The Webcomics Weekly #4: Live Free or Webcomic Hard (10/02/18)

The Webcomics Weekly is back for the fourth time, which means it’s time to Live Free of Webcomic Hard. Per usual we have three familiar faces and three new, very different, but equally interesting comics about dragon people, mysteries, pirates, and witches.

This first season of “1000” wraps things up with several effective storytelling beats, and one let down. These last three chapters are as a whole about as strong a finale as one could expect from a 6 part strip, one that moved with the speed reminiscent of good o’ll “2000 A.D.”

As someone with a soft spot for contemporary/urban fantasy stories, it’s always fascinating to see how creatives mash together the natural and supernatural worlds. Or in the case of “1000” use the supernatural to embellish the natural, such is the case with the setting of the World Capital D.C. . Greene does an even better job of using the vertical orientation to introduce an environment this time around, using it to slowly draw deeper into a Government building that looks like Congress mixed with the NYC stock exchange.

Two thirds of these strips are spent away from the core cast and allow for some rather nice world building. Most of all it gives readers more time with our antagonist, Tung outside of him acting as the Big Bad. Greene shows great skill at using the vertical orientation as a means to pace out Chuck Brown’s scripting between Tsung and “Issac,” by playing with the inherent size difference between the two.

Comics often rely on quick potent characterization, which is exactly what happens as Son trains in the junkyard. His sins and backstory are setup in the strips Prologue chapter, but that was Brown and Greene telling the reader who Son is. The junkyard sequence was the first time they actually showed it, demonstrating it in a single image and phrase: Son shouting “peasant” as he annihilates a dummy monster. It immediately shows readers that Son’s journey of atonement isn’t some hard to understand slight, but the struggle to overcome being classist and racist person.

This strip was my first real introduction to Sanford Greene as an artist and he comports himself quite well. Visually he pulls the forbidden dragon form reveal beautifully, it required just the right amount of scrolling. It was a reveal that was let down by Chuck Brown’s script and Rus Wooton’s lettering. Tsung in his forbidden form should’ve had big loud “ROAR” onomatopoeia as he reaches apotheosis, not “FZZASSSHH,” it punctures an otherwise excellent moment that was clearly setting up the roar routine.

Black Shallows
Pages 25-35
Updates: Tuesday
By Kirstin
Reviewed by Gustavo S. Lodi

“Black Shallows” reads both as a mystery story, as well as a fantasy setting gone awry. Set in a medieval world that is being consumed by itself, the characters of the series try to survive through hardship as the very land they inhabit collapse into the ocean.

The art on the series leans a lot on the cartoon-style of ‘80s and ‘90s, with clear and few lines that don’t get in the way of showcasing movement and narrative progression. Character expression is a bit on the light side, with most of the differentiation among them being on height and dress attires, rather than on distinctive features.

World building is nicely done, especially on this latest update. Not only are settings interesting – with land masses connected by makeshift bridges and constructions – but the series creator also included a nifty guide to the world on page 28, providing much needed background information.

Colors are aligned with the drawing flair, with a palette that evokes a whimsical tone: it certainly works for the entire package, especially on more action-oriented moments.

This latest update on “Black Shallows” also introduces new characters to the fold, that of discoverers, scientists and naval people from the central power in this world. It was a well-timed change of pace and of perspective: while main characters Hadian and Felix certainly see the world in a certain way, these newcomers don’t necessarily come across as villains, but rather individuals surviving in an opposite manner, but just as affected by the world around them.

Part exploration and part fantastic, “Black Shallows” pulls its audience in by the complexity of the world and its history. While the art around character’s expressions could use further polish, the overall package is certainly a compelling read.

Earth in a Pocket
Witch Bottle? That Bottle – Sweet Dreams (8/15/18 – 9/20/18)
Updates: Fridays
By Helen Greetham
Reviewed by Elias Rosner

“Earth in a Pocket” is a series that wears its anthropological and archaeological roots on its sleeve and in doing so, deepens the story and the realism of this sci-fi tale. In these most recent updates, this is made clear as Halisi regails the mushroom-hat wearing jellyfish with tales from Earth history, a meditation on the power of stories to construct reality. What is striking about this five page meditation is that it is firmly grounded in an academic approach to anthropology & archaeology. It isn’t the romanticized, fictionalized versions of Indiana Jones; instead, it is a more real approach, complete with an acknowledgment of humanity’s hunger for stories, both those constructed in that past about their present and those in the present about their past.

The storytelling on display is marvelous in “Earth in a Pocket,” from the character work to the dialogue, everything is given the proper weight as befits the scenario. Perhaps the weakest part of the comic is the art. There is no doubt that the foundations of the narrative are rock solid but the art itself doesn’t live up to the rest of the skill. The linework is uncertain at times, characters’ faces are inconsistent and the coloring flattens much of the visuals. However, the strength of the story more than outweighs the shortcomings of the artwork.

