Can no longer subscribe to Transformers comics via Comixology

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

So last night, I grabbed the TF/Back to the Future crossover from ComiXology, and when I went to download it on the app... oh, it wants my Amazon login. I guess we're doing this now, then.

Thing is, I haven't done it yet. I've got two Amazon accounts: one for US, one for Canada, because you can't just have one account across everything-- or at least, you couldn't at the time.

Anyway, are there any pros/cons out of doing this? Sounds like US has more features than other countries. There any downsides that I might want to try to avoid or anything?

I just want to make sure I don't wind up making a mistake I might regret later, like signing up with the US PlayStation Network.

 

[TerraEsperZ]

I'm in the same boat. I have both a US and a Canada Amazon account and I have no idea which one to link to my kindle account.

I just merged my Comixology account to my Amazon one and actually "reading" my purchases on my PC is so much less intuitive than it ever was before, not to mention no longer having DRM-free backups. As is often the case, a major change presented as a huge improvement for customers turned out to be anything but. Not that I ever suspected otherwise but I *tried* to keep an open mind.

As it is, I'm most likely going to keep my subscriptions until IDW loses the licence and then, I'll be happy to say goodbye to digital comics for good. DRM-free offline backups are essential to me, and I only subscribed to Comixology because they started offering them. Now that they're gone, I have no reason to stick around.

 

[The Phazer]

So last night, I grabbed the TF/Back to the Future crossover from ComiXology, and when I went to download it on the app... oh, it wants my Amazon login. I guess we're doing this now, then.

Thing is, I haven't done it yet. I've got two Amazon accounts: one for US, one for Canada, because you can't just have one account across everything-- or at least, you couldn't at the time.

Anyway, are there any pros/cons out of doing this? Sounds like US has more features than other countries. There any downsides that I might want to try to avoid or anything?

I just want to make sure I don't wind up making a mistake I might regret later, like signing up with the US PlayStation Network.

If a book has different rights holders in the US/Canada you might find you can't buy it from Amazon US from a Canadian IP address/using a Canadian credit card. It probably doesn't come up for North America very much but it happens reasonably often between Europe and the US. When the CMX Twitter account tried to link to pages with Scott Pilgrim on sale it always used to break fairly impressively for users outside North America.

Though I'd be surprised if that block works correctly given what a mess this is.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

not to mention no longer having DRM-free backups

I thought we still had those for comics purchased before this? Or do you mean going forward?

What sort of DRM do these things have, anyway?

 

[The Phazer]

I thought we still had those for comics purchased before this? Or do you mean going forward?

What sort of DRM do these things have, anyway?

Correct.

It used to be a Comixology specific system, as of the new app it's the standard Kindle DRM used for all Kindle ebooks.

 

[Exatron]

I got to thinking earlier. What would convince me to set aside my grievances and go all in for DRMed comics? I'd bet it'll never happen, but I came up with an idea that would get me to buy in.

Essentially, stop treating digital comics like a printed book displayed on a screen and start making use of technology. Take some of the admittedly underused capabilities that can be used with shows (either on disc or streaming) and apply those ideas to comics. Selectable options for art and/or script. Selectable language options in one purchase. Maybe even options for sound or music, like being able to have the soundtracks that Roberts posted for MTMTE play as you read.

The main thing that comes to mind is the Marvel G1 comic run. Imagine being able to buy the entire run, both US and UK comics. Now, start selecting how you want to read them:

• Original line art as published, or a remastered version where characters that had a model change mid-series get changed to use one consistent model throughout. E.g. Ironhide redrawn in early issues to have a head.
• Coloring options. Original Yomtov coloring, revised coloring where it's still 80s coloring but with everybody individually colored, or a more modern coloring option a la Regeneration One.
• Script options. Original script exactly as is, but either the US or UK versions where there are differences. Either way, options to consistently use either US or UK naming conventions. A remastered script option that adds edits for continuity and characterization consistency. Alternate language scripts without having to go buy a different book in a different app, assuming there even is an alternate language available anywhere.

I don't even like Marvel G1, but something like that would totally get me to buy it. Not that I see any of that happening in the foreseeable future.

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

If I had any confidence about this before, it's greatly diminished now.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1495211797229547520

 

[Exatron]

May I know what is confidence?

