At San Diego Comic Con, CNet reports, Dark Horse has announced it will be publishing Star Wars comics digitally, going along with its other digital comic selections. It currently has more than 50 Star Wars comics available purchase through its on-line store at digital.darkhorse.com.
The comics will cost the same as other Dark Horse digital comics, with most priced at $1.99, some at $1.49, regular $0.99-per-comic sales, and several free issues, said Jeremy Atkins, Dark Horse’s director of public relations. "This represents a game-changing moment in our digital program as we bring not only one of the most recognized Dark Horse properties, but one of the most recognized franchises in the world, to digital."
The site also offers some bundles, such as a 5-issue series for $7.99.
I wonder how long it will be before individual comic issues stop being published in print at all? Phil and Kaja Foglio found it more economical to stop publishing printed Girl Genius comics altogether in favor of posting a webcomic and selling graphic novels (and novelizations). As the recent spate of movies (including Captain America, which I just got finished seeing) shows, it seems as if comic book properties may be making more money now as seeds for making movies than as ink on paper. And if the sales of ink on paper fall far enough that it is no longer worth the money to print them…well.
Seen in that light, DC Comics’s frequent start-all-over-again revamps start to take on an air of desperation. “Maybe if we do this, we’ll sell more comics? No? Well, what about this? Or maybe this?”
