Assembled, Zipped, Transferred And Downloaded: Digital News

By Tom Spurgeon

* missed it: Kyle Baker has launched an on-line strip, Meh. The comics industry is much, much better off when there's an active and engaged Kyle Baker doing work within it.

* comiXology debuted its digital retailer storefronts this week. I love the idea of those programs that a reader can work with a participating local comics shop in making sure they're roped into the purchasing process of digital comics. It's very comics-culture in a good way, I think, and there was a time about 12-15 years ago I think a lot of us saw Internet retail working like this program more generally.

* a couple of you have pointed out to me that Achewood has continued to update after its lengthy break. There's an argument to be made that Achewood was the comic of the '00s, and it's not a bad argument. Gary Tyrrell notes that a number of strips that haven't always updated are updating right now.

* Derf Backderf is still trying out a new arrangement with GoComics.com with his The City. It's my understanding whether or not it continues in the long terms depends on people signing up for it.

* finally, Marvel is offering an incentive-laden premium version of its "unlimited" digital package. I think that's a pretty good package at its core -- I'm not the target audience for convention exclusives and related merchandise, but I like having access to a massive number of comic books. In addition, while I ascribe some value to reading those comics, I don't perceive of them as being worth the full price being asked for them in print form -- I'm a dollar-bin buyer of superhero comics when I buy them at all. If you're a comics person that knows they'll be in a place to read a lot of comics some year, this seems like it would be a good deal -- it'd be what I'd buy for someone looking for comics to read in the hospital, for instance, or a superhero comics reader that is looking forward to a lot of travel or a new, lengthy commute.
 
posted 5:25 pm PST | Permalink
 

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