A Beautiful Gory Display — Kickstart Comics

Managing Editor Samantha Shear told us, “We think that these books appeal to both comic fans and a more mainstream buyer.”  It’s a smart strategy – it’s hard to get comics to the audience that’s not already buying then, and getting them into mass-market outlets is incredibly important.  People want to be able to buy everything in one trip, and that’s an uphill battle that traditional comic publishers have to fight.  They’re producing something that maybe one or two specialty stores in town is going to carry, which almost eliminates the possibility of casual readers.  And by releasing books that the comic shop audience will enjoy, they’re building an invested audience.  I’m going to tell people to pick up Hero Complex because I loved it, and hopefully they’ll listen because they can get it when they get their groceries or the new Call of Duty game.  If the books are available and the quality is high, it’s the best possible thing for the comics industry.