Marvel Spins a New Service on the Web

Marvel Comics, a division of Marvel Entertainment Inc., launched a new online subscription service, Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, this week. For a monthly fee, subscribers will have access to thousands of Marvel titles, including the first-ever issues of “Amazing Spider-Man,” “The X-Men” and “Incredible Hulk,” as well as more recent titles.

The site (http://Marvel.com/DigitalComics) offers subscribers a variety of features, including search and recommendation features, personalized reading-list tools and multiple online viewing options. For a limited time, Marvel is offering readers the opportunity to experience the online subscription service at no cost with a free sampling of 250 titles.

“With Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, we believe we have built a state-of-the-art online destination that will not only engage comic book readers of all ages, but also [will] serve as the ultimate complement to our primary comic hobby-market print business, through which all new Marvel Comics titles will continue to be released before their availability in digital format,” says Dan Buckley, president, Marvel Publishing.

Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited currently offers more than 2,500 comic books. Each week, Marvel will add at least 20 additional titles to the site that will be chosen based on editors’ picks and subscribers’ requests.