Comic book publishers Marvel and DC Comics run their ComiXology promotions in fundamentally different ways. They each have their pros and cons, however, one is significantly better for most fans. In terms of format, consistency, and the duration of sales, one of these comic giants has the clear upper hand.
ComiXology is essentially Amazon for comics, and competition among brands is a big deal on the platform. Marvel and DC are two unique cases when it comes to sales and promos. The extensive history of both companies heavily influences their sales tactics. Marvel and DC have published more than 90,000 comics between them, and legacy heroes like Spider-Man can take on completely new identities from year to year. This centers sales around approachability. Fans wanting to read a new character or story arc generally won't know where to start. Therefore, more easily navigable sales campaigns are more successful on ComiXology.
To combat this issue, Marvel and DC have two very different strategies, and fans notice. DC will have a few large promotions every year around special events like FanDome and Black Friday. The company has a selection of about 340 titles that go on sale every year. The list includes most major canon characters and titles, and it's a great place to start. This system makes the bread and butter DC comics more available on a regular basis. From Flash to Wonder Woman, DC's most iconic characters are on sale. However, the list is twelve pages long, in alphabetical order. Some fans have complained that this is difficult to navigate unless the reader knows the exact issue they want.
Marvel takes an objectively better approach. In addition to big event sales, Marvel pushes many themed promotions throughout the year. For example, ComiXology's 2021 Black Friday sale features a discount on all Marvel: Epic Collection comics. Other sales accompany other marketing campaigns tied to film and gaming. Whenever a new movie, game, or TV show is released, relevant Marvel comics go on sale. Generally, the selected titles appear in a menu organized in chronological order for ease of reading. For fans young and old, this makes it easy to dive into a new character. For example, Marvel has a December 2021 sale on a selection of iconic Hawkeye titles to accompany the Disney+ series.
At the end of the day, Marvel runs better sales on ComiXology. While DC provides access to hundreds of iconic titles, it fails in several areas. The twelve-page alphabetized list of comics makes it unapproachable for most readers. Despite having thousands of loyal customers, DC Comics will lose a lot of sales because fans have a hard time discovering new characters. Marvel, on the other hand, takes great care to curate specific content. When social interest spikes because of a movie, Marvel is ready to supply those titles. Regardless of opinions about characters and stories, Marvel is the ComiXology sales king.