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DC Comics, one of the two biggest comics giants in the world, is getting upgraded for the TikTok Generation — vertically-designed, scrollable issues via a new distribution deal with GlobalComix and a new DC app.
The Big (Vertical) Picture: The TikTok-ification of everything — from Amazon shopping to Snapchat’s redesign to now reading DC comics — further illustrates that the short-form video app is the ultimate delivery method for any content meant to be engaged with on a smartphone.
Between The Panels: While DC Entertainment and Marvel Studios have been the reigning entertainment storytellers of the past decade, the share of actual comics being read has plateaued.
- DC Comics is putting 400 titles from its banners DC, Vertigo, and WildStorm on GlobalComix’s app ($7.99 per month), available anywhere in the world.
- GlobalComix has raised millions of dollars to create vertical editions of comics, employing “human storytellers,” per Wired, to make editorial decisions that don’t dilute the original intention of the layout.
- The titles, available on GlobalComix, will initially offer traditional page-and-panel titles, but following successful vertical releases of Vault Comics’ Barbaric and a Stranger Things comic, a transition to a vertical format is expected soon.
- Additionally, the company debuted DC GO! — a mobile-first platform through its DC Universe Infinite service — that will release exclusive vertically-designed webcomics of characters. The platform goes public on November 20th.
Closing Thoughts: DC knows that it’s time for a change. The South Korean mobile platform Webtoon, which brought vertically-designed comics to the mainstream, went public in the US this past June with a $2.67 billion valuation. Its target audience: young people.
That’s exactly the audience DC wants, especially as they show up around the block for new film and TV projects centered around Batman, Superman, and other characters. Considering how DC is trying to reset those titles under the leadership of filmmaker James Gunn, DC is likely hoping to reboot reading as well.
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