Webcomics Weekly is back in your life for one last time in 2018, with new and old strips. We have a couple of new strips, “The Ocean Soul” and “Urban Animal”. “Ocean Soul” is a fantasy romance strip set in a post-Roman Britan. In “Urban Animal” Joe has it all figured out for a high school kid, except for the part where he turns into a saber-toothed tiger. That’s a work in progress. These new strips join the normal rotation of “Tiger, Tiger,” “Blood Stain,” and one of the Multiversity crews best webcomics of 2018 “Order of the Stick.”
Blood Stain – Line – Tapas
Chapters 21-25
Schedule: Once a Week on Line/Tapas otherwise currently on hiatus
By Linda Sejic
Reviewed by Michael Mazzacane
One mad leap onto a bus and plane ride later Elli has made it to the next part of her interview: the awkward, nerve racking, car drive up the side of a cliff. On the upside she gets to meet Serge. Linda Sejic uses the environment to enhance the storytelling in this batch of strips both in #26 “patience” as Serge waits for Elli and the awkward car ride that takes up strips #29 and 30.
The twenty-sixth strip in chapter one of “Blood Stain” plays out almost like a parody of the bookends to Love Actually. Serge plays the role of both narrator and person waiting to pick someone up. His thoughts on the joys of waiting for someone at the airport are not as humanistic as Hugh Grant. Instead we get to revel in how awkward it is. Keeping Serge static, his posture changes but he’s pretty much in the same place within the frame, against a constantly moving background gives strip a nice sense of energy. It also plays into the left to right reading orientation of the strip.
There is one awkward moment in the strip that hurts the readability. Part of the humor of the strip is Elli wondering in and out of panels looking for Serge, trying to remember what she was supposed to do. The lettering becomes muddled as Elli comes in an out of panel, technically these balloons all link together but they overlap with Serge and it throws things off a bit. A similar ruffle occurs in strip 30 where Serge talks about the drive up the cliffy coast and Elli freaks herself out in her own head. It isn’t as visually confusing as the previous strip, but the cadence and flow between them is stilted.
The final strip in this batch of five is environmentally the opposite of the first one. The airport terminal was wide open, the car ride is claustrophobic. At first everything is tightly framed around Elli, Serge gets some nice background sight gags. One panel has a really nice effect of Elli running up against the glass. These visual elements help to highlight how stressed the situation is which adds fuel to the frenzied thoughts she has about her new boss and why he works from home. These fanciful visions vary from what if Vlad is secretly Gandalf the White too maybe he is a member of the Addams Family. Each vision punctuated by a more and more distraught Elli, until she finally breaks. But it is too late, she’s there.
The Ocean Soul
Chapter 01 pg 34-38
Updates: Hiatus. Normally updates Sundays.
By Vimeddie
Reviewed by Elias Rosner
While only 6-10 pages removed from our last mention of the series, “The Ocean Soul” closed out its first chapter with five pages that do more than many of the 22/34 page comics I’ve read this month. It’s a simple scene, a small scene, a slow scene but that is what makes it so effective. In three pages, we see our main character realise that he cannot return home. His despair is palpable across his face and the constant cutting back to his red, raw knees emphasizes the source of his pain.
As this is the closing of a chapter, these updates culminate in this beautiful splash page where the sea and the night sky tower over these wayward souls. The archer and the merman are small; he is looking out at where he came from with longing and worry; the archer looks down, her face a mix of exhaustion, pity and mild anger. Vimeddie’s coloring brings out the crispness of the night without threatening to drown the setting in shadow.
Continued belowMuch of Vimeddie’s strengths as an artist are on display in these pages but none more so than their ability to fully render the world and the characters. In just a few panels, all we need to know about these characters are explained. The Merman is mischievous but ultimately lonely while The Archer is protective of what’s theirs but has a big heart. What is most striking, for those who are new to Vimeddie’s work in these pages, is beauty of The Merman. He practically shines in the moonlight and because of the nature of land to sea changes, he is rendered tastefully naked the entire time. It is a vehicle for character as much as it is a bit of beefcake.
While the series may still be on hiatus only 38 pages in, what we have so far is a gorgeous start to what promises to be a heartfelt story about a merman, an archer and whatever journey they are about to embark on.
Order of the Stick
Pages 36-40 (Follow each comics’ archive naming/dating format)
Updates: Varies
By Rich Burlew
Reviewed by Robbie Pleasant
There’s a time in every D&D game where the DM says “You don’t find any traps.” The player then pauses and asks, “So there are no traps?” and the DM reiterates: “You don’t see any.”
In those situations, there is almost always a trap. This strip shows off just how hilarious that can be, with the most painful looking trap door one could imagine, complete with 17 kinds of poison and a “honey & fire ants” trap.
