Marvel Single Issues Now Available on Amazon

Back in 2014, Amazon bought the digital comics site Comixology, which had become a central site for comics fans to buy their favorite titles digitally. Kindle owners can now enjoy the fruits of that purchase as Marvel single issue comics are now available to be read and purchased on Amazon’s Kindle and through its various reading apps. The service debuted with over 12,000 single issues, with new releases becoming available every Wednesday.

Marvel Comics, along with DC Comics, is known as one of the “Big Two.” It is one of the oldest major publishers of superhero comics in the U.S. and is the home to  Spider-Man, The Fantastic Four, Captain America, The Avengers, and the X-Men. The company first started publishing comics in 1939 under the name Timely Comics. In the 1950s, it became Atlas Comics, but it was in 1961, when it became Marvel, that it created most of the characters it is known for today. In 2009 Marvel was bought out by The Walt Disney Company, and since then it has added some Disney properties such as Star Wars and Disney Kingdoms to its lineup.

While Marvel Comics has a long history that can seem daunting to new readers, the influx of new fans thanks to the movies and TV shows has led the publisher to create series that are jumping-on points for new readers while continuing to entertain longtime readers. Titles marked as “Marvel Now” act as new chapters in the lives of the characters. Amazing Spider-Man Marvel Now reboots the series after several previous changes and lets new readers discover Peter Parker’s new life and struggles along with the reborn web-slinger. The first issue is nearly four times the size of regular comic, as it includes previews of upcoming villains and of another series, Inhumans. There is lot of humor in this first issue, with plenty of the one-liners Spidey is known for, but there will be plenty of drama as well, as Peter’s life is never easy.

If you’ve seen the recent Daredevil series on Netflix, you may be wondering what’s going on with him. Matt Murdoch has been through a lot, and his Marvel Now series takes the “old horn-head” out of his familiar stomping grounds of New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen and into San Francisco, where he has started up a new practice with Kirsten McDuffie. The first issue sends Daredevil swinging across the city trying to rescue a kidnapped little girl. Both his heightened senses and his knowledge of the law are used to save the girl. It was a pretty exciting issue, with Matt having to adjust to a new landscape being his biggest obstacle. If you are looking for the gritty, darker story of the TV series, give this series a few issues to get going. The final panel shows it’s gonna be a rough time for Daredevil.

Several other well-known heroes from the MCU have had Marvel Now restarts, including Thor, which saw the introduction of a female wielder of Mjoinir, Sam Wilson donning the shield and becoming Captain America, and the Guardians of the Galaxy with the familiar characters of Star Lord, Gamora, Draxx, and Rocket Raccoon and Groot joining Iron Man to protect the Earth from intergalactic threats. If the new MCU movie out this month, Ant-Man, interests you, pick the first issue and follow the new adventures of Scott Lang as the diminutive hero.

After being bought by Disney, Marvel has added two new Disney lines you can check out. Disney Kingdoms creates stories from the park rides, or almost rides. Seekers of the Weird is based on an attraction that legendary imagineer Rolly Crump always wanted to build, the Museum of the Weird. Seekers spins a story around mushroom people and walking chairs, and two teenagers who have to save their parents and stop an evil secret society. The second series in the line, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, takes readers into the wild west and shows how the dangerous gold mine became haunted. Star Wars should need no introduction. With Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilms, the franchise returned to Marvel over 30 years later. They have three titles out so far that take place in between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Star Wars follows, Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca, and the rest of the Rebel Alliance as they continue their battle against Darth Vader and the Emperor. And speaking of Vader, he has his own series, which tells Star Wars from the side of the Empire. Princess Leia also got her own mini series, showing her being a leader of her people and searching for the last survivors of Alderan to find them a new home where they can live in safety and peace. I’ve really enjoyed the Princess Leia series. It really fleshes out her character and tells more about her home world of Alderan, and the art is top notch.

While most of Marvel’s titles are rated for Teen to Older Teen, there are a few titles for younger readers to enjoy. The Disney Kingdom titles are fit for tweens and up, as is Rocket Raccoon. Rocket’s adventures away from the Guardians are just plain fun, and Scottie Young’s art is cute and cartoony. Rocket’s sidekick Groot just got his own series, which has the duo hitchhiking across the galaxy and facing threats like Space Sharks. Endangered Space Sharks. There’s only been one issue so far, but it was very entertaining. Also at only one issue in is Giant Size Little Marvel AvX, also by Skottie Young, which features the Avengers and X-Men as little kids constantly competing against each other. I laughed a lot.

For teens to older teens, I would be remiss not to mention Ms. Marvel, the Eisner-nominated series about a teen Pakistani Muslim girl in Jersey City who gets shape-shifting powers. Amazing Spider-Man #1 helped explain what happened in the first issue of Ms. Marvel. I’d also recommend Loki: Agent of Asgard. It features a young, good-looking, wise-cracking Loki who is trying to make up for all the sins of his past by going on “missions” for Asgard. The first arc was a classic heist story and was a lot of fun. He also crosses over to Ms. Marvel later in her run.

This might be the hardest part for new readers getting into Marvel comics right now. Many of the titles cross over, especially during big events, like what is going on right now. Secret Wars is a company-wide event that is affecting almost every superhero title that takes place in the Marvel Universe, and it will result in a new and different Marvel when it ends in September. But don’t let that stop you from getting into any of the titles I’ve mentioned here. They are all fun and very entertaining. Give some issues a try—you just might get hooked too.

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