ComiXology Gets Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger With 3.0 Update

Prominent digital comics retailer comiXology upgraded its apps on iOS devices this week, delivering a much cleaner interface, superior product searching capabilities, more download options and an overall improvement in speed. For the most part, version 3.0 is a step in the right direction as comiXology continues to expand its library of more than 12,000 titles, especially as more publishers begin releasing their content in print and digital formats simultaneously. The world of comiXology still isn't perfect (no subscriptions, few digital collections), but the retailer has stepped up the components of its service it has explicit control over in a meaningful way.From comiXology's official announcement:

New features and benefits of 3.0 include:

-Completely redesigned application

-Near instant launching

-Separate "Purchases" area that displays all owned comics

-New series groupings in store and "My Comics"

-Discover comics at much faster speeds

-Pause and prioritize downloads

-Background downloading

-Improved "Instant Search"

-Buy or continue reading the next issue at the end of a comic

Having taken a spin on the iPad version of comiXology 3.0 a few times since yesterday, it seems like the app definitely delivers on its claims of improved performance. It's simply easier and faster to find and buy the comics you're looking for.

I have, however, encountered seemingly random connectivity issues with the service ("No downloads at this time," etc.), which has been a bit frustrating. First-time users may be turned off by the service if they can't easily download their comics of choice, but hopefully this issue is just a temporary result of the app's major overhaul or something similarly anomalous. Provided comiXology can address these technical issues and stabilize performance, the new app boasts noticeable improvements over previous versions that users will appreciate.