digital comics
Latest
The comic industry would rather grind to a halt than go digital
Wednesday is usually New Comic Book Day but, with everyone on lockdown due to coronavirus, this week’s selection was a little light. The main distributor, Diamond, ceased shipments both to and from its warehouse — a seemingly logical move given that many stores are shuttered anyway. Less logical is that, unlike literally every other media industry, the product wasn’t simply released digitally to consumers stuck at home. Instead, the entire comics world has been on hold.
This week on gdgt: HX50V, Minx Air 100, and Moto X customization
Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their most recent picks. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.
Digital comic publisher threatened by Apple over adult content
Digital comics publisher Izneo has pulled much of its content from its App Store app, after being cautioned by Apple about selling adult content on the iPad. Izneo has been on the App Store since 2010, but Apple only recently reached out to the company, saying that it had just 30 hours to remove all "adult" comics. Apple didn't identify the offending titles, so Izneo first pulled over half of its content, and then restored some of the (apparently) less-explicit content later. Still, about 1,500 titles are still absent. Prohibiting pornography on the App Store is reasonable, but Izneo has been selling comics (mostly French and Belgian titles) for years there now. Obviously that content was only part of a much larger collection. It's a little disturbing that Apple elected to censor content that's clearly labeled as being for adults (the app is marked for ages 17+) in such a vague, arbitrary fashion. Izneo is obviously working to stay on the App Store rather than challenge Apple in its own domain, but this seems like this could have been handled differently. [via TechDirt]
StarCraft: Kerrigan -- Hope and Vengeance free on Comixology
This week, we had patch 5.2 to contend with, but next week it's all about the launch of StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm for plenty of players. Blizzard has been slowly releasing promotional material for the new game, including a new cinematic and a pretty fascinating viral advertising campaign called Project Blackstone, which is still being updated as the time ticks down to Heart of the Swarm's launch. And now we have another piece -- a comic about Kerrigan and a glimpse at what she's been through that takes place at some point after she was rescued at the end of Wings of Liberty. Kerrigan -- Hope and Vengeance #0 is a relatively short comic, but the art and writing is top-notch. And here's the kicker -- it's absolutely free. You don't have to pay for the comic, you simply plunk it in your cart, checkout and read. The comic is a fairly brisk 8 pages, but with a story by Cameron Dayton and some really stunning art by Zoddd, not to mention the absence of a price tag, this is a nice treat for StarCraft fans. To my knowledge, this is the first time Blizzard's ever offered a free digital comic of this scope. And it does make one wonder.
Sony shuts down PSP Comic Store after October 30th, leaves most of us in the lurch for now
PSP Comic Store, we hardly knew ye. No really, we hardly knew ye -- which is probably why Sony is warning PSP owners that its comic book portal is shutting down after October 30th. Come Hallowe'en, we'll lose the option to download the necessary app or buy additional titles. Any currently owned comics will be available to download again until mid-January, but readers will be on their own to preserve existing libraries after that. Outside of Japan, that creates significant problems for literary PlayStation fans: while PS Vita owners in Sony's home country will get a Manga store and reader in October, there's no equivalent crutch for other countries (or any PSP owners) at this stage. The console maker is non-committal and says there's nothing it can discuss "at the moment," which to us is a hint that we shouldn't plan our reading hours around a PSP or PS Vita in the near future. [Thanks, Sooraj]
PSP Comic Store closing this weekend [Update: Make that October 30!]
The PSP Comic Store will close on Sunday October 30, Sony recently announced. PSP and PSP Go owners will not be able to access the store after this weekend, and will not be able to re-download most comics purchased.Sony is offering a means of backing up purchased content using its Media Go software. The company stopped offering updates to its digital comics service in July 2011.Update: The PSP Comic Store service will be closing after October 30, not on September 30. We were so close on that one.
Marvel announces augmented reality app, exclusive digital comics at SXSW
Not content with simply doling out free digital comics to fans who favor the tangible page, Marvel is now giving readers a new reason to reach for their tablets: augmented reality. Android and iOS devices will be able to look beyond the page using Marvel AR, an Aurasma-powered app slated to launch alongside Avengers vs. X-Men #1 this April. When pointed at a compatible comic, the app will server up creator commentary videos, extra art and interactive 3D models of Earth's greatest heroes.Don't worry, your standard Marvel Comics app isn't being replaced -- in fact, it's getting a new line of sequential funnybooks called Marvel Infinite Comics. "Writers and artists now have a whole host of new tools at their disposal to redefine the comic book medium," Marvel Comics Editor in Chief Axel Alonso said at SXSW this week, "Current tablets and smartphones, along with comiXology's Guided View technology, allow us to develop new, full length stories for a different medium that are very much truly comics -- but experienced by readers in a way no other major company has ever executed." The digital-exclusive series kicks off with Avengers vs. X-Men #1 Infinite, which incidentally, will be free to folks who pick up the similarly named physical book. Ready for the revolution ReEvolution? Check out the links below for Marvel's official announcement and CNET's hands-on video.
