Comixology logoShort answer: You can’t. Which is kind of odd for an Amazon property, no? But it does demonstrate some oddities in the way that Amazon manages its assets, and storefronts them on the Bellini 5.x Fire OS.

With Star Wars: The Force Awakens hitting screens worldwide, I read Chris Meadows’s post on Comixology’s one-day giveaway freebie of a digital Star Wars comic with massive interest. Ever the fanboy, I rushed straight over to Comixology to download my copy. Now, Comixology’s logo proudly flags it as “an Amazon company.” And the checkout process gives you the option of logging in with your existing Amazon account, rather than creating or using a separate Comixology account. I did that too, and loaded up on freebies.

Now, once I was stocked up, I switched to my $50 Fire to download the comics. Comixology’s site gives links to download its app to mobile devices via Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store. But since is an Amazon company, wouldn’t it be reasonable to expect a similar app on the Amazon Appstore? For various reasons, including my preference for managing my Fire’s apps via Amazon’s own Appstore where possible, I wanted to go the Amazon route. Only, I couldn’t.

A search of the Apps tab on the Fire turned up no Comixology app resembling the one on the Google Play Store. Ditto a search in the Amazon Appstore. Yes, Comixology does give the option to merge your Comixology account with your Amazon account, to put all your content in one place – presumably in your Kindle library. And presumably, Amazon would like you to buy all of your digital comics directly through the Kindle Store. But if you hesitate to do that, then what happens?

In the end, I installed the Comixology Comics app via the Google Play Store. Not an issue, since I’d already hacked my Fire to host the Play Store. But what about plain-vanilla Fire users who haven’t? And the Fire OS throws up a Newsstand for periodicals, but that doesn’t appear to cover comics.

If I’m creating more confusion where there isn’t any here, then please someone, tell me. Meantime, though, it looks as if Amazon is giving a pretty confusing and user-unfriendly experience in at least one of its properties.

 

6 COMMENTS

  1. ” Yes, Comixology does give the option to merge your Comixology account with your Amazon account, to put all your content in one place – presumably in your Kindle library.”

    Nope, the merge goes the other way.

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