Hiatus is a common problem for a significant number of webcomics. For the vast majority of webcomic creators, the comic isn’t their primary job. The few creators who make a living off of the comic, such as Fred Gallagher or Pete Abrams, actually make their money through merchandising of goods rather than advertising revenues (and by that I include print compilation sales). Thus but for a few exceptions, most webcomics are a hobby. When real life crashes through the door, the comic often is the first thing to stop. Add in the traditional decline in readership during the summer months and you end up with a recipe for seasonal hiatus.

Alpha Shade has just come off of one such hiatus, while its artist focused on finishing up contractual work. This time wasn’t just idly spent; the Brudlos brothers revamped the website (and in doing so I missed the latest updates as my URL was set to the old site’s precise URL). The site redesign looks absolutely spectacular, with a cut of the latest update prominently displayed on the main page, and the flash display nested within the comic itself (by clicking on the comic the flash viewer activates), which allows readers to zoom in on distant details which are often detailed for interested fans.

The current storyline continues to lay the foundations for the epic story that unfolds in front of us, utilizing a flashback to show us the death of Cyrene’s sister, Richelle. These are new characters and new events that don’t mean much unless you go back to the very first chapter, set sometime in the future of the comic. In it, a young lady who looks very similar to Cyrene attacks the central protagonist of the story, Laura Stone, intent on assassinating her and in doing so, eliminating a popular and talented general. It is the hows and whys leading back to that first chapter, and an epic story designed for both web and print, that has kept me and many other fans watching for updates despite its summer hiatus.