Back in June of this year, ComiXology announced they were expanding their digital comic empire with ComiXology Unlimited. Instead of purchasing individual comics, the monthly subscription service allows comic fans to read popular graphic novels like The Walking Dead and Saga or explore new content they”d never pick up otherwise. At launch, comics from Image Comics, Dark Horse, IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, Kodansha Comics, Oni Press, Valiant Entertainment, Archie Comics, Fantagraphics Books, Humanoids, Action Lab Entertainment, Aspen Comics, Magnetic Press, Zenescope Entertainment and more were available.
Sadly neither Marvel (who has their own competing Marvel Unlimited subscription service) nor DC Comics have opted in yet. But with literally thousands of comics in the back catalogs of the comics industry”s smaller publishers, it may be a good a thing the Big Two™ aren”t obscuring lesser known content with their long shadows. As more and more people discover (or re-discover) comic books in this golden age of geekery, ComiXology Unlimited can help anyone branch out beyond Batman and the X-Men.
To that end, HitFix Harpy is pleased to exclusively announce that today ComiXology is expanding their Unlimited library by 25 titles. Included in this month”s release is Conan/Red Sonja by Gail Simone, Jim Zub and Dan Panosian, Severed by Scott Snyder, Scott Tuft and Attila Futaki, Princeless an Amelia Bloomer Project honoree by Jeremy Whitley, Rosy Higgins and Ted Brandt, and breakout hit Faith by Jody Houser and artists Francis Portela and Marguerite Sauvage.
In case you don”t know, Faith launched in January of 2016 and became an overnight sensation. Featuring Faith Herbert as the superhero Zephyr, Faith was a breath of fresh air in a world where female superheroes seem to be created from the same mold. Readers loved the character so much that the first issue went back to print five times. With such an overwhelmingly positive response, Valiant Comics recently gave the hero her own ongoing series.
To celebrate the Faith miniseries launching on ComiXology Unlimited, I spoke with writer Jody Houser via email to help introduce another wave of fans to this fantastic character. Check out the interview and then be sure to read the full list of titles accompanying Faith this month!
HITFIX HARPY: For those not familiar with the comic, who is Faith?
JODY HOUSER: Faith is a lifelong sci-fi geek and comic book fan who got superpowers and now gets to be the superhero she always wanted to be. She is what is known as a psiot and was formerly part of a team known as the Renegades, as seen in the comic Harbinger. Her solo title focuses on her being on her own for the first time.
What inspired you to write about a psionically gifted reporter? Does her gift make it easier or harder to do her day job?
JODY: With Faith taking on the bad guys by herself for the first time, I thought it would be fun to see how the superhero tropes that she (and all of us) grew up with would help shape her new life. Her day job as a blogger was the closest she could get to the classic Clark Kent reporter job.
Was there ever any pushback from the publisher about making Faith plus-sized?
JODY: Faith has been plus-sized since she was introduced in the early nineties. I don't know if there was any pushback at the time, but it's been a part of her character since the start.
Did you know (or at least hope) that FAITH would be the smash success it is? Selling out Issue #1 five times is quite the feat!
JODY: I don't think you can ever expect this kind of success, but I've been so gratified at how much support the book has gotten from retailers and readers. It means so much when people connect to something you're working on, and when you get to work with such brilliant creators. I've been lucky to work with Francis Portela, Marguerite Sauvage, Andrew Dalhouse, and now Pere Perez.
Have you gotten a lot of feedback from fans? I know you just got back from SDCC. Any good cosplay?
JODY:The fans of the book have been absolutely lovely. I've been to four shows this year so far and have seen Faith cosplayers at all of them. And not just her normal superhero look! People are doing closet cosplay for her secret identity, pulling looks from her dream sequences. I can't wait to see what they come up with next.
In addition to the titles currently available, selections from the following great series are debuting on comiXology Unlimited today:
• Archie 1000 Page Jamboree: Part 1-3 by various (Archie Comics)
• Ash and the Army of Darkness #1-4: Digital Exclusive Edition by Steve Niles and Dennis • Calero (Dynamite Entertainment)
• Black Market #1-4 and Vol. 1 by Frank Barbiere and Victor Santos (BOOM! Studios)
• BOOM! BOX 2014 Mix Tape #1 by Ryan North, Noelle Stevenson, Jake Lawrence and various (BOOM! Studios)
• Burning Fields #1-3 by Michael Moreci, Tim Daniel, and Colin Lorimer (BOOM! Studios)
• Carbon Grey #1-3 and Vol. 1 by Paul Gardner, Khari Evans, Hoang Nguyen, Mike Kennedy, and Kinsun Loh (Image Comics)
• Clive Barker's Nightbreed #1-4 and Vol. 1 by Clive Barker, Marc Andreyko and Piotr Kowalski (BOOM! Studios)
• Conan/Red Sonja #1-4 by Gail Simone, Jim Zub, Dan Panosian and Randy Green (Dark Horse Comics)
• Danger Club #1-4 and Vol. 1 by Landry Q. Walker and Eric Jones (Image Comics)
• Dark Engine #1-5 and Vol. 1 by Ryan Burton and John Bivens (Image Comics)
• Egos #1-4 and Vol. 1 by Stuart Moore and Gus Storms (Image Comics)
• Faith Issue #1-4 and Vol. 1 by Jody Houser, Francis Portela and Marguerite Sauvage (Valiant)
• Princeless: The Pirate Princess #1-4 by Jeremy Whitley, Rosy Higgins and Ted Brandt (Action Lab)
• Proof #1-5 by Alexander Grecian, and Riley Rossmo (Image Comics)
• Roche Limit #1-5 and Vol. 1 by Michael Moreci and Vic Malhotra (Image Comics)
• Severed #1-7 and Collected Edition by Scott Snyder, Scott Tuft and Attila Futaki (Image Comics)
• Todd, the Ugliest Kid On Earth #1-4 and Vol. 1 by Ken Kristensen and M.K. Perker (Image Comics)
• Trish Out of Water #1-5 and Vol. 1 by Vince Hernandez and Giuseppe Cafaro (Aspen)
• Undertow #1-5 and Vol. 1 by Steve Orlando and Artyom Trakhanov (Image Comics)
• Wolf #1-4 and Vol. 1 by Ales Kot and Lee Loughridge (Image Comics)
• World of Archie Comics Double Digest #46-51 by various (Archie Comics)
Additional titles debuting on comiXology Unlimited today include these indie selections:
• Atomic Robo & The Ghost of Station X by Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener (Tesladyne)
• Changing Ways: Mutation Vol. 1 by Justin Randall (Gestalt Comics)
• The Deep: Here Be Dragons #1-3 by Tom Taylor and James Brouwer (Gestalt Comics)
• Neomad Vol. 1 by Stu Campbell (Gestalt Comics)