 

[The Phazer]

If I had any confidence about this before, it's greatly diminished now.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1495211797229547520

Yeah, I'd try the CMX Customer Service email, I've seen complaints to Amazon help during this where the help staffer seemed to not even understand Amazon owned CMX even after being pointed towards the logo "Comixology: An Amazon Company".

 

[LBD "Nytetrayn"]

Guess I might as well at this point. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Andrusi]

Jesus hugging hell this is a bad experience. Is there seriously not a web viewer of any kind now? I guess we gotta push OuR aPp

 

[The Phazer]

Jesus hugging hell this is a bad experience. Is there seriously not a web viewer of any kind now? I guess we gotta push OuR aPp

There is one, the Kindle Cloud Reader, but it's bad.

 

[Andrusi]

Wow, that really is bad. It actually tempts me to try the app, although that's canceled out by my certainty that the app isn't actually any better.

And if both Phazer and Andrusi think the same Transformers-related experience is bad, Gowron will have to listen.

 

[SteveMegatron]

This is just sad what's happened with Comixology.

 

[Exatron]

So as mentioned previously, my understanding had been that you could still download already-owned DRM-free copies after the merge. Now that Comixology's site just redirects to Amazon, I'm not finding any option for that. The only option for downloading at all that I can find is to download a copy to transfer to my daughter's Kindle by USB, which I'm assuming would be a DRMed copy. Of course, I had to search for a while just to even find my library on Amazon. Am I missing something, or is that option now just entirely gone?

 

[Salt-Man Z]

So as mentioned previously, my understanding had been that you could still download already-owned DRM-free copies after the merge. Now that Comixology's site just redirects to Amazon, I'm not finding any option for that. The only option for downloading at all that I can find is to download a copy to transfer to my daughter's Kindle by USB, which I'm assuming would be a DRMed copy. Of course, I had to search for a while just to even find my library on Amazon. Am I missing something, or is that option now just entirely gone?

Yes, you can use the Transfer Via USB option, which gives you a DRMed AZW3 file. However, you can use the Calibre ebook management software with the DeDRM plugin to strip the DRM and convert it to a ZIP/CBZ for your own use.

As for the backups (spoilered because of large image):

Spoiler

 

[Exatron]

Yes, you can use the Transfer Via USB option, which gives you a DRMed AZW3 file. However, you can use the Calibre ebook management software with the DeDRM plugin to strip the DRM and convert it to a ZIP/CBZ for your own use.

As for the backups (spoilered because of large image):

Spoiler

Thanks for that! Even with the step-by-step instructions, I actually had to Ctrl+F Backups to find the link. It's certainly not hidden, but I found it ridiculously easy to overlook.

I went ahead and bought War's End just as a test. It shows up in my digital order history, but not in my Comixology books list. So unless there's some long delay before it shows up there, looks like Comixology is truly dead as anything other than a name for Amazon to slap on their comics storefront. That'll be my last purchase.

 

[Salt-Man Z]

I went ahead and bought War's End just as a test. It shows up in my digital order history, but not in my Comixology books list. So unless there's some long delay before it shows up there, looks like Comixology is truly dead as anything other than a name for Amazon to slap on their comics storefront.

That is pretty much correct. Your new purchased-through-Amazon comics now show up in your Kindle Content. I imagine that the Comixology books page is merely a temporary holding area for your past purchases.

 

[TerraEsperZ]

Thanks for the info about where to grab the DRM-free backups from older Comixology purchases Salt-Man Z!
Everything has become so much more obscure and complicated since the merge and unless things change for the better (and they won't, because *Amazon*), they are going to lose a bunch of customers.

I've found a rather torturous way to save the images one by one while using the Kindle Reader on the Amazon site in Firefox but the resolution is nowhere near as good as it was in Comixology. I'm going to finish the IDW2 run and then I'm giving up digital comics altogether.

 

[UndeadScottsman]

Thanks for the info about where to grab the DRM-free backups from older Comixology purchases Salt-Man Z!
Everything has become so much more obscure and complicated since the merge and unless things change for the better (and they won't, because *Amazon*), they are going to lose a bunch of customers.

I've found a rather torturous way to save the images one by one while using the Kindle Reader on the Amazon site in Firefox but the resolution is nowhere near as good as it was in Comixology. I'm going to finish the IDW2 run and then I'm giving up digital comics altogether.

Yeah, I'm out after IDW2 ends.

Are there any alternatives to Comixology or did Amazon just basically trash the entire comics industry in one fell move?