DC Digital First Expands Slate Of Titles And Goes Daily While New Comic Book Day Moves To Tuesday

Now here’s a development in the ongoing soap opera that is comic book distribution. DC Comics have just rolled out a digital-first level-up with DC Digital First  going to give readers new comics every day of the week. That’s every day, seven days a week. Although, they have been offering digital-first content for quite some time with titles like Injustice: Gods Among Us, DC Comics: Bombshells, and more recently Batman: The Adventures Continue. What’s new is the volume that’ll they’ll be offering and, I dare say, the concern that this could well be testing the waters for more of this kind of distribution, although for now they are reassuring comic books stores and fans that this isn’t the case.

DC Chief Creative Officer and Publisher, Jim Lee adds:

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. 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

Although, when you read the fine print you’ll see that all the content (at the moment at least) has all been previously published in their DC Giant books that are freely available in Wal Mat stores and comic book stores in recent months too. So, there is that to consider too before casting any judgements. Time will tell, I suppose, but for now I’m remaining optimistic as someone who doesn’t read the DC Giants. And, if like other DC Giant content, these new (to digital distribution) comics are then repackaged and sold at comic book stores, then I’m in! It’s the only way I got to read Tom King’s take on Superman in Superman: Up In The Sky comic book and Batman by Brian Michael Bendis in Batman Universe, and that seem to work. Maybe, just maybe, this could too.

Here’s the list of titles DC Comics have posted on their website today, Monday April 20th:

The first week of DC Digital First titles 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. These series are new to DC Digital First, having previously been exclusive to DC Giants.

And, like other publishers before them, DC Comics are also offering free online first issue to dip your toe into called DC Essential Reads, with 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 available now from participating digital retailers, including ReadDC.com, Comixology, Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and more.
So, in summary, DC Digital First is all content previously published while DC Comics’ floppies distribution and therefore new comic book day now moved to Tuesdays. Hmm, I wonder if Marvel, Image and others will follow suit, or will we get two new comic book days a week?
More as it develops.