Nov 14 2007

The Second Issue

Brian!

Atomic Robo #2 came out today. You should pick it up.

4 comments | posted in comics

Nov 13 2007

It Has Begun

Brian!

Marvel just opened a digital distribution service. It’s not quite what it should be, but I suppose they’ve got to figure out for themselves that the internet isn’t there to destroy their business.

Things to Fix

  • Get rid of that Flash interface: no one likes to use Flash, it causes slow down, there’s an excellent chance it won’t completely or correctly load for a significant number of people, a lot of folks have Flash blocking browser plug-ins for a a reason, it increases your bandwidth, and the interface is never as clever or intuitive as your designers will think it is.
  • Clean up those JPGs: you don’t need to give us super high print quality resolution, but you’ve got to make sure all your crazy fonts are readable.
  • Dump that registration reminder: that thing’s a great way to turn off a million potential subscribers, good work.
  • Get better servers: the thing is unusably slow right now, but hopefully that’s a result of so many people checking it out on release rather than by design.

    • Things They Got Right

  • Price point: $5/month at the annual rate is just trivial enough to make it worthwhile.
  • Good quality scans: could be better, but they’re much better than Marvel’s previous foray into digital distribution.
  • Selection: nice variety of titles and eras, A+

    • 4 comments | posted in comics, technology

    Nov 12 2007

    “The radiation that made them big.”

    Brian!

    Scott finally saw Buckaroo Banzai this weekend. I’m not sure how he went all these years without seeing it, but I’m glad he did. Our partnership no longer feels like a lie. When I have to tell newcomers what Atomic Robo is, I say something along the lines of, “It’s like the Ghostbusters and Buckaroo Banzai teamed up with a robotic Indiana Jones.” And, I mean, really, if that’s not the kind of thing that grabs your attention, then Atomic Robo is not the comic book for you. I met one such person at the signing for #1. I felt an intense sorrow for that gentleman. It was like encountering someone who’d spent a lifetime deaf, dumb, and blind in the mud — someone to whom civilization, love, and joy were hideous strangers.

    Atomic Robo #2 comes out this Wednesday. Newsarama put up a brief review not that long ago while Geeks of Doom gave it a big thumbs up. Here’s a four page preview straight from Red 5 Comics so you can make up your own mind.

    This one marks the debut of some of our Action Scientists. Think of a world where your basic Doc Savage story was more like a documentary. It’s a world where certain men and women of science operate on the fringe of human knowledge and have to occasionally take up arms against, well, it’s giant marauding insects in this issue.

    2 comments | posted in comics, movies, nonsense