Marvel Comics greets true believers with free digital copy for select print titles
With great purchasing power apparently comes great affordability for Marvel Comics fans. Starting this June, folks who purchase any Marvel super hero comic priced at $3.99 will also get a free digital copy for Android or iOS. Examples of Marvel titles that will come with free codes include the Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Mighty Thor and Invincible Iron Man. The new program continues the trend of comic book publishers invading the digital space like famished planet-eaters -- Dark Horse, for instance, recently made a deal with Barnes & Noble. Similarly, DC Comics inked an agreement with Amazon, a move that got some DC titles sent to the Phantom Zone by B&N. Judging from the positive response to digital codes included in the Ultimate Comics line and Avenging Spider-Man, Marvel expects the expanded code program to act like a radioactive spider bite for comic book stores, boosting repeat visits. Feel that tingling? That's your own Spidey sense telling you to swing past the break for Marvel's official PR.
Excelsior! Marvel Comics to offer digital releases same day as print
Sure, we may have established that Stan Lee doesn't really know what to do with his iPhone on the last Engadget Show, but that doesn't mean your friendly neighborhood Marvel employees aren't ready to embrace the digital wave with full-force. According to Gizmodo, the comics publishing powerhouse will be bringing its full line of books (save for some third-party licensed titles) to digital platforms the same day they're released in stores, a move that comes as the company's chief competition, DC, has been aggressively establishing itself in the digital space. The transition is expected to be completed by the end of March. 'Nuff said.
Cryptozoic's Digital Manga releases for July
A couple of months ago, it was announced that Cryptozoic Entertainment, publisher of the WoW Trading Card Game, would be publishing the Warcraft and Starcraft manga exclusively through its comics reader app. The initial release included Warcraft Legends Vol. 1 and 2, World of Warcraft: Death Knight, and The Sunwell Trilogy Vol. 1: Dragon Hunt. It was also announced that other manga titles would be released over time via the app. Apparently, the time for more manga is now, as two new Warcraft titles have just been released to the comics app. Warcraft Legends Vol. III is a collection of short tales, including the continuing story of Trag Highmountain, first seen in the Sunwell trilogy. Also included is the story I Got What Yule Need, written by New York Times bestselling author Christie Golden, and The Thrill of the Hunt, a story involving Hemet Nesingwary, one of the better known NPCs in game. The Legends series is one of the better ones out there, and at $5.99 for 160 pages worth of manga, it's a good deal. Also released this month is the second book in the class series, World of Warcraft: Mage. This stand-alone story tells the tale of Aodhan, an apprentice mage whose dreams of making it big as a spellcaster are suddenly and violently interrupted. This volume delves into the story of Aodhan, but it also sheds a little light on the conflict between the Blue Dragonflight and the Kirin Tor highlighted back in Wrath of the Lich King. Like the other manga available on the app, Warcraft: Mage is also a steal at $5.99. All titles are available for purchase through the Cryptozoic Comics App, and the app itself is free for download via iTunes. If you missed any of the manga releases, this is an excellent way to pick them up.
Sony closes the book on PSP digital comics service
Sony announced that today's PSP digital comics update, including Batman Beyond, Transformers, Ender's Game, a troubling number of B.C. collections and even a comic based on the Suicide Girls, will be the last one for the service. We think we've found an upside to this announcement (beyond learning that there's a comic book based on the Suicide Girls) -- the end of PSP comic updates means you can now collect them all. Don't you want to be the first to own the full 4,000+ issue PSP comics collection? There may be more comics in the future, just not on PSP. Sony said that "The Digital Comics Team will continue to work on bringing the comic service to other Sony devices." Imagine using the PlayStation Vita's rear touchpad to -- nope, we can't think of anything that rear touchpad would have to do with a comic book.
Silent Hill: Sinner's Reward comics now on PSN
PlayStation Digital Comics readers can cross over into Silent Hill today, as IDW has announced that the Silent Hill: Sinner's Reward series is now available on the service. The four-part series chronicles the exploits of mafia hitman Jack "The Pup" Stanton, who made the ill-informed decision to abscond with his boss's wife. Protip: When running away from anything, don't make Silent Hill your first stop. The comics are available now for $1.99 each.
