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Is DC Universe Infinite Worth It In 2025?

I’m old enough to remember when DC first launched their streaming app and it came fully stocked with DC Comics, animation, and new live-action shows like Titans (remember that?!). My how times have changed! Since then, DC’s app game fell in line with a tried and true mirror of Marvel Unlimited‘s digital comics streaming, rebranding as DC Universe Infinite and focusing entirely on comic books. Which is just as well for me since that’s 99.9% of my media intake!

So, yes, DC Universe Infinite is loaded with close to 30,000 comics (over 32,000 if you include the Vertigo and Black Label comics included in the Ultra tier), including a majority of the best DC comics of all time. If you think you’ll be reading loads of DC Comics this year, there’s no easier, more convenient way to access and track a library than DC Universe Infinite. If you’re more on the fence, though, let’s take a look at some aspects to consider as to whether or not DC Universe Infinite is worth it.

Who Is DC Universe Infinite Good For?

If you use an Apple or Android device, and want to read as many Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman comics as humanly possible, DC Universe Infinite is designed for you. Once you’ve downloaded the app and signed up for a subscription, you immediately have access to a digital library of thousands upon thousands of comic books, both in the DC Universe and just outside, including Vertigo Comics (with classics like The SandmanPreacher, and Y: The Last Man).

So, if you’re hyped about the upcoming 2025 Superman movie from James Gunn, and you’ve heard him reference All-Star Superman as a great comic inspiring the film, you can sit down and read all 12 classic issues from Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. Go ahead and do it – I’ll wait!

Welcome back. So let’s say you just had a great time, and want more. Well, Grant Morrison also wrote an iconic run on Batman, Green Lantern, Doom Patrol, Animal Man… actually it’s easier to name franchises Morrison didn’t redefine for DC. Either way, the issues are all their in the palm of your hands (for Doom Patrol, start with the 1987-1995 series, and issue #19!).

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And let’s say a few issues into that, you’re thinking, “Ok, this is pretty weird. Maybe I could try something with fewer paintings that eat cities and sentient streets?” Cool! How about Batman: The Long Halloween. It’s in your hands too!

Does that sound fun or exciting? That’s who DC Universe Infinite is for. Enjoy the comics!

What’s the Best DC Universe Infinite Plan?

Once you’re ready to commit, you’re looking at the following options:

  1. Monthly – $7.99
  2. Annual – $74.99
  3. Ultra – $119.99

You’ll have access to the same comics libraries with both the monthly and annual plans, including new comics added to digital subscribers 6 months after their print release. Unless you have some very short-term binge reading plans, the annual subscription will save you about $20 in the U.S. You can kickstart either option with a 7 day free trial to maximize your time, and figure out how much you like it. At $6.25 per month, the DC Universe Infinite annual subscription is less than the price of 2 single issues of DC Comics per month (going for $3.99 or $4.99 a pop). For reference, Marvel Unlimited is .50 cents cheaper per month on the Annual plan. But to be fair, Marvel Unlimited does not have Nothing Butt Nightwing.




For me, the biggest question is whether you upgrade to the Ultra tier for an extra $45 in the U.S.. I’d argue these are the advantages of DC Universe Infinite Ultra (rolls right off the tongue!):

  • Expanded Vertigo and Black Label comics access. This is most of what I read on DC Universe, and is why I have Zatanna: Bring Down the House and Sandman Mystery Theatre in my “Dive Back In” section of the app right now.
  • You have the option to read according to “Omnibus,” which means you get digitized collected editions for long runs, instead of reading issue by issue. I found this particularly nice when I read through all of Lucifer, as it was easier to keep track of 5 giant collections, particularly when the single issues bounced out to standalone graphic novels. Same goes for a DC event with a complicated reading order, such as Batman: Knightfall Vol. 1, instead of bouncing back and forth between a million different series. Honestly, I like this feature a lot.
  • Brand new comics are available 1 month after their print release. This is big if you’re looking for new comics like the DC Absolute Universe.

I should clarify here that you don’t need the Ultra plan for all Black Label or Vertigo books. For example, you can (and should!) read Black Label comics like The Other History of the DC Universe, The Nice House on the Lake, or Catwoman: Lonely City. On the Vertigo side, you can read all 60 issues of Y: The Last Man, or all of The Sandman and Lucifer, but both Grant Morrison’s The Invisibles, or 100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso are only in the Ultra tier. Same goes for Watchmen! I don’t know exactly where the line is drawn honestly! Usually, the more popular a Black Label or Vertigo book is, the more likely it will be included in the Annual tier (although clearly Watchmen is an exception here). The more obscure the work, the more likely it’s a part of Ultra (which is especially nice for any real Vertigo deep dives for degenerates like myself – I was very excited to find a Morrison and Quitely Toy Story riff deep in the archives in 1997’s Weird War Tales).

Another consideration here is whether these same comics are available via other streaming options. For example, I’m a Hoopla and Libby power user through my library, and both apps contain a lot of Vertigo collections. In the case of my readthrough of The Invisibles (no, I still don’t understand it, thanks for asking!), the full run appears to be in my Hoopla library. But for Sandman Mystery Theatre, all that sweet Golden Age neo-noir is only collected through issue #24 in library apps. Whereas on DC Universe Infinite Ultra, I can read 70 issues. All I do is win!

