Welcome back to the Webcomics Weekly!
The work continues and it must not be neglected. Here, however, we “Trekker” on, trying to find “A Better Place,” full of “Milk for the Snakes,” a statement that gets me worried that’d be “RIP [for] You and Me.”
A Better Place
‘Clear Solution’ – ‘Save My Brother’
Updates: Thursdays
By Harry Bogosian
Reviewed by Elias Rosner
There’s a lot to unpack this week with regards to the plot. Not that Bogosian does a six page exposition dump but the information he imparts through Hannah’s rampage is revealing and telling. These pages feel like we’re approaching the comics’ climax and, while I know we are not thanks to the magic of hindsight, the pacing has an air of finality, as if this were the end of book one. Premyon has apparently been manipulating Hannah’s emotions ever so slightly to keep her docile at the behest of Irtes, who as we know is also Mr. Bun, and upon finding this out, she confronts Frieda before being manipulated by E.C. into “rescuing” Theo from Tina and the Anti-Theists.
Oh and apparently Irtes has a million plans all going at once and also Premyon has totally been manufacturing good vibes towards her from Hannah since day one. It’s becoming clear that, of all of Hannah’s advisors, Nina and Frieda are the only two good ones; everyone else has their own agendas, and it is the conflict of those agendas, with Hannah stuck in the middle, that is creating the central tension of the narrative. Well, that, Theo & Hannah’s inevitable conflict, and Nina’s internal conflicts over Hannah’s role in her life and whether or not acting against her is the only way to save her.
Once again, I have to praise Bogosian’s draft work. The solidity of the art and the depth of emotion he brings out, not just through obvious facial expressions but from body language, lettering and even the background actions. You can feel the power crackling off Hannah, the anxious, crowding, desperate machinations of E.C., and the shame and care for Irtes from Frieda. ‘What Do You Know’ even takes the time to have Frieda’s scared cat hiding behind the couch while surrounded by smoke.
Bogosian has also gotten far better with his coloring, which I know I’ve pointed out before but it felt particularly well done in these pages. The way he handles the various lighting scenarios and portrays color in darkness are the areas he’s grown the most in, which is good because it looks like he’s about to raise the stakes to 11 and plunge us deep, deep into the depths of the story. Get ready y’all, it’s gonna be a desperate fight to come for Hannah.
Milk for the Snakes
Hang the Goat
Updates: On Hiatus
By Muura
Reviewed by Dexter Buschetelli
After reviewing the absolutely engrossing “for love” two weeks ago and discussing the abundance of queer creators in the world of horror webcomics I decided to seek out more of that this week. And while there are so many out there which I intend to analyze in future installments of Webcomics Weekly one little episode of a comic which has not been updated still stuck out enough for me that I felt it deserved inclusion in this column.
“Milk for the Snakes” bills itself as “story set in fantasy finno-scandinavia in the 1800’s about two entities fighting over claim of a small village & the inhabitants of it being used as pawns” and while that description gives more exposition than ‘Hang the Goat’ actually does, I still found myself drawn to it. It doesn’t have much in the way of linear storytelling yet aside from the initial introductions of its cast and a titular lynched billy, but there’s a certain ineffable quirk to it that is difficult to pin down, even more so to describe. It has a certain charm to it, and also some cunnilingus.
What is most striking about this admittedly sparse debut is the artwork. “Milk for the Snakes” has a very loose style to it, relying more on character expression and competent composition more than anything. Finnish artist Muura shows a lot of promise with sequential storytelling here, which is most present in the second page of ‘Hang the Goat.’ We see a young girl in bed as a snake slithers through her cracked window and up to her bed to retrieve a lost tooth. To describe these seven panels may not sound like much but viewing them instills an emotion and intrigue in the reader, as any visual work should do.
Continued belowAs the pages continue Muura uses a painterly style as well as tones of color to evoke feelings and indicate flashbacks in a way that is quite effective. Each time the hue shifts so too does the sensation that it is designed to communicate. The final pages, which see a mysterious and skeletal figure emerge from the shadows, are especially effective as sharp linework cuts across a watercolor background in a way that is visually arresting. If these small bits of visual storytelling are any indication of the promise to be found in Muura’s work, I certainly hope to see more of “Milk for the Snakes” in the future.
