The Good
- Excellent reading experience
- Fast downloads
- Numerous comic publishers
The Bad
- None
Purchase/Download at iTunes
The iVerse Comics app (Free) takes everything we like about the IDW app (the two are nearly identical), but adds a variety of comic publishers and a better download process. After testing a number of comic apps, iVerse quickly became a favorite.
iVerse vs. IDW Comic apps
When we reviewed the IDW Comics app last week, we raved about the excellent interface and overall reading experience.
One of our only complaints was that it only includes comics from publisher IDW, which means you'll probably want to download another app as well.
Enter the iVerse Comics app. Due to a partnership between iVerse and IDW, their apps are nearly identical. The biggest difference is that the iVerse comic app includes nearly 1,000 comics from a variety of different publishers, including Marvel, IDW, Red 5, and Image. The IDW app, on the other hand, includes only 400 of its own comics. New comics are added to the iVerse app once a week, and 40 free comics are included in the app -- although Comics by Comixology includes 150 free comics.
Like the IDW Comics app, iVerse has a bookshelf view that displays a full-color cover of your downloaded comics on a virtual bookcase -- similar to what you’ll find in the iPad's iBook app. The layout is not very different from the other comic apps, with navigation tabs for featured comics, the comic store, your comics and settings.
Excellent reading experience
Buying and downloading new comics is super easy, and like the IDW Comics app, a red badge appears over the Download tab when new comics are available. Depending on the comic, downloads average around a minute to a minute and a half over 3G. Most comics cost between US$0.99 and $1.99.
Surprisingly, we didn’t encounter the same downloading glitch that we found while using the IDW Comics app. Using that app, the download process stalled whenever we purchased a paid comic, and the app had to be shut down and restarted. With the iVerse app, however, comic downloads finished without any problems.
Reading comics on the iVerse app is a joy. Just like the IDW Comics app, you can choose how the frames transition -- by curling, fading or sliding. The individual frames have been customized for the app, so you can swipe with your finger to transition from frame to frame. There is no delay or pause when moving between frames, so the reading experience is excellent overall. Since the frames are optimized for the iPhone’s screen, I never felt the need to zoom to read text, but it’s there if you need it.
The Bottom Line
The iVerse Comics app is one step above IDW Comics, another comic app we enjoyed. Not only does it have the same excellent reading experience and slick, easy-to-use interface, but it also includes numerous comic publishers. The download process is also glitch-free, something we can’t say about the IDW Comics app. Unless you have an affinity for a publisher not included in this app (Zenescope, Arcana, Asylum Press, and Evil Twin can all be found in the Comixology app), iVerse is a no-brainer. Overall rating: 5 stars out of 5.
What You’ll Need
The iVerse Comics app is compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. It requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.
Purchase/Download at iTunes