Marvel Unlimited is the best comic subscription service, here’s why

From time to time we highlight deals for the comic subscription service Marvel Unlimited. However, we’ve never really gone into detail about what this service really offers and what it means to the comic book fan or someone who’s looking to become one.

Currently, anyone can try out this service free for 1-month. Marvel is attempting to hype the latest hero arriving at Netflix, Iron Fist (which if you’ve read the reviews, it could use all the help in can get). All you have to do is register online and use the promo code RAND at checkout. We typically see a deal like this only a few times a year, usually coinciding with a Marvel movie hitting theaters.

So why should you even try it? For one, it’s FREE for a month and second it’s basically the Netflix of comics. You get access to over 20,000 digital editions for the ultimate comic binging experience. Even if you don’t consider yourself a “comic nerd” there’s no denying the impact on TV and film comics have had in the last 10 years or so. I’m not even including Star Wars here (which can be found in Marvel Unlimited as well). So with all the Comic Book related movies you may be asking yourself questions about how these characters got their powers, for instance, or where were they first introduced. That’s beauty of this service. You get a database of 70 years and 20,000+ comics all at your fingertips.

You can even download up to 12 comics per month for offline viewing so you can read at your leisure on iOS or Android devices. The app will work on both the iPhone and iPad. It’s definitely best on the full-sized iPad, because it’s closest in size to a real paper comic. It’s a little small on the iPhone and you’ll likely need to zoom and pan a lot more.

If you sign-up today for the free month, just be sure to cancel your subscription at any time before the month is over to avoid being charged $9.99 the next month.

Marvel Unlimited, formerly known as Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited, is an online service by Marvel Comics that distributes past issues of their comics via the Internet. The service has thousands of issues in its archive and launched on November 13, 2007.

Marvel first began releasing comics over the internet in 1996 with Marvel CyberComics. This was later replaced by DotComics under the tenure of Bill Jemas. This would grow to a size of dozens of comics by 2002, but would later be limited to a mere 12 comics by 2004.

Marvel Digital Comics was first announced in 2005 as a replacement to its DotComics however, it utilized the same Flash-based interface with only minor updates, while decreasing the comics available from 12 issues to 4 issues. At this time Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada speculated on the possibilities of adding animation to the comics, which would be realized in 2009 with the release of Spider-Woman as a motion comic.

Marvel’s Digital Comics only grew modestly, reaching over 24 comics in April, 2006 until finally it relaunched in November, 2007 as Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited. Unlike earlier initiatives, Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited was a subscription service with over 2,500 comics available to subscribers, with new comics added on a weekly basis. A small portion of the library was made available for free in an attempt to entice viewers to subscribe to the service through either its monthly or yearly plans.

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