Even though Amazon wasn’t the first to start selling e-books, ever since it released the Kindle, getting ahold of a digital copy of a book has become a trivial matter. This is especially true because online e-book retailers have largely homogenized in the past 10 years, meaning that the big websites have mostly the same books available at mostly the same prices — especially when it comes to best sellers.
The same thing, however, cannot be said for buying comic books and manga. Not only does availability vary considerably between retailers, so too do the price and the file size. So where should you be shopping when you want a new digital comic book? Additionally, which awesome Android tablet should you be reading it on?
Is 8GB still enough storage for an e-reader in 2024?
For books, yes. For audiobooks and comics, not so much.
Big online bookstores
The best place to find comics online is unquestionably at the biggest online bookstores. The sheer volume of content they offer is reason enough to start your shopping with them.
Amazon/ComiXology
ComiXology was the one-time pinnacle of digital comics shopping, and in a way, it still is since its acquisition by Amazon back in 2014. Amazon’s catalog is unbeatable, but because it only sells digital content in its proprietary format, its file sizes tend to be quadruple that of its competitors. For instance, if you buy Watchmen on Amazon, you’ll only pay $9.50, but the file will be 1.4 GB, whereas other retailers might offer it for more, but the file size will come in at around 250 MB.
Barnes & Noble and Kobo
In the world of online bookselling, Barnes & Noble and Kobo are runners-up to the behemoth that is Amazon, but each has a respectable selection of comics and manga. The edge between the two goes to B&N because of the slightly lower prices (Boys Omnibus Vol. 1 $18 vs. $24), better selection, and the fact that Kobo doesn’t disclose its file sizes.
Google Play Books and Apple Books
If you fancy buying your comics with an app instead of on a traditional web page, Google and Apple have you covered. Both had all the titles I searched for, but despite having lower prices, Google didn’t disclose its file sizes. And if you want to use Apple Books, you’ll need a Mac or iOS device to access it.
DriveThruComics
Most casual comic readers probably haven’t heard of DriveThruComics. It doesn’t offer the breadth of content that the other big retailers have, but it does aggregate content from multiple smaller publishers as well as a couple bigger ones like Dynamite and Top Cow. DriveThruComics sells both single issues and TBPs.
There are some other sites out there, like eBooks.com and Smashwords, that sell comics, but they are focused on selling digital versions of traditional books. Digital comic books are more of an afterthought.
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Publishers
A very small number of publishers sell digital editions of their comics directly on their websites. Most opt to skip the hassle of maintaining a storefront and let the big online retailers handle their business. Many even sell physical copies of single issues and trade paperbacks, but nothing electronic.
Dark Horse
Dark Horse is one of the top 10 publishers in the industry and has a lot of great original titles available, like the source material for the hit show Resident Alien. It also has a bunch of licensed titles, like Avatar (the blue ones and the air bender), Star Wars, and Ghostbusters. And if you’re into manga, they’ve got old classics like Astro Boy and new classics like Blade of the Immortal. Dark Horse sells current issues and TPBs.
Dynamite
Dynamite is also one of the top 10 publishers. It has a reputation for making licensed comics, but it also produces original content. If you’re a Robert E. Howard fan Dynamite publishes Thulsa Doom and many Red Sonja comics. Not all of its content is available digitally, but it makes many single issues and TPBs available.
Humanoids
Humanoids was originally a French publisher but came Stateside about 10 years ago. Unless you’re connected to the comics scene, you probably haven’t heard of its titles, but that’s all the more reason to give it a look. Not all books are available online, but it does make both single issues and TPBs available.
IDW
IDW’s digital comics are available through its app which isn’t a terrible experience, per se, but it isn’t the ideal way to consume comics. It has single issues and TPBs available, but you are locked into using the app to view your purchases; there is no way to download what you bought. As an example, you can buy TMNT: The Last Ronin for $30 from the IDW app and only ever be able to read it on devices that support the app. While you’ll still be limited to an app if you choose to buy from Amazon, the book is much cheaper. And let’s be honest, which app do you expect to outlast the other?
Vault
Vault is a relative newcomer to the publishing scene, so you might not have heard of its titles, but it has lots of original stories to choose from across all genres. It doesn’t sell individual issues, but it looks like all of its TPBs are available in electronic format.
Kindle needs to release a color E Ink e-reader before everyone else does
Begun, the color war has
Subscriptions
There are a lot of comics published every week. Between DC and Marvel, there are about 100 new comics published each month, and at around $3 per issue, that’s $300 to keep up with all the titles. Thankfully, unless you crave holding the comic in your hands, you can pay for a monthly subscription and read new and old titles on your phone or your computer.
Marvel Unlimited
If you’re into Marvel’s superheroes, there aren’t a lot of good reasons not to check out its subscription service. It has over 30,000 issues available to read, from its most popular series from classics to new releases. You can use the Marvel Unlimited app to read on your phone or tablet, or you can log in via the website to view it on a larger screen. Subscriptions are either $10 monthly or $70 annually to get access, with new books lagging behind retail by three months.
DC Universe Infinite
DC’s subscription service has over 20,000 titles available in its archive. It doesn’t have any new issues; subscribers will have to wait six months before they can access the latest content. Its monthly subscription is $8 and its annual plan is $75.
Shonen Jump
For those who are more into manga than western comics, you should probably look into Shonen Jump. It features over 15,000 chapters from classics like Naruto and Deathnote to modern hits like Chainsaw Man and Jujutsu Kaisen. Shonen Jump’s monthly digital subscription is just $3.
ComiXology Unlimited
We’ve already talked about Amazon as a digital comic retailer, but its ComiXology Unlimited service is also worth mentioning simply because of the scale of its catalog of 45,000 TPBs from most of the big publishers and the fact that it’s all available through the Kindle app. There is some overlap with the Kindle Unlimited service but each has titles exclusive from the other. ComiXology is also a bit cheaper than Kindle Unlimited at just $6 per month.
Kobo’s new color e-readers add some saturation to your reading
Plus a new black and white e-reader with the freshest Carta 1300 technology
Final thoughts
Although the best time to buy comics online was back when ComiXology was independent of Amazon, things are pretty good right now with affordable subscription services and lots of places to buy new content. We also have to mention that Humble Bundle can be an excellent source for buying DRM-free comics at discounted prices, but you have to check in every week or so to see what it has available. If you want to read Golden Age comics that have gone into the public domain, you need to stop by the Digital Comic Museum. And don’t forget to stop by your local comic store. Of course, if you’d rather play a comic book game instead of reading one, you should check out these awesome Marvel games on Android.
