It's been quite a difficult year for Barnes & Noble. In-store sales have been adversely affected as the book business goes digital and its ongoing legal tussle with billionaire Ronald W Burkle isn't helping the situation.

Most recently, the major bookstore chain's iconic four-story store in New York will close at the end of January because “it is economically unbeneficial” to renew its lease, says company spokesman Mary Ellen Keating.

While physical bookstores have been threatened by the eBooks, the comic book publishers are hoping that these digital copies may save the ailing industry. They want to reach new audiences through popular devices like the iPad. The challenge is to motivate the sales of both digital and physical versions of these comic books.

At Bookstore, Even Non-Buyers Regret its End [NYTimes]

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Michael Jackson is Nokia's Most-Downloaded Musician [Mashable]

Can the iPad Save Spider-Man? [The Globe and Mail]

Zara Takes the Plunge into Crowded Online Market [AFP]