Exclusive: USA Today adds exclusive Marvel comics to its games and puzzles app
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Spider-Man TODAY cover. Cover: Marvel Comics, Todd Nauck/Rachelle Rosenberg. USA TODAY wrap cover. Cover: USA Today
USA Today is adding 1,000 Marvel digital comics and an exclusive new, vertically formatted Marvel Infinity series, "Spider-Man TODAY," to its consumer gaming platform USA Today Play, executives told Axios.
Why it matters: The newspaper giant is betting that content will help grow its subscriber base as comics expands USA Today Play beyond its core offerings of puzzles and games.
- "This is a gift that will keep giving every single day," the company's senior vice president of content monetization Caroline Harris tells Axios.
Zoom in: The new, specially created comic will start Wednesday and publish weekly for subscribers for the next 47 weeks.
- The comic, written by Al Ewing and illustrated by Todd Nauck, will feature Spider-Man teaming up with familiar heroes from across the Marvel Universe.
- Subscribers to USA Today, and/or its standalone USA Today Play platform, will also get unlimited access to a catalog of 1,000 digital comics from Marvel, including X-Men, Captain America, Black Panther, Fantastic Four, Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel.
- Non-subscribers can explore a curated weekly selection of comics.
Zoom out: For Marvel, the partnership expands the comic studio's footprint to a much broader audience of puzzle players and casual consumers.
- It gives Marvel the opportunity to make comics part of the daily habits of USA Today subscribers, said Marvel executive editor Nick Lowe.
- "We reach one in two adults in the U.S., and so we have a massive audience that is highly engaged," Harris said.
Between the lines: The new "Spider-Man TODAY" series is part of a broader effort by Marvel to reimagine its classic comic format for the 21st century.
- The exclusive series was built as an easy entry point for new comic consumers, Lowe said.
- "You can start with Spider-Man Today #1. You don't need to have read any other Spider-Man content ever."
Zoom out: Marvel sees 2026 as a landmark year for the Spider-Man franchise, and the USA Today partnership is a critical part of its engagement strategy.
- "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" hits theaters this July. Marvel will publish the 1,000th issue of Spider-Man's flagship comic series this September. The second season of "Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man" is scheduled to debut on Disney+ this fall.
The big picture: The partnership reflects a broader push by traditional news companies to build lifestyle products, particularly games, that can engage a broader group of subscribers on a daily basis.
- While crosswords, puzzles and games have existed across USA Today properties for years, the unified USA Today Play hub was relaunched at the end of 2025.
- Subscribers can pay for USA Today Play as a standalone app or can access it as a cheaper add-on to a broader USA Today news subscription.
