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A new World of Warcraft comic book series is on the way
Lore doesn't just have to come at you via in-game text boxes; there are other mediums, such as comic books, that can help you understand a particular fantasy world. For example, Dark Horse Comics is preparing a new World of Warcraft series to explore the ancient history of Azeroth. World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 will be the first of several issues that trace the backstory of the world in a time before the Horde and Alliance. Blizzard COO Paul Sams says that it's being done to sate fan curiosity: "We often get questions from players who want to know more about the origins of the Warcraft universe, and the rise and fall of their favorite characters. This new series digs deeply into all of that -- we can't wait for players to read it." Unlike most comic books, Chronicle Volume 1 will be a hardbound edition. The series will go on sale this November in comic shops and book stores.
Path of Exile comic books hint at upcoming expansion
We all know that you haven't made it as a video game unless you're immortalized in a comic book. Path of Exile has joined that very select club as it announced today that it will be the focus of an official comic book mini-series. The four upcoming Path of Exile graphic novels will be based on the lore of the game and penned by Dynamite Entertainment. The comics are slated for some time this summer and will be 22 pages apiece, with a compilation release in early 2015. So other than the cool factor, why should players care? Well, not only will the comics feature a lead-in to the game's unannounced expansion, but each issue will have codes for in-game goodies such as cosmetics.
ComiXology removes in-app purchases for iOS app after Amazon purchase
The digital comic book retailer ComiXology has been a massively profitable addition to the iOS landscape, but after a number of run-ins with Apple on content, the company is changing things up. On Saturday, April 26, ComiXology quietly announced some major changes to its iOS and Android apps. Android users were given a brand new in-app purchases interface with an improved cart system, but iOS users found an important feature had been removed; in-app purchases. From now on ComiXology readers using iOS devices will have to buy their digital comic issues via the company's website and then sync the titles to their device, completely bypassing the iOS marketplace. This method of purchases is significantly less direct from consumers, but it allows ComiXology to get around Apple's "morals" issues which have caused content to be blocked from sale in the iOS store in the past. There's just one issue; that option was always available to iOS ComiXology users, which means iOS users now have a more complicated process of buying their titles than before. For iPad or iPhone readers, there's really no good news here. Some creators, like Chris Roberson of Moneybrain Comics are thrilled with the changes. No longer allowing in-app purchases via iOS frees up the 30% cut that Apple made on sales made through their devices. In Roberson's eyes this means more money to go back to creators. I have always recommended people make their @Comixology purchases through the site and not the app, since creators get more money that way. - Chris Roberson (@chris_roberson) April 26, 2014 Now, readers will be spending the same amount on their @Comixology purchases, but the creators will be getting a bigger cut across the board - Chris Roberson (@chris_roberson) April 26, 2014 You'll notice he prefers that all users, not specifically iOS users, buy through the website. All in-app purchases through Android and Apple are subject to the same 30% cut of the profits, the money is just sent to different corporate overloads. So why did ComiXology kill in-app purchases for iOS devices, but expand its Android store with a new cart and other features? Perhaps it's this little fella. ComiXology was recently purchased by Amazon, and Amazon's Kindle Fire uses the Android platform. By making it harder to buy comics via the iPad, they've just managed to quietly prop up the Kindle Fire as the easiest option for comic readers thinking about which tablet is right for them. Of course this is simply conjecture on our part, but if there's anything we've learned from Captain America books it's that everything happens for a reason. Also, don't trust Nazis. To ease the transition for possibly sore readers, ComiXology is giving everyone who has ever made a purchase through the app a $5 credit as a thank you for sticking with them. As of right now, only the main ComiXology app for iOS has had in-app purchases removed; the ComiXology powered iOS apps for Marvel, DC, IDW, and Image are still allowing customers to buy books on their devices. ComiXology remains the best comic book reader and marketplace available for iOS users. Will these changes to ComiXology drive you to another digital comic retailer? Let us know in the comments. In the meantime here's ComiXology own quick guide for adding a link to their webstore on your iOS home screen. It's at least something.
