Back in 2018, DC finally launched its digital service, similar to Marvel Unlimited, which lets you read seemingly endless comics. DC’s service has changed a bit over the years, but is basically now DC Universe Infinite. I gave Marvel credit: when a new trade comes out, and the comic isn’t already on MU, Marvel will strip it from the service. As a fan, and for reading pleasure, not for collection purposes, I can read issues of Strange Tales. And while there are some weird gaps, it is worth exploring and sampling comics.
DC, not so much. Yes, there are some interesting perks, but for me, the draw has always been being able to read hard-to-find or expensive comics on these platforms. I was willing to give DC some slack; after all, Marvel had been around since 2007 and had a huge head start on adding to its archives.
One thing that was different from MU was that DC’s service at the time had a forum, which, again, was kind of cool. And slowly, they were adding comics and filling in gaps. Take The Flash —you get a complete run of 16 years, from issues 105-224. And then DC stopped adding to the Flash to the archives. And, stopped adding much of anything for a long time.
What got DC back on my radar was the just-released Facsimile Edition: Action Comics 454. I am always curious as to WHY DC releases a particular comic. This comes down to its reputation as a true Bronze Age cult classic. Bob Oksner’s unforgettable “burger cover” — a weakened Superman frantically inhaling hamburgers — has lived on as one of the era’s most delightfully bizarre images. The 1975 story, “Superman’s Energy-Crisis!,” plays off the real‑world energy crisis, pushing Superman into a calorie‑fueled showdown with Toyman that perfectly captures the era’s blend of sincerity and strangeness.
The issue also sits at that transitional moment where Cary Bates and Curt Swan were steering Superman from Silver Age absurdity into more grounded but still wonderfully over‑the‑top adventures. Reprinting it in 2026 fits DC’s current push to highlight quirky, standalone Bronze Age gems — the kind of books that show the more human (and occasionally hungry) side of the Man of Steel.
Back then, I remember forum moderators asking fans what they wanted added to the archives. And there’s a long time of going around in circles, promising fans certain things, backing out on those things, and often without a reason. This is a multi-billion-dollar company, where DC Comics’ profit or loss is nothing more than a rounding number.
Back to that just-released Action Comics 454, one of the things that annoyed me as a fan, and with the release of that edition, which made me go back and check on the DC Universe Infinite, from the inception of the service, in 2018, to right now. There is ONLY one Action Comics from the Bronze Age.
And that is the crux of why I am no longer a subscriber. I feel they are doing a disservice to fans and the creators who worked on Action Comics during the Bronze Age. Last summer’s Superman movie made a profit, and no one over there could spend a little money to add more to the archives, and made an announcement about doing so.
We all know, DC’s digital service is part of a going strategy. Just look at the popularity of the DC GO! Digital comics. As a die-hard fan, I don’t get their reluctance to add more older comics to the service, especially if a digital version exists.
Do I think fans should boycott the service? Absolutely, not! For newer fans, it is a fantastic service and worth the monthly cost of less than ten dollars. But again, it boils down to the fact that not much is being added over time. And that’s a disservice to fans and creators.
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