Marvel Shutting Down Digital Comics Store

In a matter of weeks, Marvel Entertainment will be revamping the entire process to get copies of their digital offerings. Effective June 2nd, the Marvel Digital Comics Shop will be shuttered and all digital comics will have to be purchased through the Marvel Comics app on your iOS or Android device. If you hope to read digital comics on a PC or Mac computer, digital comics from the House of Ideas will still be available through comiXology.

The publisher announced the movie in an e-mail to subscribers this afternoon, announcing all digital comics they’ve previously purchased through the Digital Comics Shop — which is located at comicstore.marvel.com — will automatically be available under your account in the Marvel Comics app. The company is also integrating a function where you can sync up the Marvel mobile app with your comiXology account so that your purchases are available both mobile and on a computer, without having to double-dip.

The move comes at a time where Marvel’s placing an increased focus on digital releases amid the coronavirus pandemic. Though some states have started reopening, Marvel still intends to slowly release a handful of titles over the course of coming weeks, all in an effort to still get new product out the door.

Though details have yet to be confirmed by Diamond, the distributor revealed last month it was setting a plan to relaunch its system in mid-to-late May.

“Besides the industry’s most immediate needs, we have been and will continue looking toward the future, when we see stores reopening, bringing staff back on board, and getting customers in the door,” Diamond’s Steve Geppi said in a previous statement. “We are looking at issues like debt accrued due to this crisis, what reduced ordering means for your discount tiers, and the availability of credit to help stores through and after this difficult time. We don’t have all those answers today, but we understand the many issues you are facing and look forward to addressing them as partners who all have an interest in the long-term health of the industry we love so much.”

Retailers have since suggested the distributor will release comics in time for New Comic Book Day on May 20th.