Runewood Abbey

March 10th, 2010

I often make it a point to wait until a comic has been updating for a while before I consider reviewing it (especially as almost every time I’ve done a write-up on a brand new webcomic, the comic in question will succumb to terminal hiatus). Waiting for the archives to grow to critical mass also gives the comic a chance to grow a little, and the story itself to emerge. This does not always work; cartoonists sometimes forget the importance of pacing in telling their story, and overlong prologues can muddy the water on just what the webcomic’s story is. If the reader doesn’t have a general idea of who or what the comic is about in the first twenty pages, the cartoonist risks losing the reader (no matter how pretty the art).

This initially appears to be the situation with Runewood Abbey; if there is a larger story to the comic, it isn’t revealed in the comic’s first chapter. But rather than some epic storyline, Runewoold Abbey appears to be a character-driven comic that has focused on the six young women we are initially introduced to in the first chapter (along with three others who’ve yet to appear). Each woman is… for want of a better term, unique; one is as ethereal as smoke, another composed of solid living shadows, a third of flame, and so on. Even the more ordinary-looking of the young women possess talents that set them apart from normal people, and would undoubtedly have them persecuted as witches or worse in the comic’s preindustrial setting.

It is these young woman that have brought Runewood Abbey to life. The interaction between these characters feels natural and helps the reader relate to them. Given the dearth of a greater plot, this connection with the characters gains greater importance; little has been shown concerning who these women are, why they are at the Abbey, and what has made them the way they are. The Abbey itself is another mystery which was expanded upon slightly at the end of the first chapter, but the few details given have only led to added questions.

Even with the dearth of plot details, the comic stands out with some beautiful artwork and excellently-rendered greyscale. Artist Michael Brewster has taken considerable care and effort in creating characters who are as distinct and interesting artistically as writer Rachel Spitler has done with characterization and dialogue. Nor is this artistic effort left only for the characters; background details are not always added (especially when the cast is found inside a building lit only by firelight), but when the story moves outside the walls of the Abbey, Brewster’s skills at drawing detailed backgrounds is revealed.

While the story is yet young, a couple hints of a greater story can be observed. At least one of the young women, Nansa, was apparently once a normal human instead of a Naga (half-woman, half serpent), and had a fairly normal life before she was transformed into her current state. While we’ve not caught any real glimpses of the stories of the other women at the abbey, it is more than likely that they too were once “normal” (or at least, not inhuman). No doubt in time more of the greater story will be revealed, even as the cast are further fleshed out. In the meantime, Runewood Abbey is at the perfect stage for new readers to jump in without needing days to peruse the archives, and the comic has enough promise to keep them returning weekly for more.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Webcomic review | No Comments »

reMIND

February 23rd, 2010

Generally as a rule of thumb, I avoid reviewing webcomics until they’ve had at least 35 updates. Part of this lies with the fact my own webcomic lasted but 33 updates before it succumbed to terminal hiatus (to the point that it’s no longer online and the hard drive holding the only files of it corrupted, unfortunately; in hindsight I regret removing it from the Keenspace servers when I first launched the Tangents review site). I figure any comic that has lasted at least 35 updates has gotten enough inertia rolling to remain viable.

I’m making an exception for the graphic novel reMIND as cartoonist Jason Brubaker (who is a professional storyboard artist and compositor who has worked on over a dozen major films and in print comics) is documenting the process of creating this graphic novel and giving some excellent advice that both print and web cartoonists will find helpful. While the comic aspect of reMIND has only had fifteen updates, each update is a double-page spread that tells a story that is graphically pleasing and quickly catches your interest even as it gradually builds the story and setting.

The comic is about Sonja, a young lady inventor whose cat Victuals goes missing one day… and turns up a week later with the ability to talk, manipulate objects with his paws, and comprehend things. As there have been only fifteen updates, it’s difficult to determine the gist of the story, but it appears to involve stories of lizard men (in what is either a contemporary fantasy or science fiction setting), missing animals, odd bubbling waters, and the uplift of at least one feline. From what Brubaker has said in his blog, I half-suspect that Victuals is the real protagonist of the story, and that Sonja will be playing more of a narrative role in telling Victual’s tale.

While the comic itself promises to be a fascinating tale well worth reading (both in a virtual format and when Brubaker eventually has it published), it is the research Brubaker has compiled and documented that I suspect many web cartoonists will find of use, both for online venues and for possible print compilations. Brubaker has done a considerable amount of research on creating graphic novels, including coloring processes, outsourcing segments of the art to reduce time spent (such as flatting colors, which can save cartoonists a couple of hours), lettering and font creation, and on internet resources that web cartoonists will find useful.

