Marvel to animate comic action with AR app
Kerplow! Splat! out of your phone's screen
Marvel has jumped on the augmented reality bandwagon with an app that brings panels in its paper comics to life on a handset's screen.
The company is pushing hard to move into the digital age through a modernisation process it calls 'Marvel ReEvolution'.
The first part of that process is the app, Marvel AR, which aims to complement a paper comic with additional supplements. Each issue will feature around eight panels that spring into action when viewed through a smartphone.
This gives the publisher the ability to bundle DVD-style extras, such as editors' views and artists' impressions, with each of its releases, it said.
The app will also see characters come to life in 3D, jumping out the page to wow those who are easily impressed.
The second part of ReEvolution is the launch of a series of digital-only releases called Marvel Infinite Comics. These will be available to readers through the Marvel Comics app when they buy a physical or digital issue of the standard comic. They'll also be sold separately as a download.
The Marvel AR app will hit smartphones for free on 2 April.
The first comic to make use of AR will be Avengers versus X-Men #1, which goes on sale on 4 April. The Marvel Infinite Comics range launches around the same time. ®
COMMENTS
Easily impressed
"The app will also see characters come to life in 3D, jumping out the page to wow those who are easily impressed."
Comic in attempt to appeal to its target demographic shock.
"wow those who are easily impressed"
Once again we get a usage of a new tech that is no better than the train coming into the station that panicked people who first saw a film back when film was invented.
Could someone please do something USEFUL with this 3D malarkey that we are incessantly being subject to ? Like, I don't know, use it to forward the STORY or something, instead of just adding to the special effects department ?
I know, I'm asking too much. Sorry.
Re: Marvel AR
And, if you can't get it to work, you'll probably need this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKv5ulewTO4
High tech but....
No matter how slick things look, you need more than that; a little appeal goes a long way too.
And quite frankly I wonder if they can ever match the success of cartoon series such as 'Spiderman, the animated series' (1994; 5 seasons) and "X-Men" (also 5 seasons). These series are even being enjoyed today while a lot of the more modern cartoons seems to lack quite a bit of appeal to make things last.
Just my 2 cents though, for all I know I could merely be showing my age here ;-)
