Over the past few days three major comic publishers have announced or touted digital-only comic titles, the latest example of the slow, inexorable creep of the digital world into the comic book universe. IDW Publishing announced an exclusive 12-part digital series, Transformers: Autocracy. Starting January 18th, every two weeks IDW will release a new 8-page chapter of the new Transformers saga that will fill in some of the gaps in the backstories of the two new Transformers comics that are launching in print this month (see “ IDW Announces the Death of Optimus Prime”). The chapters of Transformers: Autocracy, which will be available exclusively on digital platforms, will be priced at ninety-nine cents.
Almost simultaneously Dark Horse Comics announced a partnership with Radical Entertainment to publish an all new digital comic series that will contain three stories that will bridge the narrative gap between the first Prototype open world action video game, which debuted in 2009, and Prototype 2, the high-octane sequel that is set for release in North America on April 24th, 2012. Each digital comic will be available at the Dark Horse digital site, with the three comics appearing at two-week intervals starting with the debut of issue #1 on February 15th. Several years ago DC/Wildstorm produced a 6-issue paper comic series based on Prototype (see “DC to Publish Comic Based on Prototype Game”).
Though DC’s announcement of a free app that offers the possibility of downloading two free digital issues of the Lego Hero Factory comic produced by DC in 2010 (and previously available for free on the Lego.com Website) appears to be of less consequence since the material is not new, the free app (via comiXology) offers young readers additional free DC comics as well as the potential to purchase other DC comics. DC’s announcement stressed the free Lego comics and has been publicized through Lego’s extensive marketing network. Working with Lego gives DC access to a huge pool of young consumers, which could be important in the long run as comic publishers endeavor to create legions of young readers.
