THE COMIC BOOK LOVERS GUIDE TO SMARTPHONE APPS

There is nothing quite like the tactile feel and smell of a new comic book or a vintage classic. However, it's not always practical to schlep your comics with you on the go. Not to mention, think about how much it would suck to lose your last edition of that obscure series that is now worth hundreds of dollars. 





Now avoid the pain of being without comics by getting a comic book reader smartphone app that gives you hundreds of comics in the palm of your hand to tide you through boring bus rides, meetings and waiting for appointments. Like the eBook market, the comic book and graphic novel sector has been using technology to improve delivery and accessibility of their works.

1. ComicBookLover

ComicBookLover is one of the best Mac and iOS digital comic readers around. It gives you three different viewing options for comics, from single page mode to Manga mode. It has an auto-sizing feature that helps create an easy reading experience, along with a full-screen mode. The user-friendly app supports all major comic book file types and allows you to organize your collection with a variety of methods.

2. Marvel Unlimited

Marvel Unlimited is a subscription service as opposed to just a comic book reader. It gets you 13,000 back catalog issues of Marvel Comics, spread throughout the many series that it offers. You can search by character, series or a number of other criteria to find the comic that matches your reading preferences.

3. Kindle App

If you purchase graphic novel eBooks or electronic comics through Amazon, the Kindle app is a free and go-to choice for reading your selections. It's available for all major platforms, including the Blackberry Z10. The app automatically syncs to your Amazon account, so your files are always up-to-date. It's not the most feature-rich reader, but it's solid.

4. Comic Zeal Comic Reader

Comic Zeal is an iOS application for the iPhone and iPad that allows you to read and organize your comics collection. It also has tagging capabilities that gives you further customization options for sorting your comics. It automatically opens comics in a series, you can adjust the screen brightness and other settings for easy reading. File loading goes through USB and Wi-Fi. It's also compatible with cloud storage service Dropbox.

5. Comics by comiXology

ComiXology is one of the most well-known digital comic book retailers, and the app makes it easy to read their comics on Windows 8, Kindle Fire, iOS and Android platforms, as well as on any computer. Single- and double-page modes are supported, there are in-app purchases of comics that interest you and clear images make this a great choice for reading.

If you're still not convinced to go fully digital with your comics but want more exposure to new titles, check out our previous post on subscription service Fan Grabs, a distribution service that wants to be considered the Netflix of graphic novels.

What's your favorite app for reading comics? Tell us in the comments.