I know, I know, it’s been a long time since I posted a review to ESO. New, apathetic, and forgetful readers likely have no idea who I am. Allow me to reintroduce myself, I’m the author of the hugely popular (in my mind) and severely lapsed (in reality) Web Pick series. So why haven’t I been posting? I’ve been busy. It seems everytime I get near a computer I have the urge to delve into a new series or explore a new character…you see, my name is Grundy and I’m a digitalcomicsoholic.
It all started when I picked up a dead-tree issue with the the trojan horse of an included digital copy. Being unwilling or unable to turn down free stuff, I promptly downloaded said copy before reading its paper counterpart. I then had to run and left both my computer and comic behind. One greasy beef burrito later, I found myself on the john remembering that I had coveted reading material on my cell. I sat and I read. The experience wasn’t ideal. There will always be something missing when viewing frames one at a time on a small screen. I later reread the comic as God, or at least my comic shop, had intended–at home. By reread I should say that I skimmed. The story was consumed on the toliet, I really just came back to admire the art.
From then on I dabbled in digital comics. Full analog price for digital goods was never platable to me, especially when I could often get the paper comic and the digital comic at the same price or a dollar more than the digital comic by itself. At $3.99 I was faced with the iTunes opportunity cost of a comic that would provide entertainment for 10 to 20 minutes compared to a movie rental that would keep me occupied for at least a couple hours–not to mention the occasional four dollar game with daily replay value. I said to myself, “Self, I’ll only pay what digital comics are worth: $.99.” Continue reading →