Comixology Rolls Out New Updates After Reader, Creator Backlash
In February, ComiXology updated their interface and phased out the ComiXology reader as part of the incorporation into parent company Amazon's website and to say that the update didn't go over well with both fans and comic creators would be an understatement. There was considerable backlash from readers and creators almost instantly which prompted ComiXology to address the situation as well as promise updates and improvements. Now, ComiXology has begun to roll out those updates. In a Twitter thread earlier this week, ComiXology addressed some of the problems users have been facing as well as revealed some of the updates they've made as well as promised more to come.
"We've been busy making updates since the launch of our updated ComiXology app and new store," the tweet thread began. "We've listened to your feedback and will continue to share updates and new features as they launch — this is just the beginning."
1./ We’ve been busy making updates since the launch of our updated Comixology app and new store. We’ve listened to your feedback and will continue to share updates and new features as they launch - this is just the beginning!
— Comixology (@comiXology) March 24, 2022
The thread touched matters such as improved book resolution in the mobile app, issues with New Releases filters, improved book downloads, and more. They also revealed that the app library now groups content by series in several countries — Australia, Brazil and India, also available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, German, and Japan, Most of the improvements were geared towards the US and UK storefronts, but ComiXology said that they plan to "roll out additional storefronts to additional countries this year".
Amazon purchased ComiXology, then one of the industry's largest digital comics retailers, around eight years ago. In February, Amazon merged ComiXology into its own website and began to phase out the ComiXology reader while also merging its entire library into the Amazon website, but despite being touted as a "seamless" move, consumers soon ran into a number of issues, including comics that were completely unreadable through the Kindle app while other books, namely ComiXology Originals, couldn't be found by some users even when directly searching for them. The changes and the issues stemming from them prompted many users and creators to not only speak out, but also consider moving on from ComiXology altogether.
It will be interesting to see how these latest updates and improvements impact the user experience with ComiXology, but it also sounds like there are more updates and fixes to come. ComiXology ended its thread promising more updates to come.
"We know being able to read your comics on our web reader is important. We're working as fast as possible to roll out improvements," the thread reads. "This is not a complete list of every improvement that our team is hard at work on. Thank you for your patience and more updates to come.
What do you think about ComiXology's latest updates and fixes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!