Would you like a digital copy with that comic?

Okay stay with me here this will make sences soon.  I love my LCS but because I didn't tell them to stop pulling a title soon enough I had to keep buying it.  In this instance it's Ultimate Spider-Man ... oops I mean Ultimate Comics Spider-Man.  I've decided to take it off of my pull list, now don't get me wrong I've loved reading this comic.  And I undestand that anything to bring in new readers is always a plus.  Really as long as the creative team is telling the best stories they can even if they made Peter Parker a 65 year old woman I would've enjoyed it too. ... well maybe not but you get what I'm saying.  So back to the question of why I'm cutting this comic.  It's not because of the story or art, both are truly great, it's because of this "Free" digital copy code.  It may seem little and meaningless but to me free doesn't expire.  "While Supplies Last" or "For a Limited Time Only" does tell me I have to act quickly.

Digital comics are fastly becoming the new way to read your comics.  Be it old or new, having them at your finger tips is just a nice feeling.  Want to read a new issue of The Last Of The Greats?  Just download it and enjoy whenever.  Can't remember what happened in Savage Dragon some odd months ago, which happened to me all the time,  and you have WAY to many long boxes to dig throught,  just scroll throught you digital libery and Bob's your uncle.  As time goes by and digital seems to be the easy answer to solveing where to keep your 1,000 issue plus colloection.  Now that's great and all but I still want to buy old, favorites, or missing issues in physical form.  But with the new comics using the keyword "Free" but only giving a 2 day window to redeem the code it turns me away from your comic books.

The thing is I don't go to my LCS every wednesday or thursday.  I mainly go on a friday or over the weekend so with me not showing up on the day when UCSM is released or even the very next I'm out of luck for the free digital copy.  Only giving buyers 2 days to use your FREE code just doesn't seem right to me.  Even the people who work at my LCS didn't know that was how Marvel's FREE code worked!  So I ended up being forced to buy a $3.99 comics with an expired FREE digital code.  Marvel should at least put this information on their comics so you're aware when putting down your money, that there's a tiny limited window.  

Over at DC Comics if you just paid $1 more over the cover price there seems to be no time limit.  I bought Batman #6 on 2/26, it came out on 2/15 and I was still able to get the digital copy.  This really comes down to wanting it free with a 48 hour window or be willing to pay a $1 more for your free digital comics. 

So unless Marvel is willing to sell copies of Ultimate Comics Spider-Man for $2.99 WITHOUT the free digital copy code, I'll just look for the comics I've missed in the quarter boxes when I attend my next Comics Con.

-Joseph (@AliasJoeG)-

Update on Tuesday, July 17, 2012 at 8:01PM by JMG

I know this post went up a months ago & it's mainly about how Marvel's FREE digital comic isn't really free... Don't ask me why but I never noticed the year as '13. I just saw it as a two days window to get the free digital copy after it has been released. But I still feel the same way. If Marvel wants to impress me they should make a normal copy, without free digital, of their comic for only $2.99. While DC comics add $1 to their Combo Pack ($3.99 comic to $4.99 digital copy). That would really make me see Marvel Comics in a different light.

-Joseph (@AliasJoeg)-