Moreover, the framing of each page is measured and laid out with care. There is motion to the camera angles but they are careful and thought out – – changing angles or zooming only when necessary to shift the mood or indicate a change in tone. The pacing across the pages is judicious, making each page operate well together or apart. There is much to love with this comic and, having reached a natural breaking point, now is the perfect time to get reading.

Order of the Stick
Pages 6-10
Updates: Varies between issues
By Rich Burlew
Reviewed by Robbie Pleasant

A few more pages in to “Order of the Stick” and we’re getting to learn more about the characters. After a battle with ogres and goblin ninjas, we get a little time to decompress, heal wounds, and get some character interactions. In these pages, we learn some important things about the rest of the cast:
– Durkon is the healer and a Cleric of Thor
– Haley, the party rogue, has a particularly high Bluff skill
– Vaarsuvius, the wizard of the group, boasts powerful magic, but is incredibly loquacious about it

While these are just minor character traits, they serve as a good introduction for them, and each is delivered in a hilarious manner. Durkon, out of spell slots, has to use Thor’s automated prayer system, with all the troubles with automated menus one would expect. In fact, this scene gets referenced again over a thousand pages later – the sense of continuity and callbacks in this comic is amazing.

Then we have Haley proving exactly how useful a high Charisma score can be. In her page, she bluffs indignation and offense at the very idea that she could have stolen Belkar’s healing potion while holding the stolen potion right in front of him. It also reinforces the idea of “editions” and game classes by mentioning her father was a 1st edition Thief, once more setting up characters and plot points that will come back into play many, many pages from now.

Even the page joking about a normally useless magic item, a Girdle of Femininity/Masculinity, is foreshadowing for events that take place much farther down the line.

Finally, we get to see the true strength of a wizard: talking their foes to death. Not by casting spells, but by how much they like to talk about their magic. But the monologue gives us a great idea of Vaarsuvius’s voice, and continues to provide humor.

As with before, the art style remains simple and goofy in the best of ways. It sets the tone and enhances the jokes, rather than distract from them, making the webcomic easy on the eyes.

Being only ten pages in, there’s not much yet to say about the plot, but plenty to say about the characters. We’ll learn more about the story in due time, but for now, it’s still a good character introduction and humorous take on a Dungeons & Dragons-based world.

Outrage
Chapters 1-5
Updates: Wednesdays
Created by Fabian Nicieza and Reilly Brown
Inked by Jay Leisten
Colored by Matt Herms
Lettered by Pat Brosseau
Reviewed by Bodhi

Irreverent, funny, scathing, and topical. Fabian Nicieza and Reilly Brown’s new webcomic “Outrage” is all these and more. “Outrage” is the story of vigilante justice being meted out through electronic devices. “Outrage” is the story of a human-shaped hard-light construct that emerges through your desktop or smartphone screen and acts as a superhero (or as a terrorist, according to some). “Outrage” is the story of an expression of outrage at things that are happening all around us and at the frustration that nobody is doing anything.

Nicieza is funny when he wants to be and savagely so at times (there is at least one scene that reminded me strongly of “Preacher”). There is no attempt to sugar-coat the political intent behind the comic but there is an attempt at finding balance. Reilly Brown makes sure the body angles of Outrage himself are eye-catching: menacing and cartoonish in turns. A personal favourite is the panel where Outrage bursts through the roof of a car and towers over it. Everything from the color of his speech balloon to the Daft Punk/Tron-esque costume of his and the sheer King Kong ferocity of him just comes alive in that one scene.

Does “Outrage” go too far at times? Depends on your point of view, dear reader. But he sure does live up to his name. I know I will be there next Wednesday waiting for the latest update.

Sam & Fuzzy
Frame of Mind pt. 6 and Help Wanted pt. 1-5
Updates: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
By Sam Logan
Reviewed by Dexter Buschetelli
As we wrap up “Frame of Mind” (which would have made a heck of a lot more sense for this reviewer to cover fully last time rather than five of six parts), we move into a new arc for “Sam and Fuzzy”. “Help Wanted” shifts away from Fuzzy and introduces a new character, Devahi.
Logan plays with introducing elements and characters like brooches, pervy photographer neighbors, failed job interviews, and a mysterious business that no longer breaks people’s legs and it is all legitimate fun. Short beats and interactions are pumped for full effect with moments like Dev’s run towards a “HELP WANTED” sign that turns out to weirdly be a sign reading simply “HELP.”
This series really plays well with panel composition and negative space. Moments like the shrinking, almost funnel-like layout of the panels on pt. 3 and the spot where Dev steps off and back on to the camera area are a delight to anyone that pays attention to small nuances like these.
There’s nothing terribly deep in this series, at least not yet, but there is a good time to be had. The art’s literal darkness at times and intelligent dialogue belies a lightness of tone. Only further reading will tell how much depth there is to “Sam & Fuzzy” but the opening stories are enjoyable and a breeze to read through for a newcomer.