A Comic Giant Just Changed the Way Fans Buy Comics Forever (Exclusive)

Digital comics platform Neon Ichiban unveiled a major upgrade that will be a game changer for the industry.

A powerhouse player in the comics’ scene has just changed the way fans buy comics forever. The last 15 years have seen an explosion in the popularity of digital comics, and with this newfound popularity came new ways of buying and selling them. Platforms devoted exclusively to selling digital comics, such as Comixology, quickly rose to the top.

In 2023, David Steinberger, one of Comixology’s founders, teamed with Chip Mosher, another veteran of the digital comics field, to create DSTLRY Media, and this provided the spark for a new platform called Neon Ichiban. When Steinberger and Mosher put together DSTLRY, they envisioned new ways for fans to engage with digital comics. For the first time, fans could resell their purchases, as well as get digital remarques from creators. These unique features quickly set Neon Ichiban apart from their competitors, and established them as a major player in the industry.

Recently, Neon Ichiban rolled out a massive upgrade to their service, called “Neon Ichiban 2.0.” New features were added, such as digital signatures and other methods of creating a one of a kind collectible. These new additions further set Neon Ichiban apart from the crowd. Now, hot on the heels of Neon Ichiban 2.0 comes the next iteration: Neon Ichiban 2.5, and ScreenRant is pleased to bring fans a first look.

Neon Ichiban 2.5 is Here, and It Looks Great

Neon Ichiban Has Rolled Out Some Truly Impressive Features

This week, Neon Ichiban announced “Neon Ichiban 2.5.” Arriving just eight weeks after 2.0, Neon Ichiban 2.5 adds more cool features to the mix. The first, and perhaps most unique of these is the “creators commission,” in which fans can have writers and artists sign their books, as well as get original sketches. Billed by Neon Ichiban as the “world’s first 24/7 artists’ alley,” the creator's commissions are truly innovative. Of this feature, Neon Ichiban co-founder Chip Mosher had this to say:

Not every fan can travel to a convention, and not every creator can spend weeks on the road. Commissionable Remarques remove the barriers that have always separated creators and fans.

Neon Ichiban’s creator commissions also give writers and artists additional sources of revenue.

Collecting comic books is a community-based hobby. Fans gather in shops and conventions to buy and sell comics and debate over their favorite characters and stories. Neon Ichiban recognizes this, and has created new community features, such as custom reading lists. Users will also have a chance to log and show off their collections. Mosher’s colleague, David Steinberger, likened it to a “Letterboxd for comics,’ saying:

Comics have always been social. People swap recommendations, argue about endings, and help each other figure out where to start. We wanted to bring that same energy into Neon Ichiban. Now your profile, your lists, and your reviews all live alongside the books themselves, making it easier to share what you love and find your next great read.

Series’ pages will also be streamlined in Neon Ichiban 2.5.

Finally, Neon Ichiban will begin rolling out new apps to further enhance the reading experience. After a successful private beta test, a public beta app for Android operating systems is now available. The company is also proudly debuting a desktop reader for Macs, that consolidates entire libraries of digital comics. Of this, Steinberger said:

Comic fans have spent years building digital libraries from publishers, Humble Bundles, Kickstarters, and countless other places. We believe there should be one place where all of it comes together.

The Mac app is invite-only at this time. It is also worth noting that the screenshots provided here are for illustrative purposes, and the actual site may be different.

Neon Ichiban Is Revolutionizing Digital Comics

Digital comics are here to stay. Their appeal is due to a variety of factors. The first is convenience: fans no longer need to worry over how to store their comics, as digital titles are kept in the cloud. Digital comics are always available to purchase and read, and can be a vital lifeline to people who do not live near a comics shop. Digital comics have also allowed for greater possibilities in archiving classic books and making them available to readers.

The trick now is to make the digital comics experience better for readers and fans, and Neon Ichiban is doing this with their new upgrades. Digital signatures and sketches for comics have the potential to be game-changers for the industry, as will the Mac desktop app. Neon Ichiban was founded to revolutionize how digital comics are consumed and purchased, and its latest round of upgrades are doing just that, putting the site in a class all their own.