There are a lot of comics out there, and it’s great to buy some physical copies sometimes. I have my own comic collection, and I still buy issues from comic stores occasionally. However, there are so many, and sometimes you just can’t or don’t want to spend money on all of them. With the internet, there are a lot of options, websites and apps, where you can read comics for free.
Hoopla
If you have a library card, then you can use it to read comics on Hoopla. It’s a digital platform where you can borrow media for a certain amount of time like you would at a physical library. Don’t worry though, if you don’t finish reading something, you can always borrow it again.
Marvel.com
As you’ll see below, some publishers will offer some free comics on their own websites. Marvel’s website has a list of free comics you can read. I tested it out. All you have to do is find the free comics on their website, click on the comic you want to read, and there will be an option to read it.
DC Universe Infinite
DC also offers the chance to read some of their comics for free. From my experience, this one isn’t as easy or simple to read from like the Marvel ones. When I click on one of the free comics, it basically says that I’m reading it with a free trial, asks me for my age to register, and then prompts me to create an account. But if you don’t mind creating an account, then there are some comics you can read for free there.
Nook app
The Barnes and Noble’s Nook app is a free app that allows you to read various media digitally, including comics. You do have to create an account for it, but it does have free graphic novels and comics. To find them, just search 0.00 in the shop menu and filter by comics.
Webtoon
Last year, Webtoon partnered with Disney, and now Webtoon offers free Marvel comics on its website and app. You can read more about this partnership through my article “Disney and Webtoon Entertainment Are Teaming Up: Disney Comics Coming To Webtoon.” So far, they have Spider-Man, Avengers, Black Panther, and more you can already read on their platform.
Libby
Libby is another digital library you can access using your library card. Like Hoopla, you can borrow books, or in this case, comics, and read them for free. All you have to do is search for your library and then put your library card in.
ComiXology
While most of ComiXology is a paid service, there is also a free comics section where you’ll find some comics you can read without having to pay. I’m not very familiar with ComiXology so I don’t know its layout much or how to work it. From what I can tell through a little bit of internet research, you can find their free comics by doing an Amazon search for them.
Digital Comic Museum
The Digital Comic Museum is a free website where you can download public domain Golden Age comic books. There’s a lot of old comics you can for free on this website, but don’t expect anything new on here. You’ll have to check out some of the other options on this post for newer comics.
Comics Plus
Comics Plus is another free option to read comics. It’s connected through libraries and schools, similar to Libby and Hoopla on this list. However, I don’t think it has as many partnerships with local libraries as the other two might have. I tried to search for my public library and couldn’t find it. But that doesn’t mean your library won’t be there.
Comic Book Plus
Comic Book Plus is another free and legal website where you can read public domain comics from the Golden and Silver Age. I had a little bit of a harder time navigating the website than most of the other options on this site, but it’s still fairly easy to find comics to read. Just remember that there aren’t going to be any new comics on this website.
Internet Archive
The internet archive also has a bunch of old public domain comics you can read for free. No, there aren’t going to be any new Marvel or DC comics you can read, but it does have some really old ones like Detective Comics from 1939. If you’re interested in reading some of the old stuff, the internet archive is a good option.
Conclusion
It’s pretty obvious that most publishers aren’t going to allow you to read all their comics without paying. They would end up out of business if they did that. But there are actually quite a lot of options to choose from for websites and apps where you can read comics for free. Marvel and DC allow you to read some of their comics for free on their own platforms; apps linked to libraries let you borrow comics, and online public domain libraries have tons of old Golden and Silver age comics to choose from.
There are also plenty of websites and apps to read manga and webtoons for free as well.
Where do you read comics for free? Don’t forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe.
Discover more from Fandom Obsession
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.