Marvel Comics announced today Marvel Comics on Chrome, a free app available for the Google Chrome web browser via Google’s Chrome Web Store. There are over 1,600 comics available through the app immediately. The app utilizes HTML 5 technology to offer up as close an experience as possible to the one on the iPad. Comics already purchased through the Marvel Comics App on iPad or iTunes will be freely available to read through the Chrome App too.
“Marvel Comics on Chrome is the next step of Marvel’s commitment to making high definition digital comics available to users anytime, anywhere,” explained Ira Rubenstein, Executive Vice President, Global Digital Media Group in a press release. “We’re sure users of the Google Chrome Web browser will love this digital comics experience.”
Being an avid user of the iPad app I was curious to see how the Chrome app compared. At first blush I have to say it’s a really close experience. The iPad experience is still smoother, but this option is the best so far for reading comics in a web browser. Get the app here.
I’m glad to see that Marvel comics are available on something other than an iOS platform. Having said that, I’m still not sold on the digital comic experience. If they committed to day-and-date release, or at least to whole storylines (ala TPBs), i might be sold on the idea. But i dont want to have to buy some digital, some paper to read an entire store (like Siege or Secret Invasion).
Comment by rudy — February 3, 2011 @ 8:15 am