Flasshe
Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Pronounced "Flash" as in Barry Allen. Or Wally West. Or Thompson.
Posts: 58 
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Post by Flasshe on Feb 9, 2014 20:20:09 GMT -5
Just wondering what everyone (including our formidable podcasters) thinks about Guided View? Not the awesome "native" Guided View stuff like Marvel Infinite, Batman '66 or the Thrillbent books, but actually reading print-formatted comics in Guided View instead of page-by-page mode?
Originally, I thought I would hate it and it would ruin the comics-reading experience for me because it wasn't what the creators intended. I would only use it on the tiny iPhone screen. However, now I find that I use it pretty much all the time on my iPad. I find that not only does it allow me to see more details in the panels (because they are naturally bigger), but it forces me to concentrate on the content of each panel more when I can only see one panel at a time. For some reason, the storytelling flows better for me. Maybe because it tends to slow down my reading. It also makes it seem more cinematic (if that's something to be desired - I'm not sure comics should be like movies).
I have it set to the mode where it shows the whole page after the last panel on the page, so I do still get to see how it all fits together. I just find GV a much more enjoyable reading experience. That said, sometimes it's done badly and the formatters will mess something up. And it loses something with artists who use free-flowing (non)panel layouts. But for most books, it really works for me. For something like Morning Glories that uses pretty rigid panel layouts, it really enhances the experience and comprehension (as much as that book can be comprehended).
So do most of you digital readers use it or not use it? What's your preferred way of reading?
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Post by wjohnson22 on Feb 11, 2014 21:25:37 GMT -5
I've had a similar experience. At first, I wasn't a big fan of guided view other than on my iPhone. Also, I didn't realize till I read your post about the setting to see the full page before going panel by panel. Although I feel confident in knowing how to "read" a comic book, guided view really does allow the visuals to pop since you can zoom in without the image getting pixelated. Now that I can automatically see the full page first and get a since of the whole layout, I'm really enjoying guided view as it makes for a more detailed reading where I'm soaking in more details, especially the art, instead of skimming the page for the story and moving on. There are some books like Sandman: Overture where, given the unique layout and design, something might be lost in guided view, but overall I've come around to enjoying it.
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Post by courtneyk on Feb 11, 2014 23:38:44 GMT -5
I like guided view. I have a tendency to skip over the artwork a bit to get to the story when I'm reading a single issue or print trade, and using the guided view on the digital comics makes me stop and really look at what is going on in the panel.
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Flasshe
Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Pronounced "Flash" as in Barry Allen. Or Wally West. Or Thompson.
Posts: 58
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Post by Flasshe on Feb 12, 2014 0:28:09 GMT -5
Good point that both of you make - GV does also keep me from skipping over the artwork to get to the story. I tend to linger over the panels longer and actually examine each one.
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Post by drocat on Feb 12, 2014 13:34:29 GMT -5
I would use it when I first started reading digitally because I thought it was a cool concept but quickly grew tired of it. It doesn't feel like I'm reading a comic at all and it makes it feel a lot less "mature" for some reason. I also hate how sometimes it will start at one side of the panel and move to each character as they talk. I understand it's to make it easier to follow the flow of the conversation but it makes it really confusing for me when I can't see who they are initially talking to, This is especially true if there is a conversation going on between three people, I can't tell who the speaker is addressing until I move to the next side of the panel.
That being said, the one thing I do like about it is that it helps me avoid spoilers. For some reason every time I turn the page I look at the bottom left of the right page and have sometimes ruined things for myself before they happen. This isn't huge though, because I am actually excited to figure out how it happens sometimes.
I approve of the system overall though, I just don't use it very much. I think it's a great thing for people that are just getting into comics and don't really understand that "flow" of them yet. When I first got my girlfriend into The Walking Dead she couldn't figure it out, so I showed her GV and she understood it from that point on.
I do use it when I'm reading them on my phone at work, though. It's impossible to read them on that tiny iPhone screen.
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Post by CaptainSuperior on Feb 12, 2014 19:49:46 GMT -5
Guided view is great for a first read through and then I flip through the book right after I'm done to check out the overall page layouts.
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Flasshe
Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Pronounced "Flash" as in Barry Allen. Or Wally West. Or Thompson.
