All iPads best iPad for reading comic books?

[DailyG]

Does anyone else use their iPads as comic book readers? This would be the main purpose of getting an iPad as I do all my schoolwork on my MacBook 2017 without any issues. I'll be using Twitter and browsing the Internet of course but I'm sure all iPads do that well.

I'm leaning more towards the iPad Mini 5. Is the iPad Mini 5's screen big enough for comics though?

 

[jagolden]

12.9 Pro. Full page in portrait mode.
I use it for reading old Creepy and Errie magazines.

 

[ericwn]

I haven’t read comics for a long time. The mini would only be big enough for me if the software for reading automatically zooms in on each individual frame.
If you’re reading basically scanned PDF files I’d recommend to get the biggest screen possible.

 

[kamikazeeMC]

I don't know how comic panels compare, but I use my mini 2 just to read manga and books as it's too slow now, and find that fine without needing to zoom in. It's also light enough to hold up with one hand while laying down.

 

[Never mind]

Try them out at the store and buy the one that most suits you.

 

[sracer]

12.9 Pro. Full page in portrait mode.
I use it for reading old Creepy and Errie magazines.

This. When I had my 12.9 Pro, I used it to read vintage Starlog, Fangoria, Famous Monsters of Filmland, Creative Computing and tons of other vintage mags and comics. The experience was quite enjoyable. Now on my 2018 iPad, it's more portable and reading that type of material is adequate, I find the need to pinch-to-zoom more frequently.

 

[MrAperture]

12.9 Pro.

 

[rui no onna]

American comics are full-size portrait on the 12.9" iPad. As far as iPads go, this size gives you the best comic reading experience. I actually find it large enough to comfortably read comics in double-page landscape mode (kinda like having 2x 9.7" iPads side by side).

The 7.9" iPad mini screen is around the same size as the small Archie digests. Fine for full-page manga and American comics with simpler art and larger font sizes. Probably too small for comfort for modern comics with busy art and smaller font unless your reading app has guided/panel view.

9.7-11" is a pretty decent compromise between the two. I've personally not needed to pinch-to-zoom comics on this class size. I can read manga double-page on these but American comics (which are larger) need to be read in single-page portrait. Pinch-to-zoom's often needed with magazines and A4/Letter-size PDFs and documents, though.

I think best bet if you want something smaller and less expensive than the 12.9" Pro are:

2018 iPad 9.7": $249/32GB, $299-329/128GB
2019 iPad 10.2": $329/32GB, $399-429/128GB
2019 iPad Air 10.5": $469/64GB, $599/256GB
2017 iPad Pro 10.5": $469/64GB, $599/256GB (Apple Certified Refurb)

 

[AutomaticApple]

Does anyone else use their iPads as comic book readers? This would be the main purpose of getting an iPad as I do all my schoolwork on my MacBook 2017 without any issues. I'll be using Twitter and browsing the Internet of course but I'm sure all iPads do that well.

I'm leaning more towards the iPad Mini 5. Is the iPad Mini 5's screen big enough for comics though?

12.9 inch iPad Pro. No questions asked.

 

[kazmac]

Yes, I agree with everyone here, 12.9" hands down.

 

[aevan]

Does anyone else use their iPads as comic book readers? This would be the main purpose of getting an iPad as I do all my schoolwork on my MacBook 2017 without any issues. I'll be using Twitter and browsing the Internet of course but I'm sure all iPads do that well.

I'm leaning more towards the iPad Mini 5. Is the iPad Mini 5's screen big enough for comics though?

Every iPad is great for comics, but for different reasons.

Mini - the most portable. You can hold it in one hand and read on the bus or subway. The pages look nice - dimensions remind me of the Manga books. If you plan on reading comics everywhere you go - this is the only pocketable iPad (with big pockets, but still) and the easiest to hold in one hand. Personally, I think comics look really great on it (I used to have a Mini 2 and read a bunch of comics there), but people with not so good eyesight may have trouble reading text (but they can always zoom in). It’s actually an amazing comic and e-book book reader.

Regular - the size is great, and the price is the best. Just for reading comics, I’d go for this one. It doesn’t have a laminated screen and is not as bright, so reading outside might be a bit worse than Air/Mini/Pro - but it’s still great, especially for the price.

Air - almost the same size as regular, slightly nicer. A great iPad for everything.

Pro 11” - getting this just for comics is probably wrong, unless you have money to spend. But this is the premium experience. Amazing. Large screen, brightest and nicest screen, but still easy to hold - since the physical dimensions are very close to regular and Air iPads. Also, a small thing, but USB-C is great for external drives (with iPadOS, ofc), so if you have a lot of pdf/cbz/cbr comics, it’s a small, but still nice benefit.

Pro 12.9” - the king. The amazing, beautiful overkill. This is easily the best one for enjoying the artwork (and this is why it’s the most popular among the serious comic fans), but maybe not the best for overall experience for everyone, as the 11” is easier to hold. YMMV. 12.9” is also great in landscape - you can get two pages side by side that are still large enough. Sometimes I prefer reading comics like this, especially US comics that often have double-page spreads. For European comics, I usually go portrait.

 

[JBGoode]

I think the mini might be too small. I read them on a 10.5 pro and it's a great experience so the current Air would work nice. 11" pro would be even better and close in size to an actual comic. Obviously the 12.9 is the best but I personally couldn't see spending that kind of money if reading comics was to be the primary use.

From a purely logical standpoint you'd be fine with just the new 10.2 or even another cheaper android tablet unless you don't mind spending $500 or more for a comic reader.

My advice is the new 10.2 or non-Apple tablet with equivalent size screen for the best value (for what is primarily a comic reader). If cost is of no concern to you then I recommend the 11 inch pro as I think the 12.9 would be cumbersome after a while. I would not personally buy the mini to read comics.

 

[Precursor]

Does anyone else use their iPads as comic book readers? This would be the main purpose of getting an iPad as I do all my schoolwork on my MacBook 2017 without any issues. I'll be using Twitter and browsing the Internet of course but I'm sure all iPads do that well.

I'm leaning more towards the iPad Mini 5. Is the iPad Mini 5's screen big enough for comics though?

First time I bought the ipad (iPad 2) was for reading comics. However after I bought the first gen 12.9" iPad Pro when it came out, it was a whole better experience and a joy to read comics on. I still fall asleep at nights on Comixology lol

Contrary to majority though, I read mine on landscape mode, zoomed in (Guided View in Comixology). It's like watching the comic instead of reading it

 

[PrettyWings]

If it's about the comic books, the 12.9 will probably provide the best experience.

Took a picture for you, because, that's what friends are for.

 

[rui no onna]

Found some old comparison pics.

12.9", 9.7", 7.9" (mini 4) plus the actual comic

It was sunset when I took it so the actual comic looks reddish. That said, colors on the actual comic do look more washed out especially when compared to how vibrant colors are on iPad. Text is perfectly legible on the mini thanks to its high resolution (2048*1536, 326 ppi). It's just a question of whether one finds the font size comfortable enough for reading.

 

[rui no onna]

Oops, uploaded the wrong pic. Here's the one I actually meant to upload showing 2-page spread.