The problem with this is that many comic shops don’t actually have a significant web presence, much less a full online retailing solution. These are the stores that stand the most to lose if the brick and mortar comics retailing apocalypse happens.
That being said, I’d be more than willing to support my local comic book store if they were a part of this initiative. There needs to be a way to combine both paper and digital comics sales in a sensible way for the consumer. I sure as hell ain’t going to pay a premium for a la carte digital comics.
“By having a ComiXology-powered store and reader integrated with our existing new and back-issue comics website, we will provide our customers with even more access to the comics they love while increasing their loyalty to us,” said Chris Powell, General Manager and CRO of myccomicshop.com. “Having seen comiXology’s Retailer Tools and Pull List services, we trust comiXology’s technology to help us thrive in a market where customers are interested in both print and digital comics. ComiXology will help us provide the one-stop shopping that customers are looking for. Digital comics can be a great tool for reaching out to new or lapsed customers, and retailers should not be afraid of this new format. Instead, they should look for ways to make the digital format complement their existing print business.”