So apparently Comixology has launched a Netflix/Marvel Unlimited style service which includes some Transformers books as well. I'm not 100% sure on which books are included but there are pictures on the relevant pages which show MTMTE and ex-RID. Edit: The filtering on mobile is still a little wonky, but a huge chunk of the IDW back catalogue is there. This includes a bunch of stuff up to around Combiner Wars.
I signed up for the 30 day trial, which requires you to merge your Amazon account with Comixology (so I'm now reading comics as my wife). From my initial browsing, there's not a lot of super new stuff or comics from the bigger publishers. There certainly is, but I think this is more of a way to be introduced to lesser known titles / publishers and discover older comics. I did see some Transformers books, so that's good. But don't expect to get caught up with the complete series using this. I know with Marvel Unlimited, new comics are typically delayed by at least 6 months.
I would be fine with only older comics being included (with most new comics costing $4 or so each, I can understand not including them in a $6/month package). I'd just want to know that I could get to the titles I want, and not just a bunch of stuff I don't care about. As you've already pointed out, even though it's got a free trial, I would have to commit to joining my accounts, and I'm not confident that doing so wouldn't create problems.
I might check this out. It's a sales model that's at least 10 years past due, but I expect it will be more like Amazon Prime than Netflix. I.e., only SOME content is included and anything decent you have to pay extra for. I love comics, I like digital, but it really will be a cold day in hell when I spend 3.99 to read a 20 page comic file where nothing happens and I don't even really own the file thanks to the DRM.
IDW is one of the publishers signed up to DRM-free backups on comiXology, actually. I doubt it'll be included in this subscription model for obvious reasons, but any Transformers books you buy on there the regular way can be downloaded as a DRM-free PDF or CBR.
I stopped using Comixology as much as I once did when Amazon took over and redesigned the app to take away in app purchases. Amazon took a good platform with an intuitive UI and put profit over customer convenience by basically downgrading the app. It left a sour taste in my mouth, as do a lot od Amazons practices. The 'Netflix for comics' idea is nothing new, Scibd have been doing it for a bit now and I'd be more inclined to sign up with them if I wanted that. Personally I prefer to read physical comics and trades anyway and really only bother with digital comics when traveling. I don't think I'd pay a monthly subscription as I read digitally so infrequently, it just wouldn't be worth it for me. The concern here is that this is the first move towards a subscription only service, at which point I imagine I'd stop using Comixology all together.
I actually don't understand how this works and can't find a "How To" on the site. I signed up for the 30-day free trial to see if I like it or not but I still see prices on every comic. Why? Is that only if I "Add to Cart" instead of "Borrow"? I'm afraid to click on anything because I don't want to get charged $5 for every comic I read.
I love this idea and have been waiting for it to happen with other comic publishers for years. Marvel Unlimited has introduced me to dozens of series and characters I've never had the time or money to read before. If Comixoligy can include DC comics in this as well as IDW, it'd be a sure win. Sucks that its only for US though. Have to try and work out a way to use this through VPN/DNS proxy like Netflix. Generally the in-app purchases are removed from mobile apps because Apple demands a cut of every purchase made through an App (I think 30%?). That's why you can no longer buy books through the Kindle app on iPhone and have to go to the site. I would assume Amazon implemented the policy on Comixology for the same reason. It's not really Amazon putting profit first so much as them refusing to pay Apple 30% for doing next to nothing. The alternative for Amazon was to hike up the prices of everything to pay Apple's "management fee". And as for Scribd - They gutted their "all you can eat" membership a couple of months ago. You now get a maximum of three books and one audiobook a month. And yes a single issue of a comic is counted as one of those three books. Best thing about these subscriptions is you pay by the month. Feel in the mood to binge read some comics? Sign up to Marvel Unlimited for a month or two, read a coupe hundred issues on your tablet till fatigue set's in, then suspend your membership till the comic bug bites again. That's what I do. Got itchy again after Guardians of the Galaxy movie and spent two months reading through the Marvel cosmic Thanos Imperative - Nova, Guardians, Ronan a whole bunch of characters I didn't know much about! If Comixology Unlimited has the books and stories to make this worthwhile I'll definitely be in for it... if I can work out how to access from Aus.
Okay, bit disapointing. No DC, limited releases from IDW or Dark Horse, and a bunch of minor comic's publishers. Gizmodo list's the titles included. Comixology Launches All-You-Can-Eat ‘Unlimited’ Subscription Service Hopefully this will be a success and DC will get on board with it. Looks like you can read offline (based on their page) so could theoretically set this up and download through my VPN from home, red the comics offline on tablet while out and about... interesting! may have to give this a go to catch up on some IDW and Darkhorse stuff. Most of the other smaller comics don't interest me yet, but that may change if I get them for free...
There's tons of comics in each genre (how I sorted) but it seems only a few per page are marked as "Unlimited." Disappointing, to say the least. I'll be canceling, seeing as it looks like 90% of what's offered is for sale rather than a flat-fee sub service.
Basically you do a search for a series/issue and you'll see an "Unlimited" banner across the cover image if it's included. Looks like RID is free up till issue 27, after that you pay. MTMTE is not included. Like Marvel Unlimited, I think it's only older issues, up to certain cutoff age. Unlike Mavrvel Unlimited though, it's only a limited number of series included at this stage. If it's a success, hopefully they will expand the selection. I look at it this way - for the price of 2 issues of a comic I can probably pick up a couple dozen early entries in series I'm interested in, get me up to speed enoughto decide if I want to continue. Plus I'll probably get to check out a few hundred other comics I might otherwise never have bothered to even look at? May find a few hidden gems. I view that as a solid investment - I pay for Kindle Unlimited and have picked up a bunch of fun books I never would have come acroos, and most of that content is self-published rubbish! At least comixology is proper publishers! NB: this is from PC, I assume the App is similar?
Doesn't even matter for me. I'm in Japan, and for some reason, Comixology doesn't offer ANY of the IDW TF comics for sale here. Never mind Unlimited; we can't even get them normally. It's weird, because we can get the GI Joe comics here, and many are listed as being part of Unlimited, including the classic Marvel series along with Hama's IDW continuation. So that's cool. But zero Transformers for some reason. I'd love to get an explanation for this from Hasbro or IDW or Comixology or whoever. Is it a licensing thing? Does Takara somehow have a problem with it?
And now, Comixology seems to be broken in general. Every comic in my current library that I try to read sends me to a broken link! Way to go, Comixology!
I'd imagine that rather than Takara specifically having a problem with it, it's more like IDW would have to negotiate a separate license with Takara to sell Transformers comics in Japan, and they just haven't chosen to do that. Presumably when a company purchases a license from Hasbro to make Transformers comics or pencil cases or statues or whatever, it's always going to exclude Japan because it's Takara's right to manage that kind of thing in their own "jurisdiction".
I'm aware of their reasons and I still think it puts Amazon first and customer convenience second. Comixology were able to turn a profit whilst giving Apple, google or whomever a cut of their profits, Amazon (who let's face it are not struggling for money) should have no trouble whatsoever. They were not protecting customers from a price hike, they were maximising their profits, it's what Amazon do. Yup I really don't like Amazon. Ah I was not aware of that thanks for the heads up. I used it for a month or two and quite liked it but, like I said before, I read so much physically that I didn't have the time to take full advantage of it. I totally see your point on the convenience of such services, it's a good move for digital readers so long as they keep both payment models (subscription and pay per issue).
