Episode Details

Happy February! Time is flying by, isn’t it?

Before we dive into this week’s topic, I have a question for you…

Thanks for that! Now, to the business of the day.

I Prefer Digital Comics

It’s blasphemous to the comics gods, I know. It doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy a good floppy or the fancy magazine-sized version you get from DSTRLY or DC Black Label. They look great and I love the ritual.

There are just too many advantages to digital copies.

In fact, I’m a big part of the problem. When I have easy access to both, like when Marvel or DC would include a code in the floppies in the mid-2000s, I would read them digitally rather than the paper copies - keeping my collected issue completely unmolested.

The How is Why

I’m not some masochist that reads comics on my phone (with very few exceptions). I read them in two places: on my desktop or my tablet.

Reading on my desktop, with the screen turned to portrait mode, makes each page huge and backlit. It really highlights the art and makes it so much easier to read. Most of the time. Two page spreads are a little bit more of a pain and don’t have the same impact.

A small price to pay for really getting to appreciate the incredible art that is out there nowadays. (I don’t think that’s been getting enough attention. The art lately has been the best it’s ever been. People were amazed by Jim Lee and Todd MacFarlane, but we have DOZENS of artists putting out that level of quality every week now. Anyway…)

Where Do I Keep It All?

I read a ton of comics.

If I had a physical copy of every comic I read, it would literally be TONS. Between DC Universe Infinite Ultra (that name really needs to be so much shorter), Marvel Unlimited (which needs a much shorter window between releases), VIZ Shonen Jump (barebones, but at the right price) and GlobalComix (a huge up-and-comer) - I read hundreds of comics every single month.

Where would I put all of that?

I’m already surrounded by the handful of comics I do purchase for collection purposes. I couldn’t imagine if I had a physical copy of every single copy I’ve read. I’d need my own warehouse.

Heck, even counting the comics I’ve supported on Kickstarter, I’d have over 1600 books floating around. Instead, they’re available at a moment’s notice on my hard-drive (and backed up on the cloud, of course).

All About the Bordens

That doesn’t roll off the tongue the same way as “Benjamins”, but that’s who’s on our $100 bill in Canada. Him…and insulin.

My point is, for what it would cost me to buy every comic I read in a month, I’m able to get a whole year of comic reading. It’s truly insane.

It’s a common complaint that comics are too expensive. They can be - but they don’t need to be. They’re also not printed on flimsy newsprint that fades before it hits the shelf anymore either, so there’s trade-offs in every direction.

Talking indie comics again, living in Canada, the shipping usually outstrips the cost of the comic itself. I’ve been able to read so much more incredible indie stuff by getting a PDF copy. I’d likely have supported a tiny fraction of what I have so far if not for this option.

I’m happy with the minor trade-offs I make reading digitally to save the money.

Kirkman Should Have Researched Future Shop

There are two things that held digital comics back from being very successful.

First is Robert Kirkman convincing Comixology not to make comics $0.99, to align it with everything else on the App Store at the time.

There’s an argument to be made that it was actually a good idea. It allowed for sales, which creates a sense of urgency and might bring people who wouldn’t otherwise spring for comics to do so.

But I don’t believe that. Having digital comics