Daydreaming of a Digital Decade

The comic industry has taken the digital frontier by storm. So, what’s next?

In the past decade, the comic industry has taken the world by storm as it embraced the digital age. Mainstream comics now release their latest issues on the same date digitally and in print, and the major publishers have begun to explore digital-first series, print/digital combo-packs, and various other experiments.

There’s no telling what tomorrow may bring as the fledgling field of digital comics blossoms into a fully formed industry of its own. But whatever the next decade of growth and evolution may bring, it will all have one common ancestor; the genesis of an idea. Surely there is no more appropriate an avenue to dream grandiosely than the future of comic books, given their subject matter. I don’t expect I am the first to propose any of these ideas, but the frequent circulation of ideas can draw the attention of those who could eventually make them a reality.

1- Customizable Trade Paperbacks

By far the biggest pipe dream on my list is the admittedly far fetched idea of customizable, made-to-order trade paperbacks.  Imagine being able to select between various issues from various books (perhaps even down the various pages) and rearrange them in any order you wish for your reading pleasure. With a little bit of DIY magic, this is not an unachievable feat in the present day, but if backed by a digital distributer/major publisher this process could become far more streamlined and lifted out of a legal grey area. Of course, made-to-order trade paperbacks (or hard covers, if it made the process easier) would be an industry luxury item, and would arguably have to be priced at premium prices. Readers do not contest purchasing an additional digital copy for a book they already own in print, and presumably the inverse can be true. As long as publishers are careful not to undermine the price of mass produced graphic novels and the direct market for collected volumes, customizable trades ordered through a customer’s digital library could open the door for increased revenue and dial back on the climbing prices of out of print collections.

2- Motion Comic Revolution

With the digital comic revolution, more readers than ever before are using technological devices to display their comics. Tablets, e-readers, and smart phones have begun to replace the traditional long boxes and bookshelves, and it’s only natural that readers should be offered additional ways to interact with and experience their favorite comic books. Motion comics have begun to pick up steam just slightly through online and DVD releases, but the advent of the portable media player’s role in the world of comics should make allow digital comics to make a much smoother landing. For larger, publisher-spanning event books, larger support for motion comics would mean the end of worrying about reading orders. Bundled motion comic packages would make larger crossovers an easier sell, too, because the reader is actually able to experience the full story as it is intended to be told rather than pick and choose which parts of the story are worth fitting into a budget. Motion comics represent just another of the opportunities that can be used to provide a second wind for comics on the verge of true success, and it’s certainly an approach worth exploring while it still has time to find an audience.

3- Cross Platform Integration
Comics, as an art from, are cross pollinating forms of presentation at an unprecedented rate. We’re currently experiencing a new golden age, a comic book renaissance, if you will. Comic book properties (admittedly primarily super heroes) are riding waves of success in film, both animated and live action television, and even original-content video games. There are plenty of fans who are slowly matriculating into the comic community through these revived or relatively young platforms. Fans who only knew the modern ‘adult’ Batman from the modern film franchise or the Avengers from Marvel’s theatrical masterpiece want more content. The fans are practically ravenous for more material, and the digital frontier is the easiest way to fully land the sales pitch with the new generation.

Marvel, DC, and Comixology are trying, but there needs to be both push and pull. Fans will pay to see a comic book movie, and that’s the chance for a two hour long thrill ride experience. Prior to the opening credits and after the post credits, the publishers have the eyes and ears of every hardcore fan and casual reader at their disposal. DC’s New 52 commercials can be just the tip of the iceberg. Some diehard fans have seen the Avengers a half-dozen times since its release; these repeat customers are just waiting to be captured by the market. Offer a canon tie-in comic with an A-List creative team, and let fans download the first issue of the new series free of charge, just for seeing the film in theaters during its opening weekend. Offer additional installments for free every time a fan returns to the theaters to catch the film, and offer the issues at discounted price in order to catch the attention of other curious fans. Reaching the casual readers is all about the foot in the door method, and over the course of the next decade, it’s time we see the publishers put their money where their mouths are.