r/comicbooks • u/palepatriot76 • 13h ago
News Marvel Unlimited Shutting Down, Will Be Replaced by 'Marvel Comics Powered by Webtoon'
https://www.ign.com/articles/marvel-unlimited-shutting-down-will-be-replaced-by-marvel-comics-powered-by-webtoon110
u/nomorecannibalbirds 13h ago
Honestly I like marvel unlimited but it’s always had kind of a wonky user interface. Maybe the new one will work better.
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u/Dangerous_Trust_3665 7h ago
That’s my thought. Anything would be better in terms of user interface. Fingers crossed
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u/Swimming_Possible_68 2h ago
New interface at a significantly higher price! Last year I paid $69 for an annual subscription.
1st year 40% discount is good. But after that is $99 a year.
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u/EffectiveTea9983 13h ago
That's the type of corporate synergy title that'll put that sparkle back into the eye of every little boy and girl.
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u/CrisisOnMyTimeline 13h ago
Hopefully this means the app will be better maintained.
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u/mrbaffles14 12h ago
For real. I’ve had comics I accidentally opened stuck on my reading list for 3yrs because the app can’t clear it when I say remove
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u/Mellotom 10h ago
I read Hickman’s Fantastic Four out of order because the MU app didn’t consider the Future Foundation issues as part of the same series, so I pretty much skipped a everything that happened between a major character’s death and return simply because the title changed during that period. Plus the browsing on the app is horrendous. Would love to see the app revamped but also I’m fully a paper reader now so I’ll never redownload the app anyway 🤷♂️
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u/jackpoll4100 10h ago
I got screwed by this with mail subscriptions when it came out lol. Someone as a gift got me a mail subscription and I asked them to subscribe to Fantastic Four, and for the first arc FF was the main series (its even included in the main series numbering) but then halfway through the run they switched the plot back over to the title "Fantastic Four" but my mail subscription was still to "FF" so I ended up getting a basically separate "kids of the fantastic four" series that was mostly unrelated to the first half when the next issue came around.
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u/HavenIndy 8h ago
I'm fairly certain that the Marvel Unlimited app is still based off the original Comixology backend. Way back when Marvel Unlimited started, it was in partnership with Comixology. I don't remember them announcing they were changing the backend when Amazon announced they were moving from the Comixology App to Kindle.
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u/C-Towner 6h ago
It’s honestly a travesty how badly the service is maintained. And also that there is no reasonable way to access these comics in a browser on a PC.
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u/WhyPlaySerious 13h ago
Important thing about the new app, the 'Ultimate Tier' will now match DC Infinite in having new releases available 30 days after publication.
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u/Jacks_Pancreas 13h ago
This is the biggest draw for me. I’ve been leaning heavy DC in recent years bc of this distinction
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u/TheManIsInsane 9h ago
I'm personally hoping they'll finally allow mature titles to be included. It's criminal that stuff like Alias, Elektra Assassin, and Miracleman aren't available on MU.
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u/nilfgaardian 10h ago
I wonder if they'll also have trades and omnis like DC universe infinite does if you have the highest tier.
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u/ULTRAFORCE X-23 9h ago
Have they said anything about how much of the backlog will be kept? Since I've thought of getting Marvel Unlimited a few times but some of the comics I was most curious about weren't available like the original Patsy Walker stuff.
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u/Nervous-Fennel3325 13m ago
Try being a golden age comics fan. Its just miserable all around with apps like these.
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u/PartyPorpoise Nightcrawler 5h ago
Oooh neat. I’ve been planning to get back into MU next year. A 30 day release makes it a lot more attractive.
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u/jedispaghetti420 13h ago
Don’t forget to check if your library card gives you access to Hoopla. It’s a great service and how I read most of my comics now.
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u/WarhammerGeek Death Stroke 9h ago
Library card in general is a good idea. I've read quite a few titles I probably wouldn't have otherwise because I stumbled upon them at the library
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u/jedispaghetti420 8h ago
In my city a library card can get you all kinds of free or discounted things as well. And the librarians are so helpful.