RIP You and Me
Tales #1 – #5
Updates: Every Tuesday
By Chas! Pangburn & Angela Oddling
Reviewed by Jason Jeffords Jr
“RIP You and Me” is different from the other webcomics/webtoons I’ve written about in the past for a few reasons. First off, the manner in which I learned of it! Writer, Pangburn is a mutual Twitter account I know from writing comic reviews, as he works on a multitude of parts on comics. Second; I can’t recall another webtoon I’ve read that’s done by two people, so that’s interesting. Plus, instead of going over just one update, I’ll go over all five that are out, as they are quick reads. Nonetheless, this is also my first time reading a webtoon on my phone, not going to lie it reads much better than on the computer.
“RIP You and Me” calls itself, “A “slice of death” webcomic about breakups, mental health, and spooky stuff,” which fits the bill quite well. Especially since they say some stories are from the creator’s real life, while others are cautionary tales. Each update is labeled after what subject the story revolves around, with some being shorter than others. Each of these cautionary tales either involves Skeleton Boy, or Witch Girl, sometimes both of them. And, although each story is a standalone tale there does seem to be an underlining story running in the background. That story being the two characters getting over their breakup. I mean, some breakups can be messy, we all know that.
Furthermore, that’s what I love about “RIP You and Me.” The characters are relatable, and so are the stories. Even if some of the stories may not be something you’ve dealt with, when there is one, you know the exact feeling they’re going for. Not only that, but each story is short enough that it gets to the part and finishes. The plots never diverge, instead, it wastes no time to tell its tale.
These cautionary tales were my first time coming across Oddling, whose art fits perfectly with each tale. Not only can Oddling make a panel busy – not to busy mind you – but she also makes the more minimalist panels look fantastic. Her style is bright, colorful, cheerful, and bubbly. Each time a character adorns the page you’ll breathe a sigh of relief because you love seeing her designs and art style. However there are times that no art is shown, and all you see is the lettering, albeit Oddling’s art is fantastic, when this transpires it’s amazing what the duo does for the storytelling.
Each cautionary tale is a blast to read while being the perfect length. So kick back and get hit in the feels!
Trekker
Pages: 11-18 Book 08 ‘Vincent’s Share’
Schedule: Mondays
Written and Illustrated by Ron Randall
Lettered by Ken Bruzenak
Reviewed by Michael Mazzacane
‘Vincent’s Share’ comes to a conclusion in this second strip. This two part story being condensed down to an 18 page story is an interesting example of how page constraints effect story and how this story is told. ‘Vincent’s Share’ was the first time Randall returned to a fairly consistent narrator prose besides the opening page setup. It really forces each page to be a compact scene unto itself. That extra lettering crowds the page some but his art is still fairly remarkable. 18 Pages is not too far off from a standard single issue comics (20-22 pages), Randall’s work didn’t leave me wanting an extra page. Did things move fast, yes. We are suddenly thrown into a black market mind implantation scheme in the span of half a page. That speed is in the comics favor as it helps to reinforce the fraught game Vincent was playing in his pursuit of a big score. You don’t realize it until Randall lays in a couple of panels of Vincent getting his face pounded into mush, easily the most violent imagery of the comic thus far, and the storytelling coheres and it makes an impact on the reader. Which than allows for the final page denouement that turns this fun little side story into a key turning point for Mercy’s character All of this in 8 pages.
There is a sort of “Kamandi Challenge” quality to how quickly Randall churns through plot. On the opening page Mercy and Vincent are tailing their marks only for something to happen at the final panels. Which leads to them running for their lives through a death tunnel all of a sudden. It’s a lot but the layout and lettering by Randall gives the twelfth page the necessary energy for you to just go with it. The use of three thin horizontal panels as to create a sense of impossible distance for Mercy and Vincent to cross, flanked by onomatopoeia, creates this perfect tension so when they chump the reader feels afraid for their safety.
All of this escalation is at once informed by the necessity of page budgets, but it also facilitates the core theme of the story: “The Ecstasy of Gold” will lead to your downfall. All of this escalation also creates a false sense of security, they’ve survived so much surely they will make it out this time and get their big score. And than Vincent gets his face pounded into mush, and Randall nails the death scene! It is a moment of shocking and brutal violence that gives “Trekker” a sense of physical danger and stakes it hasn’t really had before. That shock leaves Mercy with more to think on as she journeys back to earth and Paul and all of the growing drama she doesn’t even know about yet.
