Librarian Test Drive: ComicsPlus

Jeremiah here — Welcome to one of a series of posts, in which your GPL librarians share some of their experience using some of the products we offer to you our wonderful patrons.

ComicsPlus Meets the Breakfast Table

Test Drive

7 AM — I settle down with my semi-healthy bowl of oatmeal, with my trusty Kindle by my side. I usually like to read my email or the news. (We used to listen to the news on the radio in the morning, but given the world today and our stress we skip that now.)

7:05 AM — The news does not appeal. Same old. The weather looks lousy. So, time for something different. I open up the link to LibraryPass, which will get me to ComicsPlus.

The link requires a login, which I know because it’s just my usual Greenfield Public Library and my normal pin. (I won’t share that with you, because, well limits.)

And, pretty quickly I’m into the site. ComicsPlus works on either a mac/pc or a tablet.

I prefer to do my reading on a Kindle not because I endorse that device, but because I bought it on sale during one of those Black Friday Sales, and it’s still kicking.

7:06 AM — ComicsPlus gives you some selected popular titles and then some collected content. I’m familiar with this service, having spent some time reading it over the past several months and I know my reading taste.

I scroll down and find a collection of Manga, which is something I am beginning to enjoy and understand a bit.

My first choice: Parasite.

I click and I am brought to a new page, which tells me something about the book. I don’t know much about it, but I have seen it referenced as one of those books to read on various book lists. (Regular readers will know: I love me some book lists!)

I begin to read. Manga books often set the stage, before they bring you into the meat of the drama. Here I read about how many people think the world has too many people, which leads to too much pollution and the possible end of the world.

Then, I turn the page and something magical happens. Things start to fall from the sky, hatch, and start to infect people. There’s a decidedly not breakfast-appropriate scene.

And, pretty quickly, I’m looking for something else.

7:10 AM — I close Parasite and click the subject “adult,” which here means for grown-ups and not what the interwebs might mean. I find something called Gold Diggers, which seems to involve undersea adventures. It’s a little tough to read, but I eventually remember I can easily zoom in and see each panel as I want. Nice full color, but not enough to keep my interest.

7:14 AM — I find another choice. Vampire Hunter D. This I love. Post-apocalyptic setting? Vampires? Mechanical horses? Check. I read that till I need to start the next part of my morning.

Final Thoughts

ComicsPlus isn’t for every comic reader, there are few “mainstream” comics on here. No Guardians of the Galaxy, that sort of thing. But, what it does have is a really diverse collection of materials, and it offers the chance to play around with titles, without worrying that you will need to “spend” one of your precious Hoopla borrows on something that might not appeal.

I’ve got to say: it beats reading the news.

Happy Reading,

Jeremiah

p.s. Want to know more about the basics of ComicsPlus and how to use it? Click here for our guide “Let’s Meet ComicsPlus,” which will give you more specifics about the service and how to use it.

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