DC Comics upgrades its digital comics service for manga-style reading

DC is very serious about its upcoming collaboration with Japanese publisher Kodansha — so much so that it’s added new functionality to its DC Universe Infinite subscription service to make it easier to read manga on the platform.

A new update to DCUI means that readers will be able to read manga on the service — including, but not limited to, the three Kodansha titles - Joker: One Operation Joker, Superman vs. Meshi, and Batman: Justice Buster — in the traditional manga style, from right-to-left, in both page scroll and panel view format. The new feature (and the first chapters of all three Kodansha titles) will be available for all paid DCUI subscribers, regardless of subscription tier.

The first chapters of the three Kodansha series — which will be serialized on DCUI ahead of their print release on September 5 — are available on DC Universe Infinite right now. Other manga that can be read using the new functionality on the service includes all three volumes of Batman: the Jiro Kuwata Batmanga and Batman and the Justice League Manga, plus the complete Batman: Death Mask.

The addition of new functionality for the DC Manga titles follows the announcement of a 40-page free DC Manga Sampler to be available in participating comic book stores this summer, as well as being available at the DC booth at San Diego Comic-Con later this month. But if you can’t wait that long, DC has provided previews of the digital chapters for us to share right now:

Batman: Justice Buster preview:

Superman vs. Meshi preview:

Joker: One Operation Joker preview:

More information about DC Universe Infinite can be found at the official DCUI site; the service is not available in all countries, but can be accessed in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Brazil, and Mexico.

Learn more about the DC/Kodansha partnership here.