Set for launch in January 2011, Dark Horse Comics is getting ready to make their move into the world of digital comics. They'll have their own app for the iPhone or iPad, and you can get that in the iTunes store when it's available. Or if you don't have an Apple device, you can go to digital.darkhorse.com, and read on your computer, as long as you're connected to the web. Cutting $0.50 from the price of most digital comics, their titles will sell for $1.49.
Dark Horse promises that their new and reprinted title will appear on a weekly basis, and by February, certain titles will appear on at the same time as the physical releases. There's no word on what series will be released Day and Date, but they have provided us with a list of their offerings at launch.
Baltimore: The Plague Ships Issue #1 through #5
Bundle of all five issues
Beasts of Burden Issue #1 through #4
Bundle of all four issues
BPRD: Hollow Earth Issue #1 through #3
Bundle of all three issues
BPRD: Plague of Frogs Issues #1 through #5
Bundle of all five issues
BPRD: The Dead Issue #1 through #5
Bundle of all five issues
BPRD: Dark Waters One-Shot
BPRD: Night Train One-Shot
BPRD: Soul of Venice One-Shot
BPRD: Something Under the Bed One-Shot
BPRD: Dark Waters, Night Train, Soul of Venice and Something Under the Bed Bundle of all four issues
Conan Issue #0: Free
Conan Issues #1 through #15
Bundle of issues #0 through #3
Bundle of issues #4 through #7
Bundle of issues #8 through #11
Bundle of issues #12 through #15
Criminal Macabre Issue #1 through #5
Bundle of all five issues
Dr. Horrible One-Shot
Dr. Horrible TPB (includes 5 stories)
Empowered One-Shot Special
Empowered Volumes 1-3
Falling Skies installments #1 through #7
Fallout: New Vegas-All Roads Preview
Fray: Future Slayer (by Joss Whedon) Issue #1 through #8
Bundle of issues #1 through #4
Bundle of issues #5 through #8
The Goon/Hellboy crossover One-shot
The Goon Volume 6: Chinatown
Grendel: Behold the Devil Issue #1 through #8
Bundle of issues #0 through #4
Bundle of issues #5 through #8
The Guild Issue #1 through #3
Bundle of all three issues
Hellboy: Almost Colossus Issues #1 and #2
Hellboy: Box Full of Evil Issues #1 and #2
Hellboy: Almost Colossus and Box Full of Evil Bundle of all four issues
Hellboy: Christmas Underground One-Shot
Hellboy: Corpse and Iron Shoes One-Shot
Hellboy: The Wolves of St. August One-Shot
Hellboy: Wolves, Corpse and Christmas Bundle of all three issues
Hellboy: Seed of Destruction Issue #1 through #4
Bundle of all four issues
Hellboy: Wake the Devil Issue #1 through #5
Bundle of all five issues
Kull: The Shadow Kingdom Issue #1 through #6
Bundle of all six issues
Mass Effect: Redemption Issue #1 through #4
Bundle of all four issues
Serenity: Float Out one-shot
Serenity: Those Left Behind Issue #1 through #3
Bundle of all three issues
Serenity: Better Days Issues #1 through #3
Bundle of all three issues
Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale TPB
Solomon Kane: Castle of the Devil Issue #1 through #5
Bundle of all five issues
Joss Whedon's Sugarshock (one-shot)
Terminator: 1984 Issues #1 through #3
Bundle of all three issues
Terminator: 2029 Issues #1 through #3
Bundle of all three issues
Troublemaker Volume 1 TPB
Umbrella Academy: Apocalypse Suite Issue #1 through #6
Bundle of all six issues
Umbrella Academy: Dallas Issues #1 through #6
Bundle of all six issues:
Umbrella Academy: 14-page Free Comic Book Day story
Usagi Yojimbo: Yokai
That's a heck of a list, and it shows that they're leading with their strongest stuff, like Hellboy, BPRD, and Umbrella Academy, and holding some stuff in reserve, like all of the Buffy comics, and most of The Goon.
What we are seeing is another comic book publisher who's decided to go it alone with their own dedicated app, as opposed to buying into a shared digital marketplace.
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Great news, speaking as someone soon to own an iPad. But — please tell me that “digital.darkhose.com” is still available as a domain name. Please.
Cool! I was planning to buy Baltimore: Plague Ships in trade, but maybe I’ll go digital instead.
Now this has me very interested. There’s some stuff there I want to read and it might be cheaper to go digital rather than trade.
Good stuff, now all we need is a one stop shop for ALL comics.
Great news! Not much of a Dark Horse reader, but this may get me to read some books that I wouldn’t have otherwise read. I hope Vertigo, and Image follow suit with a dedicated app with reduced prices, and day and date release.
It’s an exciting time to be a digital comics fan.
