The Comics Duo Era

Apple's foldable smartphone the iPhone Duo debuted barely a week ago, but plenty of digital comics platforms already have updated iOS apps for the new form factor, including Neon Ichiban, Sweet Shop, and Panels (shown below). That may seem premature for an ultra expensive device that has yet to prove its longterm stickiness (let alone success), until you consider that history could be repeating itself.

While the Duo won't be as impactful as the debut of the iPad back in 2010, it could be just as important to comics.

Why? For starters I expect the Duo to increase the number of people reading comics on smartphones, as well as remove a lot of the stigma that comes with it – much in the same way I would never consider watching Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey on my phone. (Even if I was trapped on an airplane with no other form of entertainment.) I don't feel that way about comics, but also can't remember the last time I read one for fun on my non-foldable phone.

"The Duo is the first device since the iPad that looks to bring more joy to digital reading," Neon Ichiban CEO David Steinberger told Weird City in a statement. "It's a great size for two-page manga and I'm excited to read on it myself."

Speaking of, manga readership in particular is worth watching, as the U.S. trails far behind markets like Japan despite a considerable effort from digital comics startups over the years. Could the Duo be the missing catalyst needed to activate similar hunger for manga content? Maybe, though anything getting people to read comics has a snowball effect (driving even more comics reading).

As I've often explained, tablets and phone apps are often part of an overall reading experience – one that often extends to print books, too. That is definitely true of comics. But reading them on a smaller device has always been something that seemed crazy to me, at least until the arrival of panel-guided modes. Lots of people do it regularly, especially those with long commutes via public transit. And there is legitimate hunger for it when you look at strategies from the two biggest publishers. We see that with Marvel's embrace of Webtoon to manage its official digital subscription app, as well as DC's recent crossover event with its vertical and mainline titles. However, translating traditional comics to vertical-scroll is often done haphazardly, as we previously pointed out with the translation done for Astonishing X-Men. Now that there's actually a device intended for a two-page experience, it begs the question of whether such adaptations are really necessary.

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