Where to Read Graphic Novels Online

Marvel Unlimited has a very similar model to that of ComiXology with 28,000 titles available for a $9.99 subscription price or $69 for a one time annual fee. This is definitely the go to option for fans who are really Marvel-specific, offering a similar size and scope of service to ComiXology's subscription plan, but with a 100% focus on titles from the comic industry's top publisher. 

There is also a $99 physical / digital combo option where a buyer can get a one year subscription to Marvel Unlimited and all its titles as well as a mystery box containing an exclusive action figure, variant covers, enamel pin and more. 

Having launched in January after the groundbreaking TV and digital comics combo of the DC Universe app was folded into HBO Max, DC Universe Infinite serves as the digital subscription service for the second leading publisher in comics. Offering a similar size library to Marvel, DC comes in lower monthly rate with a $7.99 subscription price monthly, but a slightly higher one-time buy-in at $74.99. 

This service has been extremely well received as DC has done a great job tying in upcoming media properties to available digital offerings, giving the casual fan more info. For instance, did you love James Gunn's Suicide Squad? Well the DC Infinite service has all the Suicide Squad you could want to read to get you indoctrinated into the world of DC Comics. 

Want to read some comics and donate to a good cause all at once? In that case, Humble Bundle is the offering for you. Humble Bundle offers digital comics bundles at set prices and at name-your-own-price levels where the service partners with brands to put together digital bundles—often publisher-wide—at crazy low prices with a set percentage going to charity. 

This service has largely been seen as a win-win in the community with publishers driving awareness, money being made for charities, and customers getting graphic novels that they are chasing at the lowest possible price point. 

The down side of Humble Bundle is that their offerings are constantly changing, making it hard for users to rely on the site for constant options within the guidelines of their desired reading. But while it may never be your go-to source, Humble Bundle is a great source to add to your digital comics portfolio. 

Hoopla is one of my absolute favorite and most used digital comics services available. It is part of the public library system and users can borrow digital copies of movies, TV shows, books and, yes, comics for free with simply your local library card. 

Libraries are a big part of the spread and accessibility of the graphic novel market and Hoopla is fully supported by the comics industry as a free digital option for comics readers. Hoopla has an excellently curated collection of hits and timely selections of properties currently being popularized in other forms of media such as Black Widow, What If?, Jupiter's Legacy and more. 

If you're reading digitally, Hoopla should be a part of your program to do so. Having said all of that, I mentioned earlier that there was news this week on the digital comics front. 

Batman writer James Tynion made news when he announced that he was leaving DC for Substack, a digital subscription newsletter service where he will be posting all his creator owned titles as digital firsts before selling the rights to publishers for physical copies. 

With a model similar to Patreon or OnlyFans, fans subscribe to the creators of their choosing who can offer customizable packages for monthly rates as well as higher end packages with additional perks. Tynion, for instance, will be offering a subscription to his Substack for $7 a month or $75 up front. There is also a $250/year option that gives you  exclusive physical variants for Tynion's upcoming Substack offerings. 

This made major waves in the industry with Tynion being arguably the #1 or #2 writer in comics (depending on who you ask) and choosing such a radical release method. While just having happened this week, we have seen the effect in the creative world as other A List writers have followed suit, with Skottie Young and Chip Zdarsky announcing subsequent moves to the platform, the momentum is only growing. Time will tell the potential success of this system, but there are definitely moves being made in the digital space and I am positive it had the attention of the Big 2. 

Overall, no matter what service you use, whether it's free or a paid subscription, physical or digital, as long as you're reading and enjoying comics and graphic novels then the industry and hobby will continue to flourish. It's all about accessibility and bringing comics to the masses by delivering in ways that are most comfortable for the end user. Add in new services like Substack, which gives power to the creator, and we may be seeing a digital revolution in the graphic novel space. We are entering a true Digital Age.