Marvel comic titles will now be available digitally through the Amazon/comiXology subscription platforms comiXology Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited, and Amazon Prime Reading, the companies announced Tuesday. 

This move will put the first comics from a Big Two publisher on the comiXology Unlimited platform.  While the initial number of titles is limited, this puts the platform closer to a full range of content available for a single monthly price.  DC is now the only hold-out among the largest comic publishers. 

The programs offer the biggest number of Marvel titles on comiXology Unlimited, the second biggest number of Marvel titles (40 collections) on Kindle Unlimited, and the smallest number (20 collections) on Prime Reading.   

ComiXology Unlimited, which launched last May, offers an all-you-can-read option for its 10,000+ comics, graphic novels, and manga for $5.99 per month (see “comiXology Launches Amazon Prime of Comics”).  Similarly, Kindle Unlimited offers access to over one million titles for $9.99/month.  And Amazon Prime Reading offers a rotating selection of over one thousand Kindle titles as part of the Amazon Prime subscription.

With limited (and rotating) title rosters on the all-you-can-read services, they can serve as sampling opportunities for download-to-own or paper collection sales.  Of course, some consumers may choose to use the subscription services as their only comic reading option, but the fact that new titles are not immediately available will prevent them from being real substitutes for buying new titles as they come out.     

Marvel, the first player into the all-you-can-read comics space, has over 20,000 comics in its stand-alone Marvel Unlimited service at a subscription price of $9.99 per month. 

ComiXology has over 75,000 comics available in its download-to-own offerings.