New Assassin's Creed graphic novel set in 19th century India
Announced earlier today, Assassin's Creed: Brahman is the newest graphic novel series in Ubisoft's two-dimensional expansion of its video game universe, following in the footsteps of Assassin's Creed: The Fall and Assassin's Creed: The Chain. Written by Brenden Fletcher (Wednesday Comics) with artwork by Cameron Stewart (Catwoman, Batman & Robin) and Karl Kerschl (Adventures of Superman), Assassin's Creed: Brahman takes place in nineteenth century India, which means that the series' staple of killing evil British people will proudly continue. The story follows Arbaaz Mir, a new assassin who works to bring down a "lifelong foe" that totally jacked up his land and kinsmen. We're no psychics, but we've got a sneaking suspicion that some dudes are totally going to get stabbed by some wrist-knives before this thing wraps up.%Gallery-194228%
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]
Dark Horse Comics graphic novels coming to Nook Tablet and Nook Color
Dark Horse Comics has penciled a contract with Barnes & Noble (it'll be sent off to be inked and colored next week*) to get the former's content onto the latter's Tablet and Color e-readers. Available in the Nook Comic store, you'll be able to pick up a mix of the publisher's licensed titles like Mass Effect and Star Wars as well as home-grown fare like Hellboy and Sin City. The range will gently expand month-on-month and is available from today, with titles priced around $10 depending on what you want. * This is a comic book joke.
Amazon's new e-book format brings HTML5 support to your Kindle library
"Great looking books." That's what Amazon is promising to deliver with Kindle Format 8 (KF8) -- a new, HTML5-based file format for Kindle books. According to the company, KF8 will allow publishers to produce picture books, comics and graphic novels with greater ease, thanks to the platform's rich formatting capabilities and design elements. In fact, this format brings more than 150 new formatting tools to the table, including fixed layouts, nested tables, sidebars and Scalable Vector Graphics, among others. It should be noted, however, that audio and video are not included on the list of supported HTML tags and CSS elements. At first, content creators will only be able to use KF8 for the Kindle Fire tablet, though Amazon says it'll gradually expand to its entire lineup of devices and apps "in the coming months." No word yet on when KF8 will become available as an update to Amazon's Kindle Publisher Tools suite, but you can find more details at the source link, below.
IDW releasing comics for iBooks
Most of the comic books released on the iPad and iPhone have been inside of special apps (many of which are run by ComiXology, actually), but here's another option. Comic book publisher IDW is set to release some graphic novels and comic books through iBooks, meaning that you can buy them right inside Apple's official e-reader app. 20 different graphic novels are coming out in the first round, ranging from genre stuff like Star Trek and Doctor Who, to licensed titles like Dragon Age, and older stuff like Locke & Key and Bloom County. Each should cost around $6 to $10 (which is competitive, especially compared to buying the full paper editions of these books), and should be available in the iBookstore soon, if not already. I used to be a die-hard paper book reader, but lately I've seen a lot of value in iBooks, not just in terms of price, but also in the convenience of having all the books I happen to be reading stored on my iPhone. I have a feeling that ComiXology and other apps like it will probably remain the best way to pick up day-one releases of periodical comic books (at least until NewsStand comes along in iOS 5), but for library editions and collected graphic novels, iBooks could become the best and easiest way to read those.
Apple admits mistake over pulling of graphic novel
Apple has reversed a ban on the app version of Robert Berry's comic book edition of James Joyce's "Ulysses," which has nudity. Apple has also lifted a ban on a graphic that shows 2 men kissing in Tom Bouden's graphic novel of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest." The Associated Press quotes Trudy Miller of Apple saying the developers had been "allowed to resubmit their original drawings" and use the original artwork. It was about 75 years ago that the U.S. Federal Courts ruled that "Ulysses" was not pornographic or obscene. The case did not go to the Supreme Court. The novel had also been banned in Britain, but was legalized in 1936.
Reinventing the graphic novel--for iPod
Playlist magazine tells us that the graphic novel is being reinvented for the iPod. The Many Worlds of Jonas Moore combines live action video with computer animation and other media. Due to be released this summer, it brings the "graphic novel" to a new place. "Jonas Moore" still has the traditional comic book look (as you can see here) but it will also leverage the iPod's multimedia capabilities.
