Marvel's Online-First Titles

Marvel Digital keeps setting the bar higher and higher for webcomics. Now, not only are they offering a slew of titles online first, several of them are free - and the art for all of them rocks! It appears (at least from this press release) that Astonishing Tales will be an online series (at least first), and I'd like to say I think it's a great choice! A kind-of What If... with a focus on background characters that might or might not make it in the print world, but is a great title concept. This is what makes webcomics so exciting: there is finally a forum for ideas that might not be commercially viable/successful, but definitely deserve a shot!

Kudos to Marvel Digital.

New York, NY (December 1, 2008) – Marvel Entertainment is launching the second wave of never before seen digital comic titles exclusively for Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited subscribers. The Marvel Digital Holiday Special— debuting on Wednesday, December 17^th—highlights this second wave of online-first titles at Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited and adds to the ever-growing library of over 5,000+ comics.

Here's what's coming:

Astonishing Tales: Wolverine/Punisher
Fan-fave C.B. Cebulski (X-INFERNUS) and the up and coming Kenneth Rocafort (MADAME MIRAGE) get gritty with a no-holds-barred Wolverine/Punisher tale you have to see to believe! Wolverine and Punisher go head-to-head on the streets of Madripoor, but can they stop fighting each other long enough to take down a certain green-haired femme fatale for good?!
Written by: C.B. Cebulski
Art by: Kenneth Rocafort
Debuts: Wednesday, December 10

Holiday Special Issue
Ho ho ho! It's holiday fun in the Merry Marvel Manner, as the House of Ideas hangs the stockings by the chimney with care in hopes that Galactus won't soon be there. The X-Men celebrate their first holiday in their new home of San Francisco—and their first without Kitty Pryde among them in X-MEN: Blue Christmas by Jim McCann and Todd Nauck. Meanwhile, in the days before Secret Invasion, one family finds even the most humble of holiday celebrations can be infiltrated by the Skrulls in a tale of holiday horror by Ryan Penagos and Juan Doe. And hey, what're the holidays like for Jack Russell—Werewolf by Night? Find out in WEREWOLF BY EVE! by Marvel.com's own Ben Morse with art by Stephanie Buscema. All of this, and Santa Claus vs. The Illuminati?! 'Tis the season, and Brian Reed and Val Semeiks will bring it to ya! So stop on by for some eggnog, dreidel spinning and probably a fist fight or two with your favorite Marvel heroes and villains in the Marvel Digital Comics Holiday Special!
Written by: Jim McCann, Brian Reed, Ben Morse and Ryan Penagos
Art by: Todd Nauck, Val Semeiks, Stephanie Buscema and Juan Doe
Debuts: Wednesday, December 17

Astonishing Tales: Iron Man 2020
In a not so distant tomorrow, Arno Stark, the Iron Man of the year 2020, prepares to launch the new heliliner, the Spirit of Free Enterprise… but Commodore Q wants to stop it. Who is he… and what are the Endless Stolen Skies?
Written by: Daniel Merlin Goodbrey
Art by: Lou Kang
Debuts: Wednesday, December 24

Astonishing Tales: Mojoworld
Jonathan Hickman (Secret Warriors) and newcomer Nick Pitarra roll the cameras as Cannonball and Sunspot (of the New Mutants) get sucked into the wildest adventure of their short lives when they spend their summer vacation in… MOJOWORLD!
Written by: Jonathan Hickman
Art by: Nick Pitarra and Jonathon Hickman
Debuts: Wednesday, December 31

Wolverine: Agent of Atlas
The jungles of Cuba, 1958: revolutionary forces work their way to overthrowing the government, while even stranger forces are at large. The FBI has sent Jimmy Woo's secret team of paranormals, the Agents of Atlas, to investigate. The crack team gets more than they bargained for when they cross paths with the mysterious operative known only as "Logan!" This three part series debuts with a FREE first issue—available to subscribers and non-subscribers to Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited!
Written by: Jeff Parker
Art by: Benton Jew
Debuts: Wednesday, December 31 (Issue #1: FREE for all!)

Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited subscribers already gain access to an ever-growing library of Marvel comics featuring an enormous array of titles from every era of Marvel's celebrated publishing history. Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited is curated by Marvel editors, and serves as an ultimate digital comic Internet destination, allowing unparalleled access to thousands of titles from Marvel's historic comic book archives. From the first issues of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, THE X-MEN, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, FANTASTIC FOUR, and other favorites, to unforgettable recent storylines, mini-series and special issues, the Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited site presents each digital comic in the highest-resolution available.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008