In a statement accompanying the launch of the format, AWA explained, “Given the timeliness of the story and the limited access to get the physical copy at retail due to COVID- 19, J. Michael Straczynski & Mike Deodato Jr.’s The Resistance No. 1 will be the first of our stories to premiere in this new format, beginning with Part One this week. We are working to convert other AWA comics into a vertical scrolling format and will update you on their releases as they are available.”
The statement also says that concerns over piracy prompted the move. “We’ve also seen a large portion of our audience reading The Resistance on substandard pirate websites (over 10,000 views so far), and hope to give these viewers a superior free reading experience on mobile and desktop,” the statement reads.
