Do you read comics online? What do you recommend in terms of technology/devices?

Cafe Society
1

I read a lot of comics on Kindle and on the DC universe infinite platform.

I access them in three ways:

  1. iPhone - Kindle for iPhone app and Safari for DC universe

  2. MacBook - Kindle for MacOS app and Chrome for DC universe

  3. Amazon Fire - Kindle app and Silk browser app for DC universe

I’m not entirely satisfied with any of them.

The worst is the Kindle app for MacOS. It doesn’t seem to understand how to maximize image sizes either in full-page mode or frame-by-frame mode. This is unfortunate because this is my biggest screen. I also suspect that Amazon has stopped maintaining/improving this app.

This is unfortunate given that this is my largest screen.

The iPhone of course is the smallest so it’s not always all that fun

The Silk browser is terrible—slow and keeps crashing.

I wonder whether it would be worth it to go for an iPad? They’re very expensive. Also I think the largest iPad would be too unwieldy.

Do you read comics online? What do you think?

2

I read a few on the 10’ Kindle Fire tablet, using the default comixcology usage. It is . . . acceptable. I have tried it on my older 8’, and it’s just not worth it. So I wouldn’t bother on anything with a smaller form factor. The default reader has a swipe-to-panel feature which improves the experience of otherwise trying to read a full size page even in 10’ - but honest, I just wouldn’t bother most of the time reading on anything other than my full size computer monitor.

Maybe a single issue tops on even the 10’ before I’m moving to something else, or just giving up and heading to the main computer.

3

Dangit. I don’t like to read comics sitting at my computer. I lie down or lounge on my easy chair.

Anyone have experience with reading comics on an iPad? Is it worth it?

4

I assume you don’t mean comics like this

… but rather instead comic books ?

The above kind of thing, I read in a web browser. No add’l software needed.

5

Yes, I mean comic books. Sorry, I thought that would have been clear in context.

(I use “comic” to mean “comic book”–or, rather, graphic novel–by default. If I had meant “comic strip,” I would have been specific. Comic strips are those things I read in the newspaper as a kid that were never funny or interesting.)

6

My library has the Hoopla app. It is excellent for reading comics because it magnifies them one panel at a time. For splash pages, they magnify the speech balloons and other text.

Disadvantage is that selection is limited and your library has to sport the app.

7

My iPad works really well with Marvel Unlimited. Other comics (like https://comicbookplus.com/ ) I read on my iPad are with the Chrome app. I use the iPad for everything at home. My PC at work is just for work stuff.

8

What you need is a nice big external monitor on an articulated arm.

9

I loved Comixology’s app, which USED to work great. Click or swipe to change panels and even automatically zoom in on small details or dialogue balloons.

A lot of us spent a lot of moola on their vintage and current comics/graphic novels.

But Amazon suddenly discontinued it, claiming we could all move over to their own reader without a hitch. Ha! Zoom and other features weren’t working, and people had many of their purchased comics disappear.

Since then I’ve been buying “floppies” (analog comics). I’ve found some great comic shops with excellent “Dollar Bins”. And there’s a traveling comic sale where I can pick up 50 “like new” comics for $20.

Oh, and they smell better than online comics. :•)

But I’d go back to reading online with Comixology/Amazon … does anyone know if they’ve fixed the (myriad) problems?