How many years before all Marvel comics go digital only?

[Marvel Forever]

There have been rumors now for a few years that eventually printed comics will become a thing of the past. I wonder how long before Marvel makes such a move. They are already pushing their Marvel Unlimited Library of digital comics and many or most of their new comics are also available online. What do all of you think? How long before Marvel does away with paper comics?

[Snoop Dogg]

When we're dead, when a global catastrophe happens (a much worse one), or when we're all dead because of a much worse global catastrophe.

[Force de Phenix]

This would affect comic book shops, like Amazon affected every other shop on main street. That said, Amazon is here and those shops don't exist anymore and no one cares. I don't know how much people would really care after comic book shops close.

With the current situation moving everything online, and with a loud group of people begging for movies to go straight to streaming, I could see print going very soon. Paper comics is 100% nostalgia and collections. Think of how many people buy DVD's to how many people watch Disney Plus, Netflix, and other streaming services.

[Nazrel]

They'll probably keep trades around; single issues though?
Given the current circumstances, they might be gone shortly.

[Ying Ko]

I say this or next year. Physical trades and digital single issues is the way forward. That's just the way it is now.

[ciscostudent561]

Stopped buying single issues years ago.
I only buy digital and TPB when I have too.

My only issue with digital is not having them with a recognized universal file type (ie .mp3, .jpeg) that allows portability and easier offline management.
I can't stand how everything is going cloud, and offline access is just basically cached access to your media, if that. No thank you, I want my files and a recognized offline reader.

[Will Evans]

They won’t outlive this decade. That’s for sure.

[Personamanx]

Single issues should probably go digital only at some point. Monthly print periodicals has only been selling worse, and worse over the last Fifteen years. Even mid-level selling comics might not be worth printing month to month at some point. Aside from not wanting to give Amazon a bigger slice of the pie, and wanting to support comic shops there aren't many reasons to not go digital exclusive with most titles.

Naturally, if you want print you wait for the collected editions. Book sales have been steadily growing in the last few years, and TPBs have been doing very well at bookstores. When people say comics are doing well, it's because of bookstore sales of collected editions and original graphic novels.

I mean, I'd be surprised if any comic stores succeeded on the strength of monthly issues alone. It's more likely they're trapped in a cycle of only just breaking into the black every month.

[ciscostudent561]

one other note is I think its a good thing for comics that single issues are going away.
"#1 frenzy" has been a thorn in comic medium's side for decades. Fake enthusiasts buy #1's in hopes that years later it will be worth alot so companies keep pumping out "#1's" because fans keep buying them.

There's nothing wrong with month to month issues. Unfortunately with characters that almost have a century of continuity being tossed around in multiple different serials at the same time by different artist, continuity and character consistency has become a sham. A character may grow in his own individual series but 3 months later in a different run by a different artist that same character is back to who they used to be, or worse is a caricature of his worst form.

[Captain M]

Not anytime soon, when they do go digital it'll be because comics no longer gather half the interest they do now. We have reports that digital sales only amount about 10% of the industry sales and I've spoken to a writer about how supporting a book digitally doesn't help keep it alive as much as buying physical does.

So yeah, they'll opt to go full digital instead of completely stopping comics, whenever that may be. That's my prediction.

[ciscostudent561]

I've spoken to a writer about how supporting a book digitally doesn't help keep it alive as much as buying physical does.

that makes like no sense to me. if its digital, you have less overhead. No printing charges or distributor. Aren't they only selling online thru comixology now?
My point is if all sales went digital or at least 90%, I just cant imagine it harming the bottom line in anyway.

[Personamanx]

that makes like no sense to me. if its digital, you have less overhead. No printing charges or distributor. Aren't they only selling online thru comixology now?
My point is if all sales went digital or at least 90%, I just cant imagine it harming the bottom line in anyway.

Amazon eats a substantial (but I believe undisclosed) percentage of the money for each digital sale. It appears to be enough that even with the cost of printing, and distribution a physical product still makes the publisher more money.

[ciscostudent561]

Thats just hard for me to believe. No one would make money off Amazon if it was that bad. I just think they aren't making the digital sales they need to to replace the physical copies, YET. But if the next generation, or current generation doesnt start going digital in terms of purchasing they will be forced to if they want to keep reading comics

[Digifiend]

Not anytime soon, when they do go digital it'll be because comics no longer gather half the interest they do now. We have reports that digital sales only amount about 10% of the industry sales and I've spoken to a writer about how supporting a book digitally doesn't help keep it alive as much as buying physical does.

So yeah, they'll opt to go full digital instead of completely stopping comics, whenever that may be. That's my prediction.

And what % is trades? The problem that often happens is publishers not waiting to see how trades do before cancelling a book. The sales figures we see on Comichron only cover comics shops and not bookstores and mail order, so the figures there look much, much lower than the truth. Do trades actually outsell floppies?

[Grapeweasel]

How long until they perfect the Flying Car and the Sex Android?

Then I would just fly around with my Sex Android and my Digital Comics......