Image via Wikipedia
Dark Horse Comics joins the digital age with a new iOS application that you can download tomorrow from the Apple Store. While not surprising this is helping me make some serious decisions about which way the comic book market is going to go, which is limited editions that are pricy for collectors, and the regular digital edition for everyone who just wants to read a comic book. But there might be an option that could help customers find the right comic in the right venue for them that we noticed with the Marvel Ipad application.
Then there is going to be one other thing that could happen that would make life so much easier for comic book stores is that the option to purchase the print version as shown with the Marvel comic book reader application, should show where the local comic book store is located if they have the copy. Admitted not many comic book stores are going to have a 1963 copy of Spiderman #24, but it would be cool if the purchase a print version would point to all the stores in the local area as well as online options for the comic.
This would be a simple data call, but it would also require a standardized inventory set for comic book stores and then the willingness to share that with Marvel or any other application that allowed in app purchases of print versions. Maybe that would be something that would be well worthwhile to help consumers find print versions of the comic books that they are reading. Digital is awesome because it can reach anywhere, but without a direct tie in to physical bricks and mortar stores and their stock, or online shopping options, it will be harder for retailers to realize any benefit from Digital if someone wants to purchase a physical copy. We all know that digital is changing the market, what would be awesome is if the comic book publishers could help customers connect with retail stores.
While I do not know if the Dark Horse application will have a purchase feature (at least I will not know until tomorrow when I go snag that puppy), it will be interesting to see if publishers can help drive sales to retailers. The addition of a “purchase a copy” button as a feature or function with the express purpose that the feature makes it easier for people to purchase physical copies of digital items should the customer want a physical copy. This might be the one best way to save physical stores, because we should want to save physical stores, you cannot find everything online, and often there is a major premium to purchasing that comic book online. This is what is going to make the digital age so interesting, the publisher of the application has the option to help customers find a physical copy of the comic book at a comic book store as long as the comic book store shares their inventory list with the publisher. If that relationship can be developed, and the data harmonized across the industry, we might just make it through the digital age in awesome shape.
Related articles
- Dark Horse Comics Is Entering The Digital Realm And Needs Your Help! (geektyrant.com)
- Dark Horse Digital coming to iOS April 27 (tuaw.com)
I hope this works out well for Dark Horse. They are the third largest comic publisher and put out some amazing books! The recents rounds of layoffs worry me, so I hope they are just getting streamlined and ready to kick ass.