USA Today’s online hub USA Today Play is adding Marvel to its selection of comics. Over 1000 digital comics will be available to subscribers, including an exclusive Infinity Comics series, Spider-Man Today, by Al Ewing and Todd Nauck. The weekly, 48-part series will feature Peter Parker teaming up with other heroes from across the Marvel Universe. A curated weekly selection will also be available to new subscribers, although this means the reading experience is interrupted by ads cutting across the pages.
Spider-Man Today #1 cover art by Todd Nauck. Image courtesy of USA Today
Dara Sanderson, Vice President and General Manager of USA Today Play, says, “We’re thrilled to expand the USA Today Play brand through this exciting collaboration with Marvel. We’re continuing to broaden our offerings, and this project is a testament to that. By blending iconic storytelling with interactive experiences true to the USA Today Play ethos, we continue to create daily moments that provide users well-deserved breaks from everyday stressors.”
Jon-Michael Ennis, Marvel’s Director of Digital Publishing, adds, “As digital comics continue to grow, we have the opportunity at Marvel to bring our comics to more fans across different platforms. We’re excited to be working with USA Today to invite even more people to experience our comic book storytelling, whether they’re brand new to comics or lifelong readers.”
Spider-Man comics editor Nick Lowe helped announce the Infinity series in a USA Today exclusive, complete with a video featuring a brief music performance. He describes it as a spiritual successor to the Amazing Spider-Man newspaper strip Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. started in the 1970s, and said it is designed to be “the easiest springboard” for newcomers to Marvel Comics. “In fact,” he says, “you see parts of Spider-Man’s origin in each issue as we go through there, and then other characters’ origins as we get beyond just this first arc. We wanted to make sure that this entry-level comic was a welcome mat saying, ‘Come on in, the water’s fine.’”
The first arc features the Hulk, just in time for the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day (which will see the return of Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner) in theaters on July 31. The second story will co-star Daredevil, and subsequent ones will include Shuri and the X-Men. The book’s launch also coincides with 616 Day, which has already seen the announcement of the Deadpool/Punisher crossover “Big Guns,” and the release of The Amazing Spider-Man #1000 on September 16.
