ComiXology, Google Play Finally Come to Barnes & Noble's Nook

Just in time for what's arguably the biggest comic book weekend of the year with Iron Man 3 opening today and Free Comic Book Day tomorrow, Barnes & Noble's Nook HD and Nook HD+ devices have rolled out a new system update that gives users full access to the Google Play marketplace for the first time. That's right--ComiXology is now available on the Nook. Users of the device will also appreciate a vastly expanded media library, as Barnes & Noble's own is fairly limited outside of books. This means tons more music, movies and even audiobooks for Nook users. In the past, the bookseller has hesitated to allow unfettered Android marketplace access for its users, likely hoping to prevent purchases through third-party retailers rather than buying directly from B&N, but sales of the devices--which are well-reviewed in the trade press and beloved by their core audience--have plateaued, leaving Barnes & Noble to find a way to sell more digital product rather than simply relying on hardware sales to lift the Nook division. ComiXology was available on the Nook Color--the retailer's first tablet-style e-reader--but only if you side loaded Android from a memory card, which was not a pleasant reading experience. That security hole was closed when Barnes & Noble rolled out their Nook Tablet and then the HD and HD+. DC Entertainment and Dark Horse both sell comics, including single issues, through the Nook directly and other publishers like Marvel and Image have deals in place for trade paperbacks and graphic novels, but until now both Barnes & Noble and ComiXology had stonewalled questions about integrating the device with the popular comics retail app, each pointing the finger at the other for not developing technology to make it possible.