The Webcomics Weekly #88: Meow Man and Chickenface Return (5/26/2020 Edition)

Webcomics Weekly returns and we’re knocking on our 100th edition! This week “Meow Man” returns along with an appearance by “Chickenface.” We finish up the sixth chapter of “Agents of the Realm.” “Trekker” and “The Otherknown” also continue.

It can be funny how, somewhat arbitrarily, limiting the amount of pages you read for a review chunk can influence things. Take this chunk, if I had realized I was only three pages from the end of chapter 6, I would’ve just finished it off a couple of weeks ago. And now I get this chunk of pages that is the nice emotional catharsis that gives readers a bit more insight into Paige and the beginning of the seventh chapter, which come together to highlight the interpersonal relationships and communication problems of the Agents. That is a episodic motif that wouldn’t exist if I had finished chapter 6 in the last entry.

Mildred Louis does a lot of fantastic cartooning for their character acting. That cartooning when mixed with other various elements give this series a real sense of life to it. For the most part that liveliness is based in positive emotions. The end of chapter 6 is a happy and positive one, just one filled with happy tears. Crying faces isn’t something we have seen much of yet and we get two of them in this chunk as Mackenzie also runs off crying, not so happy tears, over Jordan’s communication issues. Louis captures the differing emotions, even though they present similar features, well. It isn’t quite full melodrama but in the heightened manga space that places a heavy emphasis on emotive art.

The interaction with Mackenzie feels maybe a little off, I’m likely not remembering something. And even if it feels “off” it’s because that sequence is built around a concept you don’t really see recognized in these kinds of stories: the characters (theoretically) lead lives off panel. A concept realized as Mackenzie ignores and blows her top at Jordan for only wanting to be around her when it’s good for her and not being more amenable to her schedule as well. That’s just a nice slice of life bit of drama in and of it self, when mixed with this Magical Girl business, I want more.

It’s another entry so of course I’m here praising the lettering again, but 310-311 are just spectacular. I mean this in the best way, Louis packs in text like she’s writing a Chris Claremont “X-Men” script. Those two pages are densely packed with lettering and even with all the color and various fonts it all still works. The dense lettering creates that claustrophobic feel of sharing a room with little space. Louis work on Norah in this section is good but it’s that line work in conjunction with the lettering that creates the feeling of exasperation as she tries to get Adele to get dressed and not flirt with her cousin over not-Skype.

Well I could not be more excited to be transitioning to a different regular series for this column, one of my absolute favorite webcomics I have reviewed here at Multiversity. And that is saying something because I have had the pleasure of reviewing some truly wonderful creations here. KJ Murr’s “Chickenface” is truly one of the strangest things I have ever read. It keeps a light and witty sense of humor, and a fairly whimsical art style considering the content of the panels, but it is also disgusting and disturbing. To keep it brief, it is one hell of a ride.

Picking back up with the last few pages of the first chapter we return to the grotesque beasts having a kaiju-esque battle in the parking lot of the Tastyville. Watching a four-armed obese mean propel clones from his bellybutton at an eldritch horror is not something I really ever expected to see in my life, let alone write a sentence about. Yet here we are, enjoying chunks passed off as chicken made from people.

It’s not just the bizarre nature of “Chickenface” that makes it enjoyable, though. There’s a sardonic nature to the writing that I find resonates deeply with me. As our titular character gets police on the scene and explains that his employer has manufactured this entire situation, law enforcement simply decides that they’d rather eat some of those tasty, tasty chunks than deal with any of it. The chunks that, as I mentioned before, are “made from peeeeeoplllle.”

The final page of this installment sees our protagonist seek guidance in how to learn a lesson from the entire ordeal, positing that the humiliation builds character. His father responds with “No, son. It just burns. Burning does not build character. Who told you this lie?” I look just as forward to unsettling character and creature designs in this “Chickenface” as I do seeing him receive terribly misguided parental advice and rearing.

It’s been a hot minute since we last checked in Bonnie and Claude, I wonder what developments have occu– OH. Oh my. Oh, that’s a lot of plot and intrigue and fantasy politics. I dunno what to say except. . .more please?

“Meow Man’s” 87th-91st episodes are fairly heavy in terms of tone and subject matter, at least for a series that began with a cat man getting hit on the head by a frying pan after promising three wishes. It’s a testament to Olso’s character development that we’ve reached a point where I can be genuinely worried about Bonnie’s feelings and the difficult relationships that she has been dragged into without it being undercut by the slapstick. Because there remains a fuq ton of slapstick and fourth panel punchlines but more and more the driving factor in each four panel scene are the dramatic moments, culminating in a fifth panel cliffhanger at the end of the episode.

