Apple creates comics and graphic novels category for iBookstore

Marvel Entertainment is now offering a collection of its graphic novels in Apple’s iBookstore for the first time, the company announced yesterday.

Previously, the selection of graphic fiction on iBooks was limited to a handful of titles that you couldn’t easily find due to the lack of a proper category. However, with Marvel’s introduction that seems to have changed. The new category features over 1,500 graphic novels that you can sort via a featured home screen or release date. Pricing is lower than traditional retail stores and comparable to discounted physical graphic novels on Amazon. To view the graphic novels you’ll need to have upgraded to at least iBooks 1.2 and running iOS 4.2 on your mobile device.

Initially, Marvel is only releasing 80 graphic novels that include stories about Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Iron Man, and others. Yet, the company did say it’s planning to release more in the future. The iBookstore isn’t the only place Marvel is selling digital comics. The company makes its single issue comics available on other platforms like iVerse, Graphicly, and Comixology as well as through its own iOS application.

In addition to the Marvel stuff, Apple has also featured other graphic novels like The Walking Dead, A Game of Thrones, Dilbert, and children-friendly titles from Disney. Noticeably absent are familiar titles from DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman) and Dark Horse (Star Wars, Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

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