Marvel to post digital comic archive
David Johnson November 13th, 2007
Called a “tentative move onto the Internet” and also “perhaps the comics industry’s most aggressive Web push yet” in the same article, Marvel comics is posting online versions of the original runs of franchises like, Spider-Man, X-Men and Fantastic Four online to reach younger audiences who have only encountered the characters through recent movies. About 2,500 issues will be available at launch of the subscription-based Marvel Digital Comics, with 20 more being released each week, and newer issues will be posted at least six months after they first appear in print. The move is hoped to stimulate sales of the ‘bread-and-butter’ books, which used to be available freely at dime stores and other kid haunts, but now are increasingly only available in limited distribution via specialty shops.
3 Comments Add your own
1. Brian @ ComicMix | November 13th, 2007 at 8:39 am
It is definitely the most aggressive push by one of the big two U.S. comic companies, but I am (obviously) more of a fan of doing a no-DRM, no-Flash, no-PDFs, no-subscription service. It’s better for the readers.
2. Joe - fourhman.com | November 13th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Agreed. Come up with the comics version of iTunes where I can buy the issues I want, download/keep them, AND give me the full catalog from 1933 to present… then I’ll give them a ton of dough.
3. Chris Rooney | November 13th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Joe and Brian hit the nail right on the head. Back in my collecting days I went into the comics shop and picked and chose what I wanted. Why should it be any different online?
Marvel got a ton of my money in the 80s and 90s. They would get a ton more from people under this model. I don’t want to pay a subsription fee for books I’m not interested in.
I’m glad they’re think about the future, but they need to go in the right direction.
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