This research also includes information on promoting graphic novels (and by extension, webcomics), the use of advertising, and on active forum communities that may be of use for artists. What’s more, Brubaker also talked about a problem common with many internet resources; the majority of internet resources are out-of-date and in some cases obsolete. While the majority of this information was gathered with an eye toward getting a graphic novel into print, much of it can be adapted to web cartoonists who have no intent on print publication, either due to the animated aspects of their work or the limitations found in print venues.

What makes reMIND so effective is the marriage of comic and resources. There are a number of webcomic resources out there; some of them are even updated regularly. Likewise there is a growing number of webcomics that use blogging formats to allow the cartoonists to talk about their work and what went into each update. The marriage of these two helps show how this information can be used by creators, and allow readers to learn a little of what goes into creating a webcomic. Add in the fact that reMIND is an artistically skilled work that shows considerable storytelling promise, and you have a comic that is worth reading to both creators and fans alike.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Webcomic Meta Article, Webcomic review | No Comments »

DMFA – Abel’s Story

February 18th, 2010

I’ve long been a fan of Amber William’s fantasy anthropomorphic comic Dan and Mab’s Furry Adventures, both for her deft mixture of humor and storytelling elements (dramatic and comedic) and for a cast of characters that come alive under her pen. It is this latter aspect that has brought the comic to life for me, both among the primary cast and with the secondary characters that have filled the benches. Abel, an incubi who is reluctantly helping the main character Daniel learn how to use his own innate abilities, quickly became a fan favorite and was selected by fans to learn more of his background in his very own spinoff comic.

In many ways Abel’s Story is a more mature story than DMFA; Amber has rated it NC-14 for swearing and violence (no nudity, because everyone knows that unclothed fur-covered characters are much more offensive to society’s sensibilities than blood and gore). That’s not to say that the comic is dour and depressing; the early strips showing Abel’s childhood are rather sweet, and while Abel’s first 24 years might not have been idyllic, much of Abel’s childhood was a happy one. Naturally, it is the fall from this Eden that makes Abel’s Story so intriguing… and also gave us a glimpse at aspects of Amber William’s world that is not often seen in the main comic.

While the comic can get wordy at times (with several exposition-filled comics that fortunately do show glimpses of what’s being dictated to both Abel and the readers), there are a number of tidbits in Abel’s Story that are quite interesting. Amber William has managed to flesh out the world that DMFA takes place in, both with the Cubi Academy (which DMFA only briefly touched upon) and the greater world of DMFA. What’s more, this side story also manages to touch upon the greater conflict between beings (ordinary sentients) and creatures (the uber-powered “monsters” that includes the fae, dragons, cubi, and others), which has only recently been coming into focus in DMFA as a whole. Abel’s Story is self-contained and there’s no need to read the expansive archives of DMFA in order to understand what’s going on. What’s more, it’s a well-written and -drawn story, and definitely worth reading.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Secant | No Comments »

Dead Winter

February 11th, 2010

One of the biggest advantages webcomics have over their print counterparts is the nature of the medium itself. For some time, webcomics have dabbled in expanding their boundaries compared to the limitations of print comics. Some comics have pushed the boundaries of what cartoonist Scott McCloud calls the “infinite canvas” (with Damonk’s Framed!!! being an excellent example of this, utilizing html coding to alter how readers interact with his comic). Other comics have dabbled with sound effects and limited animation to help their comic stand out.

The apocalyptic zombie comic Dead Winter is no stranger to the use of animation to celebrate benchmarks in the comic’s run. What makes update 300 so special is the presentation of the animation. Rather than constrain himself with a set animation box, S. Dave Shabet mixed the tradition of comic panels with animation (something that the surreal horror comic 5ideways tried, though 5ideways relied on set panel structures with the animation embedded within the frames). Each panel is animated, and runs in turn to show the story as a whole.

This is where Dead Winter stands out from its peers. While other comics have used animation to help their comic stand out, Shabet has used animation as a means of enhancing the storytelling of the comic itself. Nor is this the simplistic animations found in other comics that have dabbled in animated frames; the animation might not be as smooth and elegant as that found in anime and animated features, but it works well in bringing the comic to life, and engaging the readers. Further, with each new animated sequence, Shabet improves his skills as an animator, helping the animation flow and effectively tell its story. While this undoubtedly is a significant investment of time and effort, it also raises the bar for webcomics as a whole.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Secant | No Comments »

City of Reality

February 4th, 2010

One of the truly enjoyable aspects of webcomics is the utter freedom they give the cartoonist in both story content and concept. While the lack of editorial restriction does have a dark side (I’ve stumbled across comics that focus on school shootings, binge eating, and pointless graphic violence; these seem to rely on the subject matter to draw in readers rather than intelligent storytelling), this editorial freedom can also encourage cartoonists to indulge in philosophical concepts and story subjects that would likely not see print due to limited readership appeal. The utopian deconstruction webcomic City of Reality fits in the latter category, using both whimsical stories and more serious content to describe the utopian world of Reality, and several people who are part of the super hero organization SUEPR (though many of the “supers” use devices, rather than innate abilities).

