Archive for ‘Webcomics You Should Be Reading’

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Mysteries of the Arcana, a Review

August 18th, 2009 | by Scott Story

Mysteries of the Arcana:

Johnny Saturn is a member of the Webcomic Planet Collective, a group that includes some very talented cartoonists, writers, and artists. As part of that collective, I take part in something called the “plug circle” (yes, I know, a truly unfortunate name). In it, we take turns talking about each other’s comics, introducing our comics to each other’s readerships, and the like.

This week, the comic I’d like to write about is “Mysteries of the Arcana,” or MotA. The story revolves around Theresa, a human girl from our time period about to commit suicide, and Chrys, an elf girl from a mystic setting who wants to rescue her mother. The writing is quite nuanced, and J Gray avoids lengthy exposition by showing us the information we need, not telling us.

The artist, Keith W, has a wonderful eye for color and a strong command of digital coloring. His storytelling and eye-leading compositions are also strong. There are a few rough spots in the penciling early on, but we’re artists, not machines, so I can overlook that. (In truth, I still have WTF moments with my own art.) Keith’s “how to” videos posted on the site are quite informative too, and they really illustrate how sophisticated his technique is.

The site design is sound, if maybe a little too busy. (I am apparently throwing stones from within my glass house on that), and having material parallel to the comic distracts the eye a bit. The site header is quite attractive, but I’m a little unsure of the necessity of the shout box on the lower left.

MotA is relatively young, but it’s already got a strong following, and I expect it keep growing.

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Webcomics You Should Be Reading No. 2

May 5th, 2009 | by Scott Story

thumbs_black-terrorHeroes Inc.

As you can imagine, Heroes Inc., by Scott Austin, is right down my alley.  Gritty, tough-as-nails, no-nonsense superheroes is what I do, after all, and Heroes Inc. fits that description as well.

For a long time, Johnny Saturn was just about the only serious superhero comic on the web.  Others had come and gone, and many webcomics with a superhero flavor came onto the scene, but that was the exception, not the rule.  There were strips with super heroic elements, such as Side Chicks, Magellan, Mind Mistress, the Vanguard, and a few others, but each of these were mined from different parts of the genre.  Then, Union of Heroes showed up, followed by Heroes Inc., and suddenly Johnny Saturn didn’t feel so alone.

In terms of writing, Heroes Inc. has the feel of a modern spy thriller, or perhaps a military thriller.  The writing is tight, the characterization is compact, and the pace seems to be building to something big.  The concept that immediately appealed to me is that of old superheroes being used as genetic donors for a new era of supers.

thumbs_benton_adWhen it comes to art, there is no doubt that Scott Austin is a very talented illustrator, and that his vision is unique.  The penciling is rock solid, and his figure work is beautiful.  His inking is non-traditional, made up of thin, choppy lines and splashes of black, giving the art a grim, urban feel.  Scott’s coloring is quite distinct, using a very desaturated palette, lots of grays, and blotchy, texture-full rendering.  It’s not realism he’s interested in here, but the stylized reality of indeterminates and unknowns.  If I had to boil down Scott’s artwork to one adjective, I would call it ‘edgy.’

Heroes Inc. characters are loosely derived from the Nedor characters, Golden Age superheroes that have fallen into the public domain.  I first encountered versions of these characters in Alan Moore’s Terra Obscura series, but that was not to be the last.  In the intervening years, we’ve seen them adapted by AC Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, Image, and others.  Heroes Inc. is perhaps the most original adaptation of these characters yet.

In terms of narrative, Scott Austin is quite skilled, and his action is often paired with parallel captions.  He makes good use of this technique, and he makes it make sense.

In summation, I wholeheartedly endorse Heroes Inc.

Scott.

heroes_cover

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Webcomics You Should Be Reading No. 1

April 22nd, 2009 | by Scott Story

Sometimes, I like to suggest webcomics that you should be reading.  This week, it’s  “Im Not Bob“  by Robert Chandler.

This strip is funny, but so are a lot of strips.  What stands out to me, however, is how well-rounded and identifiable the main characters are.  There’s Bob, a would-be webcartoonist; Dwayne, a geek with limited social skills; Amy, Bob’s wife and often the “straight man” in the comedy routine; Frank, the down and out accountant; and Walter, the talking cat.  Essentially, you have the dreamer, the geek, the normal person, the desperate person, and unknowable one.  To my way of thinking, Robert Chandler has divided up our communal psyche into traits we all share.

imnotbob

Much of the comedy centers on Dwayne’s misadventures and character flaws.  Some of the material is topical, based on pop culture observations such as the hoopla around Watchmen or Susan Boyle.  The jokes are timed nicely, and they almost always work.

So, if you are looking for a really funny daily comic strip with a bit of substance behind it, I strongly suggest you check out “I’m Not Bob.”

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