HD Just how good is reading a comic on a Kindle Fire \ other ereaders?

the_fog_26 · 10-31-2012, 02:32 PM

To be honest the primary reason for getting an ereader is due to comics. What are people's experiences with reading comics on the Kindle Fire, or is there an alternate tablet that may be better? There's a couple of things that are key to me:

Does reading it on a 7 inch screen a positive, or a drawback? Obviously that's significantly smaller than a normal sized comic (manga aside) and I know it'll probably come down to personal preference, but is a 7 inch too small? I think if the 8.9 inch Kindle was out in the UK (where Im based) i'd go for that one (iPad3 is a bit too much out my price range atm). I know on the Comixology app there's the feature of looking at one panel at a time but yeh, just wondered people's own thoughts on this? Everything else about the Kindle has pretty much been sold to me (I'm an Amazon junkie, would use it primarily as a film \ book device) but reading comics on it is the deal breaker for me.

Should I choose to get an 8.9 inch one (there are other one's out there in the UK for a good price and good reviews, such as the A1CS Fusion Premium), I'm not sure if they particularly cater for being a comic book ereader? Again, anyone's advice \ experience would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

WillysJeepMan · 10-31-2012, 05:34 PM

I can only speak about reading cbz/cbr comics....

I have found that most 7" tablets are not quite good enough for reading comics. The only exception has been the 7" Kindle Fire HD 16GB. It is actually very readable. I just tried reading a cbz-version of an old 1971 Sears Wishbook catalog. The original size was at least 8.5" x 11.0" and I was pleasantly surprised to be able to read the catalog without the continuous need to zoom in.

If you can, try to get a hands-on with both 7" and 8.9" models. The 7" MIGHT be acceptable to you, but I think that there'll be absolutely no problem with the 8.9".

nprentiss · 10-31-2012, 06:10 PM

I've been using Perfect Viewer for .cbz/cbr and (with a plug-in) .pdf comics. The reading was adequate on the original 7" fire; after about a week with the Fire HD, I see a significant upgrade, brighter and clearer, and just seeming BIGGER despite the 7" screen.

The Amazon guided view is not as good as Comixology, since the Kindle files force you to use a Portrait mode. It's better to read in 1/3 screen increments in Landscape.

WillysJeepMan · 10-31-2012, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nprentiss

I've been using Perfect Viewer for .cbz/cbr and (with a plug-in) .pdf comics. The reading was adequate on the original 7" fire; after about a week with the Fire HD, I see a significant upgrade, brighter and clearer, and just seeming BIGGER despite the 7" screen.

Thanks for pointing that out. I felt the same way but I thought it was just me.

Jessica Lares · 11-01-2012, 08:07 AM

8.9" would be better. I have to constantly use both Amazon's guided view and Comixology's panel view because the screen is not big enough going across.

With 5" x 7.5" manga you lose about one 1/2 to two inches, and that doesn't scale down well. The bigger comic book type comics also suffer from scaling issues.

the_fog_26 · 11-01-2012, 03:49 PM

Thanks for the replies so far guys.

I am leaning towards a larger screen- the A1CS appears to have glowing reviews as a tablet. Does anyone have any experiences with it, and its quality as an ereader (comic books or otherwise) in particular?

Many thanks

Anabran · 11-03-2012, 11:28 PM

Quote:

"I've been using Perfect Viewer for .cbz/cbr"

Hi I use both Perfect viewer and comic reader mobi for my ever growing CBR/CBZ collection.
I use perfect viewer in landscape mode on my first gen kindle fire as its auto navigation is perfect in that orientation.

I use Comic render mobi for those titles where the author failed to be conservative with the amount of text per panel.
this is because Comic reader mobi has a wonderful a proprietary text recognition "smart lens" technology that creates a magnification window over any text that you tap.

I personally found the Amazon included "comixology " to be rather useless by virtue of it being a Closed Garden" system.

Cheers

Lemurion · 11-10-2012, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anabran

Hi I use both Perfect viewer and comic reader mobi for my ever growing CBR/CBZ collection.
I use perfect viewer in landscape mode on my first gen kindle fire as its auto navigation is perfect in that orientation.

I use Comic render mobi for those titles where the author failed to be conservative with the amount of text per panel.
this is because Comic reader mobi has a wonderful a proprietary text recognition "smart lens" technology that creates a magnification window over any text that you tap.

I personally found the Amazon included "comixology " to be rather useless by virtue of it being a Closed Garden" system.

Cheers

Actually the big advantage of Amazon including "Comixology" is that it's the one stop-shop for people who actually want to buy current comics in digital format. It is the only place where you can buy all the major publishers except Dark Horse, and the only place where anyone who buys Marvel's $3.99 books can redeem the digital code.

