Online sales giant Amazon on Thursday announced the purchase of digital comics platform comiXology, which is responsible for the popular iPad app 'Comics' that consistently ranks near the top of the iOS App Store's top grossing charts.
While Amazon did not disclose the exact terms of the comiXology acquisition, including price, the company did say the deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2014.
"Amazon and comiXology share a passion for reinventing reading in a digital world," said Amazon Vice President of Content Acquisition and Independent Publishing David Naggar. "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."
A statement from comiXology cofounder and CEO David Steinberger echoed Amazon's sentiments. The comic platform is to retain its own identity as an Amazon subsidiary and will continue to operate out of its original headquarters in New York.
Amazon will keep comiXology's Comics iOS app in place for the foreseeable future, but is likely working to more tightly integrate the comic reader's technology into the Kindle Fire lineup, reports The Verge. Steinberger alluded to such an initiative in his message.
"With the Kindle, Amazon has shown a passion for reinventing the reading experience, just like comiXology has shown for comics and graphic novels," he said.
ComiXology was founded in 2007 and won praise for "Guided View," a patent-pending technology for reading made-for-print comics on a tablet. Aside from deals with a broad range of publishers, including Marvel and DC Comics, the company holds exclusive iOS content rights to major titles like "The Walking Dead." The Comics app is available on all major platforms, including iOS, Android, Kindle Fire and Windows 8.