DC Comics’ digital reading platform DC Universe Infinite is getting an upgrade this week with new functionality that makes it easier to read Japanese-formatted manga comics. The new reader, available through the web, iOS or Android versions of the DCUI application, orders the panels and pages from right to left, as they were originally created for the Japanese market, giving fans of manga the authentic experience they prefer.
This may seem like a curious investment for DC, which has published western-style left-to-right format comics and graphic novels since the 1930s and is not known as a source for manga in the American market. According to the company, the main titles featured in the new reader are three storylines published under license by top Japanese publisher Kodansha, which are being made available to American readers (in translation) for the first time in both print and digital format.
The titles are Joker: One Operation Joker (written by Satoshi Miyagawa with art by Keisuke Gotou), Superman vs. Meshi (written by Satoshi Miyagawa with art by Kai Kitago), and Batman: Justice Buster (written and illustrated by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi). Each brings a distinctly manga sensibility to the iconic characters from DC, and all are available digitally exclusively on DCUI.
According to the company, this new feature and content will be available to all paid DCUI subscribers immediately, regardless of subscription tier. In addition to the Kodansha titles, several current manga titles available on DCUI will also be converted for compatibility with the new reader, including all three volumes of Batman the Jiro Kuwata Batmanga and Batman and the Justice League Manga, plus the complete Batman: Death Mask.
The digital upgrades, which were first announced in February at a presentation to retailers at the ComicPRO conference, go live on July 11. Mark Sherman, VP of Digital Products & Audience Engagement for DC, demonstrated the product functionality on a call with press last week, and emphasized the features that make the new reader compelling for “snackable” (short form) content in the manga format.
Though only a small portion of DC’s current digital catalog is appropriate for the manga-style reader, the investment and announcement of this feature suggests that manga – which has experienced triple digit sales growth in North America over the past decade – may have a bigger place in DC’s publishing plans moving forward.
DC Comics is a subsidiary of Warner Bros Discovery.
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