Marvel announced today that their Marvel Comics app, which allowed readers to make in-app purchases and read their digital libraries, will be shutting down in June with user accounts and libraries migrated over to Marvel Unlimited. The Marvel Comics app was the last digital comics reader still run via the old Comixology software prior to the controversial 4.0 migration to Amazon’s Kindle infrastructure.

Via email and social media Marvel said:

“The Marvel Comics app (operated by Comixology) will be shutting down on June 2, 2023. Starting May 2, the ability to purchase comics will be removed from the Marvel Comics app ahead of its June shut down date.”

They added:

“While we are disappointed fans will no longer be able to use the app starting in June, we know many readers have built up incredible digital libraries of Marvel comics on the app. To support our loyal fans, we will be making digital comics purchases made prior to May 2 on the Marvel Comics app (operated by Comixology) available and accessible on the Marvel Unlimited app. No Marvel Unlimited subscription purchase will be required to access your previous Marvel Comics app digital comic library.”

Users who have made purchases on iOS will need to make sure they have linked to a Marvel account to maintain their libraries via Marvel Unlimited – with no subscription required to access.

We are unable to determine at this time if purchases made through the Marvel Comics app or code-redeemed comics will remain available in Comixology/Kindle when the closure takes place June 2. New Marvel Comics digital purchases will still be possible via Amazon, Apple iBook, Google Play Books, and Nook – and the digital code redemption service will continue.

According to Marvel, the official timeline for the changes is as follows:

      • “May 2: Marvel comics will no longer be able to be purchased on the Marvel Comics app (digital redemption codes may be redeemed in Marvel Unlimited via Marvel.com/redeem).
      • “May 2: Digital comics purchases made prior to May 2 will be made available and accessible on the Marvel Unlimited app.
      • “June 2: The Marvel Comics app will be shut down. You must link your Marvel Comics app to a Marvel account before this date to have digital comic libraries available and accessible on the Marvel Unlimited app.”

In the statement and FAQs, it seems Marvel is working on a new solution for buying digital comics via their own app – so Marvel Unlimited might just be a temporary measure.

This move is unsurprising given the dramatic changes occurring over at Amazon and the bleak news concerning the future of Comixology we received in January. Comixology at its height provided its industry leading digital comics reader and store infrastructure to numerous companies on license for their own branded apps – which even included Image, BOOM! and IDW for a time. DC discontinued its “Comixology-powered” Vertigo app in 2020 and its main DC Comics app in 2021 – which were removed from service in June 2022. When Comixology shifted to its controversial 4.0 update in February 2022 – and later removed in-app purchases – Marvel’s was the only one that was still open for business.

The reasoning behind this move could be that there is no Comixology team left to maintain the app – after the mass layoffs, with only a skeleton crew left to man the ship for the main Comixology app now running on the completely different Kindle codebase.

4 COMMENTS

  1. About a month ago, I remembered that this app existed, and I’ve been using it ever since to read my digital Marvel collection. The old Comixology interface just works so well and seamlessly — especially painful to go back to current “Comixology” after using it. Will never understand why Amazon killed something that worked so well.

  2. I have a mail reply from Marvel that confirms bought comics will remain on Kindle.
    It is unclear where future digital code redemptions will go though and I have asked for clarification

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