One form of media that has definitely stood the test of time is the comic book. Since 1933, when the first comic book was published, the industry has grown from strength to strength and led to blockbuster creations such as the Avengers and Batman. And the main reason people still read comics is that they provide both visual and textual gratification to the reader. Thanks to our mobile devices getting larger screens and the ubiquity of tablets, comics are no longer limited to physical books but can also be enjoyed on our Android devices.
There is now a growing number of apps that allow you to devour comics and mangas on your mobile device, and in this article I will show you my personal favorites and help you find a few other high quality ones.
Comics by ComiXology
The first app I’m looking at today is Comics, which provides a huge database of popular comics and displays them all in an easy to follow format. Upon opening Comics, you’ll instantly be shown hundreds of downloadable books that you can choose to read. From this front page you will be able to see the regular deals and some of the most popular reads available. You’ll also be able to access the huge range of free comics on offer in the app’s catalogue.
The front page of Comics is informative and allows for easy navigation.
When deciding whether you want to download a comic, you have a wide range of information at your disposal. By tapping on any comic, you are taken to a page with a summary, ratings and even a preview image of the content. All of this information is great if you’re wandering into new comic material as it gives you a brief glimpse of what to expect.
When viewing a comic’s description, you have a huge amount of information available.
Once a comic is downloaded, you can access it by clicking the book icon in the top right. This is where you open your full library and can start reading. You’ll soon notice that every comic on this app is of high quality and a worthwhile read — a great place to get your comic fix.
I use Comics on a regular basis for many reasons. Its main advantages include its wide library with many free comics, the regular deals and the quality of every piece. It is definitely one of the best-built apps in this genre and well worth a look if you’re into the genre.
Manga Plus Reader
A variation of the comic that actually existed long before it is Manga. Originating in Japan in the 19th century, this form of media is now one of Japan’s biggest publishing outputs, attracting a huge and fanatic audience. There are many Manga apps on the Play Store, however, Manga Plus Reader is always my first pick and I’ll explain why.
With the huge range of genres, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
One of the first things you’ll notice is that Manga Plus Reader is very simplistic and doesn’t try to pack hundreds of options and features into the app. When searching for reading material, you’ll first be shown a wide range of genres. After picking one, you are given a huge amount of mangas that you can choose to download, all them being free. Once downloaded, whether it’s a chapter or a whole book, the content is available in your Library almost instantly. And again, the quality on every page is fantastic.
The distinctive Manga art style is impressively represented on this app.
However, one gripe many people may have with this app are the advertisements that scroll constantly at the bottom of the screen. To remove these, you need to upgrade to the ad-free version, which costs less than a coffee at only £0.88 — a small payment for an app so good.
In conclusion, Manga Plus is a one of the best apps in its category, giving you the ability to access a large amount of mangas within seconds. The quality of the presentation is high and it doesn’t take long to begin reading, making it the perfect app for the avid Manga fan.
NARR8
The final app I have picked is NARR8, which is a quite unique in the genre. The first thing you should know is that on NARR8, you don’t buy comics with straight money. Instead, you first buy NARRs — the app’s form of currency used. NARRs range from 150 for £1.91 to 10,000 for £31.94, but you also receive free NARRs every day as a bonus. Also, many comics don’t require any NARRs. The other quirk of the app is that you need to register an account before you start using NARRs and downloading comics. Conveniently, this can be done through Twitter and Facebook.
The wide range of choice is evident from the front page.
The content here is also quite different from traditional comics and mangas, but pretty awesome at the same time. Every comic is animated and accompanied by music, which really enhances the experience. Comics are also well executed, and the app covers a huge range of genres and types.
The interactive element of the content is by far the most appealing feature.
NARR8 is one of my favourite apps because it is unique. It offers the reader an experience they can’t get anywhere else for a very minimal sum of money. If you’re looking for some new and interesting comics, NARR8 should definitely be your first choice.
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