more branded searches than IDW among comic book publishers worldwide. Dark Horse had about 673,000 branded searches, while IDW had 33,100. Dark Horse made up 66.1% of all comic book publisher searches we track, and IDW accounted for 3.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about comic book publishers, Dark Horse appeared in all five answers and IDW in three. Dark Horse was mentioned before IDW in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Dark Horse, about 20 searches for every 1 for IDW
Who does AI mention more?
Dark Horse, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Dark Horse, named ahead of IDW in every answer
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Top comic book publishers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Dark Horse appeared in all five answers. IDW was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Dark Horse was listed before IDW in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Image Comics1st
Marvel2nd
DC3rd- Dark Horse4th
IDW5th
Oni Press6th
Boom Studios–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Dark Horse5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Image Comics5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- DC4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Marvel4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- IDW3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Oni Press2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Boom Studios0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about comic book publishers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which comic book publisher should I hire?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best comic book publishers?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best comic book publisher for a creator portfolio?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“comic book publishers”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“indie comic publishers”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Dark Horse or IDW more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Dark Horse and IDW by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven comic book publishers we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Dark Horse, IDW. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Dark Horse | DC | Image Comics | IDW | Boom Studios | Marvel | Oni Press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 28.6% | 52.3% | 8.6% | 5.7% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 0.94% |
| Nov 2025 | 49.4% | 33% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 0.72% |
| Dec 2025 | 42.1% | 42.1% | 6.9% | 5.7% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.62% |
| Jan 2026 | 32.3% | 48.1% | 9.7% | 6.5% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.86% |
| Feb 2026 | 35.4% | 43.2% | 10.6% | 7.1% | 1.7% | 0.95% | 0.95% |
| Mar 2026 | 31.4% | 46.8% | 11.5% | 6.3% | 1.9% | 1% | 1% |
| Apr 2026 | 35.6% | 43.6% | 13.1% | 4.8% | 1.4% | 0.78% | 0.64% |
| May 2026 | 59.7% | 26.7% | 8% | 3.6% | 0.88% | 0.48% | 0.59% |
| Jun 2026 | 51.5% | 34.4% | 6.9% | 3.8% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.62% |
| Jul 2026 | 42.1% | 42.1% | 8.5% | 4.6% | 1.4% | 0.62% | 0.75% |
| Aug 2026 | 38.6% | 47.2% | 7.8% | 3.5% | 1% | 1.3% | 0.56% |
| Sep 2026 | 66.1% | 24.2% | 4.9% | 3.2% | 0.8% | 0.43% | 0.43% |
How has the Dark Horse and IDW comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Dark Horse was ahead of IDW in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Dark Horse’s share of searches among comic book publishers worldwide moved from 28.6% to 66.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 673K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, IDW’s share of searches among comic book publishers worldwide moved from 5.7% to 3.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 33.1K.
How did search popularity change for comic book publishers worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Dark Horse overtook DC to become the leader among comic book publishers worldwide, with 66.1% of the searches.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Dark Horse’s and IDW’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Dark Horse
1 branded search term
- dark horse
IDW
1 branded search term
- idw
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