Dark Horse Comics is going digital with a slick e-comics reader that will work on any smartphone or computer. An added bonus: By handling sales through Dark Horse's web store rather than Apple's payment channel, the Hellboy publisher will gain increased flexibility while keeping prices at $1.50 per issue.

Launching in January, Dark Horse's digital comics will be readable in two ways: an app for iOS devices like the iPad (pictured above in this exclusive first look) and an HTML5 reader on the Dark Horse website. Comics downloaded from the Dark Horse web store can be queued for offline reading in the app, and an Android app and a version of the HTML5 reader optimized for display on any smartphone are also in the works.

"Going this route has enabled us to assume more control over our content, in terms of how we are choosing to present, publish and distribute it, while hopefully earning us and our creators a little more money in the process," said Dark Horse online marketing manager Matt Parkinson.

This hybrid model will allow Dark Horse to sidestep the 30 percent cut taken by Apple for sales made through the iPad maker's in-app payments channel. Apple's iron grip on digital publishing has irritated some magazine publishers, who want greater flexibility to sell subscriptions through iTunes and balk at Apple's large cut of sales. By harnessing sales from its own web store to iOS and Android apps, Dark Horse could have hit upon a winning strategy for Comics 2.0.

Dark Horse Comics' new digital initiative will bring Hellboy to iPhones and other smartphones.

Images courtesy Dark Horse Comics

Lower Prices, Freedom to Experiment ———————————–

Dark Horse's approach helps keep down cover prices – comics will be pegged at what Parkinson called "an industry low $1.49 price point" – while giving writers and artists a larger percentage of profits.

"By creating and managing our own digital publishing program we have successfully eliminated third-party fees on our digital editions and are passing the savings on to our customers," Parkinson said.

The arrangement also lets Dark Horse be more flexible with regards to bundling comics, usage terms, editorial control and release schedules than the publisher could be if it were dependent on Apple's pipeline, said lead developer Lennon Day-Reynolds.

"The App Store guidelines haven't been much of a problem for us in releasing single-book apps in the past, but there are certainly things we'd like to try that can't be easily accomplished when using Apple's commerce backend," he said. "Maintaining more editorial control is one such advantage, but we also look forward to having the freedom to experiment with sales, distribution and communication ideas that aren't easily accomplished inside the App Store's boundaries. Also, we really want to offer access to folks who don't have or want an iOS device. The web is a proven platform for doing that."

Dark Horse's iOS reader will be similar to what DC Comics and Marvel Comics already have cooked up. It will offer full-page and panel-by-panel viewing, with smooth zooming, panning and collection management, according to Dark Horse. Once readers authorize a client device in their store accounts, new purchases automatically appear in their libraries, and they can re-download comics as often as they like.

An Android reader currently in development will be functionally equivalent to the iOS app. "We also plan to have a version of our web reader optimized for small-screen devices, in order to support all modern smartphone platforms, including Windows Phone 7 and WebOS," Day-Reynolds said.

Widening the audience for digital comics seems like a must, given recent sales figures. According to industry analyst ICv2, digital comics sales are up 1,000 percent on the year, while print sales have declined roughly 5.6 percent since last November. Single-issue sales, a market segment in which digital comics will surely exert their influence, have fared worse than their graphic novel counterparts.

But the two trends, while portentous, could be misleading, said ICv2 publisher Milton Griepp.

"I see no evidence that digital comic sales are cannibalizing print sales," he said. "Print sales are down primarily because there aren't any big hits right now. Digital sales are comprised almost entirely of [previously released titles]. There are also strong indications that digital comics are reaching a different audience than the one that buys print, an audience that's been waiting for a digital alternative and finally has one available."

The publisher plans to offer a list of free introductory first issues, as well as comic bundles allowing readers to purchase complete story arcs (priced at $3 to $6) that are spread out over several issues. Early next year, in a bid to drive readers to brick-and-mortar comics shops, the publisher plans to launch its Direct Market Digital Exclusives program, which allows retailers to offer exclusive digital content to customers.

While innovative, the model is a gamble for Dark Horse as it competes with industry leaders like DC and Marvel on the new digital comics battleground.

"Dark Horse has some very powerful comic brands like Star Wars, Buffy, Frank Miller, Hellboy and more with rabid followings," said ICv2's Griepp. "It's just not clear whether that pull and the price are strong enough to overcome resistance to leaving Apple's store. Dark Horse will have to prove the model for others to adopt it."

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