VHS?

Not really a POLL to see who does what but just wondering if you guys prefer the new digital age of comics.
I have tried my share of digital but there is just something about having the physical copy in hand that I can feel and touch as I read. I even sometimes smell the new releases. Something about newly printed paper

I will admit that at times, having a digital copy for "on the go" is worth a lot. You can't just take a bunch of books with you on a plane or even on short vacation. Nothing can beat having your tablet loaded with the latest releases when there are no stores around.

Do you guys do a mixture of both. Strictly one or the other.

kodave

I don't buy single issues or digital comics. Strictly trade for me, and usually in deluxe formats where possible.

If those 13 inch tablets had proportions that were comparable to the deluxe edition 8 x 11 books or 8.5 x 11 standard paper (I think they might need to be closer to 14 inch screen sizes), and they were actually affordable, I would consider going digital. But right now I think those kinds of tablets are $500+. I'm just not comfortable reading comics on my 15 inch laptop screen (I've tried - it's not helpful the screen is basically oriented the wrong way for comic reading), and the basic Kindle Fire I have is too small for reading comics properly (but prose books are fine). I need that tablet in the right size to really get the full effect of the comic book medium.

The other thing is the price of digital comics. I would personally only pay $1 an issue for a digital comic. But I don't know if the industry could survive with people paying $1 an issue if everyone switched to digital. Right now that pricing isn't there for most digital comics unless there's a sale. Especially from the big two. You're paying the same amount as you would for a printed issue, which is a joke. Plus, ownership is a concern for me. I want to OWN that file forever with no restrictions without it being tied to DRM. I'd maybe consider paying a little more per issue if it was guaranteed I could re-download it whenever I wanted (as opposed to Amazon's music setup where you get one shot at downloading it and that's it). Unless a company was providing an in-house Netflix type service with their complete catalog available, I'm not paying a subscription fee. Marvel's service is still spotty and has gaps.

Until then, I'll keep buying trades which end up being cheaper per issues than buying single issues, and which I can own almost forever and read comfortably in larger size and format than digital.

I suspect one day the technology and pricing will get to where I want them to be, and at that point I'd probably go mostly digital. It would be great for space saving reasons. But I'd still probably hold onto my Absolute-sized books.

Xiroteus

If all companies get on board I'm fine with digital downloads (I want to own it) I do like hardcovers as well yet digital saves a lot of space if any type of collection is wanted. And being able to store a rooms worth of comics in something the size of a deck of cards is appealing.

I'm also not comfortable with full price so digital needs to be on sale for me to look at it.

Trevor

I'm sure I'll blather on more later, as comics have been my main hobby for 40 years, but just some quick comments on Dave's price comment.

$1 per issue has pretty much always been my maximum price point, for physical or digital. I've only been into digital for about a year now, but have been able to accumulate more than 8000 books at an average of well under a buck an issue. Between freebies, coupons, sales, and bundles, there is a lot of content available cheaply. I don't own every book I'd want to on Comixology (I ever will since I want pretty much every comic every written), but I have been able to get much more than I can keep up with, and much more than I thought possible when I first discovered digital.

Since my tastes are varied and my patience is high, I can wait for sales and don't need to buy my favorite titles each month as they are released. It will be on sale eventually. Either on Comixology, or in a humble bundle, or people selling their digital codes, etc.

davidh777

I rarely buy single issues and only buy digital when it's really cheap. However, I rarely get around to reading them so it's really not a deal at all. And the retailer/publisher ends up laughing at me because it cost them nothing.

I don't like reading on my computer, and reading on my phone is only for when I have nothing else to do. Maybe if I had a tablet I'd test out the experience and see if I like it.

I was packing for vacation and was limited in what I could bring. Lazarus 2? Too short. Infinity Gauntlet omnibus? Too heavy. Going digital makes a lot of sense--I got the wife a kindle because she always brought a stack of books on vacation. But it's not there for me yet.

I can always redownload from their music player software.

rocket1312

I had done a year of Marvel Unlimited a couple of years ago back when you could only view on a computer. I was into it for about 2 weeks and then never touched it again before the year was up. I recently resubscribed and the Android app (while kind of buggy) makes it much more palatable. I don't even have a tablet, but I've been stunned at how much I've become accustomed to reading on my phone. I will probably try to pick up a cheap tablet at some point for no other reason that to read comics.

Marvel Unlimited is perfect for me because it's super cheap and I find that I have little to no interest in re-reading the majority of stories. It's much better than buying monthlies and letting them sit in a box in my basement. That said, I don't actively follow the industry anymore and so I'm not bothered by not being able to read stuff when it's brand new. My interests lie almost completely in older comics that I never read before. I do wish Marvel would fill in some of the gaps they have in their older titles. The big guns are mostly all complete, but I'd love to read stuff like the Defenders or Master of Kung-Fu (which will probably never happen due to licensing). All that said, I do love the oversized hardcover format and will still purchase those for stories/runs that are important to me.

