Some exciting news from Graphic.ly broke today as they announced that Marvel Comics will now be available on the Graphic.ly Desktop application, prior to this Marvel Comics were only available on the Graphic.ly iPhone and iPad applications.
(Disclosure: Graphic.ly owns iFanboy.com)
This means that titles on the Graphic.ly iPhone and iPad applications that come from the the vast collection of Marvel Comics available for digital download, can now be downloaded and enjoyed by you on the Graphic.ly desktop application, also meaning that you no longer need to be connected to the Internet in order to read your Marvel Comics in full resolution on your desktop monitor. Additionally, if you're one of the millions who don't actually have an iPad or iPhone (like me), you can now purchase, download and enjoy reading Marvel Comics on your desktop computer.
Ira Rubenstein, Executive Vice President of Marvel’s Global Digital Media Group commented that. “Working with Graphic.ly we offer our fans and readers a community and platform where they are able to purchase, read and discuss our books on a variety of mobile and desktop environments. Marvel Entertainment is always looking for new ways to reach our fans and community, and the social sharing and conversations on the Graphic.ly platform help us extend that connection.”
A ton of titles are available on the Graphic.ly platform including Astonishing X-Men, Kick-Ass, Captain America, Powers, Amazing Spider-Man, Iron Man, Criminal and many more. Plans to add even more titles and issues are in the works, making your Graphic.ly library as big as you want it to be! All the Marvel Comics issues will also support the unique community features available to all comics in Graphic.ly, allowing users to rate and comment on comics and share that with their friends.
“By offering Marvel comic books on all our platforms, we are bringing the comics our community wants to read, wherever and whenever they want to read them,” said Micah Baldwin, CEO of Graphic.ly. “Beyond just reading, though, Graphic.ly listens to our community and brings the best comics to them on all platforms – from the desktop to the smartphone to the tablet computer – and enables them to have conversations with fans and readers around the world.”
Pretty cool, huh? Have you signed up on Graphic.ly yet? If not, get to it. You can find links to download the desktop application (which works on Mac and Windows) at Graphic.ly. You can also find the iPhone and iPad apps in the iTunes App Store. So go download some Marvel Comics and tell everyone what you think!
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UPDATE: A representative of Marvel reached out to clarify that the Marvel Comics on Graphic.ly service won’t all the Marvel Digital Comics Universe titles, rather it will be a selection of digital comics, as with all their partners (PSP, Comixology, Panelfly, etc).
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Yes, this is the best news ever! My Graphic.ly usage will sky rocket.
Yay! Sad to say, I haven’t touched the application in many moons, but now I’ll be giving it a closer look. I’ll be curious to see is this will increase day/date release exposure. It would be nice if Marvel and DC would commit to doing it with more than 1 book!
How come the iPhone app is only available in the US iTunes store?
Yes to desktop reading! Here comes the future.
awesome
I don’t exactly understand how I can get this for Mac. Anyone care to explain? Thanks!
Cool! I don’t know why more aps aren’t available for desktop download.
I spent the money to read Marvel digital comics via their web app (annual subscription), and I can’t stand it. It’s terrible navigation makes it painful to read comics. I know, buyer beware, but I feel I was ripped off. Is Graphic.ly’s interface any good? I might switch over. Also, how does the payment work? Do you pay by issue? Or, is it a monthly / annual subscription? If it’s by issue, is it DRM?
I have some problems with the app itself, like its a little slow or unresponsive but once we start getting day and date on it. I will be purchasing from there. I like that this program lets you download to your pc. I envision one day of having 3 or 4 big hard drives instead of lots of long boxes
@petevaldez if you go to graphic.ly and hit the Green Download Now! button at the top of the page, that will download the AIR app which will work on your Mac
I’ve been reading Marvel on the laptop for years. They’ve had digital comics for purchase about 6 years now.
I’m trying it for the first time but its not working too well.
Oh yeah and how do I tell them I came from IFanboy?
@Joppe – the iPhone app should be available in other countries -what country are you in?
