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Penguin Random House's purchase of BOOM! Studios, the comic publisher behind hits like Something is Killing the Children and BRZRKR, made waves when it was announced last summer. Now, there's a new wrinkle in PRH's acquisition of the indie comic book publisher - all BOOM! Studios comics will be removed from digital library service Comics Plus. 

As Publisher's Weekly reports, "Penguin Random House’s policy does not allow libraries to offer their patrons unlimited, simultaneous access to e-books and digital audiobooks," the type of access that readers have been able to get from services like Comics Plus. Comics Plus has alerted users that "to comply with PRH’s e-book policy, we will be deactivating all Boom! titles in all Comics Plus customer accounts on May 30, 2025." As Comics Plus has been a popular service for schools and libraries both public and academic, this is a significant blow - especially with Netflix adaptations of BOOM! comics potentially on the horizon. (The streamer signed a development deal with the publisher some years back; an adaptation of Something is Killing the Children is one of the shows in development.)

You might be wondering what makes Comics Plus different from other services available at libraries. Unlike services like Libby, Comics Plus doesn't have holds, wait lists, or monthly borrowing limits on specific titles. Therefore, it's been an immense resource that encourages voracious reading habits among its users, and if you know anything about young people's reading habits today, it's that they've locked into graphic novels, manga, and comics - making these stories available to read for free without any restriction beyond having a library card has been a boon for readers across the U.S. 

While readers will certainly be able to read BOOM! titles through their libraries with services like Overdrive and hoopla, they'll have to settle for the traditional eBook distribution method where you have to wait in "line" until there's an available copy of the book you want to read. Yes, eBooks function the same way as physical books on library shelves. A library having one eBook copy of a specific title doesn't mean that everyone can read that same eBook at once. Instead, the eBook in question is checked out to one person at a time like a physical book would be.

Now, at least when it comes to BOOM! Studios titles, everyone is going to have to get a lot more patient. 

Get ready for what's next with our guide to upcoming comics, how to buy comics at a comic shop, and our guide to Free Comic Book Day 2025.