We hadn’t seen children’s comic The Phoenix before its publishers emailed us about its new app. We love the idea of it though: a 32-page comic with no ads or covermounted toys: just stories, beautiful illustrations and puzzles.

The iPad version looks really good too. Each issue includes a bunch of stories, with children able to zoom in on each panel individually, while swiping their way through the issue as a whole.

Individual issues are delivered every week through Apple’s Newsstand system, with a free sample issue when you first download the app.

You then pay a subscription to keep receiving new issues: £1.99 a week, £5.99 a month or £32.99 for six months at a time. For now, this digital subscription is separate to the print subscription, although the publishers say they’re “working on it”.

If you love comics but aren’t sure your kids are quite ready for the full Marvel / DC experience, The Phoenix looks like the perfect entry into the world of comic strips and graphic novels.

That said, it’s an app that deserves to find parents beyond those who already like comics. The print edition of The Phoenix has been going for just over a year, but as far as we can tell, the quality of its storytelling isn’t flagging.

The Phoenix is a free download on the App Store for iPad only.