I have been a big reader of comics for years. It is a hobby that was picked up from my dad, who has been reading 2000AD from the very first issue as well as X-Men, Spiderman and many others.

I love comics and graphic novels - especially the latter - I love the way they look, the way they read, the storylines, the characters, even the way they feel. There is something quite special about holding a new comic or a graphic novel in your hands and flicking through the pages. So, as an almost life-long comic reader, should I, and everyone out there like me, be worried about the growing popularity of eComics?

The short answer is no...

eComics are never going to take over from regular comics and graphic novels, in exactly the same way that eBooks are never going to stop publishers printing the real thing. There are far to many people out there like me, and quite possibly you, who just love having the real thing in their hands too much. The publishers would not be that stupid.

However, if they were and if they did, I say now that it would not necessarily be the worst thing in the world to happen to comics. I have had an iPhone for just over 2 days now and the Marvel, DC and Scott Pilgrim apps were some of the first that I downloaded and they are truly fantastic. Better than I could have imagined.

Each comic has been designed perfectly to be read on the phone, it is not a case of just flicking over page by page, the comic actually interacts – it is dynamically designed to draw you in. Take, for example, the Marvel or DC app. As you flick from cell to cell, reading the dialogue and marvelling at the beautiful images, you will notice that sometimes you will only be able to see some of the cell, maybe with one character close up with a dialogue box. As you swipe again to move the story along it pulls back, revealing the rest of the cell and more dialogue or action. It is so smooth, so slick, that it takes comic book reading to a new level.

Another example? Try the aforementioned Scott Pilgrim. At one stage we see the titular character in bed. His phone rings “RIIIING”. But we don't just read it, the device you are holding joins in – the vibrations shoot up your arm. The next cell, the phone rings again “RIIIIINGY!”. Once again we get a shot of vibrations from the phone. I challenge anyone not to love that.

The downside to eComics, and eBooks, is the price. Why would you want to pay £3.50 for an eComic when you can pay £3.99 for the real this which will never get deleted off your harddrive? I recommend the eComics, I think they are truly amazing, but still struggle to push the “Buy Now” button. Maybe soon I'll overcome that money-spending-phobia and, when I do, I know I won't regret it.

In conclusion. I think it is safe to say that we are not witnessing the death of paper comics. Instead we are simply seeing a new and exciting branch that will take the genre into new levels of interaction and involvement. Bring it on!