FREE Digital comics

[the1captain]

today at sxsw marvel announced 700 #1 issues free from comixology until Wed. the 12th.

If you like digital comics, this is a chance to get almost every number issue, i would imagine.

Server is being overwhelmed as of this writing. Managed to download maybe 40 comics and then started receiving continuous download errors.

Later noted that my previous purchases were all wiped slick. Assume/hope this will be restored once the storm is over.

Same problems here. I've gotten just over 50 so far. Be nice if DC at least offered all the #1's of the New 52.

[jonah]

today at sxsw marvel announced 700 #1 issues free from comixology until Wed. the 12th.

If you like digital comics, this is a chance to get almost every number issue, i would imagine.

Server is being overwhelmed as of this writing. Managed to download maybe 40 comics and then started receiving continuous download errors.

Later noted that my previous purchases were all wiped slick. Assume/hope this will be restored once the storm is over.

Same problems here. I've gotten just over 50 so far. Be nice if DC at least offered all the #1's of the New 52.

Back in business this morning. Am able to down load and my previous purchases appear to be in place. Haven't done an extensive check yet. Browsing my collection seems awful slow though.

DC Does offer their Number 1's for 99 cents each which makes them affordable on a whim. And the Harbinger series is being offered for 99 cents as well. Bought all of those and I'm probably going to continue to follow it as it's really good comics. For me at least, 99 cents is the price point where I don't hesitate to buy a book. Apple learned that with music, comics publishers should embrace this as well, at least for their older books. There's a number of older series I'd read through at that price.

[Perry]

Grabbed the ten books I wanted, but I am here to suggest everyone get those Thor one-shots by Matt Fraction. They are NOTHING like his run on the series proper THOR, which I couldn't get passed two issues of, and are true classic Thor stories that belong in the short list of true, great Thor stories. Well, three of them belong there. There was one that left me kinda "eh", but the other three are fantastic. Been awhile since I read them, so I forgot which one was the lesser (but hey, they're free, so grab 'em)
THOR - AGES OF THUNDER
THOR - AGES OF THUNDER : REIGN OF BLOOD (my favorite, if I recall)
THOR - MAN OF WAR
THOR - GOD SIZED

Also, this would be a great time for Bob to read SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #1. It's free so it would not be financially supporting the non-Parker Spidey (though yes, I am aware that is not the reason he didn't buy it)

[the1captain]

Comixology still down. Was on their facebook page and they are still working on it. This is a problem that may hurt them in the long run. Not about the free books. But people not being able to access their own books they already bought. As much as I've come to embrace digital, this is a big setback that could scare people off.

[fudd71]

Comixology still down. Was on their facebook page and they are still working on it. This is a problem that may hurt them in the long run. Not about the free books. But people not being able to access their own books they already bought. As much as I've come to embrace digital, this is a big setback that could scare people off.

This was my big problem, I don't own a lot of digital comics but did have a reason to want to access them and buy a few new ones yesterday (nothing Marvel, nothing free). I knew nothing about the Marvel thing at the time. What I did learn is Comixology isn't reliable and I will be tracking down those issues as back issues instead of dealing with Comixology. It has been over twenty hours and I'm still getting an error message just to download books I already own.

[the1captain]

Comixology still down. Was on their facebook page and they are still working on it. This is a problem that may hurt them in the long run. Not about the free books. But people not being able to access their own books they already bought. As much as I've come to embrace digital, this is a big setback that could scare people off.

This was my big problem, I don't own a lot of digital comics but did have a reason to want to access them and buy a few new ones yesterday (nothing Marvel, nothing free). I knew nothing about the Marvel thing at the time. What I did learn is Comixology isn't reliable and I will be tracking down those issues as back issues instead of dealing with Comixology. It has been over twenty hours and I'm still getting an error message just to download books I already own.

It's one thing to not be able to access the free books. You're out no money. But it's too bad for people that want nothing to do with the Marvel deal and just want to read the books they already purchased. I'm sure the other publishers that deal with Comixology are mad that Marvel is basically blocking people from doing any business with them through the site.

[BobBretall]

Also, this would be a great time for Bob to read SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN #1. It's free so it would not be financially supporting the non-Parker Spidey (though yes, I am aware that is not the reason he didn't buy it)

Yeah, I'll try it, though the Comixology site was so slow as to be unusable & it hung during the checkout process on the hand full of books I managed to get into my cart when I tried last night.

Kind of like trying to buy a SDCC badge.

I think Comixology needs to upgrade their server infrastructure.....

Maybe blasting out 700 free Marvel comics at once was not a good idea

Maybe just do 10 a week on an on going basis.....or just let people get all 700 with 1 click so they are not clobbering their servers with all the transactions.

[fudd71]

It's one thing to not be able to access the free books. You're out no money. But it's too bad for people that want nothing to do with the Marvel deal and just want to read the books they already purchased. I'm sure the other publishers that deal with Comixology are mad that Marvel is basically blocking people from doing any business with them through the site.

