ComiXology veterans and comic publisher DSTLRY founders David Steinberger and Chip Mosher have a new digital comics and manga venture, Neon Ichiban. Designed to transform how fans, creators, and publishers connect on a unified platform, Neon Ichiban sets a new standard for discovering, buying, reading, and collecting digital comics and manga. Neon Ichiban is a new online destination for global fans’ weekly comics fix, offering same day as print digital releases with an extensive backlist from all participating publishers.

The launch will include new weekly frontlist releases, iconic comics and manga runs from publishing giants including DC and Marvel Comics. Marvel Comics and DC will showcase extensive digital catalogs alongside additional launch publishers including Dark Horse Comics, DSTLRY, Kodansha, Oni Press, and Vault Comics, establishing Neon Ichiban as a one-stop-shop for global fans’ digital comics and manga needs. More participating publishers will be announced at a later date.

Digital comics fan have bemoaning the state of comiXology after its purchase by Amazon and have wanted competition, well here it is with major publishers at launch and more to come. Ichiban in Japanese translates to “number one,” “first,” or “best.” With that name, and their previous success, there’s a good chance this new platform easily reaches that position.

To celebrate the announcement, Neon Ichiban is offering fans who sign up for a pre-launch account here an exclusive, free digital collectible comic at launch.

WHAT MAKES NEON ICHIBAN DIFFERENT:

• All-In-One Digital Platform: NEON ICHIBAN serves readers and collectors simultaneously, offering same-day-as-print comics, manga, collections, and graphic novels. Single issues come in always-available standard editions alongside limited-edition variants and sketch covers for collecting.
• Customers in Control: NEON ICHIBAN gives you seamless digital control—read your comics online or offline, and download a local copy when publisher enabled. Purchases can also unlock exclusive on-and-offline perks.
• Signed & Sketched Collectibles: With participating publishers, readers can turn their owned digital issues into one-of-a-kind collectibles with digital signatures and Remarques from top creators. These unique items can be treasured or resold with provenance intact.
• Secondary Marketplace: Fans can buy and sell owned digital comics and collectibles from participating publishers, adding tangible value to digital purchases. Resales benefit publishers and creators.

For more information on Neon Ichiban and to keep up with the vast catalog of frontlist and backlist titles, with more content added weekly, sign up here.