I just started reading comics on the iPad Pro OLED — and it's a game changer
The iPad Pro 2024 is one of the best iPads and best tablets I’ve ever reviewed. Actually, let me rephrase that. It is the best so far. Though I’m impressed by this slate’s powerful Apple M4-driven performance, what gets me excited is the vibrant OLED display and thinner design. Not only does everything look great on the iPad Pro, but the device is also comfortable to hold for long stretches.
I mainly use tablets for two reasons — watching YouTube videos and reading. I love reading comic books on an iPad Pro since its display is slightly larger than a standard American comic book. Because of that, I can approximate reading a real comic without having to zoom in to read text or make out fine details. With respect to physical books, I just prefer reading digital books and comics.
Reading comics on the iPad Pro M2 is great, but it's not a perfect experience. Thankfully, the new iPad Pro addresses the main issues I had reading comics on that older device. Because of that, it’s now my favorite tablet for reading the funnies. Read on to find out why.
Comics come to life on the OLED panel
The iPad Pro’s tandem OLED technology helps everything look absolutely stunning. The deep blacks serve to amplify colors, making the entire image bolder and crisper. Naturally, this helps videos look their best. It also makes digital comics look better than their physical counterparts (in my opinion).
To be fair, I already thought comics look better on tablets because you don’t have to worry about shadows or glossy paper obscuring the images and text. But the experience is even better on the new iPad Pro thanks to its OLED display. Since inks are so dark, it’s easier to see minute details in the pencil work. And as I said, the darker elements emphasize the surrounding colors. Black and white manga books also look fantastic on the iPad Pro thanks to the 2:000:000:1 contrast ratio.
Many digital comics apps like Marvel Unlimited, DC Universe Infinite and Comixology (which has been folded into the Kindle app) have a guided view mode that zooms into panels and text. While I appreciate that this feature exists, I prefer having an entire comic page in front of me instead of individual panels.
On the 13-inch iPad Pro (which is slightly larger than a standard comic book page), I can read books one page at a time and see everything clearly. Double-page spreads also look brilliant in landscape mode. This is the ideal screen size for reading American comic books but is also great for Japanese manga.
Comfortable to hold
I recently wrote a story about how the iPad mini 6 is the best device for reading manga. One of the main reasons was that the smaller tablet was easier to hold than the larger and heavier iPad Pro M2.
Though I still think the iPad mini 6 is awesome for reading manga since its size is slightly smaller than a manga trade paperback, the new iPad Pro’s lightweight design makes it a great alternative for manga.
As I said in that article, I struggled reading comics on the previous-gen iPad Pro because of its size and weight. The new iPad Pro is about as large as the older model but the lower weight (from 1.5 pounds to 1.2 pounds) and thinner profile make a big difference. For example, I tore through an entire volume of the Dragon Ball manga in a single sitting because reading on the new iPad Pro is so comfortable. Before, I’d read perhaps one or two chapters before I had to take a break. That's no longer the case.
Bottom line
I’ve been reading digital comics on tablets for the better part of a decade and have always sought the best device to read on. I think my long search has finally ended thanks to the iPad Pro delivering such an excellent and enjoyable comic reading experience.
The 13-inch OLED display makes the panels come to life while the lightweight design helps me read for longer. And since it’s so much lighter and thinner than its predecessor, it's a perfect travel device for reading on the go. Right now, the 13-inch Pro is my favorite way to read comics.