No, that’s not a typo. The organization that deals with disasters, monsters, and other insanity is called “SUEPR;” I’m not quite sure what the acronym stands for, but the “Sue” aspect was deliberate, and several of the characters would be Sue-like characters, except for the deliberate deconstruction of the trope in general. Nor are the Sue-like characteristics universal with the entire cast; instead, it almost seems to be an innate aspect of the natives of Reality, in comparison with characters who emigrated from another world to live in Reality. Perhaps the best example of this lies with the leader of SUEPR 4, the teenage boy Todo.

Todo is, for a lack of better words, perfect. He’s handsome, articulate, compassionate, skilled, assumes the best of people and doesn’t judge them if they don’t meet those expectations. In short, he’s the type of character you’d hate (well, initially) if you stumbled across him in a fanfic or the like. But as the comic unfolds, it becomes obvious that Todo’s “perfection” is a veneer, and that the very aspects of him that appear so “perfect” in Reality end up hurting him (and his companions) when facing problems from other less utopian realities.

The two outsiders of the group are immigrants from worlds outside of Reality; A.V. is a young verbose lady who has a lot of talent and heart, but freezes up in social situations, while Hawk is an anthropomorphic dragonfly with a chip on his shoulder and the need to prove himself. It is these two that truly help the comic shine, with their reactions to the eccentricities of their new world (such as a sock puppet rabbit being the mayor of the City of Reality, or how everyone is just so nice to each other, even in the face of infidelity or being robbed.

Of course, A.V. and Hawk won’t be the only ones who’ll give double-takes at times. There are subtle and not-so-subtle images that will suggest how things could go; take the infidelity (which was told as a flashback story): when the guy is confronting his girlfriend after catching her in bed with another man, there is an one-panel flash to a handgun in the bedroom drawer. It’s never touched, and the two manage to talk things out (with the guy that was caught in bed cowering behind the bed looking quite nervous the entire time). Likewise, one of the very first things that happens in the comic is that a young girl is given a ride home by a shadowy complete stranger, taking a different route home than is normally taken… and she gets home safely and untouched. The entire world reeks of the Uncanny Valley effect; the inhabitants of Reality are (for the most part) human… and yet somehow not.

In many ways we’re being given a glimpse of the alien nature of a utopia. In order for a utopia to exist, people would have to resist those darker impulses that are a part of all of our lives… and do so consistently. And they do, with the exception of some of the immigrants from other realities where things are not so perfect. We’ve not seen A.V. react adversely to some of the almost inhuman decency among the citizens of Reality, though there are moments when you’re sure she’s going to comment, only to back away. Hawk, on the other hand, spends an entire chapter trying to break through their veneer of civility, only to finally conclude that somehow, Reality itself is one huge family (and not one of the more typically dysfunctional ones in our own world).

The rest of the cast plays primarily a background role; Froggie, a giant intelligent anthropomorphic frog is the scientist of the group, while Victor is the final member of SUEPR 4 and is, if anything, even more perfect and decent than Todo. Little has been done to date to expand on their personalities or backgrounds (though Victor is hinted at having a “mysterious past” which will undoubtedly become the basis of some future storyline). Finally, there’s Mayor Rabbit, a sentient sock puppet rabbit who single… um… handedly runs the entire government of the City of Reality. Much like the other natives of Reality, when he appears and talks about various things we catch brief glimpses that suggest things aren’t quite as perfect in Reality as appearances might suggest, but outside of a few disasters (all of which have been (indirectly?) caused by interactions with another reality called Magic World) we’ve had few glimpses at the possible darker side of Reality.

After the first two chapters (which introduce both A.V. and Hawk), the chapters tend to flow into each other. Indeed, the problems caused by Magic World products ends up being the motivation behind the CoR storyline that just concluded, where SUEPR 4’s three core members had to travel to Magic World to stop their own brethren, who are trying to eliminate the threat Magic World poses for Reality. Cartoonist Ian Samson manages to portray the members of SUEPR 1 as well-intentioned extremists that know what they’re doing is wrong… but that it’s for the greater good of Reality. Chapter 5 may be the best storyline yet in CoR, and undoubtedly we’ll see more of Magic World in the future, especially once Mayor Rabbit admits to the rulers of Magic World that some of his own were responsible for their own recent troubles.

