Reading comics takes far too much effort. You have to go to the shop – or wait for the postie to deliver, and then need to use your hands to turn the pages and worst of all move your eyes to each panel. Thankfully, we can save all this effort thanks to the Digital Comics application on the Sony PSP.
How does a big old paper comic fit on a tiny PSP screen? Thanks to the magic of Autoflow. A simple click on the PSP D-Pad and the app swoops into life focusing on a section of the comic for easy reading so you will never miss a piece of stunning art or an important speech bubble. You can see it in action in the video below.
The service has a great range of comics available at reasonable prices. The very first issue of The Amazing Spider-Man all the way back from 1963 is available for £1.19 as are the weekly progs from 2000AD. Issues of cult classic Wormwood by Ben Templesmith can be picked up for only 79p and come with an audio commentary from the great man. The comics look fantastic on the PSP screen allowing you to soak up the gorgeous artwork and text is very clear and crisp.
There are a couple of niggles with the service. First is that you have to buy comics through the PlayStation Store on PSP or PC and not through the app itself. You also need to connect to a PC to delete issues you no longer want taking up Memory Stick space, though this is to be patched in a future version.
Though the app has only been live for a couple of weeks, the Digital Comics service is already a great addition to the PSP and is essential to any comic loving commuter. Now you no longer need to bring your comics onto the bus or train and hope that they don’t get sodden in the rain. That bloke sneaking a look behind you won’t sneeze and cover your treasured issue in phlegm. That stampede at Kings Cross station won’t rip your comic out of your hand – though make sure that PSP wrist strap is on correctly. Best of all you can even listen to MP3s while you read to fully block out the most annoying people in the carriage.
Digital Comics is a free download with PSP Update 6.20.
You can check out the full range of comics at http://www.playstationcomics.com/
9 Comments
Huh…I’m not convinced. I still like actual comics. (Although now I only buy graphic novels due to financial constraints) – Nothing really beats a longbox full of back issues or a shelf filled with graphic novels.
It looks goodif you want to read on the move, but it’ll never get a 9.6 CGC will it?
*falls into dork coma*
I like the safety aspect – my gran threw out my 2000AD collection, now I have it on my PSP and backed up on three different PCs. Take that granny!
But it’s just data isn’t it? What if you drop your PSP – is it all fucked? Or something simply – goes wrong? (If it’s backed up on another server I will back down on this one.)
that’s a good point, my mum heaved my ROTJ collection in the bin when I was away on a school trip -current net value £12,000 …
You can redownload from the PlayStation Network. If the PSP does break you would need a new one, but you can set up your old account and redownload.
Ahhh…
But what happens when the PSP is old and defunct? (I’lll shut up at some point!)
Face it Von, print is dead, you and I will be buried with our longboxes in the pyramid.
Geez grandpa, go back to your “CDs” and your “London Lites”