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u/Faolyn 13h ago
So that's why Loki: Agent of Asgard showed up on Webtoon.
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u/Thedeadlypocketbrush 13h ago
"powered by Webtoon" just feels wrong.
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u/VengeanceKnight 10h ago
It just means Webtoon are the ones hosting the service. And considering how notoriously terrible the Marvel Unlimited website is, that’s probably a good thing.
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u/Thedeadlypocketbrush 9h ago
Well it feeeeels like Marvel, THE name in American comic books, just signed a multi-year agreement with a Korean digital comics distributor for them to host and manage their subscription site, and the company said nah, go fuck yourself... Wait, ACTUALLY, we'll do it, but we want our name and logo in the main Marvel comics logo for the platform. Shocking to see.
It is WROOONNNNNNG. Like they've admitted defeat on the comics side.
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u/watlington 4h ago
I don't use it much but it seems like webtoon hosts all kinds of comics that they don't own or publish themselves, and it's not like they've ever been a competitor to super hero comics. It feels to me the same as if it were "powered by Squarespace" or something. Web hosting isn't really what Marvel is known for
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u/TwoToneMoonstone_ 13h ago
I don’t get why they would do that. What does this mean for the back catalogue?
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u/boxsterguy 13h ago
Nothing. Access to the backlog stays. This seems to be Marvel finally admitting that they have absolutely no interest in maintaining an app for comics. At least this way Marvel comics will be available from a developer that seems to care about functionality, without necessarily costing more (there's finally a new tier that has a 1mo delay, but the old 3mo tier stays the same price for now).
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u/Crafty_Substance_954 11h ago
Marvel is smartly getting out of the app development business.
Instead they’re transitioning their library to a 3rd party app specially designed for comics.
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u/patchworkedMan 8h ago
I've been using Marvel unlimited since it first released. Can't believe their getting rid of it. Looks like this will be a good reason to drop the subscription.
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u/Hundertwasserinsel 13h ago
Welp I guess this gives me reason to cancel my sub I've had for years
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u/galaxyadmirer Spider-Man 13h ago
If you’re on the annual you’ll be getting a refund based on how many days remain
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u/gnordy66 13h ago
Is Webtoons a bad platform? Seems like the what you get will be better and the cost will be about the same. What makes you want to cancel?
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u/GryphonTak 13h ago
As long as the monetization is handled by Marvel and Webtoon doesn’t get to enshitify the app with ads and such, it should be fine.
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u/Heavy_Mech 8h ago
My wife wanted me to read Dungeon Crawler Carl. Its comic is on webtoons and it’s a cancer. Ads, no page turning just scrolling. It’s like DCgo and I can’t stand that format. Worst experience I’ve had on an app. Could just be that particular series that’s like that though.
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u/DyslexicBrad 6h ago
That's because the DCC adaptation is a webtoon, not a traditional comic. Webtoons are a style of comic designed for reading on mobile phones, with vertical scrolling instead of pages. The format was popularised in Korea and the app "Webtoon" comes from the Korean company Naver, and is named after the format, like an app called "Comics". This doesn't mean that they're going to convert existing comics into webtoons or anything.
The ads are only 5 seconds and are there because in-progress works on webtoon are all free except for the most recent chapters which cost money/watching a longer ad to read early. Paid chapters don't have ads.
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u/sasquatchftw Nico Minoru 12h ago
I'm not upset about a different app, I'm just worried about how it will work with continuity guide.
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u/DrBandersnatch 13h ago
Is this good? I didn’t have an issue with current app, sure it could be better but it worked fine enough
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u/Bambalorian Immortal Iron Fist 11h ago
Ugh I wish there was an option to redeem the codes or port my library to Comixology or another aggregator app of some sort.
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u/SpideyFan914 12h ago
Oh that's weird. I guess it doesn't really matter if it's just a different app. Hopefully a better app and not a worse one.
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u/Darkstar_111 8h ago
Maybe they can fix the Goddamn app then.