Another interesting aspect of CoR is its update schedule: the comic is released twice a month with sizable multi-page updates. This helps create a better sense of story and continuity than even a daily update schedule would do. Samson has stated that this update schedule will be changing soon, but hopefully he’ll continue some form of multi-page update (perhaps similar to the update schedule of Sarah Ellerton’s The Phoenix Requiem).

City of Reality is one of those comics that will amuse, charm, and at times disturb you. It may also make you sit back for a moment and consider what Samson is saying here… and on the state of our own reality. For that alone I’d recommend it; the interesting deconstruction of just what a utopian world is and on the nature of “perfect” characters is just icing on the cake.

Addendum note: It appears CoR is switching to a MWF update schedule, for the time being.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Webcomic review | 2 Comments »

Blip

February 1st, 2010

I’ll admit I’ve long struggled over the concepts of predestination (essentially that the future is predetermined and unchangeable) and free will (there is no destiny and we are free to choose our fate). I find the concept abhorrent that we are, in essence, puppets dancing out to the whims some capricious divinity who decided before the existence of time itself who would do what, who was damned, and who would be saved. Thus when I stumbled across the webcomic Blip, which is about a girl who is born without a destiny in a reality that runs according to God’s Plan, I quickly found myself drawn into the comic.

Metaphysical aspects aside, Blip is a slice-of-life comic where the mundane exists obliviously along side the surreal and supernatural. The comic’s protagonist, a young woman called “K.” by all her friends and associates, is oblivious to the ongoing conflict between the forces of Heaven and Hell over her life. Well, she’s oblivious on a conscious level at least; a fair ways into the comic we learn that K. knows the Devil, whom she calls “Uncle Luc” (and who in the comic is a very attractive and affable gentleman, showing courtesy to both his own minions and to his opponents among the angels) and was mentored by “Luc” in her dreams, being taught how to play instruments, draw, paint, and write. The forces of Heaven try to combat this by discouraging her artistic tendencies and ensuring her life is boring and nondescript. (And no, they apparently aren’t allowed to kill her. It’s against the rules.)

Needless to say, Blip does not ascribe to the notion that the Devil is evil. While it is revealed that he rebelled against God, he is not shown to be the metaspiritual boogyman of Christian mythos. Indeed, even the Devil seems to answers to someone… that being The Adversary, who (according to the Devil) is responsible for “ruining” K.’s life (even if it’s the angels who are doing the footwork). Likewise, we’ve not seen evidence that the comic is using the trope that “God is Evil.” An evil God wouldn’t care about rules and would do worse than ensure that a young woman’s life is uninteresting and uninspiring. While it’s not exactly a nice thing to do, it’s at worse a very vanilla evil.

Amusingly enough, K.’s life is replete with supernatural elements that she is unaware of. Of her two best female friends, one is actually a vampire, and the other a witch. A third former friend whom K. is antipathetic toward is a cyborg (and whose father is hinted at possibly being Dr. Frankenstein). And as I mentioned above, K.’s spiritual/dream mentor is the Devil. Interestingly, K.’s friends were unaware of K. being without destiny (or a “blip”) until the Devil tells K.’s vampire friend; needless to say, the knowledge that K. is anethema to God’s Plan is a considerable shock to them.

Despite the supernatural turmoil surrounding K., her life is fairly mundane with a boring job at a hospital’s medical records department, as well as the ongoing tediousness of K.’s life in general. Eventually she forms healthy relationship that the angels are unable to stop (thanks to the Devil’s minions distracting them until the roots of the relationship grew and the two started dating) at which point we finally catch a glimpse of K. being genuinely happy. Don’t get me wrong; the angels continue to throw monkey wrenches at K. and her relationship (including old exes for both K. and her boyfriend) and there are days which are full of suck. But that could be said for all people.

The mixture of supernatural and mundane elements works. Our frequent glimpses into K.’s life helps us care for a character who has the sort of life we can relate to, which helps anchor the more surreal elements and meta-conflict. What’s more, we end up cheering for someone who traditionally is considered a villain (though he is not necessarily a hero in this incarnation) except for his efforts to give one person a better life. And whether you enjoy a comic that has metaphysical elements that make you think or just enjoy a slice-of-life comic with a squeeze of supernatural lime, you’ll find Blip to be one comic you want to keep on your radar.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Webcomic review | No Comments »

Anniversaries – El Goonish Shive turns Eight

January 21st, 2010

I just wanted to tip my hat to Dan Shive, whose surreal contemporary fantasy comic El Goonish Shive is now eight years old today. While there are a number of older comics out there, and for a bit EGS was updating weekly in-between hiatuses, it’s still a remarkable accomplishment. Congratulations, Dan. I might have become more critical than not of late, but your comic continues to amuse and showcases your growth as both an artist and a storyteller.

Posted in Webcomic commentary | No Comments »

« Older Entries