Kobo Turns a New Page

Adds Best-selling Titles from Dark Horse Comics

Nearly 100 titles immediately available for Kobo Vox eReader, with new titles to be added monthly

TORONTO, March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ - Comic lovers around the world, get ready to turn a new page. Kobo Inc. today announced an exciting new partnership that will see Dark Horse Comics' best-selling titles immediately available on the Kobo Vox eReader.

Dark Horse is one of the world's leading and most innovative comic companies, bringing readers titles such as Mass Effect, Star Wars, Serenity, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellboy and Sin City.

"All of us at Kobo are thrilled to be adding Dark Horse's amazing titles to our library," says Michael Tamblyn, EVP Content, Sales & Merchandising. "Based on strong visual storytelling, comics are a great fit for the eReading industry. This partnership truly marks a continuation of Kobo's 'Read Freely' philosophy, where we're dedicated to providing a world-class catalogue of titles suitable for any market."

With a seven-inch, FFS+ multimedia touchscreen, the Kobo Vox allows readers to experience a comic in vivid colour. Readers also can take advantage of everything from seamless page turns and automatic bookmarks, to outdoor screen optimization and an extra-wide viewing angle. Plus, the Kobo Vox makes reading more social through integration with 15,000 apps, including Kobo's own Reading Life, which lets users share their progress and earn awards for time spent reading.

"Kobo is the perfect partner for Dark Horse. Like us, they've established themselves on a basis of innovation," says Matt Parkinson, Senior Director of Marketing for Dark Horse. "We couldn't be more excited to reach new readers around the world with some of the most exciting and dynamic storytelling that our comic titles offer."

Starting immediately, nearly 100 titles from Dark Horse are available at www.kobo.com/darkhorse, with new titles to be added monthly.

About Kobo Inc.

Kobo Inc. is one of the world's fastest-growing eReading services offering more than 2.5 million eBooks, magazines and newspapers- and counting. Believing that consumers should have the freedom to read any book on any device, Kobo has built an open-standards platform to provide consumers with a choice when reading. Inspired by a "Read Freely" philosophy and a passion for innovation, Kobo has expanded to nearly 200 countries, where millions of consumers have access to localized eBook catalogues and award-winning eReaders, like the Kobo Touch. With top-ranked eReading applications for Apple, BlackBerry, Android, and Windows products, Kobo allows consumers to make eReading social through Facebook Timeline and Reading Life, an industry-first social experience that lets users to earn awards for time spent reading and encouraging others to join in. Headquartered in Toronto and owned by Tokyo-based Rakuten, Kobo eReaders can be found in major retail chains across the globe.

For more information, visit www.kobo.com.

About Dark Horse Comics

Since 1986, Dark Horse Comics has proven to be a solid example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and establish a small, homegrown company as an industry giant. The company is known for the progressive and creator-friendly atmosphere it provides for writers and artists. In addition to publishing comics from top talent like Frank Miller, Mike Mignola, Neil Gaiman, Gerard Way, Will Eisner, and best-selling prose author Janet Evanovich, Dark Horse has developed such successful characters as the Mask, Timecop, and the Occultist. Additionally, its highly successful line of comics and products based on popular properties includes Star Wars, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Aliens, Conan the Barbarian, Mass Effect, Serenity, and Domo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent comic-book publisher in the United States and is recognized as both an innovator in the cause of creator rights and the comics industry's leading publisher of licensed material. For more information, visit www.darkhorse.com.

SOURCE Kobo Inc.