Here it is! Just in time for the USA’s celebration of feasts and conflicting narratives, The Webcomics Weekly is here! Let us give thanks for all these wonderful comics, for the Bad Machines and the Lost Nightmares. For the Strange Tales and the Metaphorical Hers. For the Minions of Binwin and the Fighters who Eat. Let us give thanks to the creators, for they provide their bounty freely for all to partake.
Bad Machinery
November 12, 2009 – November 18, 2009
Updates: Completed
By John Allison
Reviewed by Bodhi
It’s not that before this John Allison’s “Bad Machinery: The Case of the Team Spirit” hasn’t had wide-screen panels; it did, but none have been quite this effective. We open this installment’s “Bad Machinery” at a fresh venue and Allison captures that image you have in your mind the moment you hear “farmer’s market” through fall colors and well. . .Amy Beckwith-Chilton.
A large part of these updates is devoted (finally and well-deservedly so) to Mildred. Here’s a fun exercise: try saying Mildred’s mum’s dialogue in your head while watching her expression as drawn by Allison and see if you don’t start doing an extremely liberal and posh accent. The vegan Mildred is also chocolate-starved and this leads to some pretty funny exchanges between her and equally gossip-starved Lottie.
The plot progression here is little but that’s because a new (that too main and interesting) character introduction always leads to certain amount of info-dumping and needs a bit of space before the comic can start moving again. Thankfully, Allison’s jokes can save any situation. Well, almost. The second half of the update involving Mrs. Biscuits and her ongoing fight with the “football man” suffers in comparison because the Mildred pages are still fresh in the mind of the reader.
Next time we see what the boys are up to and maybe get invited to a posh party.
Binwin’s Minions
Pages 76-80
Updates: Fridays
Written by Cory Casconi
Illustrated by Tavis Maiden
Reviewed by Robbie Pleasant
Believe it or not, I had no idea who Binwin Bronzebottom was before I started reading “Binwin’s Minions.” As such, this is a comic I can read without knowing anything about “Acquisitions Incorporated,” but it was always easy enough to understand and enjoy without that knowledge.
These latest five pages are bringing the second volume’s story arc to an end, while setting up what waits for the third. It’s the culmination of their journey so far – represented with a literal “level up” for those who earned it – and focusing on the breakout star of the series: Quonk the duck.
Cory Casconi actually gives us a twist that’s been set up for some time now, the end result of Quonk eating any magical item he can get his bill on and the wizard’s apathy towards his… animal? Familiar? Mascot? Either way, it comes about after we get plenty of magical mayhem, some amusing dialogue (“Get back here you cowards! This will be reflected in your annual review!”) and a nice lesson about teamwork and selflessness.
Tavis Maiden’s art has been steadily improving since the start of the webcomic, falling into a solid cartoon style. Each of the character designs are distinct, with a range of different body types and character shapes. The coloring is solid and bright, making it easy on the eyes and adding to the lighthearted tone.
Even then, the latest page has an ominous overtone, hinting that the next arc might get just a tad more serious. Of course, that’s all a very relative term, given how the comic has been so far.
Overall, “Binwin’s Minions” is a fun webcomic, and the latest story arc has concluded nicely. It’s amusing to read and well-illustrated, so even those with no idea who Binwin is can dive right in.
Eat Fighter
Episodes 1-8
Updates: Every Saturday
Words by Crystal Skillman and Fred Van Lente
Pictures by Fernando Pinto
Edits by Tom Akel
Reviewed by Dexter Buschetelli
Culinary carnivore Missy Barnes embarks on a dangerous game in “Eat Fighter,” a new strip by Crystal Skillman, Fred Van Lente, and Fernando Pinto. This Webtoon has meat, pun intended. Chock full of multiple ingredients simmered to perfection and garnished with a delectable art style this is a series to keep one’s eyes, and taste buds, attuned to.
Continued belowAs Missy enters the Eat Fighter tournament to avenge her brother’s death which she believes to have been at the hands of its champion, Nomnomynous, she immediately chokes, literally. This sets our protagonist on a path of seeking a trainer in the revered Takoyaki and sets up the comic’s delicious supporting cast that also includes love-interest Secret Chef and Missy’s oldest friend and darkest secret.
A redemption story that Joey Chestnut would devour ensues as the “quartet” travel to Nashville for a hot chicken challenge. Along the way they’ll relish a Renaissance Faire, tackle a taco mountain, and reveal an M. Night ShiaLeMuffinomnom-level (lemon) twist.
Spicy drama, salty language, cheesy romance, and hearty beef are abound in this food lover’s filet-o-fun. Take a bite out of one of the freshest webcomics around and savor the enticing overtones of a rich, complex, and robust series sure to please any palette.
Editor’s Note: I thoroughly apologize for all the puns.
