DC is expanding their Digital First program by offering Daily DC Digital First, digital versions of the stories previously serialized in the DC Giants, which are sold at WalMarts.
Ever since this all began, I’ve kept saying to folks “You know, what I would do if I were Marvel and DC? I would start running digital comics. Like the old Spider-Man and Batman newspaper strips. Give people new content to keep the pilot light burning – and print collections for shops when all this is over.”
Well this isn’t quite that…yet….but it is more digital content for readers. The first title, Superman: Man of Tomorrow, is available right now at Read DC.
In addition, DC is expanding their free first issue program, DC Essentials, with more free digital comics.
“Comic book fans want more access to content than ever before,” said Jim Lee, DC Chief Creative Officer and Publisher in a statement. “This strategy is intended to get daily content to fans immediately, and also to ensure that when comic shops open back up for business, they will have new content and product that their customers will want. In the meantime, we will have properly stoked and protected the demand for comics, keeping fans interested in our characters and stories.”
The titles being published digitally include Superman: The Man of Tomorrow by Robert Venditti, Paul Pelletier, Drew Hennessy, and Adriano Lucas, Batman: Gotham Nights featuring a story by Sal Giunta, Brad Meltzer, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Alex Sinclair with a second story by Larry Hama, Mirko Colak, and John Kalisz, Wonder Woman: Agent of Peace by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Inaki Miranda, and Hi-Fi, Aquaman: Deep Dives by Steve Orlando, Daniel Sampere, Juan Albarran, and Adriano Lucas, Flash: Fastest Man Alive by Gail Simone, Clayton Henry, and Marcelo Maiolo, DC Super Hero Girls: Infinite Frenemies by Amanda Deibert and Erich Owen, and Swamp Thing: New Roots by Mark Russell, Marco Santucci, and John Kalisz.
But these digital editions are additive to the still MIA print comics, Lee emphasized. “I really want to stress that regularly scheduled and solicited print comics, traditionally available on Wednesdays, will continue to be available day-and-date digitally on Tuesdays moving forward,” added Lee. “On the other hand, DC DIGITAL FIRST comics will be released seven days a week, with a strikingly different trade dress that will distinguish these titles from physical versions.”
DC ESSENTIAL READS will be available on your favorite digital platform until June 8th with free first issues including: Watchmen #1 by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Batman #608 by Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, Scott Williams, and Alex Sinclair, The Sandman #1 by Neil Gaiman and Sam Kieth, Dark Nights: Metal #1 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, Doomsday Clock #1 by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank, Crisis on Infinite Earths #1 by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, Mister Miracle #1 by Tom King and Mitch Gerads, and more.
Platforms where all this is available include: ReadDC.com, Comixology, Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and more.
Here’s a gallery of the first issues with the digital trade dress.
At $1 each, I can see myself reading these. It would be great if DC could add Shazam! (Ordway), Kamandi (Giffen), and some big-name creators (and Amanda Conner art) too. Bendis, King, Derington, Kubert all had nice Walmart series. Maybe the bigger names are working on the rumored Batman Black & White series.
Absolutely! Yes, all these originals in the Giants could absolutely be digital first, then put in the Giants, then collected if there is high interest in a paperback later. From all that I have read of them, they are mostly above average in quality. And they are good 12 to 20 page, no baggage type stories.
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