Posted in: Comics, Digital | Tagged: comixology, Marvel Comics

Marvel May Extend Free ComiXology Deal

Published Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:01:36 -0500

Last updated Mon, 11 Mar 2013 08:24:50 -0500

Marvel's Ryan Penagos (about to be deposed as the face of Marvel by Blair Butler!) tweeted;

I can't say anything official yet, but we're definitely looking to make sure everyone gets to enjoy #Marvel1 this week. More info soon.

— Ryan Penagos (@AgentM) March 11, 2013

Which does seem optimistic. The East Coast of the USA have just got to their office desks, turned on their feeds and just realised that there are 700 free Marvel comics waiting for them on ComiXology. So expect traffic to get even worse.

And while the Marvel First initiative has made all manner of Marvel Issue Ones free it's also worth noting that a number of anniversary issues have also been affected, but aren't grouped together in the promotion, such as Wolverine #300, Thor #600 and Uncanny X-Men #500. Worth searching out… if you can.

Scott Bierworth writes;

It's easy to get all 700 free first issues even with the server issues. I got all of them in just a few hours. All you have to do is ignore the download error. The download error is actually a good thing since it lets you "own" the book without having to wait for it to download (and also stops you from running out of space). Queue up a bunch of titles. Wait until you get the download error on all of them (so they no longer display as "Purchasing" and instead if you look at them it will display either "Read" or "Download". When it displays that, it means you successfully "own" it and can download it at a later time to read it. After finishing all of them, shut off your device (if using an app on a phone or tablet) to get the app out of memory and then start it back up and relaunch the app. Then go through the sale again and look at all the books and see any that you might have missed or that failed (will still say "Free" instead of "Download" and get them. Just a note that there are also other free issues such as Uncanny X-Men # 500, Thor # 600 and Wolverine # 300 if you look for them.

While Tom Huxley adds;

The Marvel First initiative is supposed to offer a sample of their various series in order to compel you into buying further into the run – but actually they've included a lot of one-shots, Annuals and in some cases complete runs or lengthy collections, most of which provide complete story experiences in themselves. Here's a selection of what to particularly look out for – if you can get beyond those server woes.

All of Marvel Now #1s up to January – including the Point One one shot
The two Avengers/Revengers annuals of 2011-2012
All five Avengers Origins one shots
Recoloured Avengers, Spider-Man and Captain America comics from 1960s
All of Dark Reign the List
A-Babies vs X-Babies
All the "Captain America and" 2011 one shots
All the Captain America Theater of War one shots
Thanos: the Final Threat (partial basis for Avengers movie)
Various Deadpool one shots
All three of Tom Beland's and Juan Doe's Fantastic Four comics – in both English and Spanish
Two of Alan Davis' three Clan Destine annuals (Wolverine and Daredevil but ironically not the Fantastic Four Annual that kicks the story off)
Every "from the Marvel Vault" one shot
Two "Mythos" one shots
Most of "The Iron Age"
Many of the "Women of Marvel" one shots
Tons of event tie-in one shots (in the "events" section)
Big Hero 6 one shot (collecting a five issue mini)
Marvel Point One
Several "What If" one shots
Three Marvel Zombies one shots including "Dead Days" by Kirkman and Phillips
Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe by Ennis and Braithwaite
Spider-Man graphic novels (Hooky and Parallel Lives)
Most of the Spider-Island tie in one shots
Spider-Man and X-Men Digital Spectacular (collecting the Spider-Man / X-Men 4 issue mini by Gage and Alberti)
All four of the Fraction/Zircher et al Thor Ages of Thunder one shots
All the solo X-Men origins one shots