Two More Comic iPhone Apps: Sadly No DC

As I started looking at comic apps I began to realize there were no Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, or Justice League comics. DC comics is not on the bandwagon for the iPhone apps. Hopefully, as these apps become more popular, DC will jump aboard. I can hardly wait. Right now I think the companies are just trying to figure out the best format for their brand.

Comic Zeal is rated with 3 & 1/2 stars and cost $3.99. It has two categories in their library, Flashback Universe and the Golden Age of Comics. The golden age are comics that are in public domain from 1930 to 1960. There are many free ones, but you can also connect online to get more. However, you must be connected to WiFi to do so. The reader was difficult to use, however, Comic Zeal, has a cool feature. You can easily save a page to your photo album.

Panelfly

Panelfly is free and rated with 3 stars. I found it to be very slow loading. When I did try to load, I got a message saying I was trying to load a deleted issue. When I came back the next day, it was loaded. It does not work well on the 3g network. Works much better with WiFi. They do have some free samples. Some of the free samples just give you the first chapter then you have to pay for each remaining chapter. Most range from $0.99 to $1.99, however I found some for $6.99 and another for $9.99. The price is not listed on the graphic novels until you go to buy one. The app lists featured, top tens, and genres. You can also search. The reader is easy to use. Just tap for zooming in, move around the page, and slide to the next page. You can also view all the pages at once. Panelfly is working on a little different app for the ipad.

Bulking Up Little Mickey

Walt Disney bought Marvel Comics for $4 billion. It means more big bucks for Disney as they produce megahit movies with these characters. What does this mean for Marvel's stable of comic characters, Ironman, Captain America, Spiderman, Wolverine, and Spiderwoman? What does this mean for publishers like ABDO Publishing who publish the comics in Spotlight one of their imprints? These are hardbound with library binding. What does this mean to inner city libraries and the young people who cannot afford to buy comics, so they use the local library as their source?

Will Spidey be bringing the glass slipper to Cinderella? Will Mickey Mouse have to bulk up his petite frame, so he can marry one of the wicked stepsisters? Will Captain America knock off the wicked witch of Sleeping Beauty? Of course, Captain America doesn't have a weapon except his shield, so he will have to use a judo toss as a method of disposal.

It doesn't have to be negative. It can be a win-win for both companies and for libraries. Time Warner has owned DC (Detective Comics) since 1969. If anything, the movies produced have added to the mystic of Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Comics are more popular than ever. If you don't believe it, just checkout the growing graphic novel sections in your local bookstore. Five years ago these sections were slim pickings. In 2003 most city libraries did not even have a graphic novel section. Now they do. A student looks forward to a movie coming out. They go to see it, and they want more. This merger will mean an upswing in books kids want to read. That is the core value. There need to be books kids want to read to propel them to proficiency in reading. Hopefully, more books will be produced and many of those books will be in library binding.

DC Comics: New Titles

Stone Arch books has come out with 12 new superhero titles to go with their other DC Comic titles. The addition of these new titles make a 24 volume series of DC comics available to students. Some of the titles will not come out until 2010. All are full color crossover chapter books for those who enjoy the DC graphic novels. Reading level is grades 2-3. Interest level is grade 3-6. They have 56 pages and a character education theme. If the comic features are not too watered down, these may make a welcome hook for the reluctant reader. All are in library binding. Superman, Batman, Robin all make a great addition to any elementary school collection. Stone Arch is an imprint of Capstone Publishers.