Traditionally speaking, making quality-looking comic books takes serious writing chops, careful storyboard planning, and a high measure of artistic ability. For both casual comic fans and hardcore enthusiasts who've dreamed of crafting their own creative amateur comics for fun (but possess zero drawing skills), ComicBook! makes it easy to put hilarious strips together on your iPad in a matter of minutes with only the most minimal effort.
Starting with one of 30 different layout templates, ComicBook! lets you import artwork or snap photos right from your built-in camera to drop into each panel. You can rotate and zoom each picture to get the right fit in the frame, and a wide range of individual visual effects are available to apply to individual panels. If you’re going for an authentic vibe, simply throw down some adjustable half-tone effects to give your comic panels that classic offset printed look.
Clever images alone just aren’t enough, which is why there’s a bevy of awesome extras for adding text, word bubbles, and familiar comic elements to your creations. After dropping a text box or word bubble anywhere on the screen, you can easily move it around, adjust the tail direction, and input any silly dialogue or catchphrases that suit your fancy. Adding action-packed onomatopoeias and word effects using stickers is another cool way to enhance your comics too. The straightforward interface makes undoing mistakes an uncomplicated process, and the in-depth help menu explains all of the features in detail.
Above all, the best part of making wacky comic creations is sharing them with your pals, and ComicBook! has a variety of ways to get your pages to the masses. The option to save your comic or print it out right from your iPad is handy, and you can just as easily e-mail your strips or post them to Twitter and Facebook.
The Best is a weekly column in which we spotlight the most helpful or impressive iOS app to fit a certain need, whether it's a part of your day-to-day life or just something cool that might come in handy down the line.