Posts: 58
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Post by Flasshe on Feb 13, 2014 12:14:17 GMT -5
I would use it when I first started reading digitally because I thought it was a cool concept but quickly grew tired of it. It doesn't feel like I'm reading a comic at all and it makes it feel a lot less "mature" for some reason. I also hate how sometimes it will start at one side of the panel and move to each character as they talk. I understand it's to make it easier to follow the flow of the conversation but it makes it really confusing for me when I can't see who they are initially talking to, This is especially true if there is a conversation going on between three people, I can't tell who the speaker is addressing until I move to the next side of the panel. Yes, that's something that bothers me sometimes, especially if the person doing the GV reformatting is making arbitrary decisions about what he or she thinks we should see in what order, which may go against what the creator(s) intended. I've also noticed that sometimes part of a panel (or even a small word balloon or two) will get cut out completely. Which is another reason why I like being able to look at the full page at the end of every page, to see what might've been missed, and how it all flows together. It seems like a lot is left up to the discretion of the person doing the formatting, and I'm not a real trusting soul. Although I have to admit for the most part they do a pretty good job. I don't think it's something I'd be able to do. |
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Post by drocat on Feb 13, 2014 15:51:46 GMT -5
Yeah I've noticed the occasional text going missing as well.
How do you read it? With your tablet in landscape, or in portrait? (vertical/horizontal)
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Flasshe
Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Pronounced "Flash" as in Barry Allen. Or Wally West. Or Thompson.
Posts: 58
|
Post by Flasshe on Feb 13, 2014 16:31:35 GMT -5
Yeah I've noticed the occasional text going missing as well. How do you read it? With your tablet in landscape, or in portrait? (vertical/horizontal) I read primarily in landscape/horizontal orientation on my iPad, as most panels seem to be wider than they are tall. If there's a tall thin panel, I'll usually rotate it to portrait so I can make out more of it. I'll also usually turn it for the full page reveal at the end of each page. The phone version of the Comics app has an auto-rotate option which works pretty well, and sometimes I wish the tablet version had that option also. Although it would probably mean having to constantly physically turn the thing, which can break up the flow of reading and take me out of the story. So do you other tablet readers mostly use landscape also for guided view? One thing I want to add is that since I've already made the decision to read content digitally that was not really originally intended to be consumed as such (though that's changing), I don't feel that bad about going the extra step of reading it in guided view, a way that takes it even further from the normal method. Yes, I can justify anything! |
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Post by xtjmac510x on Feb 13, 2014 18:09:59 GMT -5
I'm all for it honestly. I don't read comics digitally on a regular basis (I'm more of a physical guy) but when I do, I tend to really like using guided view. If I need to stop and go back I will, but otherwise I enjoy it
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Turk
Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Posts: 97
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Post by Turk on Feb 14, 2014 22:46:38 GMT -5
I was all about guided view when I was reading books on my iPhone but now that i have a tablet i dont use the guided view. I like reading a panel and comparing it to the page and sometimes art bleeds over to other panels and sometimes the way the entire page is displayed tells the story as well. I always feel like I'm missing some of the richness when I'm do the guided view. So no more of that.
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Post by boykoesh on Mar 5, 2014 11:06:04 GMT -5
I think that, if done correctly, guided view is a really cool feature. I Always have a tendency to look at the right page after turning so I will often spoil things for myself. And we sometimes forget (as experienced comic readers) that for someone just starting it can get a bit confusing sometimes in which order to read the page. Guided view can really help somebody who is just starting out and I think it is one of the reasons (together with accesability) digital will play a major part in getting more people into comics. As an artist, I find that it makes me think about layouts in a different way. Weird panel shapes can look weird in GV and every panel, no matter how small, gets blown up to a big size so you cant get away with any shortcuts  |
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Post by Joe Tramonte on Apr 8, 2014 20:05:12 GMT -5
Good point that both of you make - GV does also keep me from skipping over the artwork to get to the story. I tend to linger over the panels longer and actually examine each one. This right here, it helps make books spoiler proof also. I have really paid more attention to panel to panel art though. |
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Post by scouts1998 on May 17, 2014 8:29:35 GMT -5
GV makes digital reading easier as you the panel takes up the screen and you can't see what is coming next
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