I'm not disagreeing with you but I don't think you can make a real comparison because overall comics sales are way lower now than in the 80s
The best seller comic of the last 10 years is the Spider Man issue with Obama on the cover, it passed the half-million mark, but it's almost a unique case. Average sales are now well under 100k.
Superman (or Batman) is the biggest pop icon coming from comics, but comics reader are mostly Marvel oriented now... I don't want to digress too much talking about the new 52 sales or the Marvel NOW! relaunch.
I'll tell you this: you're right about Superman but Warner is not backing DC o DC related productions with
the necessary strength to compete... especially towards foreign markets.
Oh I'm sure, especially with so many stories to follow and writers doing different stories, some of the same of which jumping back and forth between DC and Marvel(some fans hate this) Plus prices have gone up (with everything since the 80's) so I'm sure that don't help lol
Me personally, I don't care about that stuff(some people judge due to writers alone with style, not me unless they get political. IMO politics have no place in comics except if it's comic politics(not based on real life or real life people) but just an interesting, cool story will do it for me.
In that time, people die, come back, die etc lol this also annoys people. As long as it makes sense then I'm all for the whole resurrection gig. That Spiderman may be the best selling past 10 years(and probably due to the "Obama gimmick", there are people here in the USA who practically worship the guy so this doesn't surprise me) but definitely not the best story out there past 10 years, most believe that belongs to Blackest Night arch or pre-Flash point even. Still, even with Obama's face on the cover not even that comic can touch the DOS arch from the 90's. DC tried that doing that with political nonsense late last year with Superman "renouncing" his american citizenship but DC overturned it changing it back in the next comic due to the fans outrage and for good reason. You change a characters well known quote character when he's preaching "I fight for Truth, Justice & the American way" historically that writer was just a dumb lib trying to speak through Superman politically which didn't sit well with a lot of people(understandably) Because Superman always get political lol(sarcasm there)
Yeah, New 52 are getting better and interesting I find personally and some Marvel currently but then you also have Batman Death arch which did well too. Even the Smallville comic isn't bad being a fan of younger Superman.