Seems like David Steinberger and Chip Mosher are going to remake ComiXology through magic or science, as the duo has announced a new digital comics service, Neon Ichiban. And while this new service will be an extension of their company DSTLRY, it will also include on launch comics and manga from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, DSTLRY, Kodansha, Oni Press, and Vault Comics.
“Neon Ichiban is more than a store—it’s a platform devoted to bringing reading and collectability to a united global audience for comics and manga,” Steinberger said per ICv2. “This is the next evolution of digital comics. We’re empowering fans with access, control, and engagement—and providing creators with tools to directly connect with their audience like never before.”
Like DSTLRY, which focuses on both digital collectibles and high-end print editions, it seems like Neon Ichiban will also be bringing a cross-media view of the industry. While the site is in waitlist mode right now, it teases that in addition to same-day releases from major publishers, they’ll also offer a digital comics marketplace where you can buy and sell your own comics, a chance to get comics “signed” by creators, and the ability to read comics “online or offline, and download a local copy when publishers opt in.” So yeah, there’s a fairly large digital component here that is whispering “NFTs” but at the same time, Steinberger and Mosher have built up enough trust in the industry that this is almost definitely not a fly-by-night operation. Probably.
This is also another big shot in the Digital Comics Wars II… With ComiXology integrated into Amazon and suffering from a fair amount of flak (though the Originals publishing program is, unequivocally, good), there’s a space for a good digital comics publisher. Global Comix is the market leader right now, while Sweet Shop, which is debuting later this summer, seems to be leaning more indie, with Image Comics and IDW announced. In fact, it’s notable that those two publishers aren’t announced for launch with Neon Ichiban, so perhaps we have a new cold war on our hands.
Ultimately, the platform with the best reading experience, the widest array of comics, and comics that are available, and the quickest release dates will “win.” In the meantime, it’ll be interesting to see what features break out and get copied, because that’s how this works!
No launch date for Neon Ichiban has been announced, but expect to find out more at San Diego Comic-Con.
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