Free comics from Google to celebrate new comic mode in Play Books app

By Andy Boxall Published November 13, 2015

Google has gone comic crazy, updating the Play Books app with a new comic mode, adding a comics section to the Play Books store, and giving a wide selection of titles away for free. If you’re not reading comics on your phone or tablet yet, now is your chance to give it a try, and the experience will cost you absolutely nothing.

Announced on its official blog, Google says the updated app is specially designed for comic fans, primarily because it makes it easier to flick between panels. Instead of scrolling around and lining them up on the screen, the idea is to change your device into landscape mode, and vertically swipe a new panel into view. This’ll make the reading experience more fluid, and with fewer interruptions to the story.

Recommended Videos

To go with the newly updated app, which is compatible with the majority of Android phones and is usually pre-installed, Google has opened a new wing of its Play Books Store dedicated to finding new comics to read. Listing comics individually and by series, Google will recommend new comics for you, based on other store activity. The thoughtfully laid out series sections make it easy to find specific issues.

If you’re new to comics on a smartphone or tablet, then Google doesn’t want you missing out, and is celebrating the new update and store by making a selection of comics free to download. The entire collection is available here, and consists mainly of issue ones, with titles including Spawn, The Walking Dead, The X-Files, Star Wars Previews, Orphan Black, and Transformers. Google says it’ll be refreshing the deals each Thursday, so it’ll be worth revisiting if nothing catches your eye this time around.

Google’s Play Books comic mode sees it take on established names in the digital comics world, primarily ComiXology, which also produces apps for the large comic publishers such as Marvel and DC. Amazon and Apple also have a selection of comics available in the Kindle and iBooks stores.

The Play Store and Play Books updates will be available on Android devices first and iOS soon, in the U.S., the UK, Australia, India, Singapore, South Africa, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Former Senior Mobile Writer

Andy has written about mobile technology for almost a decade. From 2G to 5G and smartphone to smartwatch, Andy knows tech.

Topics

Phones

Fold 8 Ultra vs. Fold 7: Upgrades across the board, but is the Ultra really worth the upgrade?

From battery capacity to camera hardware, here's a full comparison between the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 7, and whether upgrading actually makes sense.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra vs. Fold 7

Foldables age differently than regular smartphones or flagships. But why do I say this? It's the hinge and the foldable aspect that wins buyers over in the first place, not the specifications that get outdated every single year. That's precisely why anyone still carrying last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7 is asking a fair question today: does Samsung's freshly unveiled Z Fold 8 Ultra genuinely earn an upgrade, or does the Fold 7 still hold its ground?

And for shoppers who skipped last year's model entirely and are weighing their first foldable purchase, the calculus is totally different. A now-discounted Fold 7 might undercut the Ultra by a considerable sum, and that could matter to those looking to spend on the form factor, not the latest specifications.

Phones

Samsung makes it easier to run multiple apps on Galaxy Z Flip 8’s cover screen

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 8 now runs 16 apps on its cover screen.

Galaxy Z Flip 8 cover display

Samsung is finally making the Galaxy Z Flip's cover screen much more useful. With the new Galaxy Z Flip 8, you no longer have to rely on workarounds to access more apps without unfolding the phone. Instead, Samsung has expanded native support on the FlexWindow, allowing 16 apps to run directly on the outer display and also making it much easier to launch virtually any other app.

The update addresses one of the biggest complaints Flip users have had for years and brings Samsung up to the level of rivals like Motorola, whose Razr series has long offered a more flexible cover screen experience.

Phones

Google just made switching from iPhone to Android much easier with Android 17

Android 17 can now transfer your passwords, passkeys, eSIM, and even your home screen.

Android-17-switch-ios-to-android

Moving from an iPhone to an Android phone has never been an easy process, but Google is trying to change that. With Android 17, the company has introduced a rebuilt Android Switch that can move far more of your data than any past version ever could.

Google worked with Apple to create the new transfer system from the ground up, allowing far more information to move wirelessly than before. The upgraded experience is already rolling out to eligible Pixel devices and is also available on Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Galaxy Z Flip 8 through Smart Switch.