CBR: Digital Comic Resources - Mark Millar & "Pocket God"

[CBR News]

Mark Millar warns that same-day digital releases could hurt the comics market, Pocket God soars in digital but sags in print and Dark Horse jumps on the simultaneous-release bandwagon.


Full article here.

[slaader]

The Dark Horse application is pretty buggy and crashes regularly. If they were in comixology I'd be buying just as many of there books as I am DC and Marvel.

It isn't content that keeps me from buying Dark Horse books, its their tech.

[poneley]

Good luck with that opinion Mark. If the shops you claim have built communities of readers, then they'll survive just fine. As a consumer I choose how I want to consume my favorite medium. You can't force me to walk into a shop any more and pick up a 32 page book. I no longer have an interest in that. Why force artificial restrictions on when I can purchase a digital copy of any book? Its silly.

[Another Aaron]

Same opinion here. I have some sympathy for the comic retailers, but this has been a long time coming and they've had plenty of warning. I'm not going to refuse to buy a car because the guy who makes saddles is upset.

Also, I know this isn't true across the board, but comic book shop communities are often insular and off-putting. To be frank, I'd say 60% to 80% of the comic retailers I encounter are, well, rude, and I travel all over the country. I'm not a rude customer, I rarely need any help, and I'm always polite - yet I can't tell you how many times I get eye-rolls or dismissive remarks when I purchase something "not cool."

I'll walk into a shop in a new city, try to find something like New Avengers, and when I inquire where it is (since it isn't on the shelf) I get something like, "Really? New Avengers? Why in God's name are you reading that? You should read Chew instead." That's IF the fellow puts down his book or stops arguing about Blue Beetle costume changes with a coworker.

My girlfriend reads comics and she HATES comic stores with a passion. "It always feels like I'm in someone's mother's basement."

For the first time in a long time kids are going to have regular access to comic books again, like it was in the days of yore when you could find them in supermarkets and 7-Elevens. Why did the public stop reading comics? I've heard dozens of high-falutin explanations . . . they stopped reading because they stopped being able to get them.

Period.

The world is changing (again). Comics are not going to be some hard-to-get holy grail gaurded by a cranky comic shop retailer who wants to see your geek credentials before he'll open the cash drawer. The bus is coming. Either get on, or get run over.



Alright, that was fun. Let's talk about abortion next.

[The Gorn Identity]

I love reading comics on my tablet. It's convenient having all my books just a click away and on one handy, portable device. Plus I never have to worry about missing an issue and can buy my books when it's convenient for me to do so.

[spidey99]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love digital comics, they read great on my iPad2. Only one problem...I refuse to pay money for them. I've been a comic fan since the early 70s, mostly always Marvel, and Mostly always Spider-Man. I still have all my issues from all these years, graphic novels and tpbs also. We're talking 35-40 years. I can go to my Spidey room (yeah, I collect Spidey stuff) And pick out old issues and read them anytime.
Tell me, in 35 years... would I be able to grab whatever iPad, ebook, Sony eye implant chip..etc, and be able to read issues I'm paying 2.99 to 4.99 for digital copies today? I highly doubt it... I have boxes of 5 3/4 and 3.5 inch floppies in my closet, and I have no hardware here to put them in to see what i have on them, and that wasn't many years ago.
Whenever one of these digital guys promise me in writing that once I buy a digital issue, it will be available to me for life (with out having to buy it in another format) then I'd consider digital. Till then, I'll just keep on buying cheap used recent issues at cons or online... and big discounted tpbs from the online.

Well enough of my old geezer rant. Just wanted to vent, painful day, pills not working... so venting helps.

Keep On Thwipin'!!!
Sam

[dupont2005]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love digital comics, they read great on my iPad2. Only one problem...I refuse to pay money for them. I've been a comic fan since the early 70s, mostly always Marvel, and Mostly always Spider-Man. I still have all my issues from all these years, graphic novels and tpbs also. We're talking 35-40 years. I can go to my Spidey room (yeah, I collect Spidey stuff) And pick out old issues and read them anytime.
Tell me, in 35 years... would I be able to grab whatever iPad, ebook, Sony eye implant chip..etc, and be able to read issues I'm paying 2.99 to 4.99 for digital copies today? I highly doubt it... I have boxes of 5 3/4 and 3.5 inch floppies in my closet, and I have no hardware here to put them in to see what i have on them, and that wasn't many years ago.
Whenever one of these digital guys promise me in writing that once I buy a digital issue, it will be available to me for life (with out having to buy it in another format) then I'd consider digital. Till then, I'll just keep on buying cheap used recent issues at cons or online... and big discounted tpbs from the online.

Well enough of my old geezer rant. Just wanted to vent, painful day, pills not working... so venting helps.

Keep On Thwipin'!!!
Sam

Then I guess you don't buy video games, music, or movies either?

[tesh_karde]

Then I guess you don't buy video games, music, or movies either?

I think you're missing his point.

[Xiroteus]

Then I guess you don't buy video games, music, or movies either?

Most of those you can purchase a tangible copy of. Unless a video game is extremely cheap I will not touch download only, I like more control then that and the same goes for comics, give me something I can download to my computer is I am paying for it.

[Brock]

The Dark Horse application is pretty buggy and crashes regularly. If they were in comixology I'd be buying just as many of there books as I am DC and Marvel.

It isn't content that keeps me from buying Dark Horse books, its their tech.

Agreed with that one, having everything from every publisher under one roof is a lot more attractive as a purchasing option.

Comixology still have a way to go though. For example, they could set up international mirror sites. As it stands, If you live outside the US and want to buy a title you have to do so in US currency, and will incur credit/debit card fees. So of you buy one $2.99 title you could end up with a transaction fee for the exact same amount (depending on who you bank with) effectively paying $6 for one $2.99 digital comic.

Launching dedicated Comixology sites for the UK, Australia, And Europe would be a very customer-friendly move.

[antfromdudley]

Comixology still have a way to go though. For example, they could set up international mirror sites. As it stands, If you live outside the US and want to buy a title you have to do so in US currency, and will incur credit/debit card fees. So of you buy one $2.99 title you could end up with a transaction fee for the exact same amount (depending on who you bank with) effectively paying $6 for one $2.99 digital comic.

Launching dedicated Comixology sites for the UK, Australia, And Europe would be a very customer-friendly move.

Must be your bank, checking my credit card statement, I'm paying around £1.27 per $1.99.
Better than £1.50 I'd pay via the apple App

[Brock]

Must be your bank, checking my credit card statement, I'm paying around £1.27 per $1.99.
Better than £1.50 I'd pay via the apple App

Its good that not everyone is effected, but the currency conversion fees are a major deterrent, particularly if you only want to make a small purchase.

[2 Up 2 Down]

I think smaller publishers will benefit the most. I got a Kindle Fire, and I would love to see more publishers make their trades available through the kindle store like DC has.

[Iangould]

Launching dedicated Comixology sites for the UK, Australia, And Europe would be a very customer-friendly move.

Hell, just make Comixology's digital storefront available to non-US stores.

The problem seems to be that in most cases comixology only has the US distribution rights.

[The Gorn Identity]

Whenever one of these digital guys promise me in writing that once I buy a digital issue, it will be available to me for life (with out having to buy it in another format) then I'd consider digital.

Keep On Thwipin'!!!
Sam

I love the digital format but I totally share your fear. That's why, despite my enthusiasm for digital, I still refuse to give up my paper books.