ComiXology CEO Answers the Big Questions About New "Unlimited" Subscription Service

[CBR News]

CBR News talks in-depth with comiXology CEO David Steinberger about the freshly launched monthly subscription service comiXology Unlimited.


Full article here.

[troynos]

So you won't ever be able to read a full series from start to finish (or ongoing)?

Walking Dead would be just the first couple arcs? The rest of the series won't get added?

[Captain Nash]

I got all excited about this until I saw there's no Marvel or DC....meh.

[troynos]

I got all excited about this until I saw there's no Marvel or DC....meh.

Don't need it for Marvel. There's already Marvel Unlimted.

I'd expect DC to launch a similar service soon.

[RobinFan4880]

I was excited until I saw that this was a sampler buffet and not a real buffet.

[100010959493281]

I imagine there'll be a multi-tier pricing structure at some point.

$5.99 for ComiXology Unlimited as it is now. And maybe $9.99 for ComiXology Unlimited Plus (or whatever they want to call it). And a ComiXology Unlimited Plus service would have full series.

At some point you'd think Image and Dark Horse and IDW and the rest will realize that that's what a lot of people interested in this type of service want; if they don't already know that. And I guess the only reason we don't have that right now is probably because the publishers (and/or ComiXology) feel that they would be losing money.

[troynos]

I don't know if the "losing money" is even an arguement anymore. It hasn't seemed to hurt Marvel at all.

What I think this kind of model hurts is the B and C tier series from Marvel and DC. Without those initial sales, it's hard for a book to hit the thresholds that the Big Two set. So unless they adjust their thinking to include Unlimited reading (much like how TV is now adjusting ratings to include DVRed viewings), the lower tier series can be hurt.

I'd be okay if every publisher did their own Unlimited (like Marvel). But it would be cheaper and better all on one platform.

[Coin Biter]

As I'm in the UK, I don't have it yet, but tbh a sampler service does not sound worth it if you already have a significant Comixology library. It might be worth it for new readers.

Don't need it for Marvel. There's already Marvel Unlimted.

I'd expect DC to launch a similar service soon.

I hope so, but DC would need to get significantly more older books digitised to get my interest. If you check the list of books available on Comixology for Superman or Action Comics pre the late 80s, for example, it's pretty feeble.

[DayoftheHero]

It's definitely a step in the right direction... Personally, I always buy physical copies of my comic books every week at my LCS, but I can see how digital is great for people who don't have access to a LCS, or don't have the space, etc. No DC and no Marvel is also a big deterrent, but for the series that are on there, I can see how they made this model to get people hooked and continue on with the series they've sampled.

[Luke Cage]

I have a Marvel Unlimited subscription and I still buy hard copies of the titles I love. Everything else I'm willing to read thru MU. It's a great service for me because it keeps me from having to break into the long-boxes when I want to view some back issues for specific issues or storylines. I spend a lot of time in my recliner or when I'm away from home on my IPAD using my Marvel Unlimited Subscription. I could really use something similar from DC. I get that and I'm golden.

[Xhatch]

Would have been much better if it was all titles from those publishers, but always 6 months behind, like Marvel Unlimited. Seems like a waste if it's just a few arcs of certain series and then you actually have to buy the series.

What Marvel Unlimited has is great in the sense that people still buy the comic series they enjoy most, but are willing to give Marvel a bit extra for comics they want to read but don't mind waiting afew months to read them.

This Comixology Unlimited could have been way better. There is always hope they may make it better with time.

And DC?! When will DC get it's act together and join the rest of us in 2016 with their own DC Unlimited service?

[Anduinel]

As I'm in the UK, I don't have it yet, but tbh a sampler service does not sound worth it if you already have a significant Comixology library. It might be worth it for new readers.

That's my thought. I'd probably get this for someone looking to get into comics if gift subscriptions were an option, but anything they have that I was remotely interested in, I've probably already sampled or bought the first trade.

[The Indestructible Man]

As a big fan of Marvel Unlimited (I stopped buying physical comics, aside from the occasional trade paperback, a few years back for money and space issues), I'm happy to see this happening since it means that I'll get the chance to read a lot of the comics that I've been meaning to but haven't gotten to (since they've come out after I stopped being able to buy books). Like when Marvel Unlimited first came out, I'm going to wait a bit to see what ComiXology Unlimited does in terms of stabilizing selection and pricing (part of the money/space issue for me is grad school, so I'm also a fan of MU's annual pricing –*I can sometimes go months without using it and then spend two or three weeks splurging on reading a few hundred books; that's doesn't quite work with only explicitly-monthly pricing). Nevertheless, I wouldn't be surprised to see the "back catalog" and pricing tiers expand over the next year or two (just as MU did as Marvel built it up) as some publishers opt to give particular support.

[ABH]

I was excited until I saw that this was a sampler buffet and not a real buffet.

Yeah, I was pretty excited, until I learned that bit.

I get what they're going for, but to call it "Unlimited" when it's clearly quite limited, is disappointing.

[Dark-Flux]

Meh. When Unlimited actually means Unlimited ill bite. 'Til then...