Marvel on the iPhone

Well, what’s interesting is that Marvel went with $1.99 per issue, even for first issues, establishing a higher price point for iPhone comics. Previously, I believe only Robert Kirkman had opted for $1.99 per issue instead of $.99, but the first issues were free. This could either raise the value of comics in this format or turn people off.

My understanding is that the 1.99 comics have been selling very well on the Comixology app. My guess is that anything higher than that would be prohibitive however.

Ah… so how soon before we see Marvel Comics titles produced ONLY for the iphone, just like when Marvel began publishing comics ONLY for the Direct Market?

That’s great. So does this mean that our comic shop can now return these issues that didn’t sell?

A writer at Wired doesn’t like reading comics on the iPhone:

Is the iPhone a good platform for reading comic books? Probably not, but that isn’t stopping developers from having a crack at bringing the funnies to your pocket. The problem is that the iPhone’s screen, while great for reading plain-text e-books, is just a little too small for comic book pages. Part of comics’ impact is the full, two-page spread which allows for spacing and pacing of the story. But a full two pages is obviously too much for the iPhone’s screen. You can zoom in to read the individual frames, but that’s kind of a pain. [.. .]

But the one-at-a-time viewing of pictures really kills the experience. There is no sense of design or pacing. If you can imagine a child in the school play robotically reciting their lines rat-a-tat, you’ll have a good idea of what it is like to continually flip from frame to frame.

Digital comics can be converted from one format to another:

Now thanks to iPhone and ComicZeal–you can take your comic book collection with you anywhere you go! With its touch and zoom capabilities and beautiful display–the iPhone is the perfect device for reading comics. This tutorial will show you how to take comic books that are in either .cbr or .cbz format and upload them to your iPhone to read.

If I had an iPhone, I’d sample comics to see how painful the reading experience was.

SRS

I still love having the real thing in my hands, but for $1 on the go? Fine by me. I’m enjoying panelfly the most so far…

This is great! I’ve been a huge fan of Panelfly as it offers a great experience & now some of the best titles around.

Let’s hope the other big guys follow suit

Good news, because nothing says quality enjoyment of comics like reading them on a little 4-inch screen.

You guys don’t seem to recognize a stepping stone when you see it.
http://www.suntimes.com/technology/ihnatko/1835595,ihnatko-longbox-comics-apple-tablet-102009.article

Ihnatko is enthusiastic about comics on an Apple Tablet, but he’s an Apple promoter and he’d be an early adopter in any case.

How well will digital comics present the artwork? After all, guys read superhero comics as much for the impact of the artwork as they do for the stories, in many cases.

It’s reassuring to see these opinions of motion comics:

Are these real comic books? Rantz described his opinion of “motion comics” (animation built from comic-book panels and cheap effects) thusly: “I think they’re [expletive reproductive gerund] horrible.” This disclosure had a profound positive impact upon your correspondent. Even when “motion comics” are done with great expense and care (such as Marvel’s recent “Spider-Woman” offering) the overall effect is sock-puppety at best.

I think the trick is to specifically design (or repurpose) content for the iPhone instead of trying to use old content. I’m excited about Marvel getting on board here, but I’m hoping to see more comics like David Gallaher’s Box 13.

Motion comics are digital, but all digital comics are not motion. They are two different categories. I can only imagine digital comics presenting art in the best way possible, so long as the technology is up to par. With print, we can produce beautiful comic files and get a terrible print job. AN Apple tablet would be revolutionary for not only comics, but also the struggling magazines and newspapers out there.

And Andy Ihnatko is a technology journalist, not an “Apple promoter”. He reviews many Apple products, but also covers a variety of topics like the recent Windows 7 launch.

I read Ihnatko’s column in MacUser, but that was a long time ago, I suppose. Perhaps he’s branched out.

SRS

I’m really excited to see Marvel’s digital comics in hardcopy format, and at a discount too!

http://bit.ly/2qCE4

It’s funny that we call them back issues. Most book stores call them non-returnable.

Not for me. I love my IPOD TOUCH, but I can barely read the website files on it. Hey, but I’m old (turning 60 this Tuesday).

I’m pretty sure I’d say that even if I didn’t own a comic book store.

However, I do understand how folks who have grown up reading stuff on a computer screen will be excited about this. And that’s ok with me.

It’ll never replace the “real” thing for me. I still firmly believe reading comics on a reader such as this is more a novelty than a trend. Now, when the Apple tablet comes out, that may be a different thing…

feeling older by the minute…..
Dan Veltre
Dewey’s Comic City, Madison, NJ

Thanks, Trish! I’m pretty psyched about these developments and look forward to seeing how things move from here. Hopefully DC can get on the ball and follow suit soon.