Sydney's Mom · 11-14-2012, 09:26 PM

I saw this, and decided to buy the Walking Dead books. I had read a couple in paper form, and was unimpressed. Well, I just rebought the first 3 books, and I am in love! You get the best of both worlds - you can see the whole page, which is v ery bright and crisp, or you can use the panel view if you have old eyes like me. It makes it so enjoyable, I bought the other compendiums as well. Thanks for the question!

Shack70 · 02-18-2013, 09:44 PM

I'm using Perfect Viewer on the Kindle 8.9 and love reading comics on it. My wife has the iPad 1 and comics on the 8.9 are sharper and brighter. Not one complaint to report. Two thumbs up for the 8.9

Anabran · 02-18-2013, 10:01 PM

I love perfect viewer in landscape mode on my first gen kindle Fire
it has gotten me into comic books as much as I was back in the 1970's as a kid.

I really love how the Awesome the Comic Art is now compared to the early 1980's when I stopped collecting and entered the military
Except now I have the advantage of them being all Digital so storage for my new collection is not an Issue.

cb_reader · 02-20-2013, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lemurion

For me, the issue with 7" devices is that they so often come with the recommendation for reading in landscape and I hate that because you can't see the whole page at a glance, and for a number of artists the page structure matters.

I agree completely and this was my big hesitation with a 7" tablet. I don't read panel to panel and I don't read landscape by default to enlarge the content. I read with full page view on 7" HD tablets.

AndrewH7 · 12-03-2016, 06:04 AM

Just got Amazon Fire, so I thought I'd try Charmed season 10 No. 13 (I've Nos. 1-12 in 2 vols.) & save 2-80 p&p or waiting months for vol. 3.
I found it = OK after zooming in to read it, but then it zooms out again on next page. I'd like 1 land·scape picture (or 2 little 1s), & then go to next. In land·scape I get 2 pages showing, so = smaller than @ portrait.
Would it = better getting 1 for Android instead of Kindle?

tomsem · 12-03-2016, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewH7

Just got Amazon Fire, so I thought I'd try Charmed season 10 No. 13 (I've Nos. 1-12 in 2 vols.) & save 2-80 p&p or waiting months for vol. 3.
I found it = OK after zooming in to read it, but then it zooms out again on next page. I'd like 1 land·scape picture (or 2 little 1s), & then go to next. In land·scape I get 2 pages showing, so = smaller than @ portrait.
Would it = better getting 1 for Android instead of Kindle?

I would recommend installing the Comixology app and using that instead of Kindle app (you can read with either). It is more specialized for comics, in particular it will automatically organize your collection into series, genres etc.

In either case you probably should be using 'panel view'. In Kindle app you double tap on a panel and it will zoom up to fit screen. Then page turns will navigate panel by panel. Comixology app calls it Guided View, and I like it better than Panel View because of the smooth animation.

If you purchase from Comixology rather than Amazon, the titles will not be available in the Kindle app, but a least a number of them can be downloaded in DRM-free format.

The Comixology app is basically the same on Android as on Fire.

kyrilson · 12-04-2016, 11:00 AM

I use the Comixology App instead of the Kindle app as well. It's a much better reading experience. You can buy the comics on Amazon, and they'll come up in your Comixology app if you have it linked to your Amazon account.

I almost always use the guided view (dubbed panel view in the above post). I have it set to show the whole page, and then move into each panel. That way I still get to see the whole page if it's a one pager, but also read through the comic via guided view. I find that it's a very nice experience once you get used to it.

I read mostly on my iPad Air (9.7" screen). You will definitely want a larger screen for optimal experience. I will read on my LG G3 (5.2" screen) in a pinch, and it works fine with guided view, but definitely not as nice as reading on the iPad Air.

10-31-2012, 02:32 PM	#1
the_fog_26 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: none	Just how good is reading a comic on a Kindle Fire \ other ereaders? To be honest the primary reason for getting an ereader is due to comics. What are people's experiences with reading comics on the Kindle Fire, or is there an alternate tablet that may be better? There's a couple of things that are key to me: Does reading it on a 7 inch screen a positive, or a drawback? Obviously that's significantly smaller than a normal sized comic (manga aside) and I know it'll probably come down to personal preference, but is a 7 inch too small? I think if the 8.9 inch Kindle was out in the UK (where Im based) i'd go for that one (iPad3 is a bit too much out my price range atm). I know on the Comixology app there's the feature of looking at one panel at a time but yeh, just wondered people's own thoughts on this? Everything else about the Kindle has pretty much been sold to me (I'm an Amazon junkie, would use it primarily as a film \ book device) but reading comics on it is the deal breaker for me. Should I choose to get an 8.9 inch one (there are other one's out there in the UK for a good price and good reviews, such as the A1CS Fusion Premium), I'm not sure if they particularly cater for being a comic book ereader? Again, anyone's advice \ experience would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks

12-03-2016, 06:04 AM	#13
AndrewH7 Enthusiast Posts: 31 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2015 Device: Kobo Touch	Comic on Fire...(mmm that'll look comical!) Just got Amazon Fire, so I thought I'd try Charmed season 10 No. 13 (I've Nos. 1-12 in 2 vols.) & save 2-80 p&p or waiting months for vol. 3. I found it = OK after zooming in to read it, but then it zooms out again on next page. I'd like 1 land·scape picture (or 2 little 1s), & then go to next. In land·scape I get 2 pages showing, so = smaller than @ portrait. Would it = better getting 1 for Android instead of Kindle?

