Comic Book Archive Reader

Entertainment, especially on a computer, can mean almost anything which can provide a bit of fun and relaxation in a bit of spare time. This also includes comic strips, which have now moved in a digital format, for larger content, and different styles. In order to be able to benefit from this form of entertainment, you need specialized applications like Comic Book Archive Reader.

Before you can actually enjoy all the application has to offer, your computer needs to be fitted with .NET Framework, because it’s a mandatory requirement for functionality. However, there’s a high chance it’s already there, since modern Windows iterations come with it as a default feature. Installation requires little time and effort on your behalf.

The application gives you the possibility to either open existing comic strips, or create new ones. To import, comic strips need to be either under formats like CBR, or CBZ, while loading can be done by dragging target files over the main window, or simply relying on the built-in browse dialog.

On the other hand, there’s the possibility to build CBR or CBZ comic strips by yourself. There are no advanced, or basic editing tools, so pages need to be in the final form. What the application actually does is to grab either pictures you manually specify, or from a target folder, and bundle them together in a readable format, which you can then load, and read here.

All pages of a strip are shown in a side navigation panel, which makes preview, and navigation quite easy. Moreover, the initial page is a preview section, which shows thumbnails of all pictures. A selected page shows up in a large preview area. Sadly, there’s no fullscreen mode for more view space. Navigation is possible through dedicated buttons, keyboard buttons, or via automatic playback in the form of a slideshow.

To sum it up, Comic Book Archive Reader is a lightweight application with which to comfortably enjoy favorite strips. File support is decent, especially because of the option to create your own archives, and even though there’s no option for a fullscreen mode, navigation, and controls make it worth a try overall.