After leading the way with new issues available digitally on the same day they hit stores, DC is once again looking to lead the way in the digital comic book arena.
DC Entertainment is launching two new digital initiatives to give readers the chance to enjoy the adventures of their favorite DC heroes and villains.
The company is launching DC2, which plays on the company name and stands for “Dynamic Canvas,” and adds interactive layers to digital comics panels.
It’s also putting into motion DC2 Multiverse, which puts a “Choose Your Own Adventure” spin on a digital comics and allows readers to select characters, storylines and plot and navigate multiple outcomes.
The first comic unveiled with DC2 will be Batman ’66, based on the 1960s TV show. For the Multiverse stream, Batman: Arkham Origins, based on the upcoming video game from WB Interactive, will lead the charge.
Both titles are based on properties slightly outside the core comics realm and on IP that is popular in other mediums. That is by design. DC hopes that launching the initiatives will broaden readership and bring in new fans.
“We think we have a deep relationship with our core fans, but different consumers are looking for different experiences. The casual fans, the fans from other media, are those that may be most interested in purchasing digital stories,” DC president Diane Nelson says.
DC not only offers its comics digitally day-and-date as the hard copies, but it also has a “digital first” business plan where specific stories are published for the digital sphere and only sometimes collected in printed collections.
The new initiatives follow surprisingly strong numbers on the digital side. That side of the business grew 125% from 2011 to 2012, the company said, and so far this year digital sales are up 35% over the first quarter of last year.
