Comic book readers still prefer print over digital

WILMINGTON, Del. — Brent Williams is a hardcore comic book collector.

The Wilmington resident will purchase multiple versions of the same book, hunting for issues with variant covers, industry slang for one book with multiple covers. Some of the rarer covers become valuable collectors items.

Despite his passion for reading the latest releases from Marvel, DC and other comic publishers, Williams has eschewed the immediacy and convenience of reading his books on a digital device such as a tablet, iPhone or even laptop. Instead, he will make the weekly drive to his local store, The Comic Book Shop in Brandywine Hundred, to add print copies to his already massive collection.

"I will always go to the comic book shop until my legs give out," Williams said Thursday, as he was rummaging through back issue bins at the store. "Even after that, I'll find a way to get to a comic shop."

Williams' prefers comic books shops over digital downloads because store owners can recommend books he might like, he can discuss the latest developments with other fans and the print issues he purchases have collectors value, something that is lacking in their digital counterparts.

"There is a huge benefit to coming to comic book shops," he said.

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Williams isn't the only comic book fan who prefers the traditional print medium over digital. Although digital has forced publishers of books and newspapers to reduce their print runs, the comic book industry remains largely unaffected by the emerging technology.

After six straight years of staggering growth, digital comic sales dropped last year, according to data from ICv2, a website that tracks pop culture business trends. Digital comics sales totaled $70 million in 2012 and jumped to $100 million in 2014, but fell to $90 million last year. During the same period, print sales increased from $805 million in 2012 to $1 billion in 2015. That marks the first time the industry has exceeded $1 billion in print sales.

"When digital first came out, I thought it was going to crush us," said Bill Voigt, manager of Comicmania in Milltown. "It was surprising people didn't flock to it."

Digital comics offer many advantages over print editions of the same book. For example, fans can download an issue instantaneously anytime day or night, they can store all their comics in a small portable device instead of carrying multiple books to the beach or on an airplane, and some publishers offer discounts to readers who download digital copies. But none of that seems to have lured comic book readers away from their local stores.

"Digital is actually helping the comic book stores," said Sarah Titus, who owns The Comic Book Shop with husband Patrick. "It has exposed readers to newer content with free first issues, and then those readers come to the bookstore because they want to buy the rest of the series or find something similar."

Store owners and readers say customers are willing to sacrifice the ease of digital downloads in favor of the social interaction that occurs at the neighborhood shop.

"People don't come to the comic book shop just to buy comics," said Joe Murray, owner of Captain Blue Hen in Newark. "It's like Cheers in here. People come for the experience because they are going to have conversations at the comic shop they are never going to have elsewhere. And we tell you the truth. We will tell you a book is terrible."

Another concern for readers is some comic book art doesn't translate to a computer screen. Patrick Titus recalled a recent Batman comic book in which the titular hero was trapped in a maze. Readers of the print copy had to turn their issue sideways and even upside down to follow Batman as he tried to navigate the death trap. He said the same effect could not be replicated digitally.

Titus said the best thing retailers can do is embrace the opportunities presented by digital comics and the customers it will bring to stores.

"We don't see digital as competition because the industry is better off with it," he said.

Follow Jeff Mordock on Twitter: @JeffMordockTNJ