Comic Book Resources

Unbound | Unwrapping the apps

I thought that I might be writing about reading comics on Apple’s revolutionary new tablet, a much-rumored expanded version of the iPod, by now, but their September meeting came and went with no news on that front. So I’m still reading on my iPod Touch, which has the virtues of clarity and portability and the vice of tininess.

iVerse's comics store

Even with the small screen, though, my iPod is evolving. Back in the Stone Age (six months ago), each comic or section of a comic was a single app, which led to a lot of little icons cluttering up the screen. Now a reader can use a single app such as comiXology’s Comics app, iVerse, or Panelfly, to buy, download, and organize comics, which is a more elegant solution. ComiXology has just released a free version of its app, which allows readers access to all the free comics in its app store, and it also has a Lite version that is 12+, as opposed to 17+, presumably for younger readers.

I assume the hidden hand of Apple has something to do with the fact that these apps have similar design and functionality: You pick your function from a navigation strip across the bottom, with icons for the store, featured items, etc., and you move from a list of comics to catalog listings by tapping and swiping, just as with other apps.

These apps solve a glaring problem, which is that there is no obvious way to find comics in the iTunes store. Continue Reading »

Unbound: ComiXology's bricks-and-pixels store

It would be easy to miss the significance of comiXology’s Comics application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. After all, comics apps are, if not a dime a dozen, at least cheap and plentiful.

But Comics isn’t just a comic or a comics reader, it's a portal that offers a possible way out of the death spiral that independent pamphlet comics seem to be locked into.

Consider the problem: Most comics are only available in comics stores, not on the mass market; prospective readers must often pre-order comics sight unseen; and Diamond won’t carry comics that don’t meet certain minimums. The barrier for new comics is getting higher, and readers have fewer opportunities to discover new comics.

ComiXology provides a digital solution to that impasse that keeps the retailer in the loop: It allows readers to sample comics for free and buy them for their iPhone or iPod Touch, but it also helps them find the print comic in a brick-and-mortar store. ComiXology CEO David Steinberger says he hopes to allow readers to preview and pre-order comics before their official release, helping marginal comics to reach Diamond’s threshold.

The iPhone application is an extension of the comiXology website, which features a complete listing of the comics available in Diamond Previews each month and allows readers to create a digital pull list.

Here’s what Steinberger had to say about the new application, which was announced at San Diego Comic-Con:

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SDCC '09 | ComiXology launches new iPhone app

Comics by comiXology

Iconology this morning launched its Comics by comiXology application, a digital-comics store, library and reader for iPhone and iPod featuring titles from 20 publishers. It's available on Apple's App Store.

Participating companies include AdHouse Books, Arcana, Bluewater Productions, Com.X, Digital Webbing, eigoMANGA, Image Comics, Moonstone, Red 5 and SLG Publishing.

In addition, Robert Kirkman has signed on to deliver his comics, most notably The Walking Dead and Invincible, exclusively through the app.

SDCC '09 | IDW Publishing expands its digital catalog

IDW Publishing

IDW Publishing announced at Comic-Con that it's expanding its digital-comics initiative to include the G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra prequels, as well as Transformers and CSI titles.

Over the coming weeks the company will add more G.I. Joe and Transformers comics, plus Danger Girl, Astro Boy, Groom Lake, John Sable Freelance and GrimJack.

The IDW catalog can be found on iTunes, where users can download an eight-page preview of Danger Girl #0 for free.

Unbound | Comics on the small screen

It may never replace print, but the iPod Touch is starting to emerge as a pretty good platform for comics, at least in the short term. It has several advantages over the Kindle—it has color, the graphics are nice and sharp, and a lot of people have iPods anyway for other reasons. For readers who value portability, it’s a handy alternative to carrying around a stack of books, and even purchased chapter by chapter, comics are generally cheaper in the iTunes store than in print form. A handful, such as Yoshitoshi ABe’s Pochiyama, are only available that way.

At the moment, most of the comics available for the iPod are print comics that have been adapted to the new format, which has its advantages and disadvantages. Overall, it’s a different type of reading experience, and with the right comic and good formatting, it can be as good as or even better than reading the print version.

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