So I've been reading comic books constantly for about five years now and when I started reading I'd walk down to my local comic shop Double Midnight Comics here in Manchester, New Hampshire. I liked having a routine and having a list of series ready to pick up and read later when I got home. But last September when I moved into my apartment I instantly realized the fallacy in my routine. I had a lot of books. So I made the switch to digital.
There are mainly two reasons people don't buy comics regularly: money and time. And the high learning curve of what's in continuity and where to start and what runs are still going, but never mind that now. Reading books online has been the greatest decision I've made in the realm of comic books. I'm not a collector, not one focused on rare issues or anything like that. Like, I have a decent hardcover and floppy collection, but as a person who is following current series, buying them digitally has been way easier. Going back to the moving thing, I couldn't bring all my comics because I just has too many, but digitally I carry all of my current series in my iPad.
But let's no plug any app just yet, let's talk money. Cash. Dough. Moolah. Comics week-to-week can get pretty pricey depending on how many books you buy. Your standard single issue can run around three or four bucks. That's why it's wise to only read the stuff that interests you. Don't get into Captain Marvel just because she has a movie coming, buy a Spider-Man book if you've always loved Spider-Man. If you don't like Marvel or DC than just buy the other company's titles. So, example, you want to read some DC Comics titles. So you pick up Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Justice League. Some of these books are current 2.99 an issue, but I'm going to bump the price up to 3.99 for evenness. So you spend about twelve bucks a week, and forty-eight a month. And if you stick to four titles all year, that's five-hundred and seventy-six dollars a year. And again, that's considering you're reading four titles all year, those books are all 3.99, and you haven't switched to another cheaper title. You can legit just read one title. You're favorite character, and you'd be spending twelve dollars a month, one-hundred and forty-four dollars a year. Just for one series. And in era of comic books you'll be lucky if one series lasts a whole year without a renumbering, a cancellation, or a writer switch.
Like I said, having my books on my iPad gives me the ability to bring my books anywhere. On a bus, a plane, waiting at an office, at the beach, at home and anywhere else you can stop and read. Once you buy them they're yours to download and remove at your leisure. And even if you don't have an iPad you probably have an iPhone or iPod or some type of smart phone or laptop or desktop. If you can download Facebook you can download a comic book app. Personally I use the Marvel Comics App and DC Comics App. I don't use Marvel Infinity or Comixology just out of experience with the the two apps I use. And yeah, sometimes that means I can't pick up books like "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" because it's not published by either of them or "Mister Miracle" because it's not on digital for some reason, but that just means I can binge buy those books at a comic shop and show them support. It's become so easy to buy comics now, especially when DC and Marvel have FREE books to download on their apps. And I'm pretty sure Marvel Infinity and Comixology work like Netflix. You pay a monthly subscription and you can browse and download their entire library of books.
Now all this talk of digital downloads can be harmful to the comic book stores around the country. And I don't mean Newbury Comics or Barns & Nobles and other stores that "also sell comics". I mean Double Midnight Comics and other little franchises. Stores that have been forced to change with the times by selling trading cards and video games and collectables. But if those businesses die off in a couple decades, it only means franchise stores will become stronger before they too are wiped out by the digital age. I'd feel bad if comic shops closed down like that, but all I want to so is read comic books. And right now doing that on a tablet screen is the best option for me right now.
Plus, if you double tap the page you get Guided Reading which shows you the next appropriate panel to read when you swipe the screen. So that's cool.
Thanks for reading and go buy a comic book!
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