I used to read X-Men years ago, so I bought a subscription hoping to get back in where I left off. I've got a fold phone so I'm good to go.
How the fuck am I supposed to figure out what storylines come before others??
Why isn't there a "master reading list" I can refer to in the app so I can read things in chronological order??
Wtf is the point of reading Marvel if I can't even look up things by connected events, it's all connected!
All I wanted was the Krakoa saga in order so I can take my time and read the whole thing. There's no way to do that in the app.
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u/gearstars 6h ago
If you go to Issues, then filter by a certain start date until present, the sort by oldest first, it will list everything that was released, in chronological order. So you'd have to skim through to find the ones youre looking for, but it works better when there's a ton of crossovers instead of jumping between title/series searches for big storylines
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u/Darkstar_111 5h ago
Yes I remember the start date of the clone saga...
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u/Bri_Hecatonchires 5h ago
They do have lots of major storylines/crossovers set up as reading lists. That being said- afaik they haven’t set up Krakoa as a reading list in full yet.
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u/ProbablySlacking 4h ago
Or custom reading lists for that matter. I should be able to say “I want to read everything in the lead up to secret wars” and find the most upvoted list
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u/CelestianSnackresant 7h ago
Fwiw the DC app works the way comic apps should. Super navigable, great storylines and collections etc
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u/Darkstar_111 7h ago
Yeah, its better. You can find stuff eventually if you click around. marvel U I just had to give up.
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u/CelestianSnackresant 6h ago
Lmao I had the same experience. I'm told the way to use Unlimited is to find the comic you want on Marvel database and just click the link
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u/Berserker_Barrage91 7h ago
Can you just look at a krakoa reading order online then read those books in order on the app?
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u/Darkstar_111 7h ago
Yeah, I can go and search for a random reading order online every time I move from one series to another.
Since the Krakoa storyline is so famous, that's kind of doable, wit that exact storyline.
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u/VampireOnline 5h ago
It’s what I did and it was a pain in the ass but so worth it! The X-men subreddit has a reading order!
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u/Nervous-Fennel3325 15m ago
I mean to be fair what do you think happens if you pick up trade paperbacks? Those also require research to see what is connected.
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u/manix_vii 10h ago
This is.. Not fucking good at all. Webtoon already sucks and abuses it's creators, I can't image the harm they'll do with Marvel's IP. I don't even know why Marvel has to hand the reigns over to another company in the first place tbh
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u/thrillhoMcFly 13h ago
What the fuck? I just subscribed for this very recently.
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u/iheartdev247 13h ago
It’s okay they’ll refund you and give you a chance to transfer lists and library.
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u/boxsterguy 13h ago
More importantly, existing subscribers get the option to preorder in as a "founder" and get the new Ultimate tier for $60 for the first year instead of $100.
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u/turingtestx 13h ago
It can roll over, it's the same service just a new app so that they can outsource it and not have to work on the app themselves
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u/boxsterguy 13h ago
It won't actually roll over, though. It's all new payment processing. Marvel will prorate a refund, and then OP will have the ability to start a new subscription on the new platform. There will be something like a month and a half of overlapping time where you still have access to the old service while also having access to the new service to ensure all your purchased books and read history transfer successfully (which I imagine will have some initial hiccups, as is always the case).
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u/turingtestx 13h ago
For sureee, I was a little unclear on how it all worked, but that makes sense. Well still, get your money back and then just put that towards the new subscription. A little more tedious than everything just automatically rolling over, but definitely not bad.
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u/zakary3888 13h ago
Disney really hates app ownership for anything not tied to streaming or parks
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u/boxsterguy 13h ago
The irony is that this probably wouldn't be a terribly difficult thing to roll into D+ (they've already platformized it, bringing in Hulu and ESPN). But comics are the red-headed step-child of Disney ...
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u/zakary3888 12h ago
I think they just hate dealing with the oversight. When they acquired Fox they also got a game studio that was, at the time, running Marvel Strike Force, a gacha game. You think they would’ve just kept it but they sold it off to another studio and keep the licensing money rolling in.
