Just Stay at Home

After finding out that the Jimmy Olsen backup in Action is already available online through iPhone and iPod apps I went ahead and downloaded the DC Comics app for my iPod.

I've always been the type to eschew the "digital comics revolution." I like my floppies just fine, thank you. But I've been looking forward to the Jimmy Olsen feature and I found that I just couldn't wait. And seeing as it was free I had no reason not to check it out.

Let me say that I was presently surprised by the format (I'll get to the content in a minute). The app is pretty well streamlined and I was easily able to find the Jimmy Olsen feature by tapping on the "free" tab. From there it was easy to download it. I wasn't sure how the digital comics would work, but there was an answer to that as well! When I tried to open my downloaded comic I was asked if I would like to see a short comic on how to read the comics.

Curious, I allowed it and was stunned to find that Superman himself would be my guide to the world of digital comics. What an age we live in. It turned out to be pretty simple; I tap on the right side of the screen to advance and the left if I want to go back. I discovered that the app was by default set to zoom in to panels automatically as a sort of "guided tour" of the comics. I was a little leery about that at first.

But in the long run it worked out quite well. It was actually quite a treat in some cases, as it hid other, surprising or revealing parts of the comic from my sight until I got to them. I still don't think I want to give up the experience of seeing the whole page at once, but reading comics on my iPod will certainly make for a nice side trip when I'm on the run.

As for the content of the the feature... They had me from "that time I was a genie." Though the comic is very modern in its sensibilities it still has that core of wackiness that made all those old Jimmy Olsen stories so fantastic. If things continue in this direction for the story it'll make for one hell of a comic.

Before I go I should say a quick word about the introduction of Chloe Sullivan. Apparently Chloe Sullivan fans (hardcore fans) are kind of... I'm not sure what word I should use. Did you know they paid for a commercial in honor of Allison Mack to commemorate her part in Smallville? That's dedication. Though I've seen all of Smallville up to this point and am a fan of the character, I don't really have anything to say about the comic version. She's not the same Chloe Sullivan after all -- and I didn't expect her to be.

Just like any number of transfers from one media to another, this version of the character is going to have to stand on her own. In time we'll see if she can do that.