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The Webcomics Weekly #1: Let’s Get This Party Started (9/12/18)

By | September 11th, 2018
Posted in News, Reviews | % Comments

A week ago, we promised you more Webcomics coverage. We started that with our first installment of Webcomics Worth Watching and now we’re continuing it with The Webcomics Weekly, our first true blue set of reviews. Each week, we’ll be looking at a mixture of long-running and brand new comics, with the long-running ones beginning from page one and the newer ones starting with their most recent batch of updates. For now, though, follow along with us as we journey through the strange, the wonderous and the doggo. Sound off on your own thoughts in the comments and without further ado, Multiversity Comics Proudly Presents, The Webcomics Weekly.

Bad Machinery
The Short Preamble: September 21, 2009 – September 28, 2009
Schedule: Completed
Written and Illustrated by John Allison
Reviewed by Bodhi

John Allison’s Bad Machinery is one of the most charming and intelligent comics I’ve read, web or otherwise. Set in the fictional city of Tackleford, where things go bump in the night and often during daytime as well, Bad Machinery shows the reader around its picturesque setting through the eyes of three schoolgirls and three schoolboys. These kids often team up to solve mysteries of otherworldly nature and of school life while never missing the chance of having some fun along the way.

We start Bad Machinery: The Short Preamble by getting introduced to our cast, all of whom are getting ready for their first day at the grammar school, a page at a time. There’s shy and gangly Jack Finch, optimistic and sunny Sonny Craven, working class and really bright Shauna Wickle, the loud heart of the gang Charlotte Grote or “Lottie” and dry-witted Linton Baxter. Last but not the least, though we won’t be introduced to her till a bit later: the product of liberal upbringing and chocolate-craving Mildred Haversham. Characterization is one of Allison’s gifts, and by the time you reach the end of each page you feel you strongly relate to the character. Need proof? Check out Shauna who’s wearing her school blazer at the breakfast table.

While Allison’s art and color palette are easy on the eye, it is his facial expressions and last panel punchlines that set the comic on a different level. From the eyebrows of Linton who’s worried he will be (and is) mocked for the very public display of affection from his mother to Lottie saying, “It’s only right,” Allison makes sure Bad Machinery is a hoot. Next time when we return, the gang will be in their classes. Can’t wait.

Dragnarok: Descendants
Chapters 1-3
Schedule: Sundays
Written by KPJ and Magmi
Illustrated by Magmi
Reviewed by Michael Mazzacane

The first three chapters of “Dragnarok: Descendants” offer up a solid introduction to the fantasy webcomic of lowly humans and deified dragons. “Dragnarok” general sensibility feels lifted from a random JRPG from the turn of the century, which is where most of the charm of this comic comes from. The first three chapters are a solid mix of expositing the world of dragon gods that rule it, and their political machinations, juxtaposed against a kindly farmer and his family. The scripting for this series is a bit rough, it is overwritten in the sense that everyone keeps talking, adding little bits of exposition that gives the flow an unnatural feel. The choice of lettering speech balloons with black bodies over white text, gives the speech an otherworldly feel and is an effective choice when dealing with the supernatural characters but makes the normal humans seem creepy.

Artistically, Magmi puts forth two distinct styles. There is the more expressionist mode these chapters use when working through the mythic history of “Dragonrok,” which echoes the Avatar: The Last Airbender introduction. In this mode the comic is at its most successful artistically. The story of Kusho has a flow other sequences do not as it morphs panel to panel in inky outlines. When it isn’t in this mode, generally dealing in moments that are more human driven and conversational, Magmi’s figure work is a too stiff. They’re working in a very cartooned style, but it lacks a sense of dynamism making everything read stiff and flat. The environmental work for these sequences have a more painterly design that stands out against the figure work.

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Artistically, “Dragnarok” is rough and never seems to find a good flow. The stiff quality too the figure design doesn’t help, but the biggest culprit is the heavy gutters that segment panels. Reading this in both a web browser and on tablet, the gutters are just a bit too big, cutting panels off from one another and exasperating the lack of dialectic flow.

Dungeons & Doggos
#62 – #66
Schedule: Fridays
Written, illustrated, and lettered by V Lee Illustrations
Reviewed by Robbie Pleasant

“Dungeons & Doggos” is exactly what you’d expect: a webcomic about dogs playing Dungeons & Dragons. This combines two of my favorite things, so it’s no wonder that it would appeal to me.

At first, the comic started off pretty basic, as little snippets of the game the dogs were playing to show how dogs would react in a typical RPG situation. However, it began taking a life and story of its own, bringing us to the current story arc.

Following an encounter with several gnolls, the canine adventurers had to face the dreaded bath before they could stay at the inn. But like any RPG, they needed to undertake a sub-quest to afford it. The blending of dog personality traits and the tabletop RPG world works in an endearing manner, especially given all the characters’ reactions.

Each dog has a distinct personality as befitting their breed, but all of them are very good dogs (as all dogs tend to be). At this point they’re developed enough that each has his or her own little quirk both in and out of character.

The artwork has developed nicely since the comic began. While the scenes outside of the game are more minimalist, primarily clean line-art of the dogs, the scenes set in the game grow more detailed. The backgrounds get shaded and dark within the graveyard settings, the characters get more attention to their features, even down to their fur. Interestingly, while the game describes multiple skeletons, we don’t see many of them appear until a massive phantom emerges (and the dungeon master pulls out a massive amount of miniatures).

