Digital Comics, for the uninitiated, are basically comic books that are meant to be read on tablets, PCs or laptops. Unlike their traditional counterparts that are printed on paper (once in newsprint paper - lately using a more glossy paper with more vivid colors), these digital comics are basically starting a revolutionary process of how people can start reading and/or enjoying the stories being told by comic companies like Marvel or DC.
I've personally been exposed to these types of digital formats only after I was able to get a tablet (iPad2) - previous to this, I don't think I bothered trying to download them. In fact, there are other options that possibly initiated this idea by way of having certain people scan the comics - then allowing it to be shared via the Internet. Because of this, I've had the opportunity to read, and appreciate, story arcs that I missed out on due to the fact that I had either not seen them then; seen them but not bothered getting them - for whatever reason; or had them... but in an incomplete manner. So this really made me appreciate the idea of reading something in digital format - even if it was just scanned.
The difference with what I'm reading now - as opposed to the old scanned items is 1) they're being sold legally, 2) they're definitely very clear, and 3) most specially with the Infinite comic experiment of Marvel, they are slightly more interactive (more on this later). Now it wouldn't be fair to compare the printed stuff to the scanned items because free will never be beat... and besides, being a supporter of pirated stuff isn't something I would like to do all the time - I mean it's kind of a hassle to seek new peer-to-peer sites once the old one's shut down. But that's another story... suffice it to say, I'm not actively downloading - but I don't see the fact that says I'll never use it.
Going back to the Digital experience... naturally, any changes like this will be spearheaded by the top two comics. Well I believe the two are doing quite well... and learning lessons from each other regarding how to make and market these digital versions of said comics. The history of how its made is shady to me... so I'll just focus on the 'here and now' aspects of what I'm experiencing.
But if you are curious as to how this all began, here's a link to let you in on more details:
Wikipedia on Digital Comics
As I mentioned, there is a slight interactive nature to reading digital comics. For starters, you can view the entire comic page, or you can navigate or zoom in a portion of said page - a great plus factor for people who might be a bit visually challenged to see those damn small fonts. Another option - one that gives a slightly different experience is to double tap the pad on a particular panel and you start following the comic's story one panel at a time... sort of like a focused view of reading the story - the same can be done to a splash page wherein you are guided to which side of the splash to look at first... downside to this is if the comic was not properly programmed to show the right panel sequence.
But lest you think its all limited to just a shallow guide, lets look at what else this digital experience has to offer. There's the simple - but if used properly, great slight panel art adjustment... one that reminds me a bit of the old Marvel cartoons that sort of just shift the panel to camera perspective by tilting the panel (or the camera). There's the possibility of adjusting the view of a panel by a strip tease perspective where a portion of the panel expands to see more at every tap - this allows to simulate forward motion.
Another aspect is to simulate a camera's focus that adds emphasis to what you want to focus on, allowing a separate look at the foreground - then the background (and vice versa). To get a great view of all these, you might want to pick up a copy of AvsX Infinite - as I understand it, this special digitally exclusive issue is the interactive experience that really pushes the envelope of what Digital can offer (so far).
So with all these, what could be keeping the Digital movement from doing to printed comics, what digital cameras did to film cameras? Well for starters, the total cost for enjoying such an experience. I mean, obviously, you'd need to read these in a computer - be it PC-based or Apple. So imagine the need to buy these to begin with... however a lot of households have these as it would be more improbable to imagine a house (or household) without access to a PC or Mac and through them - the internet... after all, it is through the internet that we are able to access and download such digital comic.
The natural limitation then would be the portability of the PCs, but with the advent of smaller, more lightweight notebooks or pads, this problem of portability is a non-issue.
The next issue then would be availability... after all, would it be possible to have all these issues issued out with a digital counterpart? How about back issues? Based on what I've noticed, this was not the case until DC revamped their whole line up and promised a same day Digital release - as this seemed to be a large headline back then, I can only assume that Digital normally came out delayed - if at all. So with DC's new 52, there were 52 new releases each month - each issue's Digital release synchronized with their print counterparts.
Obviously, this move has made Marvel likewise release their Digital issues simultaneous with their print counterpart. Although I'm not sure about scope, this means that Digital Comics readers will not lag behind their print counterpart. The same cannot seemingly be said for the Independents. So I concur that there is probably some cost factor involved that is still prohibitive to independents. Now this cost factor is important.
