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Digital comics threatening retail stores just like the internet versus dead tree newspapers is a false comparison. At least so far.

Recently, a bunch of comic shop retailers got together at the ComicsPRO annual meeting. They got together to chat about the usual: diamond’s order caps, price increases, boys.  Marvel was there too. They were of particular interest to the direct market stores with Marvel’s push into digital comics.  Marvel offers both free and paid access to a selection of comics.  Many of the comics become available online soon after they are published and sold at comic shops.

Initial impressions about Marvel digital domain was its threat to the brick and mortar. Their price increase to $3.99 had many stores reducing sales orders down to just what they know they can move, and passing on back-issue stock levels. Marvel’s digital offers may be more of an attempt to makes up for lost sales from their largest customer group (comics shops). It can also be argued that Marvel want a piece of the direct market pie, and the steep price increase is a consequence of that. But that’s just tin-foil hat speculation.

So far, Marvel’s response to retailers has been that offering digital access pushes customers to retail stores. Scans_daily—after being shut down by Marvel’s legal department—made a similar argument of defense; reading online for free drove them to stores with their wallets. As of yet, no retailers have been able to back up s_d’s claims.  True or not, if Marvel’s interest in doing anything online is to increase sales (which stands to reason), then how its many intellectual properties are used is just as important as where they appear.

So are comic shops in danger of losing customers to digital comics exclusively? There are already customers who do this through Marvel or the torrents. But the chances of Marvel’s digital venture being the next iTunes is, so far, unlikely. For one, iTunes Music Store isn’t owned by one single music label. Apple came up with iTMS as a solution for music labels who were failing at going on their own, just like Marvel is doing now. So Marvel, DC, Image, Boom, etc. would have to come together through a single single online purchasing system for their readers. Not only that, customers would expect to purchase comics, not just access.

The only company that comes close to being able to offer this service is Amazon. Amazon’s Kindle, where customers for several hundred dollars can purchase books through Amazon only and only read them on Kindle, is the console model by way of gaming platforms like Playstation, Nintendo. So far, it’s just black and white (16 hot shades to choose from!), and doesn’t currently support the Giant-sized X-men Annual. So Kindle isn’t the answer, yet.

For iTunes, the answer so far has been through motion comics. Motion comics aren’t quite cartoons, aren’t quite read-along adventures either, but DC and Marvel were excited enough about them to make a few Batman, Watchmen and Spider Woman motion comics for purchase in iTMS (to be offered later on dvd). iTunes doesn’t currently offer any sort of book purchases through its store. Why should they? The iPod isn’t a book reader like the Kindle. For that, you just need to wait a few months.

When Apple’s book-sized iPod touch comes out, that will most likely be the nail in the coffin for print newspapers as they currently exist. For comics, however, they may be less reticent to jump in all the way. Losing a small percent of their print readers to digital downloads may affect the bottom line in a way that drives up the cost to printed comics or worse, limit the number of titles altogether.

Also affected by digital comic runs are the writers and artists. Currently, they get residuals for their works. Every time a comic shop puts in an order for another batch of a recently out-of-stock trade paperback or graphic novel, part of that sale goes back to the creator. Proponents of digital comics who equate the industry to music and movies should consider the recent writers guild strike for this very reason.

Are digital comics inevitable? Yes. Is it doom and gloom for your favorite local comic shop? Maybe.

DC Comics and Marvel Comics (excuse me, I mean Marvel Entertainment) should start considering lower price points for shops, both online and analog. Just like comic shops need to be accessible to all customers (as in not scary closets with bad carpeting), comics need to be accessible as well. Like, maybe the paper itself doesn’t have to be ridiculously expensive, or maybe the content should be more age appropriate for readers with smaller pockets. Need some more input? Ask some comic shops. Showing up once a year at ComicPRO and getting some feedback isn’t enough. Neither is just following them on twitter, but it’s a start.

Perhaps the biggest saving grace for comics is the fact that they are beautiful to look at. Music may have audiophiles dropping coin for the best headphones and movie buffs buying the best Blu-Ray players and highest HD resolution displays, but comics can’t be enhanced with better equipment. All they need is story and ink.

There is a reason why vinyl records are still being made; people still want them. I’ve never owned one, but I’m told they are a lot better than mp3s.  My friend, Angelique, especially loves them.  She’ll trek to her favorite local music store to purchase them. That’s why when Radiohead’s In Rainbows album came out, I opted to get the super deluxe version (comes with two vinyl records, two cds, and a digital download of the first disk) so we both could listen to it. She knitted me a cap (it was an x-mas gift exchange sort of thing).  Neither the mp3s or the vinyl records compared to seeing them in concert, of course.

Chris Williams is the webmaster of Zeus Comics and Collectibles and wrote this article on papyrus.