Are you the kind of person who likes to keep track of their media? Do you meticulously log what you watch on Letterboxd or what you read on Goodreads? If that sounds like you, then the Comics Reading Tracker could be what you need.
Since 2017, I’ve been logging my comic book reading with a powerful comics-specific spreadsheet. It started as a simple list to keep track of what I had read. However, with yearly iterations, it has evolved into a powerful tool that allows users to set and track reading goals, rate comics, and gain insights from their reading habits. The 2026 edition of the Comics Reading Tracker is the best one yet, with a raft of improvements and new features.
New features and improvements
- A “Most read series” table that automatically highlights the top 5 series read without the need for a pivot table.
- Improved formulas that don’t break when exported from Google Sheets to Microsoft Excel.
- An overhauled “Reading rate” graph that accommodates Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel.
- An expanded list of publishers in the “Publisher count” table.
- An expanded list of reading services in the “Comics medium/service” table, featuring the various reading services that have popped up in recent years.
- The “Ratings summary” table has been reformatted to fit in with the grid-like structure of the dashboard.
This is on top of pre-existing features like…
- Giving users a framework to log the comics/graphic novels/manga you’ve read, noting details such as series, issue number, publisher, and reading format.
- Setting a goal for how many comics you want to read in 2026 and tracking how your reading habits perform against your goal.
- Viewing reading statistics (via tables and graphs) related to how many comics you’ve read, the spread of publishers, and reading formats.
- Assigning ratings to comics that have been read and viewing statistics related to them.
- Adding notes about the comics you’ve read.
It’s up to you how you use this spreadsheet. You can use all the features or use it as a simple ledger for which comics you’ve read in 2026. Also, don’t stress if you’re not an Excel wiz. All you need to do is manually add the comics you have read throughout 2026 into the first tab. The existing formulas will do the rest. There are instructions in the sheet for those who want to make customisations to suit their preferences.
However, if you are an Excel wiz, feel free to make customisations based on your needs and preferences. I would love to see how you use it!
Please note: The spreadsheet is protected under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license that requires you to credit How To Love Comics if you plan to update and distribute.)
The Comics Reading Tracker is ideal for those who love to closely track their reading habits – especially if they enjoy extracting detailed data from it. For others, the goal-setting and tracking functionality will be up their alley and encourage them to read as much as they can this year.
So, how do you get yourself a copy? You can get it by signing up for the free How To Love Comics newsletter in the form below.
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Is this comics reading tracker up your alley? Share your thoughts in the comments below or via Bluesky, Facebook, or Mastodon.
I too am hoping to gain access to the updated 2026 version of the tracker. It is amazing.
I’ve been waiting for it all week, I even checked at 11:30 pm yesterday to see if it was up yet haha, the 2025 one was really helpful, thanks