Well, this is interesting. Although Dark Horse sells its periodical comics exclusively through its own app, and has never been available on Comixology, they’ve just signed a deal with Sequential, the stand alone graphic novel app—making it the first the first third-party digital comics app to distribute Dark Horse. UPDATE: Todd Allen has reminded me that Dark Horse GNs were available for a while on Comixology a few years ago but aren’t any more.
Books available include three Blacksad titles, the first Hellboy, several books by Bryan Talbot, and Gilbert Hernandez, the first Mind MGMT, the Fifth Beatle and other choice stuff. Here’s the complete list:
THE AMAZING SCREW-ON HEAD, Mike Mignola
THE BEST OF COMIX BOOK, Various Artists
BLACKSAD
BLACKSAD: AMARILLO
BLACKSAD: A SILENT HELL Juan Díaz Canales, Juanjo Guarnido
CHERUBS Bryan Talbot, Mark Stafford
CRAVAN Mike Richardson, Rick Geary
DE: TALES Fabio Moon & Gabriel Bá
FAGIN THE JEW Will Eisner
FATIMA: THE BLOOD SPINNERS Gilbert Hernandez
THE FIFTH BEATLE Andrew C. Robinson, Kyle Baker, Vivek J. Tiwary
GRANDVILLE NOËL Bryan Talbot
HELLBOY: SEED OF DESTRUCTION Mike Mignola
MIND MGMT: VOL 1 Matt Kindt
RESET Peter Bagge
SIN TITULO Cameron Stewart
SPEAK OF THE DEVIL Gilbert Hernandez
Mark Bernardi, Dark Horse’s Director of Digital Publishing, said in a statement, “We are very excited to be working with SEQUENTIAL. The app is terrific and their commitment to presenting the best in graphic storytelling mirrors our own. Given their editorial focus and large user base outside the US, this new relationship will help us reach thousands of comics readers who may not already be familiar with Dark Horse, or might know us only for our many successful titles based on licensed entertainment properties.”
It’s certainly a strong launch — almost every one of those titles deserves a spot in any digital comics library (If you’re looking for a place to jump in can we recommend Cameron Stewart’s very underrated Sin Titulo.)
Many observers have faulted Dark Horse’s resistance to expanding to other digital platforms outside their own as a hindrance to getting more exposure. Sequential is building a strong library of top notch material, some in bonus “director’s cut.”
It’s going to be a year of digital expansion and experimentation, that’s for sure.
No Android app until late 2015 at the earliest? No desk top app at all? That is pathetic.
“making it the first the first third-party digital comics app to distribute Dark Horse”
I guess you’re not counting Amazon/Kindle as being a “comics app”, but Dark Horse’s books have also long been available digitally in that market in addition to their own app.
Does Nook count? There are 811 titles available there.
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