On Thursday’s opening day of the San Diego Comic Con (SDCC), Marvel Comics held their (Digital) House of Ideas panel. It included some interesting news bits on Marvel Now, Avengers vs. X-Men and Marvel’s digital plans.
- [Senior Vice President of Sales David] Gabriel added that it’s possible that the $2.99 comics might contain [free] digital codes next, if the demand is there.
The Avengers vs. X-Men hardcover will come with a download code, and the Infinite Comics will appear in print in that hardcover.
[Marvel Entertainment’s Chief Creative Officer Joe] Quesada on Infinite Comics: “Infinite, to me, is a format of reading comics digitally that allows a comic to still be a comic while using the tools that are available to us.”
“I firmly believe that as comics evolve, the Infinite format, or a format like it, will be the way we read our comics,” Quesada says.
When Infinite Comics was announced in March 12, 2012, Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso described it as follows:
- “We call these Marvel Infinite Comics because the storytelling possibilities are, frankly, infinite. Writers and artists now have a whole host of new tools at their disposal to redefine the comic book medium.. Current tablets and smartphones, along with comiXology’s Guided View technology, allow us to develop new, full length stories for a different medium that are very much truly comics—but experienced by readers in a way no other major company has ever executed.”
So looks like Marvel is coverting its digital comics into print form.
Then the execs talked about Marvel’s AR app.
- [Marvel’s Communications Director] Singh explains that how it [Marvel’s AR app] works — launch the app on a smart phone or tablet, and unlock content when you see an “AR” logo in a panel of a print comic.
They’re showing the video of a doctor explaining what type of injuries Wolverine would have suffered after being kicked out of a plane, as he was in Avengers vs. X-Men #3.
Every issue #1 in the Marvel NOW! initiative will have recap videos on the covers, that new readers can check out in stores.
It would appear that the opening recap page will be replaced or be augmented with an AR cover app for Marvel Now. This seems like a good way for readers to catch up with the issue and make a decision to buy or not.
That said, I’m not that app literate, but I hope there is a plan to ensure this isn’t abused by readers. Last thing Marvel wants are folks to pop in weekly to their local comic shoppe and only read the cover app recaps. I’m all for experimenting with new digital distribution methods, but we need to do them in ways that protects retailers.
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