Introducing Panel Page Flip, my online comic reader

I built comics.starbugstone.com to read and organise my digital comic collection across devices. You upload your own files, open them in the browser and return to the page where you stopped.

I wanted something I could host myself and adapt to the way I read. It started as a CBZ reader and has grown as I’ve worked through the things I wanted from it.

What the reader offers

Since the initial launch, the project has gained more formats and library tools:

File formats. The reader handles CBZ, CBR, CB7, CBT and PDF. Pages can be streamed without first converting the whole file into another format.

Private libraries. Each account has grid and table views, title search, tags, sorting and virtual folders. The folders organise library entries without moving the original files; deleting a folder doesn’t delete its contents.

Uploads and imports. Add one comic or use chunked bulk uploads with progress reporting. The one-way Dropbox importer can walk a folder, identify duplicates by file content and apply folder names as tags.

Reading across devices. The reader supports fullscreen, keyboard navigation and saved progress. Continue with the same account on your phone and you can return to the page you reached on your laptop.

Controlled sharing. The Sharing page creates revocable read-only codes for comics and galleries. Recipients access the existing file, so it doesn’t need to be stored twice. Use this for material you have permission to share.

Administration. Storage quotas are checked during uploads. Administrators also have an audit history, user management and notices that appear on a user’s next visit, with optional email delivery.

Optional services. AdSense, Google Analytics 4 and Google sign-in depend on the operator’s configuration and are optional. Ads are limited to approved pages that don’t display uploaded comic content. The consent setup connects the cookie notice and Offerwall to Google’s certified consent platform.

Current limits. The browser version works on mobile, but there’s no native app or offline mode. Public profiles, comments, social following and a recommendation engine aren’t included.

The source is at github.com/Starbugstone/panel-page-flip. If you’d rather try the hosted version, visit comics.starbugstone.com. I’d be glad to hear what makes reading or organising your collection easier—and what still needs work.

Later update: Where to download digital comics for your own reader.

For step-by-step help, use the upload and library guide. Supported formats vary with the host’s runtime and enabled-format settings; the uploader shows what that installation currently accepts.