Amazon has acquired digital comics store ComiXology, for an undisclosed sum.
The Comics app is free but monetised through users buying digital issues and collections to read in-app. In 2013, it was the 11th highest grossing app on iPad, and the single biggest non-gaming app.
“Amazon and ComiXology share a passion for reinventing reading in a digital world,” said David Naggar, VP of content acquisition and independent publishing at Amazon. “We’ve long admired the passion ComiXology brings to changing the way we buy and read comics and graphic novels. We look forward to investing in the business, growing the team, and together, bringing comics and graphic novels to even more readers.”
The acquisition is a fairly natural fit, given Amazons background as a bookseller and its Kindle range of eReaders and tablets, though its worth noting that Amazon currently sells digital comics independently through its own store. Whether this will continue remains to be seen, though it seems that ComiXology will continue to operate its apps independently, with the companys official statement claiming it will retain its identity as an Amazon subsidiary.
The acquisition is expected to close, subject to conditions, in Q2 2014.