Direct2Drive offers Fallout: New Vegas collector's edition
Direct2Drive is pushing an awfully hard bargain to nab your business -- provided you're planning on purchasing Bethesda's upcoming apocalyptic RPG, Fallout: New Vegas. The digital retailer is offering pre-orders on an exclusive "Digital Collector's Edition," which includes a 48-page digital graphic novel titled "All Roads." The comic, created in conjunction with Dark Horse Comics and penned by Bethesda's Chris Avellone, tells the backstory of the town of New Vegas, and sets up the plot of the upcoming game. If digital comics aren't your thing, pre-orders of the Collector's Edition also come with the "Tribal Pack" -- a DLC pack which adds a handful of relatively primitive weapons to your arsenal, including a machete, doses of venom and throwing spears. Those sound ... nice. Just fine. We're going to stick with our gun that shoots mini nuclear warheads, though. But thanks, all the same!
Rumor: Sony surveying interest in PS3 Digital Comics service
Have you ever wished you could turn the act of reading a comic book into a more social experience, but without all the reading over your shoulder and creepy breathing down the back your shirt? Sony might be making moves to bring your dream to fruition. PS3 enthusiast site Addicted to PlayStation reported receiving a survey inquiring whether they would be interested in seeing the Digital Comics service, which launched last November on the PSP, migrate to the PS3 (or other devices) sometime in the future. If Sony really is planning on bringing comics to the big screen, we're torn on whether or not that would be a good thing. On one hand, part of the joy of comics is burying your face in the pages -- an experience you couldn't really replicate on a TV. On the other, we could finally use this as a chance to show our friends what incredibly expedient readers we are. "Oh, you're still on panel four? We're on panel nine. What's up?"
DC Comics joins PlayStation Network Digital Comics service
A major new player has been added to PSP's digital comics reader. DC Comics will begin distributing its comics via the PlayStation Store starting today, with an initial selection of over 80 comics priced from $0.99 to $2.99. Some of the offerings include: Batman: Hush, Green Lantern: Rebirth, God of War, Resistance, and Superman/Batman. A free 10-page preview of Superman #700 (pictured) will be available to download, as well. In addition, Sony has updated the Digital Comics app to version 2.01, which adds a number of new features, such as the ability to delete comics directly from the app, and the ability to read right-to-left for Japanese manga titles. To download the update, go to the Digital Comics app from the XMB, hit triangle, and select "Version information."
Five free comics added to PSP Digital Comics
The PSP Digital Comics store is still going strong with its weekly updates. However, it's been a while since the store has been updated with free comics to try. Starting today, you'll be able to download these five issues for zero dollars: GI Joe Cobra #1 Star Trek Mirror Images #1 Astro Boy Prequel #1 The Ghoul #1 Dreamland Chronicles #1 To access the Digital Comics store, you'll need to connect to the PlayStation Store on your PSP and hit the Comics tab on top. Then, find the "Free Comics" tab to download one or all of the 22 free comics currently available.
Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow sneaks onto PS2 in June
If you wanted to play 2007's Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow but don't have a PSP, fear not (and remember that you wanted to play that): as revealed by the ESRB last month, Sony is planning to release the game on the PS2, a system that you probably have two or three of in your home. The PS2 port of Logan's Shadow will be released on June 1. It'll include a few new niceties thanks to the extra buttons on the Dual Shock 2, including a "snap" button for getting into cover, a "swing out and aim" button, and dual analog functionality. In addition, this summer will see the release of a Syphon Filter digital graphic novel to the PlayStation Store, filling in the story between Dark Mirror and Logan's Shadow. Find out what else is shaded and/or darkened!
Digital Comics app to get memory management update
We're big fans of the Digital Comics service on PSP. However, there's been one feature that's sorely missing from the program right now: the ability to delete comics from your Memory Stick. While the footprint of a single issue is rather small (around 30MB), it can easily build up. Who knows? That free issue of Archie you downloaded could prevent you from downloading Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker! Thankfully, that doomsday scenario seems unlikely. Pete Scott told readers of the PlayStation.Blog that "there will be an update to the application to enable in-app deletion." Until then, if you want to manage your PSP comics collection, you'll have to make do with the Media Go app on the PC.
First issue of Mass Effect iPhone comic free on launch day
Beginning February 3, the first issue of the four-part comic series Mass Effect: Redemption will be available on the iTunes App Store. To celebrate its release, Dark Horse and EA have announced the issue will be free for a limited time. How limited is the "free digital comic" window? One day only. After February 3, the digital release is bumped up to 99 cents. Of course, if you're a Mass Effect 2 fanatic you probably own the collectors' edition, which included a mini-version of the first issue. But, if you love moving pictures, a free digital comic is a hard thing to ignore.
Best of the Rest: Andrew's Picks of 2009
Flower This year had a number of terrific downloadable games (this list is a testament to that), however no game -- retail or digital -- connected with me like Flower. Jenova Chen's flOw was an interesting experiment, but Flower is an actual game. In fact, Flower is one of the few experiences I can think of that show the true potential of games as a unique storytelling medium. No other non-interactive art form will ever be able to replicate what thatgamecompany has managed to create.
