OK, it is confession time.  I am a comic book-aholic.  Comic books are like my heroin.  Oh sure, I am mostly reformed now.  Except for a brief time over the summer, I have been pretty much sticking with the 12 step program for well over 15 years now.  But really, when I walk past a comic book store, the smell of that special comic book paper wafting out the door…well, let’s just say I know what it must be like to be an alcoholic in a bar.

Well, Marvel comics is now determined to put an end to my long and (mostly) silent suffering.  Earlier this week, the comic book giant — and home to such legends as the X-Men, Spider Man, The Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four, and well…just way too many others to mention — announced they will start showcasing vintage issues of their classic comic books online.

According to an article on Yahoo:

The publisher is hoping fans will be intrigued enough about the origins of those characters to shell out $9.99 a month, or $4.99 monthly with a year-long commitment. For that price, they’ll be able to poke through, say, the first 100 issues of Stan Lee’s 1963 creation "Amazing Spider-Man" at their leisure, along with more recent titles like "House of M" and "Young Avengers." Comics can be viewed in several different formats, including frame-by-frame navigation.

While hardcore collectors might not be interested in this ephemeral version of their favorite titles, many readers will find this to be an ideal opportunity to learn more about the origins of their favorite superhero.  About 2500 comics were available at launch with 250 available at no charge. 

Check it out at Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.