In late April, comics publisher Dark Horse announced it was celebrating its two year digital anniversary. The company made available 50 free #1 issues during a 48 hour window period, allowing customers to check out the various properties. Free is often a very compelling reason to read, and Dark Horse proclaimed that over one million comics were downloaded.
Dark Horse currently publishes Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity, Hellboy, Avatar, and Mass Effect, as well as exclusive digital-first series, such as Falling Skies, Prototype 2, and Dragon Age. The main intention behind the two year anniversary free comic program was to draw attention to its iOS and Android apps as a way to buy and read comics.
“The success of our digital promotion illustrates the growing reach of digital comics, which we believe are an important element in the recent resurgence of physical comic book and graphic novel sales,” said Dark Horse’s president and founder, Mike Richardson.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
