A Gen-X quest to find excitement and adventure in modern comic books
I started reading comic books when I was around 5-6 years old. I wrote about my entry into comics during our Comic Book Month last year. As I grew so did my comic book obsession and by the time I was in High School I was collecting dozens (and dozens) of titles. All carefully read and then sealed away to pay for retirement. Man, that didn’t work out…
Sometime in the mid-90s my collection started to dwindle. My interests didn’t change much but my disposable income did. Due to a growing family and family responsibilities I wasn’t able to keep up with all the titles. I had to start getting picky about the comics I collected. Soon the collecting dwindled down to two or three comics and then it dried up completely.
I was satisfied with the few Superhero movies coming out and convinced myself I didn’t need to start reading comics again. Then the MCU hit the screen and flooded the market with movies. While watching the movies I realized they were nothing like the comics, or were they? Was I so far removed from comic books I no longer recognized the Superheros?
Last year I decided to start reading comics again. To be clear, I’m only reading them, I have no desire to start collecting them again. Gone are the days of buying every variant and gimmick cover on the market. I have too many of those in the basement to start adding more.
My comic reading is all digital these days, mainly through Comixology, Marvel Unlimited and DC Universe Infinite, which all have their strengths and weaknesses. Price is a concern but the apps quickly pay for themselves. New comics range from $4 to $6 an issue. If you read more than 2 issues a month the subscription cost will save you money.
DC Universe Infinite is priced at $8/month or $75/year and gives you access to over 27,000 comics. There is a waiting period of 6 months for new comics. If you opt for the DC Ultra, $120/yr, you can access over 32,000 comics and the new comic wait period is reduced to 30 days. It might seem obvious but you only have access to DC (and all DC Imprints) comics.
Marvel Unlimited is $10/month or $70/yr for access to over 30,000 Marvel comics and a 3 month wait on new releases. There is a Marvel Annual Pass for $100/yr, it doesn’t offer any better digital perks but does offer physical swag like a Marvel Legends Action figure, a pin and other gear. Again, you only have access to Marvel comics.
Comixology was a great service and then Amazon bought it, reducing it to an OK service. Comixology Unlimited* cost $6/month. (*it’s not really unlimited, not even close) There is a large selection of free comics too read and the new release comics are available on the day of release but aren’t free. Comixology offers a 10% discount on the price of purchasing a comic.
I use the apps on an iOS device and overall I’d say Marvel has the best interface and reading experience. DC needs some work but is a decent experience. Comixology is mediocre and extremely frustrating. You can only read the comics through the kindle app and it’s not great. The standalone Comixology app was one of the best apps to read digital comics. Amazon killed the app in 2023. It’s all through the Kindle app now.
The real frustration comes with getting comics from Comixology. You can’t do it through the kindle app. You have to go to the Amazon website (not on the kindle) to get the comic and add it to your library. Then go back to the kindle and sync your library so the comic appears. There are too many steps in the process. The real benefit of Comixology is the ability to get non DC and Marvel comics in one place.
The one outlier I’ll mention is an app/website called Hoopla. You sign up with your local library card and all the content is free to check out, just like at the library. It doesn’t have all the new titles but it has a huge selection of new and retro comics to choose from. (It’s also a good place to look for movies, books and audio books.)
Ultimately if you are trying to read comics digitally the online landscape is messy. If you are strictly a DC or Marvel person it’s easy. If you like both, or like other publishers it gets ugly real quick. You are either stuck with Comixology or forced to go to each publisher and buy directly.
Most of the comics I read are from DC, Marvel, Image and IDW. I did discover a few new comics from Boom!, Zenescope and some European comics.
Check back tomorrow as I look at the first comic on the list, Batgirl, Vol 6!
Then follow along every month as I look at a new, modern comics and see if it appeals to a Gen-X comic book reader.
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