Like it or not, the comic book landscape is changing. Fading are the days of scrounging up loose change from underneath the couch cushions in order to buy the newest #1 comic book at your local store featuring a special hologram cover! Instead the trend seems to be moving toward accessibility and convenience when it comes to consuming your favorite comic book adventures. Enter the digital realm. It’s no secret that we are on the dawn of a battle between print media (comic book issues, trade paper backs) and digitally downloaded versions of those same books whether they are pirated off the interweb, purchased via online markets such as Comixology, or downloaded off independent websites. What is a comic book nerd to do with all these tug-of-war options? Well, if you were to ask comic book writer Brian K. Vaughan (SAGA), I think he would say to just try them all!
Vaughan along with artist Marcos Martin (DOCTOR STRANGE: THE OATH) and colorist Muntsa Vicente (ELLA MAGAZINE) have embarked on a journey together experimenting with a new way to distribute a comic story while at the same time treating audiences to a wonderful now comic series with stellar art and storytelling. The aforementioned project is called THE PRIVATE EYE and it is something that deserves our attention. The series will be available as a digital download only via the creators website Panel Syndicate and readers can pay whatever they think is fair to get the content. That’s right, you can pay nothing or anything to get access to these stories, but the future of the project depends on us nerds shelling out at least a few bucks to keep the series running. Sounds pretty great to me!
Check out this brief synopsis to see what the THE PRIVATE EYE is all about:
It’s a detective story set in 2076, when everyone in the United States has a secret identity. Our protagonist is a member of the paparazzi, outlaw private investigators who dig up the kind of personal dirt no longer readily available through search engines. It’s a mystery with lots of masks, but no superpowers. We know how the story ends, and we think it will take about 10 issues to get there.
The first issue of THE PRIVATE EYE was released in March 2013 and garnered enough success (and money) for the creators to continue their experiment and release #2 earlier this week. I have paid, downloaded, and read both issues so far and am enjoying the series very much. Vaughan is in top form here giving readers an interesting story full of mystery, action, and intrigue complimented by the beautiful art by Martin and Munsta. No one is slacking here. Since the creators are selling the series themselves, they are free to do whatever the hell they want. There are no ads and no filters for violence, sex, and language. It’s a wonderful thing really. I highly recommend you head on over to their site (right now!) and check this project out.
You can download issues #1 and #2 right now at Panel Syndicate.
Hopefully, with our forces combined, we will be seeing THE PRIVATE EYE #3 sometime next month so stay tuned to their website!
In the San Francisco area looking for your next comic book fix? If so, Check out MISSION: COMICS & ART. They’ve got you covered!