You see, it would be illogical to offer the Digital comics at a higher price than their Print counterparts. in fact, it can be argued that Digital's overall costs for creating them are cancelled out by the fact that there are no shipping or storage costs... and lets not forget the cost of printing being relatively nil. So what pushes the price? I don't know the entire business model, so I can't answer that.
But even if the cost to buy the Digital comic is equal, there are still some unique conditions that will make them possibly more attractive... at least, from an overseas viewpoint. You see, lets go back to transportation and storage for a bit. Comics released from the U.S. need to travel here (Philippines) - that's air freight cost right there... then there's the need for the retailers to consider the current exchange rate when paying for the comics, how to properly store the comic (not to forget their need to predict their sales figures), sell it and bag it. All these sundry costs are then added... a profit margin considered... and the eventual selling price. How different is it? Let's see... a $2 comic based on exchange rate would be about Php88 (Philippine pesos)... the same $2 cover priced comic would then be sold for around Php200. That's a whopping 100+% increase - and something not experienced when buying Digital. Wow... right?
So why am I not fully jumping into the bandwagon yet? Why indeed? Maybe its the collector in me... I still like seeing my comics stacked up... the challenge of keeping them clean, acid free and properly stored. There's that something about being able to touch, see and yes... even smell your comic. Yet consider as well... the lack of need to carry many issues around (as opposed to an iPad filled with the same issues), and the worry free feeling of needing storage space, and I'm back on wondering why not Digital?
Thing is, being Digital, what are the usual risks involved? Other than the site crashing or the download interruptions (which by the way has a help service option), I have yet to consider how long term storage will be handled. My first real purchases went without a hitch - a few issues of Legion of Superheroes, which I enjoyed reading. Other than that, I'm taking advantage of some combo issues - meaning print issues with free digital counterparts. As for really plunging in? I'll stay mainstream print for a while longer - but will dabble into digital once in a while, that is... until I feel confident enough to purchase Digital in a more regular manner.
P.S. the image above is of the Digital comic Avengers vs. X-men Infinite, with Nova depicted on the cover. Avengers, X-men and Nova are all owned by Marvel. No claim to these properties are being made by me (the author of this article).
I've personally been exposed to these types of digital formats only after I was able to get a tablet (iPad2) - previous to this, I don't think I bothered trying to download them. In fact, there are other options that possibly initiated this idea by way of having certain people scan the comics - then allowing it to be shared via the Internet. Because of this, I've had the opportunity to read, and appreciate, story arcs that I missed out on due to the fact that I had either not seen them then; seen them but not bothered getting them - for whatever reason; or had them... but in an incomplete manner. So this really made me appreciate the idea of reading something in digital format - even if it was just scanned.
The difference with what I'm reading now - as opposed to the old scanned items is 1) they're being sold legally, 2) they're definitely very clear, and 3) most specially with the Infinite comic experiment of Marvel, they are slightly more interactive (more on this later). Now it wouldn't be fair to compare the printed stuff to the scanned items because free will never be beat... and besides, being a supporter of pirated stuff isn't something I would like to do all the time - I mean it's kind of a hassle to seek new peer-to-peer sites once the old one's shut down. But that's another story... suffice it to say, I'm not actively downloading - but I don't see the fact that says I'll never use it.
Going back to the Digital experience... naturally, any changes like this will be spearheaded by the top two comics. Well I believe the two are doing quite well... and learning lessons from each other regarding how to make and market these digital versions of said comics. The history of how its made is shady to me... so I'll just focus on the 'here and now' aspects of what I'm experiencing.
But if you are curious as to how this all began, here's a link to let you in on more details:
Wikipedia on Digital Comics
As I mentioned, there is a slight interactive nature to reading digital comics. For starters, you can view the entire comic page, or you can navigate or zoom in a portion of said page - a great plus factor for people who might be a bit visually challenged to see those damn small fonts. Another option - one that gives a slightly different experience is to double tap the pad on a particular panel and you start following the comic's story one panel at a time... sort of like a focused view of reading the story - the same can be done to a splash page wherein you are guided to which side of the splash to look at first... downside to this is if the comic was not properly programmed to show the right panel sequence.
