Comic Book apps

2024. Comic reader Tachiyomi is forced to discontinue



Popular comic reading app Tachiyomi is being closed. It's developer Inorichi has posted an announcement that he received a cease and desist letter from a South Korean company Kakao Entertainment, demanding him to destroy the project and all of its forks. In response of the demands, the project's core developers have announced that the core version of the app will not be under active development. The app will continue to work for for the foreseeable future but there will be no support for it nor the official extensions. All the project's repositories will be removed from GitHub.


2023. Amazon is merging Comixology into Kindle



Amazon has decided to integrate the Comixology app into Kindle app for iOS, Android and Fire OS. All books previously purchased from Comixology will automatically appear in your library in Kindle app. Simply select the "Comics & Manga" filter and it will display only comics, graphic novels and manga. You can also select the "Books" filter if you want to view your library without comics. You can hide individual comics by long-pressing the title and selecting "Hide Book". Kindle Unlimited subscribers will be able to find and read comics directly in the app. However, Kindle users without the Unlimited subscription can't purchase comics in the app - they have to buy them on Amazon's website and then sync them with the app.

2023. DC Universe Infinite unveils Manga Reader



DC Comics’ digital reading platform DC Universe Infinite has added new features to make it easier to read Japanese manga. The new reader, available via the web, iOS or Android apps, allows to organize pages from right to left, just like in Japanese, giving manga fans the authentic experience they value. The main titles featured in the new reader are three storylines licensed from leading Japanese publisher Kodansha: Joker: One Operation Joker, Superman vs. Meshi and Batman: Justice Buster. It may seem like an odd move for DC, which has been publishing Western-style comics and graphic novels in a left-to-right order since the 1930s and has never distributed manga in the U.S. market. But manga, which has seen triple-digit sales growth in North America over the past decade, is probably ready take a bigger place in DC’s future publishing plans.


2022. ComiXology to get integrated into Amazon Kindle



ComiXology was acquired by Amazon eight years ago but continued to operate independently; however, that is about to change. Upcoming changes include a complete prohibition on downloading DRM-free comics and the ComiXology app itself will be integrated into the Kindle app. The ComiXology app will soon be retired and fully merged into the main Kindle app for Android and iOS. A FAQ page is available to assist users in transitioning to the Kindle app and accessing comics. Additionally, the Kindle app has been upgraded to display the panel-by-panel ‘Guided View’.


2021. You can now read Comixolgy comics on the Kindle app and e-readers



Comixology users are now able to read digital comics from their platform on the Kindle app for Android and iOS. The feature is not turning on by default, so if you want to read them, all you have to do is click on “Show your comiXology books” on your comiXology settings page. Next, head to your Kindle app and pull down to refresh and your library comics will appear. (You can also tap on More and then tap Sync to refresh your library.) If you want to hide your comiXology purchases on Kindle at any time, just select “Hide your comiXology books” on the comiXology settings page. If you want to read Comixology comics on Kindle e-reader, you can head to your Content and Devices page, select the book, and choose to Deliver the book to, or Remove the book from, your registered Devices. Due to memory limitations, Comixology recommends that you only send less than 25 books to your e-reader device at a time. It is also recommend you remove the book from your device when you have finished reading it, this is because the files are rather large.


2021. Bibliotheca Cloud Library now offers comic books



Bibliotheca Cloud Library is now partnering with ComicsPlus, which provides unlimited, concurrent access to over 20,000 digital comics, graphic novels and manga, now available for purchase by libraries globally. ComicsPlus’ extensive collection offers age-appropriate digital comics for both adult and young readers in curated assortments. Selections include popular titles such as Avatar: The Last Airbender & The Legend of Korra, Big Nate, Bone, Disney Princesses, Geronimo Stilton, Stranger Things, Locke & Key, American Gods and timely, award-winning nonfiction like March and They Called Us Enemy. Bibliotheca Cloud Library serves as a strong alternative to Overdrive, supporting over 30,000 libraries across 20 different countries.


2019. DC Comics now available on Prime Reading and Kindle Unlimited



Amazon has just finalized an agreement with DC Comics, making select titles now accessible on Comixology Unlimited, Kindle Unlimited and Prime Reading. Broadening access to these three platforms makes it simpler than ever for Amazon customers to enjoy DC’s Super Heroes. With the inclusion of thousands of select DC single issues, collections and graphic novels – including exclusive fan-favorites from the DC Vertigo imprint – comiXology Unlimited continues to be available for $5.99 a month, featuring a 30-day free trial for new users. Kindle Unlimited subscribers will also have access to a variety of single issues, collections and graphic novels, while Prime Reading members will be able to enjoy a curated and rotating list of acclaimed DC and DC Vertigo graphic novels at no extra cost. This expansion across the three services offers ideal entry points for newcomers to DC and DC Vertigo.


2018. Kobo app gets new comic viewer



The Kobo app for iOS has just received a major update for those who enjoy digital comics. It now features a new comic viewer that lets you read horizontally or vertically, navigate by page or in a grid view and access your comics before they’re fully downloaded. There is also a new animated page-turn engine that allows you to glimpse what’s on the next page. Kobo’s comic selection isn’t extensive; most of their content comes from their Writing Life self-publishing platform. They lack comics from major publishers like DC, Image, or Marvel, so it's surprising that Kobo is expanding comic book support given the limited scope of their catalog.


2016. Comixology launched Unlimited Comic Book Service



Comixology has introduced a new digital comic subscription service. For $5.99 per month, you can gain access to a range of comics and graphic novels. Numerous publishers are participating in this new venture, including Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, Dynamite Entertainment, Kodansha Comics, Oni Press, Valiant Entertainment, Archie Comics, Fantagraphics Books, Humanoids, Action Lab Entertainment, Aspen Comics, Zenescope Entertainment and others. Marvel is notably missing from this new initiative, primarily because they operate their own service called Marvel Unlimited. DC is also not involved and has yet to create their own solution.


2016. Kindle for PC allows to read children’s books and comic books



Amazon Kindle users can now access comic books and children's books on Kindle for PC. This is the first time you can do this without needing any Amazon hardware or their various smartphone apps. In 2014, Amazon acquired ComiXology, the largest digital distributor of comic books. Amazon has been gradually incorporating all their content into the Kindle store, including comics from major publishers like DC and Marvel. In addition to ComiXology, Amazon also collaborates directly with thousands of publishers around the world. If you have purchased any children's or comic books directly from Amazon, you can now read them on Kindle for PC or Kindle for Mac. If you already have these apps installed, you'll need to download the update.