I'm not sure.  I do know that they were around in eighteenth century Japan, and also in Europe in the 1830's.  Comics first became popular in the US during the 1930's.
Super hero comic books are very popular, though comic books originated in Japan in the 18th century.
My son loves Comic books, but I know literally nothing about them! Are you a comic book fan? I know a bit about them. Comic books are a publication that has sequential panels that represent individual scenes. Sounds interesting! What are some of the most popular comic books?
Although some origins in 18th century Japan and 1830s Europe, comic books were first popularized in the United States during the 1930s.