It happens the books I was looking for were IDW books. Seem like other publishers are getting little frustrated too. IDW just recently posted to their FB that customers looking for IDW book digitally should shop at the iBookStore if you are having trouble with other sites (didn't name Comixology by name, but close enough).

[Perry]

Wow, site still locking up. I can't even read the books I got at 4 AM this morning.

Like stated, I can't imagine companies are happy with this. Marvel should've given Comixology a little warning or started the sale a week after the announcement to give them time to prep ... or try to prep. I can't imagine the traffic they are getting (or missing out on as the case may be). Bad enough you have countless hits to the site, but the mob mentality of most "buyers" getting every single issue just because they're free sure doesn't help.

Absolutely a brilliant plan by Marvel, I mean it ... truly a marketing coup, but damn if only they planned the traffic better.

[BobBretall]

Now you just enter your e-mail address & they tell you they'll let you know when you'll be able to participate in the promotion.

http://blog.comixology.com/2013/03/11/m ... m-the-ceo/

To our customers:

It’s been a whirlwind weekend, and we’re fresh from SXSW where Marvel Comics launched their Marvel #1 promotion featuring over 700 free comics distributed via our platform.

We expected a high degree of excitement for the Marvel initiative – and had believed ourselves prepared – but unfortunately we became overwhelmed by the immense response. We’re still struggling to keep our systems up.

The result is that you aren’t getting your comics when and where you want.

We don’t like letting you down. Our teams are working around the clock to resolve these issues so that you can have the experience you’ve come to expect.

To that end, we’re pausing the Marvel Comics #1 promotion for the time being. For those of you that want to take advantage of the offer – you will get your comics! Until we are able to reinstate this program in our systems, please click here and fill out this simple form, so you can be informed as soon as there is an update.

We’ll be communicating with you as often as we can and deeply appreciate the outpouring of support we’ve seen from our customers while we right the ship.

David Steinberger
CEO and co-founder
comiXology

[BobBretall]

A couple of comments from that page that hit the nail on the head with the negative publicity Comixology is getting because of this:

Beginning to rethink digital comics, at this point it's easier to get them at a store and help my local shop then to be locked out here. If you are going to provide a hosted service to store peoples property you need to make it tough enough to handle anything short of an act of god.

I'm a big fan of Comixology. The problem, for me, wasn't the freebie stuff. My iPad app went south and I had to reinstall Sunday. This put me -- a paying customer that has forked over hundreds of dollars -- in queue to get titles I have already purchased. I'm sorry you couldn't get your freebies but I couldn't (and still can't) access my paid-for titles! A little pro-active communication to your existing customers via e-mail would have been nice.

Illustrates the issues of a hosted system like this. If their server goes down you're locked out of stuff you bought. Bit of a preview for people for the day that they go out of business........

[Perry]

Bit of a preview for people for the day that they go out of business........

Wow. "Bitter Bill Pessimist" comes on the board with the harsh comments

[BobBretall]

Bit of a preview for people for the day that they go out of business........

Wow. "Bitter Bill Pessimist" comes on the board with the harsh comments

All things pass

And please, "Bitter Bob" ......

But seriously, this is the kind of thing that was nagging at the back of my mind ever since they came along with the hosted model. I've always been partial to having copies of stuff that I keep track of myself "just in case".

[Gilgabob]

I must admit I've only actually purchased a few books from Comixology. I have a lot of free stuff and the issues I get with the Marvel digital code. It is a little disconcerting that owned issues are tied into the same system used to actually purchase issues. It would be nice if they weren't connected in such a way that server overload like this would cause down time for people who want to read titles they already own.

I'm not expecting them to go out of business anytime soon though

[Perry]

All things pass

And please, "Bitter Bob" ......

Yeah, I thought about changing it, but my mom's voice in my head just screamed not to. She use to always say that line to me.

But seriously, this is the kind of thing that was nagging at the back of my mind ever since they came along with the hosted model. I've always been partial to having copies of stuff that I keep track of myself "just in case".

Oh yeah, I get that. I would really think long and hard about long term "storage" of site based digital. I don't foresee Comixology going under anytime soon (if at all) and I am sure the big two (and perhaps other larger publishers) would work with past purchasers of their digital copies to get the books to them if anything were to happen (the $#!%storm if they didn't would kill the media), but I would worry about re-obtaining digital copies from smaller press companies.

On the flip side, for me, I mainly use digital to get copies of books I just want to read and have no desire to hold onto. The reason, honestly, is that while I think digital "collections" are safe, I just can't stop feeling, much like yourself, that the long term aspect is just scary when you think about the loss factor

It would be nice if they weren't connected in such a way that server overload like this would cause down time for people who want to read titles they already own.

Nice idea!

I'm not expecting them to go out of business anytime soon though

Agree