VHS?

There's just something about having the physical medium in my hands.
I have a few tablets and have tried several apps and they are good, but I just need that comic book in my hand.

I dont have too many trades but I do enjoy them for the fact that anything I have not read (Walking Dead. Yes, I am one of few who have never picked up a copy!) I love that I dont have to scour to find back issues or pay high prices for them.

I would love for digital to go by way of PCB INFEX. I just wonder if back issues could be done at a profit. Who knows if even current comics could be profitable. It may have to go by way of trades to get certain amount of issues at a cost per VOL. app to make profit. But I bet they could with the interaction this type of media gives the viewer.

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PhantomStranger

Like most on here I greatly prefer physical comics. I will read digital comics if there are no other convenient options. As someone mentioned, digital comics are great for something like a trip. I have a very tough time paying much of anything for digital comics, however. I'll spend thousands on actual hardcovers and comics but I still think the digital comics business is in its infancy.

I really don't know what I'm buying other than a temporary reading license when I get a digital issue. Maybe the companies can sucker younger consumers into believing that digital comics should be priced on par with paper comics.

majorjoe23

At this point you can actually own almost everything except Marvel and DC books (I think Dark Horse still has DRM, but I would be surprised if that doesn't change soon).

But based on your name, am I right to assume most of your purchases would be DC?

PhantomStranger

For new issues? It would be DC. I enjoy all of Marvel from the last century.

malazar

I use both. Since I stopped buying individual physical issues a few years ago, I had become a "wait for the trades" type person but with the prevalence of digital that has even changed.

For a lot of stuff, I find myself buying digital issues when stuff goes on sale on Comixology, Dark Horse or wherever else. Thanks to Trevor for always pointing out the deals! For some series, I just use my Marvel Unlimited membership to read stuff that I don't otherwise feel the need to own right now. Since I was used to waiting for trades, the six month delay doesn't bother me at all.

The primary physical stuff I buy these days are the big omnibus editions, Absolutes, and Deluxe edition type stuff that actually feels like it has some sort of added value to it either in content or just due to having the oversized art. I seemingly place an order at instocktrades almost every week.

resinrats

For the question of price of the digital books, it would help to know how much it costs a company to produce the comic & how much do they get profit per issue. I know comic stores get a discount off cover price & then there is Diamond who has to make money. Printing company has to make $$. So for an comic priced $4/issue, how much does Marvel/DC/Dark Horse/etc. see?

So in theory, if the publisher were running a service, they should be able to sell the comic at that level since they are cutting out all the later middlemen before it gets to the customer. Since it is digital, it shouldn't cost any $$ to send out a copy. They do have to pay for the IT company running the service so I guess there is a cost.

I have never bought a digital comic since I like holding something physical in my hand. That can never go away is handled properly. With a digital service, the company might go under so there goes any comics I would buy if they are kept on the company servers. If I bought digital, I wouldn't want to pay cover price. Price would have to be at least 1/2 cover especially if it is glorified rental.

slop101

Well, I don't have a tablet, and I certainly don't like reading comics on my PC.
Though I would take digital comics over floppies, but I still prefer over-sized hardcovers, such as Omnibuses and Absolutes over anything else. You can usually get those at a 50% discount, which makes them far better deals, per-issue, than floppies, which are the biggest rip-offs going. Just the fact that floppies have ads keep me from wanting to buy them.

fujishig

The question I always bring up when this discussion comes up: so what do you all-physical copies people do with all the floppies, and all the tpbs, and all the hardcovers? 99% of the floppies won't retain any value and become a hassle to go through and give away, and there comes a point when collecting via collections also becomes cumbersome. That's my main reason for going digital.

Like others, there are some things I'll collect in big omnibus editions or hardcovers, but at this point they usually have to be very well reviewed/thought of or something I've read and know I'll enjoy re-reading. Every once in a while I'll get roped into something; I bought that Marvel UK-reviving Revolutionary War trade, mainly because I like Captain Britain and have some fond memories of Marvel UK, and I don't think I'll ever read that again.

I also wanted to get back into monthlies and started preordering the new Teen Titans run... I don't have my first issue yet, but it doesn't sound promising.

If there were some viable monthly renting solution, I'd do that, but as it is it's too much storage for me to pick up stuff to try and then find out that I don't like it. Or pick up stuff that I'm only moderately interested in when I have such a backlog of stuff already (heck, I'm like four volumes behind on Hellboy Library Editions).

