Overheard a kid at the comic shop say 'why would I buy a physical copy' and it got me thinking

I was flipping through the new bin at my local shop last Saturday when some teenager asked his friend that. In my experience, there's something about actually holding a comic, the smell of the paper, the little ads in the back, that you just don't get on a screen. I get it, digital is convenient and cheaper, I use it for some stuff too. But I wonder how many younger readers are missing out on that whole community feel of flipping through stacks in a shop. Has anyone else noticed a shift in how new fans consume comics versus the old guard?

2 comments

2 Comments

abbyc331mo ago

The same thing is happening with records and books, people want something they can actually hold.

gavin_clark1mo ago

People forget that beyond just holding something, there's a whole ritual with physical media. Taking a record out of its sleeve, checking the liner notes, finding where the needle drops - it forces you to slow down and actually pay attention, which is something streaming just can't replicate.