Purely based on Vertigo and Black Label comics access, though, I don’t know that I’d pay an extra ~$4 a month. Again, this and the “Omnibus” reading options are less convenient, but mostly replaceable through combinations of Hoopla, Libby, and physical print copies through my local library. The truly unique advantage, and the reason I have the Ultra tier, is because it’s the closest either of the Big 2 comics publishers have gotten to releasing digital editions at the same time as the physical copies are released in local comic shops.

In fact, I found this so unique, I wrote all about the impact it might have on comic shops for Popverse! While Marvel remains on a 3-month time-lapse for subscribers, in the Ultra Tier, you’re very close to caught up with the newest and shiniest in the library a mere month after the issue is released to comic shops. You definitely can’t supplement this speedy access to new comics with anything outside of pirating (a horse of a different color!). The appeal here will of course vary based on your comics appetite – if you want to be in the now, it may well be your best option. If you’re mostly going to use the service to go back and explore Batman: Year One and Tom King and Mitch Gerad’s excellent Mister Miracle, stick with the regular annual plan!

So is the DC Universe Infinite Ultra tier worth it? Yes, but only if you’re a power reader with an interest in the newest DC Comics.

What Are the Downsides of DC Universe Infinite?

The most consistent miss from DC Universe Infinite is that the service might not be available in your country. I’ve heard from global readers in Peru, the Netherlands, Romania, and South Africa that DC Universe is still not available. Recent progress has been made here as France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Mexico and Brazil were added in late 2024, which indicates this is an issue DC is starting to take more seriously. But seriously, the number one criticism I hear from would-be subscribers when I recommend DCUI is that they can’t access the app without all kinds of VPN hackarounds.

If you want to read on desktop / laptop … good luck, and godspeed. Readers have reported for some time that this is particularly difficult in regions outside of North America, although that seems to have improved at least in the UK. It ain’t fancy, but I can confirm desktop reading works in the US as well. Every reputable digital comics streaming service that I know of prioritizes their app well before their desktop reader. Which is odd considering a lot more people have access to laptops than tablets. I’d really encourage you to use the free trial if your primary reader is a standard computer.

The other issue you may find is the library has a number of notable gaps, particularly with older comics. At the end of the day, it simply takes time and committed resources to uploading a comics library that spans decades, and DC has 20+ years more history than Marvel had to worry about. Filling out the Marvel Unlimited catalog took the rival competitor years between 2007 and 2020, and even now, every now again someone laments that Marvel hasn’t yet filled in the full Saga of Crystar.

It’s not just the minutia that’s missing from the DC library either. At the time I write this, Batman (1940 – 2011) jumps from 1950’s issue #59 to 1960’s Batman #133. The gaps are less enormous but notable through the 70s. And that’s for Batman. He’s kind of a big deal! Again, this is particularly noticeable for pre-Crisis (i.e. before 1985) issues, and exceptions are always made first for the types of stories that have made their way into the cultural canon. But if you’re hoping for a My Marvelous Year style journey through pre-Crisis DC… the library ain’t ready for that yet! Nor does it appear to be a priority (According to my esteemed MMY co-host, Zack “Z-Bomb” Deane, they stopped updating the backlog and only add new comics now)!

I do not envy the task of organizing over 30,000 items in a library into a coherent and satisfying app UI. Nonetheless, DC Universe Infinite has not yet cracked the code. I’m convinced that if you don’t already have a pretty good idea about how comics work, and what you’re looking for, diving into DC Universe Infinite is going to be confusing as hell (for what it’s worth, the same is generally true of Marvel Unlimited!).

Here’s an example. Let’s say all you know is you want to read some Batman comics. For whatever reason, you’re not using CBH’s world famous Batman guide. It’s fine, whatever, I didn’t even notice. So you go to the search bar and enter “batman.” Here’s what you’ll see:

This is, to put it mildly, a strange introduction to The Dark Knight. I would not wish starting your Batman comics journey with Batman: Odyssey on my worst enemy. Actually, that’s not true, I can be very petty. Nonetheless, that’s a terrible place to start! To their credit, you can see DC including a “Get To Know” section here for newer readers. Even if you know you want to read the series called “Batman,” when you click into the “Comic Series” option you’re going to get a LOT of options!

If this sends you running screaming into the hills… I can’t blame you! Bring a warm coat in case the top of the hill gets chilly!

The long and short of it is DC Universe Infinite still has a good deal to go on friendly user experience and better filtering and sorting methods. Again, it really helps to do a little research (perhaps on CBH?) beforehand so you have an idea what you’re looking for first.

I should mention while I’m here that one thing I really like that DC does much better than Marvel is including annual and special issues within a series directly in the list of issues for that series. Marvel includes these as separate series, which basically ensures 99% of readers won’t know to read them.

Again, though, this is the section looking at things that could be improved. If you have a general inkling you want to read some great DC Comics, there’s not a pile of Kryptonite large enough to stop you. Check out DC Universe Infinite for yourself!

Need Help Getting Started With The DC Universe? Try These Comic Book Herald Guides

The Best 100 DC Comics Since 1985!

The DC Universe Reading Order!

Where to Start With DC Comics!

Dave: Dave is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Comic Book Herald, and also the Boss of assigning himself fancy titles. He's a long-time comic book fan, and can be seen most evenings in Batman pajama pants. Contact Dave @comicbookherald on Twitter or via email at dave@comicbookherald.com.

View Comments (2)

  • Damn no DC marvelous year podcast soon then
    Maybe it should start post crisis (but also include some pre-crisis essentials episodes)?

    • We actually have a list-in-progress that is more or less completed up to Crisis (albeit a lot less comprehensive than MMY). The working draft is accessible in our Slack channel via Patreon.

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