Marvel Comics and DC Comics have announced new digital-only crossover comics and are offering free subscription trials for their digital platforms, DC Universe Infinite and Marvel Unlimited. This follows Marvel’s sold-out Deadpool/Batman #1 physical comic, with DC’s Batman/Deadpool #1 set to release next week digitally. The digital stories will be free to read for 30 days after registration before locking behind a paywall. Both companies are releasing these stories in a vertical scroll format designed specifically for digital devices.
The first title on DC Universe Infinite is The Flash/Fantastic Four. Written by Jeremy Adams and drawn by Adrián Gutiérrez, it features Barry Allen and the Fantastic Four battling through the Speed Force to stop Gorilla Grodd. On Marvel Unlimited, a Thor/Shazam story authored by Al Ewing and illustrated by Jethro Morales teams Donald Blake with Billy Batson to recover stolen powers of thunder. Fans can redeem a free digital copy of the Thor/Shazam crossover with the code CROSSOVER25 until December 17, 2025.
DC and Marvel are also offering their U.S. subscribers codes for a 30-day free trial to the other company’s service. DC Universe Infinite subscribers without Marvel Unlimited will receive a trial for Marvel Unlimited’s monthly service. Marvel subscribers without DC Universe Infinite will get a trial for DC’s Ultra Monthly Plan. New sign-ups must register by December 17, 2025. Both services automatically renew and have different terms.
While comic readers may like these offers, this aggressive push into digital is not necessarily good news for brick-and-mortar comic shops. Not only do comic shops do not make money from digital sales, they also risk losing physical comic sales to those readers who abandon print comics to adopt the digital approach. When Marvel and DC’s digital platforms were initially announced, there were delays of up to 6 months for digital versions versus the release date of the print versions, making sure comic shops had time to sell the books before making them available via digital. This new promotion flips that delay on its head.
This isn’t the first time Marvel has attempted to do digital-only releases. Back in 2020, Marvel announced a handful of digital only titles of books that were held up by the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent shutdown by Diamond Comics Distributors. After severe pushback, Marvel eventually told retailers they would release print copies of most of those titles. Back then the titles were Hawkeye: Freefall, Ant-Man, Ghost Spider and Valkyrie: Jane Foster, not exactly big selling books.
This time is different. A publishing crossover between DC Comics characters and Marvel Comics characters is historic, and has been a dependable sales boon for both companies in the past, because it is rare, and usually pretty special to readers. This time the big two’s decision to prioritize digital platforms over supporting comic shops is a slap in the face to local retailers and readers. Comic shops offer a unique experience that digital services simply can never replicate or replace. It’s sad to see Marvel and DC so blatantly choosing their bottom line over the health retailers they’ve relied on for decades.
While mainstream comics media is seemingly applauding this decision, there is no way this will help small businesses owners and in fact undermines the communities and cultures that have been built around those shops. If comic publishers continue to want to grow their digital footprint at the expense of physical stores, they can expect the entire comic shop landscape to suffer. With this latest, heavy focus on digital subscriptions, Marvel and DC are trying to increase digital readership while they directly undercut comic retailers who have been the backbone of the comic community since the direct market was born.
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English (US) · 