Aaaaand it just crashed.
so i’m gathering that this is a iTunes like pay as you go type of service for single issues? The Graphic.ly site has very little information about what it is or what it does (if its there i’m not seeing it). I’m not an iPhone/pad owner so i haven’t been paying attention to the graphic.ly conversations. As an internet user i like to know what something is before i download and install an app. Thats my puzzled potential customer feedback…
I’m down with digital single issue comics so this sounds really cool.
@WallythegreenMonster There should be a button that says Windows 7 Touch enabled or something and that’s what I’m using.
Most books are two bucks there’s some Top Cow first issues for free and to scroll sideways you have to click on an issue and then click on an arrow It’s a little hard to get around. Especially since the issues aren’t in order.
bit confused by this– the article makes it sound like a potential replacement for the MARVEL DCU plan– is this the case? Say what you want about how awful the DCU reader is, $60 a year for unlimited access to a large library is a great deal.
If Graphically is offering DRM’d downloads to offer a similar service I’m in, but if its pay 1.99 per issue, not so much.
I assume this is for just back issues?
wow very cool now i don’t have to see my comic book guy he’s a bit of a tool !
@minion–well i’m a mac user and i know there is an air Dl button…i just wanted to know what the service is and how it works y’know?
Yeah it mostly seems to be Back Issues. Nothing too recent.
Excellent. My Marvel reading will increase dramatically. Who’s this Spider-Man fellow I keep hearing about?
Can’t wait for the android app. Just ordered an android tablet and can’t wait to see how well the graphic.ly app works.
@bluedream I bought an android tablet a few months ago, hoping that something like this would be made for it. I can’t wait!
@wallythegreenmonster You’re right. I never looked to the site for info (since I’ve been receiving emails about this program since the first beta, and knew what it was), but for someone not in the know, some screenshots and a description on the main site would be nice.
Good decision, Marvel. I am much, much more likely to pick up some of your series now. DAY AND DATE AND I WILL BE HAPPY.
@stu – I think he’s Italian…
I personally don’t see the point of ‘desktop’ reading (I ready enough stuff on my computer all day), although digital distribution to the PC is a very cool and smart idea the future is in mobile devices.
On a side note, I’m sad to see that Marvel and DC do not appear to be making it any easier for the consumer by standardizing on one app or market place. I use the comixology app for all the rest of my digital comics because they are embraced by just about all the other companies – just think if Marvel integrated their library into comixology like DC did (you can use either app and all of your purchases sync) – one stop comics shop.
I wish graphic.ly all the best and luck with their app and hope it works as well as the comixology app does for buying and reading digital comics. When the Android tablet that finally competes with the iPad gets released, graphic.ly will hopefully have an app for it and it will be one of the first I download.
Also – agree that Marvel’s all you can eat plan is awesome compared to issue by issue costs… just look at what it did for Netflix and the movie rental market. Wish DC would do something similar and both companies integrate it into their mobile device apps.
I haven’t checked out Marvel’s catalouge on Graphic.Ly; is it similar to what’s already being offered on the Marvel Ipad app?
I’m a big fan of comixology b/c of ease of use, and guided view. I wonder if this makes Graphic.ly a real player in the game; Does this mean ComiXology will no longer offer Marvel comics on Ios?
@Ron The Graphicly iphone app can’t be downloaded in Finland either I think Joppe is in Sweden. I’d love to get the app, because portability is a key factor in the whole digital comics thing.
It’s worth noting that if you buy Marvel comics via the desktop app they are $1.49, as opposed to $1,99 on the iPhone or iPad app. And if you buy them on the desktop app and then log into your mobile app those purchases will appear on your account and will be readable on your mobile device.
okay, this makes me stupid happy for some reason . . .
This news just broke today? I was able to download Criminal at least a week ago. Oh well, I’m really happy about this. I’ve been using Graphicly on my mac for awhile now and never had problems with it. btw, Killer is an awesome read.
Wow! Thanks Graphic.ly!!
Ron – I am in the UK and have also failed to find Graphically app in Itunes
OK, I just got this and it’s pretty cool. It should tide me over until I get an ipad. I just read Incognito 1 and 2, and it was an easy experience.