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10-31-2012, 05:34 PM	#2
WillysJeepMan Guru Posts: 655 Karma: 2877892 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Kobo Touch, KFHD7, GTab 8.4 Pro, iPadAir 2	I can only speak about reading cbz/cbr comics.... I have found that most 7" tablets are not quite good enough for reading comics. The only exception has been the 7" Kindle Fire HD 16GB. It is actually very readable. I just tried reading a cbz-version of an old 1971 Sears Wishbook catalog. The original size was at least 8.5" x 11.0" and I was pleasantly surprised to be able to read the catalog without the continuous need to zoom in. If you can, try to get a hands-on with both 7" and 8.9" models. The 7" MIGHT be acceptable to you, but I think that there'll be absolutely no problem with the 8.9".

10-31-2012, 06:10 PM	#3
nprentiss Connoisseur Posts: 72 Karma: 1700000 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: PRS505	I've been using Perfect Viewer for .cbz/cbr and (with a plug-in) .pdf comics. The reading was adequate on the original 7" fire; after about a week with the Fire HD, I see a significant upgrade, brighter and clearer, and just seeming BIGGER despite the 7" screen. The Amazon guided view is not as good as Comixology, since the Kindle files force you to use a Portrait mode. It's better to read in 1/3 screen increments in Landscape.

11-01-2012, 08:07 AM	#5
Jessica Lares Wizard Posts: 2,240 Karma: 5759170 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA Device: iPad Mini, iPod Touch (5th gen)	8.9" would be better. I have to constantly use both Amazon's guided view and Comixology's panel view because the screen is not big enough going across. With 5" x 7.5" manga you lose about one 1/2 to two inches, and that doesn't scale down well. The bigger comic book type comics also suffer from scaling issues.

11-01-2012, 03:49 PM	#6
the_fog_26 Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2012 Device: none	Thanks for the replies so far guys. I am leaning towards a larger screen- the A1CS appears to have glowing reviews as a tablet. Does anyone have any experiences with it, and its quality as an ereader (comic books or otherwise) in particular? Many thanks

11-14-2012, 09:26 PM	#9
Sydney's Mom Wizard Posts: 2,895 Karma: 6995721 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Idaho, on the side of a mountain Device: Kindle Oasis, Fire 3d Gen and 5th Gen and Samsung Tab S	I saw this, and decided to buy the Walking Dead books. I had read a couple in paper form, and was unimpressed. Well, I just rebought the first 3 books, and I am in love! You get the best of both worlds - you can see the whole page, which is v ery bright and crisp, or you can use the panel view if you have old eyes like me. It makes it so enjoyable, I bought the other compendiums as well. Thanks for the question!

02-18-2013, 09:44 PM	#10
Shack70 Guru Posts: 775 Karma: 1043626 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: York, Pa Device: Kindle Fire 10", Honor 8 Android Phone	I'm using Perfect Viewer on the Kindle 8.9 and love reading comics on it. My wife has the iPad 1 and comics on the 8.9 are sharper and brighter. Not one complaint to report. Two thumbs up for the 8.9

02-18-2013, 10:01 PM	#11
Anabran GUNDAM PILOT Posts: 227 Karma: 1110244 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: NEW York, NEW York Device: Kindle Fire	I love perfect viewer in landscape mode on my first gen kindle Fire it has gotten me into comic books as much as I was back in the 1970's as a kid. I really love how the Awesome the Comic Art is now compared to the early 1980's when I stopped collecting and entered the military Except now I have the advantage of them being all Digital so storage for my new collection is not an Issue.

12-04-2016, 11:00 AM	#15
kyrilson Fanatic Posts: 538 Karma: 13511506 Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Cleveland, OH Device: Voyage, Oasis, Kobo Glo HD,iPad Pro, Sony 350 and T2	I use the Comixology App instead of the Kindle app as well. It's a much better reading experience. You can buy the comics on Amazon, and they'll come up in your Comixology app if you have it linked to your Amazon account. I almost always use the guided view (dubbed panel view in the above post). I have it set to show the whole page, and then move into each panel. That way I still get to see the whole page if it's a one pager, but also read through the comic via guided view. I find that it's a very nice experience once you get used to it. I read mostly on my iPad Air (9.7" screen). You will definitely want a larger screen for optimal experience. I will read on my LG G3 (5.2" screen) in a pinch, and it works fine with guided view, but definitely not as nice as reading on the iPad Air.