The Evolving World of Comic Books: From Ink to Data Bits

Marvel and DC Comics are trailblazing the race towards virtualization of comic books.  Although printed materials are still doing good business, it would not be too surprising to see images of children huddled under the blankets reading adventure comics from their laptops.

The digitization of comic books follows the path taken by other media.  But unlike the migrations of movies to DVDs, digital comic books will provide a new experience for the user.  For one, digital comic books will provide a hands-free experience compared to paper-based comics.  

The sequencing and presentation of digital actions will also be significantly different from the old linear sequencing of paper comics.  That is why Marvel and DC comics are doing extensive research on how to approach the presentation of digital comic books.

Why Digitize a Lucrative Print Business?

Traditional printed comic books and graphic novels continue to enjoy brisk sales.  This is a far cry from the general sales slow down of other media such as CDs and DVDs.  Comic books continue to enjoy an annual 10% increase in sales registering $705 million revenues in US and Canada.  Novels presented in graphic forms quintupled its sales since 2001.

Under this lucrative sales backdrop, it is surprising to see major comic books industry players going digital with their comics products.  Industry players contend that they want to create as many channels from which comic books can be accessed.  Comic books publishers essentially ride on the window of opportunity provided by the online market.  It is not surprising to see Marvel launching its own online platform called Digital Comics Unlimited with a staggering 5000 online comics accessible through subscription.

The Digital Race Deepens

Digitization of comic books goes a step further with the introduction of motion online comics.   Marvel added interactive features such as the ability to zoom and pan the comic pages to give readers a more 3D and animated experience.  Providing voice also gives the readers a unique experience.

Marvel continues to develop motion comics for its promotional releases and for its traditional big-time characters such as Spider Man.

DC comics further heightened the competition for motion comics by releasing Watchmen and Batman Adventures in motion comic formats.  The releases are intended as promotional features of upcoming Watchmen film version and Batman Adventures.  

Proceeding Cautiously

Comics companies are definitely monetizing new comics’ technologies on relatively cheap platforms.   Consumers however can watch free TV and movie from online media sites which is a cause of concern for digital comics companies.

Companies are moving cautiously in their drive toward comic books digitization especially with stiff competition from free ad-supported online media.  They are also proceeding carefully with the digital ventures because of its potentially adverse impact on traditional publishing and niche retailers in the hobby industry.