I find myself looking at digital comics more often these days, thinking that I might want to take a dip into that metaphorical pool. Though I originally found no appeal in the idea, the concept has started to take hold within my mind. My first exposure to digital comics came when DC Comics announced The New 52. I saw that they were hosting an e-subscription service through Comixology, a digital comics business where you can purchase and read comics online, so I checked out the website. I found mostly back issues, some of which were from the dawn of DC and Marvel Comics, while others were from the past few years. I was reluctant to sign up because I did not really find a strong reason to get my comics digitally.

Another key reason I did not immediately fall for digital comics was that I enjoy supporting local businesses. I did not want to take the income from the sales of comics I purchase out of the hands of my favorite local comic book store. They have bills to pay and they work hard to keep me as a customer.

Things first started to change with the release of Justice League #1. I decided to pay the additional dollar for a digital copy of the book to accompany my print version. My thought process was if I can buy the book for $3 in print form, purchase it for $3 in digital form, or get both for only $4, the answer seemed pretty clear to me. Though I redeemed the digital copy of the book for Justice League #1, I still have yet to read it all these months later – I decided to read the print version instead. However, that purchase allowed me to dip my toe into the digital comic pool.

While further exploring the books available on Comixology, I found that some of the older issues that I had on my trade paperback wish list were available. I even purchased some of the first Batman and Detective Comics issues for only $1 when they were on sale. I have since read a few of the select free issues of comics that are available on the site. Issue #4 of Justice League was the first one that I read digitally before reading the print version, both of which were very similar experiences, though I especially enjoyed the panel zoom feature on the digital version, where you can get close-up views of individual story panels.

I typically read between 13 and 15 comic books a month, and I have noticed for some time that while I enjoy he stories, I do not really have a place to store the books. I really stated paying attention to which books I reference again, and which ones I read once and simply store away. I have become much better at letting go of things I don’t really need over the years, and I started to have a problem with storing comics that I would be unlikely to read again. While I could recycle the books, or spend the time to sell some on eBay for next to nothing, I started thinking more and more about purchasing some comics exclusively in a digital format to save on space while still enjoying the storylines of the comics. Just before Christmas, I got an iPad and liked the look of the comic pages on the iPad screen far more than on the PC screen. My views on digital comics continued to shift and that pool started to look like it could be fun.

Recently, I decided to evaluate the books I read and see which ones I enjoy reading in print format and which ones I could conceivably enjoy reading in a digital format. Some of the books I read came to mind as easy to shift to a digital medium for three reasons; most of the images fit within the panels so they will easily transfer to a digital screen without losing the look of the comic, I don’t have a strong desire to read the issues again later, and most importantly I still wanted to read the comic itself. I anticipate shifting to digital only versions of Batman & Robin, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern Corps, Birds of Prey and Aquaman.

I have also found that books with long story arcs that I may read again or reference when reading the next issue are best kept in print only format. Those books include: American Vampire, Swamp Thing, and Uncanny X-Force. While I want a book like Batman in print version for the reasons above, now that I can pay $1 more for a digital copy too, I plan to get both Batman and Justice League with both the print and digital options.

Just when all seemed right with my reasoning, I read the digital version of Batman #5 on my iPad before I read the print version. This comic is one that proves that digital is not always the best option. With pages printed sideways and upside-down, my iPad kept trying to re-orient the page in the way it believed was correct, only to have the print be too small to read or have me reading the words upside down. I had to put down the iPad and reach for the comic to get the most out of this issue so I could twist, turn, and flip the comic for the best reading angle.

Right now I cannot see a day when I will get all of my comics in a digital format, mainly because I like supporting my local comic shop. However, I also know that my fifteen comics a month are not putting my comic shop owner’s kids through college. I justify my shift to some digital comics with that in mind, as well as the fact that I will still be purchasing a majority of the comics I read from their store. Changes are coming, and rather than fighting the inclusion of digital comics, I think I might take a dive and see how I swim.