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Amazon promises to fix Comixology after making the service nearly unusable
Nearly four months after integrating Comixology into its other services, Amazon acknowledged the platform was left worse off.
DC Universe Infinite is finally available outside of the US
After being converted from a streaming service into a portal for comics in 2021, DC Universe Infinite is finally rolling out globally to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and more.
Amazon's ComiXology integration includes a few headaches
Amazon has shed more light on how it will integrate ComiXology with its other services.
NASA's AR graphic novel is meant to recruit a new wave of astronauts
NASA has released an augmented reality graphic novel that could help recruit more astronauts... and teach you a few things in the process.
DC Universe will become a comics-only service on January 21st
DC Universe will become DC Universe Infinite, a comics-only subscription service.
DC Universe's flagship show 'Titans' renewed for third season
DC Universe's fate is less than certain, but it's clear that at least one marquee series is safe. DC and WarnerMedia have renewed Titans for a third season -- the first DC Universe original to get the nod a second time. While there aren't details of what that next season will entail, it's expected sometime in fall 2020.
Netflix is turning the classic comic book 'Bone' into a series
One of the comic book world's best-known series is finally coming to screens. Netflix has secured the rights to Jeff Smith's classic Bone, and intends to create an animated kids' series that covers the Bone cousins' trek through the desert. Smith touted the episodic format as "exactly the way" to adapt his work. The story unfolds "chapter by chapter and book by book," after all.
Pokémon manga e-books are available in schools and libraries worldwide
Pokémon manga e-books are now available to public libraries and schools worldwide through OverDrive, Inc. Students and library patrons can visit overdrive.com to find a participating library. From there, you'll be able to download Pokémon magna titles published by Viz Media, either on a web browser or via the Libby or Sora apps. Borrowed titles will expire at the end of the lending period, so as an added perk, there are no late fees.
DC's full comics catalog is available through DC Universe
DC Universe is acting on its promise to deliver DC's full comic book library -- more or less. As of now, subscribers to the service have access to 21,000 issues stretching over 80 years, so long as a given issue was released at least one year before a given date. You can't use this to catch up on the latest story lines, but this should help you find a beloved issue of Batman or Wonder Woman without having to buy it or subscribe to a separate comics-only offering.
DC Universe starts streaming on Xbox One this month
DC Universe hasn't been available on consoles so far, but the comic-oriented service is taking care of that omission in very short order. As of April (possibly as soon as April 15th), DC Universe will be available on Xbox One -- you could play a round of Injustice and watch a Batman movie immediately afterward. The functionality is the same as in earlier apps, complementing the videos with DC's comic book library, community features, merch and news.
DC Universe offers access to DC's full library of digital comics
You'd have thought that DC Universe would provide full access to every DC comic, but not so -- even after an expansion, you've had to sift through a "curated" selection. Your options are about to expand, thankfully. As of April, DC Universe will provide full access to DC's digital comic library in April. Any given issue will have to be at least a year old, but you'll get to read comics dating back 80 years. while the company didn't put out a full list, you'll likely have the chance to flip through early Action Comics and Detective Comics issues. The pricing won't change, DC said.
DC Universe celebrates Batman's birthday with free access March 30th
Batman is about to celebrate his 80th 'birthday' (his first appearance in Detective Comics) on March 30th, and DC Universe is using that as an opportunity to hand out more freebies. The service is providing free access to a wide swath of its Batman movies, TV shows and (of course) comics for 24 hours that day, starting at midnight ET. It doesn't include everything -- most notably, Christopher Nolan's movies still aren't an option. However, you'll still have access to quite a large chunk of the Dark Knight's catalog.
Marvel is reportedly making a 'What If' animated series for Disney+
What if Captain America was elected President? What if Spider Man had joined the Fantastic Four? What if those and other What If plots came to TV? According to Slashfilm, Marvel Studios wants to adapt the popular What If comic books into an animated series to stream on Disney+.
The Switch adds another comic book reader in Izneo
The Switch hasn't quite lived up to its tablet potential due to a severe lack of software outside of games, but it's surprisingly found a groove as a comic book e-reader. It's all thanks to Inky Pen -- a comic subscription that's currently exclusive to Switch -- and now Izneo, an app that specializes in graphic novels, Manga and Korean webtoons. It's already available on iOS and Android and (after a slight delay) arrives on Nintendo's console today, bringing with it a library of 25,000 comic books.
Amazon's Marvel deal puts 12,000 comics in the Kindle store (updated)
Amazon has a virtual monopoly on digital Marvel comics, but it's just opened up another way to get them. Kindle owners can now purchase single issues through Amazon's store without needing the Comixology app as before. You can still get Marvel comics through Comixology, but of course Amazon acquired it last year, so the money goes to Jeff Bezos either way. All told, you'll be able to purchase up to 12,000 back issues of titles like Guardians of the Galaxy, Daredevil and The Amazing Spiderman at the Kindle Store. Moreover, all titles will be available the same day they arrive in regular stores.
