Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 29, 2024, 07:21:42 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Search:     Advanced search
we're back, baby
*
Home Help Search Login Register
f13.net  |  f13.net General Forums  |  General Discussion  |  Comics  |  Topic: Marvel's new online offerings 0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Pages: [1] Go Down Print
Author Topic: Marvel's new online offerings  (Read 2540 times)
Velorath
Contributor
Posts: 8980


on: November 13, 2007, 03:31:12 PM

Some of you may remember Marvel's first attempt at offering some of their catalog online when they launched Marvel Dot Comics.  They threw some random issues online, cobbled together a crap interface, added a few more comics once or twice and then promptly forgot about it.  Earlier in the year, Marvel hinted at new plans for making comics available online, and yesterday they finally unvieled their new site, Marvel Digital Comics.

The site is seemingly having trouble dealing with traffic today, and has only been accessible sporadically, so I haven't gotten a chance to actually read one of the 250 comics that is currently available for free at the moment (for a limited time) to see how well the interface is done.  I did manage to access the site long enough to see the selection of 2500 comics or so available to subscribers for $9.99 for a monthly subscription, or $59.99 if you want to subscribe for a full year.  Currently they have a decent mix of early issues of FF, Spider-man, X-men, etc..., various minis (all six issues of Infinity Gauntlet, Machine Teen and other more obscure stuff, and some strangely incomplete stuff like the first 9 out of 12 issues of Avengers Forever), and bizarre selections like Magneto Rex.  Current books won't be added to the site until at least 6 months after the issues are released in stores.  The books aren't downloadable.

If Marvel can get the site up and running, and keep it that way, I'll likely spring for a year long subscription, assuming the comic reader isn't total crap.
stu
Terracotta Army
Posts: 1891


Reply #1 on: November 13, 2007, 05:35:55 PM

Ooo. That's nifty!

Dear Diary,
Jackpot!
schild
Administrator
Posts: 60345


WWW
Reply #2 on: November 13, 2007, 06:59:59 PM

Are they going to put all their indie/non-mainstream published stuff up? I have no interest in heroes.
Velorath
Contributor
Posts: 8980


Reply #3 on: November 14, 2007, 12:51:18 AM

Are they going to put all their indie/non-mainstream published stuff up? I have no interest in heroes.

Probably not so much.  They have some of their old western, horror, and romance stuff on there, and a few recent books like Livewires that I wouldn't exactly put in the Superhero catagory, but a lot of the "indie" type stuff they've done has been under creator-owned imprints like Epic, Razorline, and currently Icon.  It would probably be too costly and too much of a hassle to get it up on the site.

Edit:  It should also be mentioned that Marvel has made some... questionable decisions in that some minis and story arcs are missing issues.  For a few examples, the six issue Gravity mini only has issues #2-4 available, Infinity War is missing issue #3, and the most recent volume of Captain America has the first dozen or so issues except for #10 and even more surprisingly, issue #1.  I assume the intention is to tease people into buying the collections in some cases, but why take an issue out of the beginning or the middle?  It's one thing to leave us on a cliffhanger and wanting an ending, but skipping a chapter in the middle is unacceptable. 

It's all well and good to leave out issues with the old stuff since most issues were self-contained back in those days, but on the off chance that someone decides they want to read the Infinity War, are they really going to be happy that despite paying a monthly or yearly fee, they're getting a story with one of the chapters in the middle missing?  Huge screw-up Marvel.  At least they put up the full collections of G.L.A. and Madrox though.  Highly recommended reading for anyone who decides to subcribe.  Heroes Reborn Cap?  Not so much.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2007, 01:55:46 AM by Velorath »
stu
Terracotta Army
Posts: 1891


Reply #4 on: November 14, 2007, 11:31:55 AM

There's no way in hell I'd put money down for something from Marvel, but I'm still glad they're doing this. Now, hopefully Vertigo follows suit and releases more than just their #1s on thier site.

I'll probly take advantage of the free samples. I want to read the World War Hulk stuff.
« Last Edit: November 14, 2007, 11:42:00 AM by stu »

Dear Diary,
Jackpot!
SurfD
Terracotta Army
Posts: 4035


Reply #5 on: November 16, 2007, 11:38:16 PM

I get the following error from firefox when i click on that link
Quote
The page isn't redirecting properly

Firefox has detected that the server is redirecting the request for this address in a way that will never complete.

         *   This problem can sometimes be caused by disabling or refusing to accept
          cookies

and my nav bar fills up with http://www.marvel.com/doctorstrangedoctorstrangedoctorstrangedoctorstrangedoctorstrangedoctorstrangedoctorstrange

I have cookies enabled, so i am not sure what the heck is going on

Darwinism is the Gateway Science.
Pages: [1] Go Up Print 
f13.net  |  f13.net General Forums  |  General Discussion  |  Comics  |  Topic: Marvel's new online offerings  
Jump to:  

Powered by SMF 1.1.10 | SMF © 2006-2009, Simple Machines LLC