Any word on how the $1.49 price point will work? My understanding is that sales via Apple can only be made at $X.99, which is why you never see any apps for $1.50, and I believe the reason why Graphic.ly’s Marvel books are $1.49 if you buy them through the desktop software, but still $1.99 if you buy them in-app. Are issues purchased through the app going to be at a higher price, or are in app purchases even going to be an option?
@mrlogical Yeah same here actually. I’ll try this digital service come January.
I love digital, but having to be connected to the internet to view a comic I payed for is crappy. I can’t really think of a time when I wouldn’t be connected to the internet, but that kind of restriction makes me feel like I don’t really get what I pay for. I’d rather pay to own a digital copy than pay for the right to visit a copy on some website.
Still, a good step in the right direction.
@WilliamKScurryJr Got the link right anyway.
Wow! That’s a fantastic list. Now, if only I had some sort of digital device with which to read said comics. Curse you and your expensiveness iPad…you sexy little minx.
Sweet! This’ll make catching up on BPRD easy and cheap!
I’m also excited to see how this works out for DH, but wish a central digital marketplace was established with a flat rate like the marvel subscription service. I am interested to see if comixology provides a similar subscription service when apple allows this type of model into iTunes next year (rumored)…
I agree with Cory. I see a lot of different models for how to do digital, but none seem to be optimized to take advantage of what the digital medium really offers over paper. One is the decreased price in production. There’s no paper, there’s no ink, there’s no one but the creative staff involved and some server space, heck you don’t even have to pay anyone to deliver it. With the viewer devices out there (iPad seems to be the preferred) there are two different models that can be used: only over the net, or downloadable. It seems that if you want to use Marvel’s model of a set price to look at old comics as much as you want, an internet connection is too much to ask. Paying anything over a dollar for a comic and not being able to download it is a little steep. The only issue with download is piracy, but iTunes still makes money, and having your own viewing software with integrated buying features would lower the possibility of piracy even with a nerdy lot like comic fans. I’ve written in to hear it discussed on the pod, with the hopes that maybe some of those interviews could ask why we can’t realize the savings and increased production that would hopefully occur with the untimely death of our local comic shops. Since I live in an area without a comic store I guess I’m more prone to laugh at the death of the shop then I would be if I was back where comics thrived.
That all being said I think the comic company that is going to thrive first is the one that takes on a multi-tiered approach that charges a fixed rate to look at comics over a year or two old, but charges a lower price to buy/subscribe to comics.
@PDubble That should say “With the viewer devices out there (iPad seems to be the preferred) there are two different models that can be used: only over the net, or downloadable. It seems that if you want to use Marvel’s model of a set price to look at old comics as much as you want, an internet connection is not too much to ask.”
@sullivan85 At $1.49/issue, unless they drop the prices of their trades digital will be cheaper (even than the INT 30% off pricing)…
Not bad. I’m interested.
I’ll be reading Usagi via DH digital. When DH first announced this months ago they also said they’ll be offering “bundles” which will bring the price down even more. Since no third party provider, DH able to offer reduced price AND more money goes to the creators. Win-Win.
At least one house is being honest about digital pricing and looking for an increase in sales through a wider audeince.
I’m in. Plenty of Dark Horse stuff I’d like to read and if they’re doing day and date, they’ll certainly get my money.
Nice, I have’t been able to find those Plaque Ship issues at all, now I can get them on the cheap!
Cool, I’d like to see them release there manga titles but I don’t know what a good price point would be for digital.
@xrcst You think you want a one-stop shop, but you really don’t. Every service is improved by healthy competition. I don’t want the Diamond of digital comics to dominate the industry and dictate what we’ll buy and how we’ll consume it. Luckily, the barriers to entry are pretty low here so we should see plenty of competition.
This is excellent news. It means that I will read more Dark Horse soon.
I’d like to see the complete Concrete in there, as well as all the Hellboy stuff. They should make everything they ever published available in fact.
@Cormac Fair enough. I see your point about competition and the idea of the one stop shop is a middle man which adds some cost to it. Its just a little bit of a pain to have to go into and shop each publisher. But maybe if there was one for the big publishers and another one or two that conglomerates the other indy offerings. Or I guess I wouldn’t mind shopping in multiple places. I wish I could read in one place.
I will be there when it goes live and read some BPRD. and Will probably buy every day and date bprd and hellboy related title, if for no other reason to provide more data to the other companies that people want that.
@Josh: Sorry, I wasn’t busting your balls — I genuinely thought the word “darkhose” sounded funny.
Maybe this will get me back into BPRD. I hope I can use this to read the upcoming Umbrella Academy series.
$1.49 is almost at my sweet spot, I’ll probably buy once Hellboy is on there.
This is awesome news! I love reading comics on the iPad and will be counting down until Christmas in January!!