Should you buy your comics on Comixology or Amazon?

Amazon discounted a bunch of Comixology comics on the Amazon storefront! Wait… Amazon, Comixology? Amazon owns the online comic store and app, Comixology. Any comics you buy on Amazon, you read with the Comixology app.

What is Comixology?

Comixology is by far, the leading digital comic app. They have nearly everything. I read all my comics through this app. Normally, I purchase all my comics through the Comixology website. Comixology disabled the comic buying function in the app, because they didn’t want to split profits with Apple. Which is fine with me, because that keeps the price of the comics lower.

If you fear the local comic store getting a shaft in this deal, you can still buy Comixology comics through your local comic book store. One of my favorite comic book shops is Challengers in Chicago. I buy my comics through the Challengers storefront on Comixology. In fact, I just bought a few issues of M.A.S.K. on Saturday through Comixology.

Does your local comic book shop have a Comixology storefront? Please ask them! If they have one, I’m sure they would be happy to let people know. Oftentimes a store’s Comixology website goes unnoticed. The comic book store gets a cut from every comic sold!

Comic book sale on Amazon

Back to the Amazon sale of thousands of Marvel comics marked down below $5.

Interesting that these Amazon sale is only through Amazon.com. The comics are not for sale on Comixology. For instance, Darth Vader vol 1 is selling for $2.20 on Amazon, but $10.99 on Comixology.

Why is Amazon discounting the comics?

With this mega-sale on volumes, Amazon is probably trying to get people to eventually buy the Amazon Comixology Unlimited. For $9.99/month, you can read as many comics in the “unlimited” section of Comixology. (Not ALL the comics are in the Unlimited section).

The more people get familiar with reading comics through Comixology, the more likely Amazon will get more monthly subscribers to Unlimited. This promotion makes sense. Discount a bunch of comics, get people excited to visit Amazon. When you arrive at the page to buy the comic, it gives you the offer to pay $0 for the comic. For many people, $0 will look better than $2.20.

The kindle Unlimited offer is highlight by default, in orange. Only underneath this orange box is the deal to buy the comic for $2.20.

Kindle Unlimited vs. Comixology Unlimited

If you do go with the Unlimited Subscription, make sure you go with the Comixology Unlimited, not the Kindle Unlimited. THEY ARE DIFFERENT SUBSCRIPTIONS. The Comixology Unlimited has 2,242 Marvel titles. The Kindle Unlimited has only 40 Marvel titles.

• Kindle Unlimited includes Amazon books, but has much less comics.
• Comixology Unlimited does not include Amazon books, but has MUCH more comics.

I am tempted to get Unlimited, but I don’t really read THAT many comics. Every couple months I’ll buy a couple comics. With this sale, I’ll load up on three volumes of Darth Vader, which would be about $6.60, still lower than the $9.99/month.

Warning about digital comics

The one thing makes me hesitant about buying digital comics through Amazon/Comixology. You don’t own the comics. You only lease them. You never get the actual original files. If Amazon/Comixology changes their terms, all your comics could go away. Like, forever, you never had them. One of these days, I should start taking screenshots of all my comics. That way I have an archive.

For now, please enjoy this sale. A handful of Darth Vader volumes are available. For now, while the sale is live, buy your comics on Amazon. Otherwise, I’d purchase the comics on Comixology through your local comic book store.

Darth Vader: Volume 1

Comixology $10.99 (on Comixology Unlimited and Kindle Unlimited)

Darth Vader: Volume 2

Comixology $10.99 (on Comixology Unlimited and Kindle Unlimited)

Darth Vader: Volume 3

Comixology $8.99 (NOT on Comixology Unlimited and Kindle Unlimited)

Darth Vader: Volume 4

(Disclaimer: The Amazon links in this blog post are affiliate links, so I can make a few extra coins to help pay for a fraction of the cost to host this website. #CommissionsEarned)