While we don’t see the entire trap go off, it’s even funnier when left to our imagination, complete with Roy’s offscreen screams, sound effects, and the villains watching and laughing. Speaking of which, this gives us another look at Xykon and Redcloak, as Xykon handles a dispute with his minions. It immediately establishes how ruthless Xykon is, willing to kill and reanimate his followers just for convenience. Although the idea of goblins asking for a 401k plan is pretty funny too.
The rest of the comic follows the aftereffects of Roy being paralyzed from the many poisons in the trap. There are some good jokes to be had from the fellow members of the party doodling on and around the paralyzed Roy, and the comic does a good job breaking from the usual solid lines it uses for the chalk drawings while maintaining its usual artistic style.
Finally, we get the first appearance of Thor in “Order of the Stick.” Comic fans may not find it odd to see Thor as a blond, but his appearance does draw a bit of inspiration from the comic version – this is intentional, as it’s explained in a much later strip that the reason he’s blond now is because of the comic. Aside from that, there’s some great (albeit dark) humor in him answering Durkon’s prayers to prepare spells while he’s supposed to be saving lives from Surtur. The line “Oh sweet, apathetic gods!” is an exclamation that should be used more often.
It might be hard to say that “Order of the Stick” moves at a fast pace – we’re 40 pages in and the adventurers are still just traveling through the same dungeon – but it’s filled with great humor drawn from the characters, “Dungeons & Dragons” game, and Rich Burlew’s own wit. It’s always a comic worth reading.
Tiger, Tiger
Pages 75-83
Updates: Weekly, multiple days
By Petra Erika Nordlund
Reviewed by Gustavo S. Lodi
After a short intermission where the alleged series villain is introduced, the focus returns to Ludovica and Jamis, as her inaugural journey begins and his protective stance kicks into high gear. Since it’s beginning, “Tiger, Tiger” played with pre-conceived notions of gender, roles and adventure: how often do readers find a series whose main plot is a young woman’s quest to search the global for sea sponges? And yet, it does so in a familiar way, pulling the audience in for a genuine discussion.
Nordlund’s linework continues to be as beautiful and well-defined as before. On this latest update, though, the artist shows a bit more range, by introducing panels and sequences done in a slightly more animated style, especially where character expressions are concerned. Ludovica’s reactions to Jamis after she taunts him are done in a deliberately deformed style, emphasising the humour of the situation. It is done in just the right balance, so it does not become jarring within the narrative.
Continued below“Tiger, Tiger” also did a good job on expanding it’s supporting cast in quick fashion, in regard to the remaining crew of the ship Ludovica and Jamis are travelling in. By showing just glimpses of these characters, as Jamis cautiously explains them to Ludovica, readers get barely a taste of them. However, the once-again beautiful art makes that taste really worth it, so expecting more becomes a joy, rather than a burden.
All in all, this latest update on “Tiger, Tiger” maintains the excitement and vast possibilities the story has presented so far. It is at the same time high adventure with traditional tropes, but with more than enough diverse elements to keep it new and engaging. Interesting characters on interesting scenarios make for a great reading experience.
Urban Animal
Episodes 1-6
Updates: Saturdays
Concept and Illustration by John Amor
Script by Justin Jordan
Letters by Micah Myers
Reviewed by Bodhi
Justin Jordan and gang’s new webcomic “Urban Animal” is about teenager Joe Gomez. Life is doing pretty okay by Joe: cool parents, school’s great, he’s in a band with his best friends, the new girl at school is definitely into him … and then there is this rat infestation in his life. Talking rats. Insistent talking rats. Insistent talking rats that are pretty insistent that he does exactly what they want him to.
Unless I’m reading it superbly wrong, Jordan’s making this into Joe’s superhero origin story and while all the tropes are present (frustrating attempts at figuring out the Powers, irate “Shifu”-figure, big baddy), it’s what Joe’s powers are that’s interesting. While not completely unheard-of before, it’s definitely not what comes from a spider bite or from being dowsed in radioactive chemicals.
Under Jordan’s pen it’s the secondary characters who surround Joe become the most attention-grabbing. I’m partial to Joe’s mentor who also features in a killer cold open. There’s Joe’s friends (for some reason, the color green seems to be a theme among the lot), the mysterious new girl, the sly antagonist, his parents even–take your pick.
Justin Amor’s illustration passes the first litmus test of a webtoon with flying colors: uncluttered panels with minimal backgrounds. This comic places itself in multiple genres and the body-horror one is pretty effectively evoked by Amor. Guys, I’m squeamish around rats and Amor was able to tap into that and made me shudder at that one panel where a character absorbs a rat into his palm.
Excuse me for just one second.
This is a comic featuring the power struggle between primal forces. It is a comic that’s also quite fun to read. I’d argue, though, the banter between Joe and his friends need not last for almost one complete update for us to get the point. It will be quite fun to see Joe’s training montage (I think that’s coming up next) and how he deals with the baddies. It will be fun to watch how or if-at-all Joe and Phoebe (new girl) hook up. It will be fun to see whether Joe’s mentor finally understands the notion of clothing. Recommended.
