Capes, masks and laserbeam-projecting eyes. Super strength, shape-shifting and characters from throughout history and the future. All this and more exists within the Marvel Multiverse. Yes, you read correctly… multiverse. How could all of this fit into one small device? Believe it or not, the tech geniuses at Marvel Comics have managed to cram all of this and more into the pocket-sized device that is the Apple iPhone.
The new Marvel Comics iPhone app arrived in the iPhone app store in early April of this year. The app allows users to download free and paid (approximately $1.99) comics for reading and archiving on their iPhone. Zooming, rotation and easy navigation between panels are just some of the features that make the comic reading experience on iPhone truly unique. The app was also released for the iPad, which boasts a significantly larger screen than the iPhone, more than likely better suited to eBook and comic book reading.
You see? The iPhone screen is too small for reading!
Incorrect. I thought this as well when I first looked at the Marvel Comics app. The screen is the perfect size for reading comics on the go. Any panels that are really wide can be read by rotating the screen horizontally. I find that I rarely have to zoom in on a panel to read the speech bubbles. While it may not be the same as holding pages in both hands, or the smell of a new comic, the experience within the stories is the same, in my opinion.
Okay, so where’s the catch?
At this point, digital comics purchased on Marvel.com are not synchronised with the app. Thus, a user would have to re-purchase any comics they would like to read on the app. I believe this synchronisation feature is in the pipeline and, plus, it doesn’t really concern me, as I don’t have a digital comics subscription with Marvel. The free comics available through the app are excellent reads and enough to keep one entertained and to afford the user the opportunity of deciding whether or not they like the app through actually experiencing it, instead of forcing the user to purchase comics from the outset, limiting the user’s potential experience within the app.
If you have an iPhone or iPad, I’d definitely recommend getting the Marvel Comics app for it. Give it a whirl and let me know your thoughts.
P.S I’d recommend starting off reading the New Avengers #1 and #2. Both are free within the app at the time of writing this.
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