The one exception I've been making is for kids comics for my kids. I've begun getting the kids DC pack on DCBS every month so that we can read a physical copy together. Even though they're as pricey as most other comics, I treat them as almost disposable, like I treated my comics when I was a kid... I don't force them to put it back in bags or anything. What I've found is that when trying to read together on the iPad, there's inevitably something else they want to do on the iPad...

PhantomStranger

I stopped getting monthly issues years ago. It's almost all trades, hardcovers, and omnibuses in the present. They do take up space but I haven't hit the point where I consider it a problem. I don't feel the need to keep up with every series and crossover anymore, or even stay current with the latest issues.

fujishig

In some respects (and I apologize because I've said this numerous times on this forum), the new 52 "saved" me from my obsession with floppies and keeping up. I had switched to the trade on Marvel because they started collecting everything. DC was not, at the time, collecting everything, and I like the DC characters more anyway, so I kept collecting issues until they rebooted and I lost interest. I started getting some tpbs of the new 52 but they take so long to come out that I again lost interest. Ironically, if not for them having digital sales, I doubt I would have read much of the new 52 at all at this point.

Marvel Unlimited has almost eliminated my need to even buy cheap digital copies to read for Marvel series too...

And yet, I'll still double and triple dip for stuff that I really like. I have all of John's JSA run in floppies but I'll spring for the omnibus. I have all of Abnett and Lanning's GoG in trade, but I'm tempted by the digital sale.

VHS?

Like I did in the '80s, once they start to stack up and take up too much room, then I trade, donate or rare occasion, sell for a small price to get new stuff.
Comics aren't worth anything unless it's a particular hype for a first issue or variant. Other than that, it's a personal choice to collect because they have little monetary value than what you paid for it.

Like I posted above, I would love to see comics go not only motion (already do) but voice overs as well. Then I would be 100% digital.

slop101

I have shelves where I keep them, like a nice library, and since they're hardcovers with spines, they look nice and not like a collection of magazines.

If your goal is to "retain value", don't buy comics, invest in land or stocks or pretty much anything else. Buy and enjoy the comics you like, and consider that your "investment", not resale. You'll be happier for it.

madcougar

If you had asked me a few years ago, I would have said physical copies or nothing at all. But... as I've run out of space, digital has quickly replaced physical. There are still a few books I continue to buy off the shelf, but the vast majority of my reading today is on my iPad. I've started to sell huge chunks of my collection actually because I've embraced digital. I turned 44 this year and for the first time ever, I came to the realization that if I die, someone is going to get stuck with all my shit. Better I leave 10 long boxes and a handful of silver age keys than 40 long boxes. Been buying silver age keys with the money I've made. Pretty happy with my decision.

fujishig

At least for me, it's not just that they don't retain value, it's that often they have no value at all, like it's cheaper for me to go throw it in a landfill than actually find someone willing to take them kind of value.

One of the reasons I like the hardcovers is that they line up nicely, which is why it drives me crazy when they switch formats, sizes, and cover dress. Ugh.

PhantomStranger

I think they purposely switch formats and sizes to annoy collectors. I don't think there is a single fan that enjoys the array of differing sizes and trade designs.

Supermallet

I'm almost entirely digital now. The convenience of having potentially thousands of comics on a single device is wonderful, and I've read much more since I only have to pick my tablet up once and can read for hours without having to switch issues/trades. It's also saved me a ton of physical space, which is great because I like my living space to be as uncluttered as possible, and my bookshelves are already full. With the quality of new comics, I have no problem zooming in to see more detail if I need it, and while an iPad may be slightly smaller than the size of a printed comic, it's not a bother to me (an iPad Mini would not be okay for me though).

I have been getting the physical copies of the new Sandman miniseries and the reprints of Miracleman, but those are exceptions.

BGPu

I'm mostly buying trades and hardcovers these days. But as long as single issues are costing $3.99 and up with a "free" digital copy, I'll be buying those. Paying $3.99 for a digital copy that gets me less than a physical comic seems dumb.

Why So Blu?

Right now, I'm all digital. I will buy the occasional hardcover collection but I can't remember the last time I bought one. I usually stick with the library when it comes to collected editions of stuff.

VHS?

Physical + Digital for $3.99 vs. Physical for $3.99 is an eye opener for sure these days.
Especially since we get so many damn ads in the physical copies these days. 8 full pages in most.

I love having the physical copies not just because reading them is a bit easier for me (guess it just takes some getting used to) but it's just cool having the copy in hand. I feel I can enjoy the art better. I would love to go digital at some point though to avoid "hoarding" but I haven't found the right reader for my tablet that gives me an experience of excitement. Maybe I haven't found that reader but all I see right now is a simple swipe reader. I guess most would say that's all you need but I also think there should be "features" that draw you in that make an experience.