In an industry first, Archie Comics on Wednesday announced its new titles would available to read day-and-date on comiXology Unlimited, the subscription arm of Amazon’s digital comics service.
The move took effect immediately with the publication of this week’s Sabrina: Something Wicked #3 by Kelly Thompson and Veronica and Andy Fish, Archie and comiXology announced in a joint news release.
Typically, comics appear on subscription services like comiXology Unlimited, Marvel Unlimited and the recently rebranded DC Universe six months after publication. So, for example, X-Men fans reading exclusively on Marvel Unlimited would just now be getting around to March’s Cable #1. The Archie deal removes that time gap, so Unlimited subscribers can read books like Sabrina #3 and Betty & Veronica Jumbo Comics #287 today.
Since the pandemic, Archie has moved farther and farther away from the more modern books inspired by its 2015 reboot and relied more on its tried-and-true classic “house-style” material. Even the main Archie title has been MIA since July, when it wrapped up a four-part Katy Keene story by Mariko Tamaki, Kevin Panetta and Laura Braga.
With Archie breaking the seal on day-and-date subscription binging, will other publishers follow suit? Certainly Archie going day-and-date is a bit more low-stakes than, say, Marvel or DC. But in the year of our coronavirus 2020, any attempt publishers make at innovating and meeting readers where they live is a win.
Dan Grote is the editor and publisher of ComicsXF, having won the site by ritual combat. By day, he’s a newspaper editor, and by night, he’s … also an editor. He co-hosts The ComicsXF Interview Podcast with Matt Lazorwitz. He lives in New Jersey with his wife, two kids and two miniature dachshunds, and his third, fictional son, Peter Paul Winston Wisdom.
