Weekend sale on digital Angel comics

Haven't read any of the Darkhorse Angel comics? Buy a few digital copies this weekend for sale here and read in your browser or on your apple/android device.

They're not as good as the later Darkhorse comics, but they're still a entertaining read.

PS. Issue 15&16 belongs to a Buffy/Angel crossover so don't buy them unless you can read them together with issue 29&30 of the original Buffy series.

Darkhorse app for the win.

So, I ranted about how hard it was to read the digital Buffy comics on a laptop's webbrowser in this post, but now I've tried to read the Spike comic on a my sister's iPhone(3?) and my mom's iPad2, and it works great, because unlike on my laptop, I can zoom gradually in and out as I wish, and scroll over the pages. No need to squint at fullscreen version on a web browser, since the fullscreen is much more fitting on the iPad. The zoom function is still there(needed on the iPhone but not the iPas where fullscreen works just fine) but it doesn't cut off any text. The difference between reading on a app on a iPhone/iPad and in the web browser on my laptop is huge. I'm suprised they don't make that more clear.

I hope they get a app for Android phones soon.

Since these great news came, that the comics will be available the same day they come out in print, I'm much more excited about digital Buffy comics than before. Even though I do have to read them off my mom's iPad. I really wish I had the patience to wait for the tradepaperbacks, but I don't. So this way I save money on import fees and shipping. I do plan on buying the single issues one day as well, since I want to own a copy of every version of every comic(except every cover of every issue), but I could do that years from now, when they're sold cheap on ebay.

Buffy comics goes digital

[Since this post, I've tried using the app instead of the webbrowser, and that worked much better. Read it here after you've completed this post.]

Darkhorse has finally started to fill their digital store with more Buffy & Angel comics. Read the statement and release scheduele here.

But don't get too excited. I was lucky enough to get a code for the 8 page Spike comic, but was disapointed to find out that I had only two options of viewing it; full screen or zoom option. It doesn't sound bad, viewing the entire page on my screen means that the text is too small (might not be a issue with bigger screens, obviously) and when I use the zoom option, the entire panel isn't shown. I can't scroll up or down, which means the upper and lower part is cut out, which is really bothersome when text gets cut out. I end up having to view the entire page to get an idea of the page, then zoom, read the words in the speech bubble, then zoom out and view the entire page to figure out which words I missed out on. I tried to use the web browser to zoom in, but no luck, the comics stayed the same size.

I asked Darkhorse about this and got this answer:

Me:
I have a hard time reading the online comics. When I look at the entire page, the text is obviously to small to read, but when I use the zoom function, I only see part of the panel and can't scroll up or down to see the entire panel, which sometimes mean I can't read all the worlds. Am I missing a function and can in fact scroll?

Customer service:
Thanks for emailing us. Currently the only viewing options are full-screen and panel zoom. Full-screen can feel more like reading a print comic, but you are right that the text can sometimes be too small - especially depending on your screen size. Our development team is working on ways to improve this, on the website as well the DH app. I have forwarded your feedback to them, so they know the types of options our customers are looking for.

Thanks again, and if you have any other questions feel free to reply directly to this message. I'll be happy to further assist. :)

So, before you go ahead and buy the Buffy comics, register to darkhorse digital and read a couple of the free comics first, to see if it's the option for you. And if you could be so kind to e-mail Darkhorse about this, in case you're as bothered as me. I've waited for this for a long time, since I usually buy the comics from ebay.co.uk, which means that those sellers add some on the price (they usually cost from 1-4£), then there's the shipping costs. I was very disapointed when I first read the Spike comic(excited as well, since it was a great comic to read, even though I had problems with the format), and even though a big part of me wants to read the newest Buffy, Angel & Faith comics right now, I'd rather wait until I get the print versions in the mail, so I can read them without straining my eyes.

The joining of the verses.

According to statements from both IDW and Darkhorse, the Angel books will return to Darkhorse, while seemingly making many IDW comics canon, by coordinating the Angel series and Season 8's storylines.

Read Darkhorse's statement, and IDW's statement.

I am so happy. It seems like this will canonize a huge part of the IDW books, and once again join the two verses.

I hope we will find out exactly which comics are canon and which are not. This might seem silly to some people, but I really care about which stories are real, and can be "added" to the history of the character. Because I really want to know these characters, what they've been through, what they feel, and why.

I'm so happy that it seems like the verse have grown in just one day, making what some people can "glorified fanfiction" into the real deal. I hope I'm not getting too excited too fast, since canon hasn't even been mentioned, just that the storlines will be coordinated, but it sounds like it will canonize them, doesn't it?

I can't wait for Season 9. Season 8 hasn't turned out the way I hoped it would (The Twilight arc makes me sick) but now I'm really excited for whatever will happen in the next run. And I don't even like Angel as a character!

I wonder if Willow will meet Illyria and find out about Fred, and maybe about Giles not wanting to help Angel in Shells. Oh, the potential drama. And it will be nice to see if Xander have learned to behave around Angel now, and not to give Buffy shit over having dated him. It's not like Xander hasn't dated a redeemed demon himself.