Publisher DC comics announced that it is expanding digital offerings beyond just its own application. Effective immediately, the Apple iBookstore, Kindle Store, and Nook Book Store will all offer the same weekly issues that only the Comixology and DC Comics applications previously carried.
“My charter is to go as wide as possible, and to expand to as many readers as possible. That’s what this is,” said DC Entertainment Senior Vice President of Digital Hank Kanalz. The expansion bolsters the current crop of graphic novels available at the three stores.
“As e-readers and tablets continue to explode in popularity, it’s important for us to offer consumers convenience and choice in how they download digital comics and graphic novels, and these new distribution deals with the top three e-bookstores do just that,” said DC Entertainment co-publisher Jim Lee. “We’re very excited to work with Amazon, Apple and Barnes & Noble to bring bestselling DC Comics and Vertigo periodicals to their e-bookstores.”
Initially, only the current issues will be available on the stores, with back issues being added later. All the stores added 70 titles, including some “digital first” issues available on the online stores before release in comic retail establishments. The lack of back issues available from the start is “obviously a bandwidth issue” explained Kanalz. “We’re starting with day-and-date digital, then move to the backlist.”