But lest you think its all limited to just a shallow guide, lets look at what else this digital experience has to offer. There's the simple - but if used properly, great slight panel art adjustment... one that reminds me a bit of the old Marvel cartoons that sort of just shift the panel to camera perspective by tilting the panel (or the camera). There's the possibility of adjusting the view of a panel by a strip tease perspective where a portion of the panel expands to see more at every tap - this allows to simulate forward motion.
Another aspect is to simulate a camera's focus that adds emphasis to what you want to focus on, allowing a separate look at the foreground - then the background (and vice versa). To get a great view of all these, you might want to pick up a copy of AvsX Infinite - as I understand it, this special digitally exclusive issue is the interactive experience that really pushes the envelope of what Digital can offer (so far).
So with all these, what could be keeping the Digital movement from doing to printed comics, what digital cameras did to film cameras? Well for starters, the total cost for enjoying such an experience. I mean, obviously, you'd need to read these in a computer - be it PC-based or Apple. So imagine the need to buy these to begin with... however a lot of households have these as it would be more improbable to imagine a house (or household) without access to a PC or Mac and through them - the internet... after all, it is through the internet that we are able to access and download such digital comic.The natural limitation then would be the portability of the PCs, but with the advent of smaller, more lightweight notebooks or pads, this problem of portability is a non-issue.
The next issue then would be availability... after all, would it be possible to have all these issues issued out with a digital counterpart? How about back issues? Based on what I've noticed, this was not the case until DC revamped their whole line up and promised a same day Digital release - as this seemed to be a large headline back then, I can only assume that Digital normally came out delayed - if at all. So with DC's new 52, there were 52 new releases each month - each issue's Digital release synchronized with their print counterparts.
Obviously, this move has made Marvel likewise release their Digital issues simultaneous with their print counterpart. Although I'm not sure about scope, this means that Digital Comics readers will not lag behind their print counterpart. The same cannot seemingly be said for the Independents. So I concur that there is probably some cost factor involved that is still prohibitive to independents. Now this cost factor is important.
You see, it would be illogical to offer the Digital comics at a higher price than their Print counterparts. in fact, it can be argued that Digital's overall costs for creating them are cancelled out by the fact that there are no shipping or storage costs... and lets not forget the cost of printing being relatively nil. So what pushes the price? I don't know the entire business model, so I can't answer that.
But even if the cost to buy the Digital comic is equal, there are still some unique conditions that will make them possibly more attractive... at least, from an overseas viewpoint. You see, lets go back to transportation and storage for a bit. Comics released from the U.S. need to travel here (Philippines) - that's air freight cost right there... then there's the need for the retailers to consider the current exchange rate when paying for the comics, how to properly store the comic (not to forget their need to predict their sales figures), sell it and bag it. All these sundry costs are then added... a profit margin considered... and the eventual selling price. How different is it? Let's see... a $2 comic based on exchange rate would be about Php88 (Philippine pesos)... the same $2 cover priced comic would then be sold for around Php200. That's a whopping 100+% increase - and something not experienced when buying Digital. Wow... right?
So why am I not fully jumping into the bandwagon yet? Why indeed? Maybe its the collector in me... I still like seeing my comics stacked up... the challenge of keeping them clean, acid free and properly stored. There's that something about being able to touch, see and yes... even smell your comic. Yet consider as well... the lack of need to carry many issues around (as opposed to an iPad filled with the same issues), and the worry free feeling of needing storage space, and I'm back on wondering why not Digital?
Thing is, being Digital, what are the usual risks involved? Other than the site crashing or the download interruptions (which by the way has a help service option), I have yet to consider how long term storage will be handled. My first real purchases went without a hitch - a few issues of Legion of Superheroes, which I enjoyed reading. Other than that, I'm taking advantage of some combo issues - meaning print issues with free digital counterparts. As for really plunging in? I'll stay mainstream print for a while longer - but will dabble into digital once in a while, that is... until I feel confident enough to purchase Digital in a more regular manner.
P.S. the image above is of the Digital comic Avengers vs. X-men Infinite, with Nova depicted on the cover. Avengers, X-men and Nova are all owned by Marvel. No claim to these properties are being made by me (the author of this article).
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