Lost Nightmare
Pages 2.21 – 3.10
Updates: Completed
By Julia K. (a.k.a. Miyuli)
Reviewed by Gustavo S. Lodi
As indicated in previous updates, “Lost Nightmare” reveals a bit more of the true nature of the relationship between the dreams and nightmares and of their leaders and manifestations, the Sandman and the Boogeyman. In a series that has so effectively played the card of “not all is what it seems,” it feels almost surprising to see the truth being laid our bare.
Julia’s art continues to be a very strong highlight of “Lost Nightmare.” Continuing with her sharp creature design, this update graces readers with a truly haunting being in the middle of a lake, where an apparent peace and tranquility is inhabited by such a vile creature. Linework and colors continue to go hand-in-hand, presenting a very animated, beautiful style to the entire package.
The new chapter “Jasper” moves the focus completely away from “Lost Nightmare” key protagonist, Ink, in favour of his apparent rival. It is here where the plot grows stronger by painting a clear distinction between their personalities. Despite both being inexperienced at their craft and place in the world, Jasper has a larger chip on his shoulder and ventures forth more out of his own will, rather than by the circumstances around him.
Another key highlight is the interaction between the Boogeyman and his trusted companion, Doll. Their dialogue exchange, albeit brief, tells a lot about how each of them feels towards their responsibilities and to the world they care for.
Without letting go of the quality seen on early updates, “Lost Nightmare” starts to branch its settings and mythologies out further, building on top of a strong foundation. With key characters in movement and in evolution, the future becomes truly unexpected for Ink, Jasper and the entire cast.
Metaphorical Her
Chapters 1-3
Schedule: Saturday
By James Maddox & David Stoll
Reviewed by Michael Mazzacane
“Metaphorical HER” is in the vein of Gillen and McKelvie’s “Phonogram” or “The Wicked + The Divine” in that it transforms art in to literal magic. Despite taking its metaphors literally at times, it isn’t as reflexive as those other works, but still makes for a darn good comic. As Laney commits career suicide as she drunkenly impunes a more established, classist, poet ,it is visually represented by her surrealistically blowing her brains out with an eye becoming one of those olive cocktails. If that wasn’t a statement on the strip’s willingness to go places, a disappointed lover ripping out an anatomical heart like it’s Temple of Doom gets the point across. This kind of surrealist literalism is heavy handed but never the less effective as it efficiently gets the point across. The lack of subtly might put some readers off, I find those moments always interesting because of the inevitable cracks that develop. Not all of these moments are gory, as seen when a downstairs neighbor lights a batch of clothes on fire to clear as spot.
For a strip about poetry though, I wish there was a bit more of it in these first three strips. There are couple of solid refrains but it is conspicuously absent when Laney gets up on stage and preforms. Visually, she transforms into a David Bowie-like character, her reading is this raw magically experience. Visually it makes sense, but comics are a fusion of words and pictures and this sequence lacked half of the equation. Overall artistically the strip is solid. It plays in a slightly more detailed Daria aesthetic with a limited color palette.
Continued belowThe guttering between panels feels a bit too big at times, which impacts the strips flow. The best sequence of vertical art is when it tracks the previously mentioned heart falling down a set of stairs. It’s a great sequence that uses Line’s setup. Over the three strips things do improve.
“Metaphorical HER” makes a good first impression and has a lot of promise. This first set of strips setup Laney and the mode of everything, and act well enough as their own episode.
The Strange Tales of Oscar Zahn
Chapters 21-24
Updates: Wednesdays
By Tri Vuong
Reviewed by Elias Rosner
Act 2 came to a close with chapter 22, a reveal two acts in the making, and the start to Act 3, which does an admirable job of tying together the disparate elements of Charlie’s story & the historical details. Straddling the end & beginning of these acts in one review puts me in an interesting position as it is an unclean break, narratively, but thematically allows me to talk about how Vuong’s utilization of the act structure greatly benefits the flow of his comic.
While the majority of chapters 21 & 22 brought into relief just how drawn out Act 2’s battlefield fight was, the pacing of the scenes themselves are still impeccable, utilizing the framing & the slow zoom to build tension and show the stakes for Charlie & Oscar without ever losing the humor that endears us to them. The end of act reveal, which I won’t spoil, may have been guessed earlier on to some degree but it is only through the telling of Charlie’s war experience directly prior to the Battle of the Somme, which makes up the first two chapter of act three, that this reveal gains the impact it does.
Again, Vuong frames the opening of the act with historical detail and a reminder that this is not Oscar’s story. The shifting narration provides a through-line from act to act, calling us back to what was said before and reminding us that those seemingly unimportant details, the ones that build the world but not necessarily the main narrative, have more meaning than we ascribed to them. The execution of these callbacks is done beautifully and the violence in the chapters is the right balance of visually stylized — black silhouette on red background — and stark realism within the style of the comic. It is a grim reminder of the horrors that plague reality and the ways in which they birth the horrors of our fictions.
