Item: ComicScreen
Rating: 8.8
Author: Jonathan Kerns

Comic Reader Features

ComicScreen reads a number of file formats and archives, ranging from image files like JPG and PNG to compressed files like the usual CBR/CBZ and RAR/ZIP. Importing these files is as easy as dragging and dropping them into the app, and ComicScreen even supports batch importing if you select a whole folder. If you’d rather not sideload comic book files through your device’s memory card, you also have the option of transferring them in through network file sharing: ComicScreen supports both Samba and FTP.

As for the reading experience itself, ComicScreen is an app that never makes you wait. You have numerous options at your disposal, but even with all the modifications you could think to implement, the app never misses a beat. Pages load without any glitches or even a hint of lag, and you can tweak a whole host of settings or jump from one preference pane to another without even a hint of strain from the app itself.

That’s great considering everything that ComicScreen lets you do. There’s the standard ability to switch between portrait and landscape view modes, the better to read both standard, single-page layouts and double-page spreads. Aside from that, the app’s also capable of automatically resizing pages, and if that’s not enough, its zoom controls give you the ability to further modify how the app displays each comic page.

Speaking of the power to tweak how your images show up on your device, you can adjust image attributes like brightness, so you can make sure your images always look their best onscreen. You also have the option of scaling the page up to better fit your screen, or even cropping panels and trimming margins to get rid of white space and make more room for the actual contents of your comics. Granted, these screen-maximization features are weighed out a bit by the presence of ads on the bottom of the screen, but the ads are mostly unobtrusive and don’t have a big impact on the reading experience as a whole. It’s something that’s still worth taking into consideration, though, especially if you’re looking for a truly immersive comic book reading experience.

Aside from the standard display and navigation options, ComicScreen also gives you a number of previewing options. You can, for example, bring up quick views of the archives in your file library — so if you’re not sure what exactly is in that ZIP folder, you can take a peek through the contents without having to unzip and dig through everything. Similarly, you can glance through your list of bookmarks, just in case you lose track of which tag corresponds to which noteworthy moment in each of your titles. And just in case you want to skim through individual issues as well, ComicScreen gives you the ability to scroll smoothly and quickly across pages.

Collection Management

ComicScreen provides some rudimentary file management options as well. You can create what the app calls chapter drawers if you import whole folders into the app, for example. Additionally, you can generate a list of the images or files stored within the folders that you import. Unlike some comparable comic book reader apps for Android, ComicScreen doesn’t provide an extensive system for categorizing or tagging each of your files; however, letting you read your comic book files is the app’s top priority, so it’s best to look at its file management tools with that in mind.

Availability and Pricing

ComicScreen is available as a free, ad-supported app on the Google Play Store. Some users have also been asking for an ad-free, premium version for a while now, but there’s been no word from the developers about releasing one anytime soon.

Customer Support

ComicScreen’s app page on the Google Play Store is your only recourse for any queries, problems, or feedback. There’s also a basic Google Site for the app, but the lack of recent activity suggests that any request for support that you send there isn’t likely to get a response.

What's the Verdict on ComicScreen?

Worth It, Some Issues