Olso is also clearly more confident in their drafting and staging. While the art remains loose in order to retain that wobbly, simple feel, their lines are cleaner, the framing more dynamic and the shading and backgrounds have a noticeable consistency that ever so slightly enhances the depth of field. Subtle expressions, too, are more common, balancing out the more bombastic moments of heightened emotion, both played for pathos and for comedy.

“Meow Man” is the perfect example of taking a ludicrous concept and transforming it into something with longevity. Many comedy only, gag series struggle to stay fresh but “Meow Man” is slowly building a multi-layered story that never forgets its roots as it blazes a new path for its characters and tones. It isn’t afraid to get serious and it isn’t afraid to indulge in world building without getting self-serious. So eat some fried chicken, learn about cat politics, and get ready for side-splitting laughs with your good friend “Meow Man.”

Jeez, it’s the last week of May, time just kind of flew by, didn’t it? Nonetheless, we have some great plot movement in this update of “The Otherknown.” So, let’s get to it!

Page 42 starts right after our last update (I mean, that’s to be expected) with Hannah answering the phone. Who other could it be than Chandra. I figured that would happen, so it’s nice to be reassured in my figuring capabilities. However we do learn that the communicator is only able to reach others on the same planet. Overhearing the conversation, Demeck hops in front of the hologram and calls Chandra’s aunt out. Turns out Chandra made an oopsie and exposed her Aunt’s operation on the planet, as we learn Demeck had no idea they came back. Honestly, little plot points like this that cause big ramifications are great. Especially in this sense, as there’s no way Chandra could’ve known about the communications limitations.

Although it’s only four pages, pages 42-45 feels as if it’s a large turning point for “The Otherknown.” Demeck thought it was weird that Ajupris was saying it was a great deal, even when he didn’t. Now with him knowing she is on the other side of the planet doing something under his nose, he knows something is up. That in mind, this update leaves with Demeck himself getting ready to fly over and see what is happening.

A few updates back I mentioned how I love Merriman’s use of lighting from monitors shining of people and surfaces in a dark area. At times it feels as if people forget that monitors are bright in dark places and can shine on people. Merriman doesn’t and that carried onto page 45. When Demeck opens the gate for where the ship is held you start to see a light coming from the opening door go down his body. While it’s opening Merriman uses a tight shot of Demeck’s face and shows that the door is still opening by making the light thicker. This may not seem like much, but it works amazingly as a visual of the door opening and time passing.

With such a big event happening in only four pages, I am overly excited to see what happens next. It feels like a big confrontation is going to transpire and change a lot while giving more details for the world. I’m all for that!

Randall changes things up with the start of the seventh book of “Trekker” and the second part of ‘The Babel Cannon’ by starting on a credits splash page. Normally this would be a moment that would get a little build up but after the cliffhanger in the previous issue you’ve got to start big. Out numbered Mercy, Paul, and Bolt make a hasty retreat to the ship giving their attackers a larger but faster target to aim at.

Randall does a fantastic job of capturing the sense of speed and movement in this section. This first half issue is all about chases and escapes as they fly into the oncoming electrical storm. The downside of working for Rigel means no killing. But like Batman, Bolt doesn’t have to save anyone either as they fly blind throughout the storm. This storm setting can be tricking in black and white but Randall uses a lot of screentone to create lines and textures, on top of copious black ink, that creates a surprisingly readable image.

There has always been some humor to this series but Randall nails a couple of solid gags as Mercy reacts to the revelation that Bolt will not kill. The lettering itself isn’t different from anything else but panel content, a exterior view of the ship in the midst of a raging storm, brings out the strained quality of Mercy’s dialog.

Page 8 is a fantastic piece of construction as Paul tries to climb to the summit. The page is split into two halves an upper and lower each with four panels. While the various perspectives of the panels in both halves are different they create the similar effect of the sudden save or release. At the top of the page Paul’s line suddenly snaps and he begins to fall. On the bottom half of the page you see this real compressed Bernard Krigstein like paneling that really extends/captures the sense of falling so that when you get to that final and WHAM, Bolt saves the day.

This is not how their cruise was supposed to end and Mercy is starting to get real tired of what she has been pulled into.