Superheroes and supervillains are beaming down to the iPad planet. On Saturday, Marvel Comics announced an application for Apple’s newest device and the launch of digital versions of more than 500 titles featuring Spider-Man, Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, and others.
The Disney-owned company said each comic is presented “at incredibly high resolution,” as well as with a search engine and a variety of viewing options.
‘A Historic Event’
Marvel Publishing CEO and Publisher Dan Buckely said the iPad “is the first device that offers us a chance to present digital comics that are even close to replicating the experience of reading a print comic.” The company said the comics have been optimized for the iPad by a “painstaking recoloring” of the digital versions.
Some of the initial batch of titles from Marvel are classics, like the debut of Red Hulk, Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four series, Joss Whedon and John Cassaday’s Astonishing X-Men, and others. Titles will be released weekly, priced at $1.99 each.
Marvel worked with ComiXology on the new app, which is also available for the iPhone and iPod touch. The Marvel app includes a free preview of up to two pages from every issue before purchase, a comic-shop locater, and the ability to move from page to page with a finger swipe.
To celebrate what it described as “a historic event,” Marvel will offer for a limited time several free titles, including New Avengers #1, Captain America #1, Invincible Iron Man #1, Thor #1, and Super Hero Squad #1.
The app is also being used by several small comic-book publishers, such as Sterling Comics and Top Cow.
‘A Perfect Match’
Marvel’s big rival, Time Warner’s DC Comics, said it’s currently assessing the iPad, but hasn’t yet announced an effort targeted at the device.
A key question for Marvel and other publishers is…