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Comics for dyslexia: one panel at a time, read aloud

A comic page asks a lot at once: which panel comes next, which balloon to read first, and small hand lettering squeezed in around the art. For some readers, dyslexic or not, that puzzle gets in the way of the story. LiveComics shows one panel at a time, in the order the story runs, and reads every balloon aloud, with the words on screen as subtitles if you want them. This page is for readers, and for the parents, teachers and librarians who help them.

Why panel order can trip a reader up

Comic pages do not all follow one path. Panels run across and then down, stack in columns, wrap around a big image or spill across two pages, and a balloon can sit in one panel while its tail points into the next. Every reader has to sort out the layout before the words make sense, and for some readers that is the hard part.

One panel at a time, in reading order

The reader crops each page to a single panel and blows it up to fill the screen, then moves to the next panel in reading order: left to right for comics, right to left for manga. There is no page to scan and no guessing where to look next. Tap, click or press an arrow key to move on, or let it play by itself. Spotlight view keeps the whole page in place and dims everything but the current panel, and the full page is always one switch away.

Every balloon read aloud

On the free streaming shelf every balloon is read aloud, in order, with a separate voice for each character. The voices are synthetic, which is what lets every line of every comic be voiced. The drawn sound effects play as real sound under the dialogue, on their own volume slider, so you can turn them down and keep the voices. Turn on subtitles (CC) and the words being spoken appear at the bottom of the screen, so a reader can hear them and see them at the same moment. On comics that include them, panel descriptions say what each panel shows before its lines, aloud or as text.

Your pace, your controls

Voice speed runs from half speed up to three times, so the narration can slow down as well as speed up. Pause on any panel for as long as you like, step back a panel, or set every panel to stay on screen longer. Reduce motion stops the moving background and the camera glides. Every control works from the keyboard: Space plays and pauses, the arrow keys turn panels, and P switches between panels and whole pages.

How the reader works with a keyboard and screen reader

Free classics to try

Every issue on the streaming shelf is voiced from the first panel to the last, and a free account streams all of it, with no card. These are comics from the 1940s to the 60s, and plenty of the shelf is horror and war stories written for older readers, so a grown-up may want to look an issue over before handing it to a child. Three to start with:

The whole Golden Age shelf · Hear a sample with no account

Your own comics and graphic novels

Upload the CBR, CBZ, PDF or EPUB files you own to a free private shelf and pick Panel view: every page is split into its panels and shown one at a time, free on every issue. Panel view is in beta and reads without narration or subtitles. Having an issue read aloud with the full cast is priced per issue, and you see the price before you buy.

Read comics panel by panel, free

What this is not

LiveComics is a comic reader, not a reading program, a test or a treatment, and we make no claims about dyslexia, ADHD or reading levels. There is no text size or font setting, because the words are the lettering drawn into the art: panel view makes them bigger by filling the screen, and subtitles show them in plain type. Panels and their order are worked out automatically, and an unusual layout can come out wrong, so the whole page is always one switch away.

For teachers and librarians

Libraries, schools and organizations that serve readers who find print hard can talk to us about accessible editions of the comics their readers ask for. For libraries and schools

Straight answers

Are comics good for dyslexia?

They can suit some readers well, though every reader is different and we make no claim that comics change how anyone reads. In a comic the pictures carry much of the story and the words come in short pieces. What tends to get in the way is the page itself: working out which panel comes next, and reading small hand lettering. LiveComics handles both, showing one panel at a time in reading order and reading every balloon aloud.

Does dyslexia affect reading comic book panel order?

It can for some readers, though dyslexia is different for everyone. Comic pages do not follow one fixed path: panels run across, down or around a big image, and a balloon can point into the next panel. LiveComics shows one panel at a time in reading order, so there is no layout to work out, and the whole page is one switch away when you want it.

Are graphic novels good for dyslexic readers?

Some readers find them a good fit, for the same reasons as comics, and every reader is different. A graphic novel is a longer comic: the pictures carry much of the story, and the page layout can still slow a reader down. You can upload the graphic novels you own as CBR, CBZ, PDF or EPUB files and read them one panel at a time, free. Having one read aloud is priced per issue, and you see the price before you buy.

What are the best comics for dyslexic kids?

The best comic is the one a child already wants to read, so start with what they love and ask a children's librarian for titles at the right level. The free shelf here is classic comics from the 1940s to the 60s, and much of it is horror and war stories written for older readers, so look an issue over first. You can also upload comics you already own.

Are there graphic novels for low level readers?

Yes, many publishers make comics and graphic novels for early and reluctant readers, and a librarian is the best guide to which suit a reader. Whatever the book, upload a copy you own and LiveComics shows it one panel at a time, free. Having it read aloud is priced per issue, and you see the price before you buy.

Is this a good way to read comics with ADHD?

It might suit you, and trying a free issue is the only way to know: we make no claims about ADHD. What the reader does is keep one panel on screen at a time and let you set the pace. Spotlight view dims the rest of the page, Reduce motion stops the moving background, and you can pause on any panel for as long as you like.

Is there an app that reads comics aloud?

Yes, LiveComics reads comics aloud panel by panel, in any browser and in the iOS, Android and Windows apps. Every balloon is voiced in order, with a separate synthetic voice for each character, the drawn sound effects and a score. Open a comic on the free streaming shelf and press play.

Is there text to speech for comics?

Yes, but ordinary text to speech can't read a comic: the words are drawn into the art, so a screen reader or read-aloud tool usually finds nothing to say. LiveComics reads the balloons off the art and speaks them in reading order, one panel at a time, with the words on screen as subtitles if you want them.

What makes a comic dyslexia friendly?

There is no single standard, and every reader is different. People often look for clear, larger lettering, fewer words in each panel and a simple panel layout. Many comics are hand lettered in capital letters, which some readers find harder, and a busy page can leave a reader unsure which panel comes next. LiveComics cannot change the lettering, which is part of the art, but it takes the layout out of the way: one panel at a time, filling the screen, with every balloon read aloud and the words shown in plain type as subtitles.

Can I see the words while they are read aloud?

Yes, turn on subtitles (CC) and the words being spoken appear at the bottom of the screen in plain type, with the panel above them. Subtitles start off, and once you turn them on they stay on.

Can I slow the reading down?

Yes, voice speed goes from half speed up to three times. You can also pause on any panel for as long as you like, step back a panel, or set every panel to stay on screen longer in the reader's settings.

Is it free?

Yes, to start. Every comic on the streaming shelf streams free with a free account and no card, and you can hear a sample without one. Panel view is free on every comic you upload yourself. Having your own comics read aloud is priced per issue, and you see the price before you buy.

Hear a sample →

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