Is “Dungeons & Doggos” an epic adventure, filled with shocking twists and moral dilemmas? Of course not, it’s a comic about dogs playing D&D, and that’s exactly what it should be. It’s cute, it’s amusing, and it captures both the traits of dogs and tabletop RPG players. That’s exactly what it should be, and I adore it for that.

Littlelight Asylum
Issue #1 Pg. 23-27
Schedule: Wednesdays and Thursdays
Written by Julian Dominguez
Illustrated by Esther Pimentel
Lettered by Toben Racicot
Reviewed by Dexter Buschetelli

“Little Light Asylum” is a fun series that is easy to jump into, though it suffers somewhat from its formatting. Being presented in a standard comic layout but being delivered post-by-page could hurt this series in the long-term. For now, there’s very little material making it easy for readers to catch up.

Art-wise it carries a rudimentary style that works well for the content. Contour lines and blacks are played with well via depth and coloring, keeping foreground characters at the focus and background elements where they belong. It is a “cartoon-y” look a-la Thundercats Roar that is odd but simultaneously pleasing to the eye.

In regards to story, we’re not very far into the proceedings, which makes it easy for new readers to get on-board but offers little to review. The most recent entries are an entertaining battle that does well on its basic premise. The series is only on its first “issue” (technically second as there is a #0). It plays with RPG elements of combat giving a fun fan-servicing for those who like seeing a genre like that skewered and tampered with.

The most recent five pages offer interesting character designs, but are plagued with rough lettering that has a fun video-game related concept which suffers from poor execution. There’s meat here, and it leaves the reader hungry, but we’ll have to wait and see if we are sated by the execution and experience.

The Lost Nightmare
01-01 – 01-05
Schedule: Completed
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Written and Illustrated by Miyuli
Reviewed by Gustavo S. Lodi

“Lost Nightmare” tells the story of a young nightmare named Ink, who struggles with his nature, powers and place in the world. With art and story both presented by Miyuli, this is a whimsical tale of growth, surrounded by beautiful imagery and settings.

On its first updates, “Lost Nightmare” only barely introduces some of its core concepts and characters, gradually pulling readers in. The nature of dreams and nightmares in the world are explained, the roles of the Sandman and of the Bogeyman as well. It is a wise narrative choice, as the entire package feels like a natural dream: the audience would likely be unsure of what is coming next and what the overall story would be about.

Adding to that same atmosphere, the art style is intentionally loose and fluid. Each page or panel are usually one larger canvas, with just some of them zooming in closer in smaller frames. The exaggerated proportions of lead character Ink and his tutor are well-done: it enhances Ink’s fragility and naivety, just as well as it does show the tutor’s inability to guide him on the path chosen by the Bogeyman. Talking about him: he is portrayed in contrast as a regal, slender young man, causing the readers to fear the anticipation of how Ink can eventually be transformed into anything like that.

Miyuli’s colors are just as consistent with her world. Shades of yellow and orange dominate the panels showing dreams and the Sandman, with colors like a warm summer. Over at the lands of nightmare and around the Bogeyman, heavy blacks and shades of purple are essentially the only palette in sight.

“Lost Nightmare” does a terrific job on its first pages to lure readers in. The overall concept of the series is clear, but not imposed, there is an immediate fondness of protagonist Ink and the beautiful art is fully aligned with the narrative. With a lot of places it can go and sure of the quality of the drawings and colors, readers should be curious and invested for what would come next.

The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn
Chapters 1-4
Schedule: On Hiatus until October 2018. Updates Fridays.
Written and Illustrated by Tri Vuong
Reviewed by Elias Rosner

“The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn” opens on a cryptic note, with an old woman drawing the name OSCAR and a crossed out skull into the dirt, and from there thrusts us into the narrative, with minimal dialogue and almost zero exposition. Yet none of it is needed to understand what is going on. With an art style and tone that’s reminiscent of Mike Mignola’s “Hellboy,” “Oscar Zahn” feels like a spiritual successor to that tale or at least heavily influenced by it. Oscar has the same dry sense of humor and otherworldly power that’s a mystery to us but not entirely to him as Hellboy. The composition, however, is very different. Aspect shots aren’t used as much and the atmosphere comes from Oscar more so than the environment itself.

Furthermore, “Oscar Zahn” is on LINE Webtoon, although it wasn’t originally created for it, which means it’s formatted for a tablet or phone screen more than a computer, which shrinks the panels too much. There are times when a panel should be grand, showing the scale of a room, but instead appears small and cramped because of this. Additionally, Vuong’s linework and inking isn’t the cleanest. It tends to have holes in it, showing the layers beneath what’s shadowed and blurring the lines between features. It hurts the depth perception within the art, flattens backgrounds and makes it appear unfinished. However, the panel to panel storytelling is solid, creating tension and wonder about what could be hiding in the haunted house, and Oscar’s personality is so charming, and the story so intriguing, that you don’t want to put the comic down.

While this opening adventure isn’t completed yet, it has plenty of places it can go and is a solid start to larger adventures and mysteries.


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