Everything has been going digital these days. Face it: For better or for worse people are moving towards an all digital future. Sure it costs people jobs but this sort of thing saves natural resources. As such publishers have been looking for ways to sell comics and manga digitally. So far people have resisted such attempts, but a new application for the iPhone could be the source the publishers are looking for. Right now there are tons of apps for iPhone users, but the creation of ComicZeal (and other similar programs) is proving to be a very effective way to not only sell comics, but to read them as well.

I tested out the ConicZeal program reading one of my all time favorite comics: “Bone” by Jeff Smith. I read the whole first book in the nine volume series. So what was my reaction? Reading the comic was far more simple then I ever anticipated it to be. Reading “Bone” you got the cover...

...of which directly afterwards I was able to read the comic panel-by-panel...

...and this made for very easy, very simply reading. Yeah the comic was in color (I prefer “Bone” in black and white), but the bottom line was that this was hassle free. Plus there was a very attractive price point: $1.99 for the app, $9.99 for the first volume, and $0.99 per issue (for those who want a sampling of the series first). Plus there were no ad’s to be found. If companies take advantage of this they could make comics cheap and accessible once more ($2.25 for a twenty page comic with ad’s is pushing it for many people). Better yet, if ad’s are incorporated into the series they can give sample issues away for free. The ad’s pay for the service, and if the customers like what they read they can pay for additional issues. Of course, not all comics read like “Bone,” and so your millage may vary depending on what you buy. For example reading “Full Metal Alchemist” on the iPhone...

...was a bit more of a hassle due to the fact that I had to scroll the page to read the whole thing. Since tapping the screen went to the next page this resulted in several problems I didn’t really need. Plus the chaotic boxing manga takes may work on paper, but digitally it can become a mess. Two page spreads and panels that are in the shape of triangles come off looking truly hokey on the iPhone, so I think the primary source to get manga will still be books. Other comics look good on iPhone, but...

...well, the way they are presented you may as well be reading them in the book. Though there are initial bugs on the apps - like the fact that each player has a different set of rules in terms of viewing and pricing - if companies play their cards right this could be something that really revitalizes comics. It also opens up the door for independent artists to make getting their work out to the public easier then ever. Plus reading the series panel-by-panel will erase the problem people have with accidently reading a few panels in advance of where they are supposed to. I’m a conservative so I’ll be sticking to paper, but I have to admit that the future of digital comics looks far more feasible and intriguing then ever before.