Comixology revamps app, requires re-download of comics
updated 06:00 pm EDT, Thu August 25, 2011
New interface, store, management, more
Comixology has issued a major update to its digital comics app, now at version 3.0, that brings many improvements and changes to the graphic-publishing management and storefront app -- so many, in fact that the upgrade will require a one-time, no-cost re-downloading of the comics on users' devices. The overhaul brings a new on-demand store, a completely new interface, background downloading and a host of user-management options for their digital collections.
The Comics app allows users to purchase digital editions from major and minor comics publishers, including the big names such as Marvel, DC and Image. Independent and creator-owned books and labels are also available from within the app, which includes a "guided view" comic reader that creates a dynamically-masked, optimized view of each panel in the story in sequence. Over 500 free comics and samplers are included in the app, and the store carries over 12,000 titles.
The new version of the app features a "collections" organizational motif to find and manage collections, series-level organization, a new "My Comics" area, a New Purchases tab and the ability to buy or continue reading the next issue at the end of a comic. The storefront now loads nearly instantly, and sports featured pages for genres, creators, series, story arcs and other criteria, along with branded publisher screens and the ability to pause and re-prioritize downloads. The update also adds stability for the app running on iOS 4.0 and higher.
Comixology's Comics 3.0 is a free download from the iTunes App Store and requires iOS 4.0 or later. Due to the adult content found in some titles, users must be aged 17 years old or older.
