Google facilitates comics reading process on Android devices

PanARMENIAN.Net - Smartphones might not be the best place to read digital comics, but Google is doing what it can to improve the experience for comic-book-loving Android users, VentureBeat reports.

The company has made some tweaks to Google Play Books to make it easier for people to read comic books on their smartphones. As is typical for Google, however, these updates aren't officially live for everyone yet. The company notes that it will begin rolling out its comic-themed upgrades over the next few days for Android users, and those using Google's apps on iOS will receive them at a later date.

"Reading a comic book is all about following the story and enjoying the art, dialogue and pace the way you want. But navigating a comic can be tricky on a small phone or tablet screen," Google said in a blog post. "So, we're introducing a new vertical scrolling experience for comics in landscape mode. Flip your device on its side and you can easily scroll through the story with quick vertical swipes."

Of course, all the enhancements in the world don't matter very much if you can't even find a good comic book to read. To that end, Google is also adjusting the Google Play Store itself to make it easier to shop for comics. The store is getting its own dedicated comics section that will feature "beautifully curated series pages" to organize all the comics-related offerings together. Additionally, a new recommendation engine will help suggest other comics that a person might want to read based on past history.

"Google Play offers binge-worthy comics from all the major publishers, including DC Comics, Marvel, Image, IDW and Dark Horse. Whether you're a long-time fan or just starting out, our collections will have something great for you, with series like The Walking Dead, Justice League, Deadpool, and Mortal Kombat. And for the next week we'll be celebrating these new features with several free comics, including issues from The X-Files, Lazarus, and Jem and the Holograms, and more," Google said.