You know, just once I would like to be able to write an article about digital comics without having it be relatively obsolete just one or two days later.

Yes, I realize that this is rarely something to complain about, but I am selfish like that.

Today’s news, broken by the always wonderful ComicsAlliance, is a big one: starting in January, Marvel will include codes for free digital copies in every new comic in their Ultimate Comics line. These copies will, of course, be polybagged to prevent people from stealing the codes.

And guys? I think this is an incredible idea.

This should not come as a complete surprise, considering that I advocated this exact move to DC back in June. But if it does, because who the hell is weird enough to pay attention to my opinions on things, I’ll explain why I think this is such a good idea.

At a basic level, I think that pairing physical and digital copies whenever possible makes sense. I like buying some records on vinyl, for example, but the reality is that most of my listening occurs digitally away from my apartment. While I’m sure many would make the argument that in this case, piracy of a digital copy could be justified, offering a complementary digital copy removes any need to go to a torrent site and end up helping people who aren’t buying any copies by seeding it for them. A free, legal digital copy sends a reader to a legal source of cheap digital comics instead, just like free digital copies of music or movies send people to those respective legal sources.

Why do digital copies matter? Even as someone who likes physical copies, they’re not always convenient. I don’t always have my physical comics with me. In fact, I rarely do. But if I’m out, chances are I have either my iPhone or my iPad, and those have comics apps on them. It lets me read comics I love whenever. A digital copy isn’t just convenient for me, either; it lets me show someone a great comic I’ve been reading (and I am quite loving the relaunched Ultimate Line) right on the spot instead of just saying, “Oh hey, you should check this out,” which is subject to the horrible risks of memory. Miles Morales is cool? BAM. Hell yes he is, see for yourself, why don’t you. Most of the comics I’m able to recommend to friends, I do by showing it to them instead of just talking about it. Enthusiasm might get them to look, but having a copy there lets them. Hell, maybe I’ll give away some of my digital codes just to get people properly hooked.

And like I said back in June, the fact that these free copies are directing readers to a digital storefront is huge, too. Because do you know what digital storefronts have? Things you can buy. You give a person a code for a free digital comic and they’re hitting a comic store for the second time that week. A storefront with regular sales and features that are incredibly enticing, and I say this as someone who dropped $40 in 5 minutes on the DC Comics app because they sent me an email saying they had Wonder Woman comics on sale. In a week where I had already spent $80 at Brandon’s store. Done right, a free digital comic is like giving someone some meth to try and then going, “Oh, you like that? Well I have good news for you!” Except more moral, maybe.

I spend a lot of money on comics, you guys.

A complaint that’s come up now and again is from retailers who feel like digital comics are being used to push retailers away from stores. As ComicsAlliance reminded me in their article today, when DC offered the option of Justice League #1 digital combo packs, some retailers got pissy and refused to stock them except as a special order. To be fair, they still offered the regular copy, and since Marvel’s Ultimate announcement affects all copies, retailers don’t have much of a choice, unless they want people being forced to go to their competitors to buy a Spider-Man comic. Marvel’s execs say they included retailers in the development of this initiative, and I hope that’s enough to generally placate stores, because here is an uncomfortable fact:

Digital comics are here. Pandora’s box is open and it’s not going back. As soon as someone figured out how to scan comics and put them up for free download, digital comics sales were an inevitable response from publishers. It’s just responsible business on publishers’ parts. And complaining about it will do nothing except suck up your valuable time and energy from running a successful business. Some people say digital comics will ruin small retailers. It won’t. As Brandon has opined, it will ruin bad comic book shops. I agree. Why don’t I think digital copies, in particular complementary digital copies included in paper copies, will drive shops out of business? Because they’re still buying a physical copy of a comic. These are people who are current customers of a shop. If you can’t keep them, especially considering day-and-date comics are generally the same price as print ones, I honestly don’t think that’s Marvel or DC’s fault. Brandon keeps me as a customer despite the fact that 80% of the comics I buy are now available day-and-date digitally because he is friendly and makes good recommendations. Hell, it is the whole reason we became friends in the first place. I read a lot of the comics I read directly because of him; a friendly smile and a “Oh dude, you have to check this comic out, trust me!” is something that only a retailer can give me. I honestly think most existing shop customers will stick around if their shops are good to them, and if a shop is good, they can even land digital customers who want to buy a hard copy of something and just walk in off the street. There really isn’t anything disastrous to worry about unless you’re actively bad at your job. Good retailers can come out ahead if they do things right. I don’t think retailers are owed anything by publishers, either, but that is a whole other article.

I am excited about Marvel’s announcement because it gives me more options as a customer. I am worried for my bank account because it gives me more options as a customer. There are still some issues to work out - I can’t remember if purchases in Marvel’s app are mirrored in the main Comixology one yet like DC’s are, for example - but they are minor ones and overall, I think this is a great announcement that should simultaneously benefit customers and not rock the retailer boat too much. If they can thread this needle, I hope they’ll see positive results and move forward. I don’t think we’ll see free digital codes in all physical comics in the near future, if ever, because a rack full of polybagged issues that readers can’t flip through is a terrible idea, but after the company’s small step backwards earlier this week, this is a very encouraging move forward.

Plus, and I can’t stress this enough, I told you so.