Consider this before getting rid of your seasonal Halloween decorations to make way for your long boxes full of old Spider-Ham issues: digital comics are easy to obtain and will save you money (and space) in the long run. Does this pique your interest? Here’s how to get your gadget ready to read digital comics.

To begin, redeem your digital codes

If you’re unsure if you want to start reading comics on your tablet or smartphone, look through your current collection to see if you have a digital copy. Some comics feature a code you may redeem on the publisher’s website (or in the associated app) to read the same issue on your smartphone, tablet, or computer, depending on the publisher or case.

Some Comics Subscriptions

You could be a huge comics fan, so your weekly pull list costs you more than you realize. If that’s the case, a monthly comic book subscription, similar to Netflix, is a better way to manage your funny book spending (more on that below). You won’t receive issues sent to your door, but you’ll be able to read as many as you want without having to deal with the presence of comics in your home (which also keeps your kids from tearing up your favorite issues when you’re preoccupied).

When it’s hot outside, stay away from these fabrics (and What to Wear Instead)
ComiXology should be the first app on your to-do list. The Amazon-owned comics app for iOS and Android allows you to read the most recent digital issues and volumes from over 100 publishers, including Marvel and DC. You may read current releases and previous issues and subscribe to the publication monthly. ComiXology also creates applications for Marvel, DC, and other big comic book publishers, allowing you to read all their issues in one place.

Unfortunately, the comic book reader app does not allow you to purchase individual issues or volumes due to a dispute between ComiXology and Apple over in-app transactions. To buy issues for reading in the ComiXology app, add them to your Wish List, then go to ComiXology’s website to purchase them. Fortunately, suppose you are buying the issues using a device like your iPad’s browser. In that case, the app will automatically open, and you can begin reading your new comic as you usually would.

ComiXology Unlimited is a subscription service that allows you to read unlimited comics (iOS, Android, Web)
For $5.99 a month, you can also subscribe to ComiXology Unlimited, which gives you access to a few thousand comics to read at your leisure. You can access both your unlimited-friendly comics and those you’ve paid outright using the same ComiXology app.

Marvel Fans Should Download the Marvel App (iOS, Android, Web

If you’re a fan of the Avengers or think Aquaman is too lame to join the Justice League, you should download the Marvel comic reader app, if only for the ability to purchase their favorite issues directly from the app rather than through ComiXology’s slightly inconvenient site-based purchasing method. Sure, you can obtain the same issues via the ComiXology app, but Marvel’s version makes it simple to locate and purchase issues featuring your favorite Marvel characters, storylines, and team-ups starring Earth-616 heroes (or any Earth, really).

Marvel Unlimited is available to Marvel Unlimited subscribers (iOS, Android, Web)
A $9.99 monthly membership to Marvel Unlimited gives you access to the publisher’s historical history of issues as well as more recent releases. You’ll have to subscribe on your browser on an iOS device because comic book readers like Marvel Unlimited and ComiXology don’t allow you to do so within the app.

Your Own Comics to Read

You shouldn’t let the fact that you have some comics on your computer from your time spent obtaining PDF and CBR files “from the back of a truck” stop you from reading them on your new tablet or laptop. Install the comics program, which allows you to view comics in a number of formats, including ZIP, CBR, TAR, PDF, and EPUB. You may import your comics using iTunes or Dropbox-compatible programs.

On your computer, you may use a Windows tool like ComicRack or a Mac app like SimpleComic, both of which are on our list of the top comic book readers for Mac, Windows, and Linux.