It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s ComiXology!
The smartphone and tablet app for comic book fans is so popular, in fact, a recent giveaway of more than 700 free Marvel comics caused ComiXology’s servers to overload, prompting an apology from the CEO. Oops.
For the uninitiated, ComiXology lets you browse, buy and read digital comic books on your iOS or Android device (or if you prefer, on a PC or Mac web browser). Most of the major comic book publishers sell their wares on this platform, including Marvel and DC Comics/DC Universe, as well as IDW, Image, Disney, Archie, The Simpsons, and others (curiously missing, however, is Dark Horse).
More than 30,000 comics are now available at the marketplace, each of which can be read page by page, like its paper counterpart, or in the slick “Guided View,” that cleverly glides and zooms from frame to frame with the swipe of a finger.
ComiXology has now opened its virtual doors to independent comic book artists and graphic novelists. Profits are split evenly with ComiXology, but creators maintain full ownership of their work. As outlined at submit.comixology.com, it’s free to set up an account and upload comics as a PDF to the digital self-publishing platform. ComiXology does the rest, such as adding the Guided View reading technology and making the comic available on all platforms: iPad, iPhone, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows 8 and comixology.com (all purchases made at comiXology.com sync to your devices automatically, and vice-versa).
Those who like indie works can tap on a new tab on the main page that says “Introducing ComiXology Submit – Discover Indie Creators.” Once inside, they’ll meet some authors and illustrators in the “Indie Creator Spotlight,” and then browse and buy works – plus there are a good number of them for free.
Highlights of the indie works include works by Becky Cloonan ("The Mire,” “Wolves”), Shannon Wheeler ("Too Much Coffee Man"), Richard Stevens ("Diesel Sweeties") and Jake Parker ("The Antler Boy and Other Stories").
Because ComiXology is now open to the indie community, fans of comic books and graphic novels have even more choice when flipping through great content.
Because of some graphic violence, suggestive themes or profanity, iTunes recommends readers should be 17 years or older to download this app.