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2011 Comic Book News Archives

July 7, 2011: Comic Books - Digital vs Print

Digital vs Print Last week I sent out the following "Big Blue Report" newsletter (issue #241) discussing the news that DC Comics will be releasing their relaunched comic books in digital format on the same day their printed versions hit stores.

    One of the major points coming out of the news that DC Comics will be relaunching the entire DC Universe of comic books was the fact that the new books would be released in digital format on the same day their printed versions hit stores.

    The idea to "go digital" has caught the interest of many fans, and I thought I'd examine the Pros and Cons of Digital vs Print.

    Collectibility

    Comic book readers tend to also be comic book collectors. Like Sheldon and his "Big Bang Theory" friends, comic book readers are known to haunt comic book stores, scanning through back bins looking for that particular comic book issue they need to fill a gap in their collection. Unlike newspapers and (to some extent) magazines, comic books are not just reading material... they're collectibles. We read them, we bag and board them, and we box them.

    You can't exactly do this with digital comic books. There's really very little collectibility value in downloading a digital comic book. It's just there... sitting on your computer or electronic device. Once you've read it, you close it off and that's it. It doesn't sit on your shelf. It doesn't look impressive sitting amongst all the other comics in your long boxes. It really has no physical presence.

    However, it will be a heck of a lot cheaper to buy digital copies of that run of comic books you need to fill in the gaps in your collection. Printed editions of rare comic books can be quite expensive.

    Storage

    Which brings me to my next point... storage. Not having a physical comic book to collect isn't all bad. Those of you who have been collecting comic books for years know that long boxes filled with comic books can take up a lot of space. Trade paperback and hardcover collections take up shelf space. We quickly run out of room.

    But it occurs to me that digital storage may also become a problem years down the track for the digital comic book collector. What happens when your digital collection starts taking up gigabytes of space? Can you back them up and store them on an external harddrive so that your iPad or whatever device you're reading them on doesn't get too full? From what I understand, storing your digital comic books works much like storing your digital music. For example, in iTunes when you sync your iPad to your computer you can tell it which items (i.e. songs or comic book issues) it should keep on your iPad and which it should store away on your computer. So all the comics you've purchased are safely stored on your computer while the comics you want to carry around with you are copied onto your iPad. Obviously, like with any of your computer data, you should have a backup procedure in place.

    Price

    Both the digital version and the printed version will be released at the same price on the same day. However, if you're not in a rush and you're happy to wait four weeks, the price of the digital version will drop by a dollar. For most DC publications the price will be US$2.99. So you can either buy the printed version for $2.99 or the download the digital version for $2.99. If you want both the digital and the printed version (for whatever reason), DC will be selling "combo packs" for $1 more.

    There's no real loser here. DC obviously want to protect the specialty comic book stores who are a major part of their business, and therefore cannot offer the digital version of the comic books at a lower price than the printed versions when they are initially released. Most comic book fans will not want to wait four weeks before reading a newly released issue, so they'll have to pay the same price for the digital version. Some may decide that if they're going to pay full price anyway they may as well get the printed version and have something physical to show for their money. I guess it's up to individual preference.

    The price of the comic books themselves isn't the only factor you need to take into consideration. It costs money to travel to your local comic book store (whether you're driving your own car or catching public transportation), and for some people the store isn't exactly next door. Alternatively, you may subscribe to a mailing service that sees your comic books posted to you. That costs money too. Add to that the need to buy bags, boards and boxes to store your comic books, and the costs of buying and keeping printed comic books can start to add up.

    Assuming you already own a digital device on which to read comic books on, the only added cost to buying digital comic books is the internet connection which you already have and pay for regardless. Down the track you may need to invest in extra storage (assuming you can back up digital comic books at all, but that's something I need to look into).

    Re-sale

    Speaking of money. One thing you cannot do with a digital comic book is re-sell it. With printed comic books you can list them on ebay, sell them back to comic stores (who sometimes buy older/rarer books), sell them to friends, at garage sales, market stalls, etc... You often see fans selling off their comic books because they've outgrown their comic book reading phase or need to make room or earn some extra cash. But you won't be able to do this with digital comic books. Once you've paid for it it's connected to your digital account. You can't copy it to someone else's computer/device... and you can't un-buy it.

    Sharing

    Same goes for sharing your comic books. With a printed version you could lend it to a friend to read. They could take it home for a few days or longer and bring it back to you when they were done. You're not exactly going to give your friend your iPad to take home are you? So handing down your old comics to your younger brother, cousin or even your own child isn't going to happen anymore with digital comics.

    But by the same token, handing a kid a printed comic book may soon seem "old school" to future generations. Who knows...

    Size

    Let's face it, reading a comic book on an iPhone/smart phone, iPod or even a Sony PSP just isn't going to cut it. They're too small. Even reading a comic book sitting at your desktop computer doesn't seem right. If you're going to read digital comic books it has to be on an iPad or similar tablet device. The size of the device's screen has to be similar to the size of a printed comic book in my opinion. I don't want to have to zoom in and slide around on a page to read the story and see the art. It needs to be similar (or better) than the reading experience you get when reading a printed comic book.

    Comic Book Collecting Portability

    Now an iPad is heavier than your standard comic book. But your iPad can hold hundreds (thousands?) of comic books digitally without getting any heavier. Try lugging around hundreds of printed comic books at one time...

    Depending on how many titles you buy, you could walk away from the comic book store with a dozen books or more. If you're traveling to school or work on public transport you might take two or three comic books with you to read. If you're going away for the weekend, you might wish to take a lot more. Buying your comic books digitally means you can take them ALL with you at the same time.

    Durability

    If you are taking your printed comic books with you anywhere, you're always concerned about keeping them safe. Sunlight, dust, dirty fingers, food, water... they're all enemies of the comic book collector.

    Even if you just keep them in the safety of your home, the majority of comic book collectors like to ensure their collections stay in the best shape possible. As I said earlier, most collectors not only bag, board and box them, but they sometimes look into whether they've bought the right type of mylar bag to ensure the longevity of their collection. Comic book collectors can be quite pedantic.

    Digital comic books don't crease, they don't fade, stain or rip.

    However computers, iPads and digital equipment can be broken, stolen or destroyed in a fire. I'm almost certain that the digital store will keep a record of the comics you've bought, which means you should be able to retrieve them once you fix/replace your digital device.

    You can't do the same with printed comic books. If they're stolen or destroyed, they're gone. You'd have to buy them all again or chase down the thief and steal them back.

    Conclusion

    The question on whether to go digital or stick with printed comic books comes down to personal preference.

    Digital comic books are arguably the way of the future. New readers (those who don't currently buy comic books) will likely jump on board the digital revolution and enjoy the ease with which they can buy the latest comic book offerings. They won't worry about the whole "collecting" side of things. They'll just read the stories and enjoy the artwork like they do any other type of reading material they might buy.

    Existing comic book readers will need to consider their own situation on an individual basis. Some might welcome the change and gladly bid farewell to the bag, board and box routine, alleviating their storage worries. Others might decide to stick with what they know and enjoy, and remain faithful to the printed version. Others still might give up and use this relaunch of the DC Universe as an excuse to stop collecting comic books altogether. Some may embrace both worlds and choose to buy both printed and digital varieties.

    Me? The pros surrounding the idea of going digital is enticing. But I'm a collector too... I like seeing shelves filled with books... I'm still undecided.

For those who are not subscribed to the newsletter, I'd suggest subscribing to the twice-monthly, free "Big Blue Report" newsletter to receive future issues. It not only contains a new column each issue, it also contains news links, a SuperVision Puzzle, Merchandise links and more.


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