DC Universe Titans World Premiere
DC Universe once offered an original slate of TV programming, including "Titans."
Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for DC UNIVERSE
  • Comic book publisher DC Comics unveiled their monthly subscription service DC Universe in September 2018; it featured on-demand comics, shows, movies, and exclusive original content. 
  • In September 2020, WarnerMedia announced that it was folding the TV series and movie catalog into HBO Max and turning DC Universe into DC Universe Infinite, a comics-only digital subscription platform. 
  • DC Universe Infinite will launch on January 21, 2021, with a monthly pricetag of $7.99 after a seven-day free trial, or $74.99 for an annual membership.
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DC Comics, home to superheroes like Shazam, the Flash, and Batman, is set to launch DC Universe Infinite, an exclusive digitally-focused comics service, on January 21, 2021.

Previously, “DC Universe” was the publishing goliath’s streaming entertainment app. Operated by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Digital Networks, the video-on-demand service featured original TV, movie, and comics content. 

Following the expansion of WarnerMedia’s HBO Max platform, DC announced that its streaming platform’s original DC Universe movies and TV series, as well as its library of older titles, would be shifting platforms to HBO Max. And in the place of DC Universe, DC Comics will now operate a digital comic books service in DC Universe Infinite. 

Here’s everything you need to know about DC Universe and now, DC Universe Infinite. 

What DC Universe consisted of

For decades, the DC brand has delivered an ever-growing catalog of movies, television, and cartoons to keep comics fans engaged beyond the page. As streaming platforms began to rise in the late 2010s, DC Comics got in on the industry shift by launching DC Universe. 

The subscription-based platform charged a monthly fee for access to its online library of TV, film, and comics content, including several DC Universe exclusives. Members could watch a revolving door of older animated and live-action movies and shows before they left the streamer and became available on a competitor or studio-adjacent platform. 

There were also a handful of projects produced and streamed exclusively on the platform, including live-action series like "Titans," "The Doom Patrol," and "Swamp Thing," as well as animated hits like "Young Justice" and "Harley Quinn." 

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DC Universe once featured a library of DC-centric movies and shows.
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But unlike other streamers, DC also offered members access to a massive library of comics. The site's rotating digital collection featured prominent arcs and collections like "Crisis on Infinite Earths" and "Batman: Year One," along with numerous releases for popular DC heroes and villains, including Wonder Woman, Superman, Justice League International, the Joker, Suicide Squad, and Deathstroke.

Beyond the content, the service also offered a forum to discuss anything DC-related, an online DC merchandise store, a DC encyclopedia, and at one point, a weekly DC news show.  

What you need to know about DC Universe Infinite

If you liked what DC Universe had to offer, there's good and bad news. To watch original series and movies, you'll now need an HBO Max subscription as none of this content will be available on the DC Universe platform after December 2020. On the upside, you can now explore an expanded library on the premium digital comic book platform. 

Slated to launch in January 2021, Infinite subscribers will have over 80 years' worth of DC content at their fingertips thanks to its more than 24,000 comic book, graphic novel, and Black Label titles. Like its digital comic subscription competitors ComiXology and Marvel Unlimited, members will be able to read old tiles anytime, as well as newer titles six months after they hit physical shelves. 

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DC Universe Infinite is the perfect place for hardcore DC comic book and graphic novel fans.
Ron Lyons/Business Insider

Members can also read digital-first comics, including "Aquaman: Deep Dives," "Shazam!: Lightning Strikes," "Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red," "Swamp Thing: New Roots," and "DCeased: Hope at World's End." Plus, DC fans will eventually get a slew of Infinite-original comics that are first-accessible to members. And thanks to dcuniverseinfinite.com and the Infinite mobile apps for iOS and Android, subscribers can download their comics and graphic novels for offline reading. 

There are some other perks beyond comics as well. Beyond the entire platform going international after its January 2021 launch, DC Universe Infinite will offer exclusive access to DC events and continue its merchandise store, forums, and DC Encyclopedia.   

How much DC Universe Infinite costs vs. DC Universe

When DC Universe Infinite debuts on January 21, 2021, it will come with a monthly price tag of $7.99. Subscribers can also sign up for a discounted annual membership, which will cost $74.99. 

Despite the content shift, this is what DC Universe members were charged, so there will be no change in price. This goes for both existing customers of DC Universe and new subscribers to DC Universe Infinite. However, if you convert to an Infinite membership or join during the pre-ordering window, you'll receive a voucher that is redeemable in the DC Shop for merchandise.

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