A new World of Warcraft comic book series is on the way
Lore doesn't just have to come at you via in-game text boxes; there are other mediums, such as comic books, that can help you understand a particular fantasy world. For example, Dark Horse Comics is preparing a new World of Warcraft series to explore the ancient history of Azeroth. World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 1 will be the first of several issues that trace the backstory of the world in a time before the Horde and Alliance. Blizzard COO Paul Sams says that it's being done to sate fan curiosity: "We often get questions from players who want to know more about the origins of the Warcraft universe, and the rise and fall of their favorite characters. This new series digs deeply into all of that -- we can't wait for players to read it." Unlike most comic books, Chronicle Volume 1 will be a hardbound edition. The series will go on sale this November in comic shops and book stores.
EVE: Valkyrie comic starts on June 3rd, 2015
EVE: Valkyrie fans won't have to wait until the game goes live to start exploring the lore behind this spinoff of EVE Online. A comic miniseries is being published by Dark Horse comics, written by Brian Wood and drawn by Eduardo Francisco. This four-issue series will start selling on June 3rd, 2015, giving potential players or just general science fiction fans a chance to start exploring the lore before the game is finally launched. Valkyrie is still on track as a launch title for both the Oculus Rift and the Sony Morpheus, bridging both consoles and PCs. No specific release date has yet been announced.
Marvel's giving you the key to over 13,000 comics for 99 cents
To celebrate the start of Comic-Con tomorrow in San Diego, Marvel is kicking off a promotion that provides an all-you-can-have pass to its entire digital library for less than a dollar. There are a few caveats, as expected, but not enough to make the offer seem any less attractive. According to Wired, Marvel Unlimited, which is home to more than 13,000 comics, can be accessed over the next week with a simple payment of 99 cents. The deal will only give you an in to the service for one month, but the renowned publisher is hoping that's plenty of time to keep you locked in beyond said period.
Path of Exile comic books hint at upcoming expansion
We all know that you haven't made it as a video game unless you're immortalized in a comic book. Path of Exile has joined that very select club as it announced today that it will be the focus of an official comic book mini-series. The four upcoming Path of Exile graphic novels will be based on the lore of the game and penned by Dynamite Entertainment. The comics are slated for some time this summer and will be 22 pages apiece, with a compilation release in early 2015. So other than the cool factor, why should players care? Well, not only will the comics feature a lead-in to the game's unannounced expansion, but each issue will have codes for in-game goodies such as cosmetics.
ComiXology's App Store rating dive bombs after Amazon changes
We recently reported on the drastic changes made to the iOS version of the ComiXology store, removing the ability for users to make purchases directly from within the app. This move allows ComiXology's new owner Amazon to get around paying iTunes its 30 percent cut on in-app purchases. For some creators this news is a good thing, meaning more money in the pocket of comic book writers and artists. Others, like Mark Waid (Kingdom Come, Captain America), see this as a bad thing for the comic book industry. On his blog Waid posted the following explanation of why this is such a big deal for the comic book industry as a whole even if some users don't see what the big deal is. You already buy comics online? Good for you. You're not the ones we need to be worried about. Seriously, you can look down your nose all you want at in-app purchasers and gloat to your heart's content that only Luddites couldn't figure out how to go find the website and then set up an account and shop through the website and then download their comics separately through the app, it's not all that hard, that's how the Kindle buying works on my iPad, yes?, and you're absolutely right, it's not that hard, but guess what? That doesn't matter. What matters is that it makes buying comics–makes finding comics–more difficult for new readers discovering the medium, not easier, and that is pretty much the last thing anyone in comics needs right now. Long-term, because this means Apple no longer gets their 30% cut off of comics bought off an iPad because you can't buy them that way anymore, that means more money for comics publishers and comics creators. That's great. It's also something that no casual consumer gives a rip about. Short-term–and I will happily report back to you if I'm wrong–there's no way that 30% bump will compensate for the sudden loss of impulse buyers who were buying with one button tap and/or using iTunes cards because they're too young to have credit cards or PayPal accounts. There's just one hitch in that plan. For it to work, iOS ComiXology readers need to stick around, and if the iTunes reviews are any indication, Amazon/ComiXology has a massive problem on their hands. It's important to note that not everyone is unhappy. There are a few users -- mostly ones who already used the ComiXology website to buy their books -- who don't see what the big deal is. Still positive reviews for the changes are roughly 1 for every 17 negative ones. Are you a ComiXology customer? We'd love to hear from you about how the changes have affected your buying habits. This week included the first new sales day since the changes -- new comic book titles are released on Wednesday -- so it will be interesting to see if the move has negatively impacted ComiXology's sales or not. As a long standing user and fan of the service, I'm hoping this situation can be resolved.
