The Webcomics Weekly is back in your life. The end of the year is looming. The weather is getting cold (at least in the Northern Hemisphere.) Day are short, nights are long, and it feels like the dead are closer than ever, which means it’s the perfect time to take a trip to gloomy Thantopolis! See the sights! Talk to the ghosts! And learn that maybe your life isn’t quite what you thought it was.
Heroes of Thantopolis
‘Chapter 1: Alive on Arrival’ – ‘Chapter 13: The Banquet’
Updates: On Hiatus until January 2024
By Strontium
Reviewed by Elias Rosner
Welcome to Thantopolis, folks. The city of the dead, full of ghosts, intrigue, and a rather crabby ruler, Helene. “Chapter 1” opens cryptically enough with our lead, Cyrus, overhearing a conversation before waking up in Helene’s hallway. He’s not dead, at least not really, but he’s not a ghost either. We’re not really sure what his deal is. HE’S not even sure who he is. That’s what the next twelve chapters are for, after all.
As with any good fantasy story featuring a young lad, he’s immediately enlisted to fight Helene’s battles for her. Not right away of course. First, Strontium’s got to take us on a tour of Helene’s castle and introduce us to Xisea, an ADORABLE ghost spider, who shares Cyrus’ amnesia. Then, after a good night’s sleep, and a small misadventure with an assassin, we’ll be off to the races. Or the Colosseum as it were.
It’s pretty clear the influences the works of Rick Rioridan had on “Heroes of Thantopolis” from that initial description. Derivative, though, it is not. “Heroes of Thantopolis” has a wonderfully balanced first chapter, doling out comedy and drama in equal measure while maintaining a buoyant, mostly lighthearted tone. The long term mysteries are properly set up and aren’t dwelled on for too long, allowing the immediate plot to progress with greater propulsion. It’s great fun! And Cyrus is Ace! That’s a point easily in its favor.
Strontium has a knack for the casual in the midst of the extraordinary. You always get the sense that even as things play out on grander and grander scales, though not really THAT grand, these are regular people/ghosts/gods going about their lives. Conflicts play out interpersonally and emotionally far more than they do physically or mentally. The core of the series is not in the whats – what happened to Cyrus, what will he do to save Thantopolis, what is Helene keeping secret – but on how the whys affect the character’s relationships.
It can be easy to get lost in the plots and actions. Heaven knows I’ve seen many a webcomic spin out so far from its initial conceit and center that it’s impossible to feel connected to it anymore. “Thantopolis” has successfully kept us grounded by its sleek cast of well-rounded and distinct characters and their relationships to one another. It’s one of the reasons this series keeps me coming back chapter after chapter.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how startlingly smooth the art progression is. While the initial chapters are certainly rough around the edges, they are by no means amateurish or poor. Strontium is growing into their style, refining as they go along. For example: Cyrus’ head becomes less of a tall oval on a pencil neck and more slightly wide circle on a regularly proportioned neck. Backgrounds too gets more detailed and panels have more varied angles while the colors drift away from darker shades to brighter, cooler ones.
I actually think the color shift is a great indicator of Strontium’s commitment to the series’ chosen style. Flat, with just enough shading to solidify objects into three dimensions, it emphasizes and accentuates the cartooniness of the comic as well as the otherworldliness of Thantopolis. I hesitate to use the word garish to describe the colors but at times, that is what they are. In your face, singular, bright.
As of writing, Chapter 13 has just wrapped up, bringing the story nearer to its close. Things are coming to a head and the chapter sees Cyrus separated from his friends, first physically and then emotionally. We meet a very sexy god. We meet a much less sexy god who doesn’t treat Cyrus with respect. Of course, “Thantoplois” has an infectious sense of optimism and mature approach to drama, even when dealing with immature characters. I have no doubt it’ll be a meaningful and fun resolution.
Or I’ll be left a sobbing mess. That’s always a distinct possibility.
