Marvel Comics greets true believers with free digital copy for select print titles

With great purchasing power apparently comes great affordability for Marvel Comics fans. Starting this June, folks who purchase any Marvel super hero comic priced at $3.99 will also get a free digital copy for Android or iOS. Examples of Marvel titles that will come with free codes include the Amazing Spider-Man, Avengers, Captain America, Mighty Thor and Invincible Iron Man. The new program continues the trend of comic book publishers invading the digital space like famished planet-eaters — Dark Horse, for instance, recently made a deal with Barnes & Noble. Similarly, DC Comics inked an agreement with Amazon, a move that got some DC titles sent to the Phantom Zone by B&N. Judging from the positive response to digital codes included in the Ultimate Comics line and Avenging Spider-Man, Marvel expects the expanded code program to act like a radioactive spider bite for comic book stores, boosting repeat visits. Feel that tingling? That’s your own Spidey sense telling you to swing past the break for Marvel’s official PR.