(RTTNews) - Marvel Entertainment Inc. announced that its Marvel Comics division is opening its comic book vault to the masses. Marvel noted that Super Hero adventures will be available in one location with the launch of easy-to-navigate online subscription service 'Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited'. At launch, this service offers more than 2,500 comic books.

The company noted that this site will have subscription rates starting from $4.99 per month. For a limited time only, Marvel said it will be offering this service at no cost with a special free sampling of 250 titles.

Per Reuters:

Titles must be in print for at least six months before they will go online, Buckley said.

Marvel's move runs contrary to newspaper and magazine publishers, which have been moving toward not charging people and supporting themselves through advertising.

Buckley said the nature of the content is what makes Marvel's plan different.

"Our comic book distribution and our comic book properties aren't part of the mass medium where you can it for free easily," he said.

Dennis Webb, owner of the Comics and Cards Collectorama in Alexandria, Virginia, doubted that it would attract a mass audience used to reading and collecting their comics in print.

"I think most of them like to buy their own comics and read them where they want to go," he said.

"I don't think they want to have it just online because if they're really a collector, they're going to want the actual collection."