The Webcomics Weekly is back in your life. This week, we’ve got our continuing coverage of “Agents of the Realm” and “The Otherknown.” Joining them is a comic that’s seeing a new lease on life, “Harlowe Vanished.”
Agents of the Realm
Pages 222-233(Ch.5)
Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays
By Mildred Louis
Reviewed by Michael Mazzacane
This batch of pages, roughly 205-249 are my favorite out of the first volume of “Agents.” After pages of slowly getting the team together, everything is in place, for maximum drama to occur at the most inopportune moments. Moments like having your meet cute with Rowan aka Not-Tuxedo Mask. “Agents” is a thoroughly postmodern comic as Mildred Louis uses the generic form of a Magical Girl story to structure her college going character study. As such there have been fun references to other bits of media in the past, like the film they watched at the group screening. The whole sale homage of Tuxedo Mask, the main love interest in “Sailor Moon,” as means to expediently prime an audience that he is set to be someone important, and potential romantic endgame for Norah, might appear to be hollow reference. The reference serves a purpose but the obviousness of it potentially draws too much attention to itself as reference. In the medium of comics, one that demands a high degree of depth and synergy between word and picture, this kind of reflexivity is highly successful. The reference to Tuxedo Mask is purely visual, if that was all that sequence was built around it would fall flat. Instead Louis uses it to frame the sequence, as Norah and Rowan commiserate over his status as D.D., both sharing not to dissimilar jobs of herding their friend group together.
Their conversation is natural small talk that is both earnest and somewhat banal. It is the kind of present forward experience the wise bartender told Norah to look for. Visually they are fated to be connected together but their conversation is what has me wanting to see that potentially occur.
I generally vibe with the character of Norah the most, her mixture of social anxiety and bemused outlook at college social life and the dating game mirror my own thoughts. While her conversation and the advice given by the bartender is an excellent moment, it is Louis visual work on page 224 that struck me the most. After a pep talk Norah once again decides to go out there after a little breather, but to do that she must once again brave the dance floor. Louis panel work in the middle third of the page, slanted vertical panels that progressively narrow as Norah progresses is plainly great visual storytelling. Even if you didn’t know the characters anxious mantra at the top of the page you understood the struggle to get through the throng of dancers.
Fate is a recurring motif through the series, that sort of destiny can feel dramatically unearned at times. For this section Louis puts a comedic spin on it as Norah finds some of her teammates by sheer chance-fate. When used right the subtle machinations of fate can feel entirely natural. Such as this latest monster attack coming just as Imani Q comes to the stage and Louis gets to melodramatically draw Norah being dragged off to do her duty, protesting that it might not be so bad along the way.
Harlow Vanished
Chapter 1 pg. 37-41
Updates: Mondays
By Amy King
Flats by Kay King
Reviewed by Elias Rosner
Webcomics, much like any digital media, are in a unique position. The ease with which a work can be put up and taken down means that risks are encouraged and, if one has to take a work back to the drawing board, they can do so. Such is the case with “Harlow Vanished.” Relaunching back in May 2019, the story of Harlowe and the strange and scary world she finds herself in has begun with renewed art, a stronger sense of direction and a pacing that supports the weekly pages.
The strongest aspects of “Harlow Vanished” are in the characterizations, the lettering and the way exposition is handled. Both in the “real” world and this strange world Harlowe finds herself trapped in, we are asked to piece the situations together from snipped of faded dialog and the physicality of the characters. That isn’t to say there isn’t exposition, just that when it’s there, it’s meant to confuse rather than overwhelm with knowledge. Harlowe doesn’t know jack shit about this new world and is kind of along for the ride, just like us.
Continued belowIt’s always a tough line to draw in stories with fantastical elements, and even in ones that are meant to reflect the world around us, and while some of the more emotional elements are not particularly subtle, such as page 38’s bathroom scene, it is effective. We’ll learn as she does, the important pieces becoming clear while the unimportant details remain in the background, adding a wholeness to the world.
The art won’t be for everyone, though. The characters aren’t shaded, giving them a flat look to them that doesn’t always work, particularly in these pages with the non-Harlowe characters. Moreover, some of the faces are, well I don’t know how to describe them as anything but off. Not bad, and everyone has a distinct look, which is always welcomed, but the one character with red eyes seems to be more skeleton than person. It’s the stylization and the angularity of their face that gets me and I think it’s just going to take some getting used to.
The Otherknown
Chapter 2, Pages 1-8
Updates: Wednesday/Saturday
By Lora Merriman
Reviewed by, Jason Jeffords Jr
It’s a new month and a new chapter! What a great way to start off March 2020. Especially since Merriman likes chapter titles, it’s a small thing, yet I absolutely love chapter titles! But, let’s not linger, as Merriman has some amazing visual pages contained in the first eight pages.
Right from the get-go, we are treated to a new location and a few new characters. First is one that I feel many will love—Barthélemy Chenu. He seems to work for the same corporation that Demeck does, yet his title hasn’t been explained yet. Plus, it seems the two know each other quite well, in a not so “they’re friends” manner. Moreso a supervisor and employee. Yet, Chenu’s demeanor is what makes him stick out. Well, that, and his awesome first name, Barthélemy. Such a cool name I don’t see often.
Back to the demeanor part. Chenu is constantly calm/collective, yet it seems when he needs to verbally tear someone apart he does it with ease and a calm demeanor. He even has an amazing design, everything about Chenu is great and hopefully, we get more of him. Alas, the story doesn’t just revolve around Chenu, but also Demeck. Our favorite seedy character. “The Otherknown’s” first eight pages of Chapter two focuses on the introduction of Chenu, plus his hologram meeting with Demeck.
The meeting between the two is great in a character revealing moment, but also in a visual manner. When the duo is talking Merriman will switch between the two with the opposite being a hologram. But, the highlight of the conversation is two particular panels that combine to make one amazing visual element. In the middle of the page, she has the duo talking with each other with Demeck on the left and Chenu on the right. The panel is one long rectangle panel but split in the middle. On the left, you see Demeck’s room with part of Chenu’s couch as a hologram, then you have the panel break.
On the right, you have Chenu’s room with part of Demeck’s coach as a hologram. Essentially you have a long rectangle panel that is split in the middle showing two rooms, yet adding hologram pieces to further whose room we are in. Hopefully that all makes sense, since to explain in written form is hard, but it is page 5 if you want to look at it. Alas, this panel had me screaming because I thought it was fantastic. Merriman has another page where she plays with lettering in a downward motion with minimalistic art. The page is fantastic and shows her willingness to play with different styles. Plus, it reminded me of something I’d see in the original “Spawn” issues.
Nonetheless, as we go through Merriman’s, “The Otherknown” I continue to love it.