Frankly I’m shocked they talked about Kingdom Hearts as much as they did at D23 this year.
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u/thrillhoMcFly 12h ago
Yeah I saw that they'll transfer reading progress and refund. Still annoying since I just got into this. I do hope the new app has better sorting options. I'm trying to read mostly sequentially and am just in Summer 1941.
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u/Baconmonk 13h ago
I’m getting my money back for my current sub, and the new service is the same price. I’m hoping the new app is a bit better, but those two things are the most important to me and I’m glad they got it right.
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u/johndesmarais 12h ago
I wonder what this means for the glacially slow effort to fill in missing scan…
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u/Crafty_Substance_954 11h ago
Should be a good transition. Marvel shouldn’t be in the app development business.
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u/RutheniumFenix Blue Beetle 11h ago
Does anyone know if the old comixology era purchased comics that got migrated to unlimited will carry over?
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u/GrandAdmiral12345 11h ago
After just paying to upgrade my subscription to DCUI, is be pissed if DC did the same.
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u/Sega_Genitals 6h ago
Marvel Unlimited is not the best designed app in the world, hopefully this new shit is better
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u/birdazam Ricktator 4h ago
My subscription is up tomorrow does it mean I can use it free till it shut down?
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u/666KorlatWitch999 1h ago
I enjoyed the Marvel Unlimited app for getting into comics, but have far preferred moving to subscribing to the physical copies at my local comic store. I wonder if many other readers moved from apps to physical recently
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u/Fantasticbrick 26m ago
I prefer the app for space, price and availability. Nothing beats holding the physical media in your hand but its just not a reality for some, especially when going through classic storylines.
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u/JetScreamer-212 22m ago
I hope the search feature is better than Marvel Unlimited, which is a mess. And please give us a delete option on books you don’t want anymore:
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u/bmfrosty 13h ago
From my perspective, vertical scroll comics for people to consume via cell phone is probably the way things are just going to go. Love it or hate it, convenience beats out collectors. If they can sell more via webtoon and get more penetration that's the way it'll go.
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u/Business_Alarm8384 13h ago
Marvel will never care about comics,not now or in the future.
It simply isn’t profitable enough for them to care.
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u/Mechaheph 12h ago
Because they are launching a new comic reading app? I've had Marvel Unlimited for years, and I am looking forward to it being shutdown.
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u/urbanlife78 13h ago
You mean Disney doesn't care about comics
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u/Business_Alarm8384 13h ago
Yeah it’s basically a monopoly,now even warner bros got bought.
Hate what the world has become
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u/urbanlife78 12h ago
If only we had a government that was for the people and didn't allow monopolies like this to happen
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u/Fickle-Aardvark6907 12h ago
None of the major publishers care about comics except Image and that's highly fragmented depending on which partner you're talking about.
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u/LordBrokenshire 11h ago
Yay! Another highly inconvenient format shift for digital comics. I'll definitely buy into this one so I'm extra annoyed when they do it again in 4 years.
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u/jona2814 1h ago
Why not call it MARVEL Comics Unlimited? And what billionaire shitbag is downsizing the app so they get a little more $$$?
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u/LochNessMansterLives Nightcrawler 12h ago
You’d think marvel would give their highest grossing IP’s original source material Some love but this is the same company that bought Star Wars, thei said anything Star Wars they DONT own isn’t Canon and then stole a bunch of “non-canon” “fan fiction” and called it their own.
So I guess they’re doing exactly what they do with everything else. Steal someone’s idea make it “look” like Disney and then reap the benefits. They did it with fairy tales they did it with science fiction, now they’re doing it with marvel and Star Wars.
Just more of the same shit.
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u/Captain_Moscow Aquaman 12h ago
This is a strange response to this particular news. They are using a company that does this kind of app/experience well since their own app was not very well done. Could it not end up better? Maybe! But I don’t know what the complaints you’ve listed have to do with this shift.
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u/GreatGoogly-Moogly 13h ago
'Marvel Comics Powered by Webtoon' does not roll off the tongue nearly as well