Hi! I'm Cucu. I read an obscene number of webcomics and needed a space to gush about my love for every single one of them.
Mostly spoiler-free.
Updates: Tues and Fri for reviews. On Sundays, I recommend 3 webcomics to fit a theme.
Title: Transfusions
Updates: Sunday
Genre: Romance
Premise: Shy, nerdy Dylan agrees to become an outgoing vampire's personal blood bank, then eventually becomes his boyfriend.
Recommended if you... like paranormal romances, but want higher levels of cute awkwardness between the couple without any mysterious, untouchable cool factor.
The art is cute, but my favorite is the faces. Everyone's expressions are delightful and emotive. Combined with its limited palette of black, white, greys and reds, updates are always a treat to just look at, no matter what's going on. The quality was high from the start, but I think the current chapters are stunning.
Although the circumstances that drew them together were questionable (more on that later), Joa and Dylan are a cute couple. It is as much about Dylan and Joa settling into a sweet romance as it is about accepting the fact that sexuality and attraction are not simple. Both Joa and Dylan initially balk at their attraction to each other because, well, they always thought they were straight. In fact, when the comic begins, Dylan has a crush on a female acquaintance, and it is through that crush that Joa opens up to Dylan about the girlfriend he was dating before he died. Does it matter that they're not really attracted to other men, only to each other? Ultimately, it is not, at least for these two. What they have and build together is enough. Right now, they're not sure if their romantic attraction includes sexual attraction, but from a reader's perspective, this is never in question and so this angle is never seriously explored. The creator has already said there will be future NSFW pages, so I'm going to go out on a limb here and say "yes, their relationship definitely has a sexual component."
I like the fact that Joa is a young vampire. Apparently, he died sometime in the 80s, so there's no hint of Joa being the world-weary, enigmatic immortal. He is direct and sociable and likes to cook and care for Dylan. Even though he is more comfortable with intimacy than Dylan, he does not appear to have a lot of sexual experience. Joa dives into the relationship with as little of an idea as Dylan, so there is no imbalance of power. Joa is just as clueless as Dylan about what they have, but like Dylan, for now it is enough that they really, really like each other. They'll figure out the rest, together.
I also appreciate that the supporting characters have their own interesting moments. Dylan's friends support him, but they also have their own lives that's separate from whatever Dylan has going on. It makes the world seem bigger, more real. We've seen little of the supporting cast so far, but I'm hopeful that we see more of them. In particular, I hope it's because Dylan takes more of an active role in his friendships by opening up to them too, which he is beginning to do.
Here's my main problem, and I realize it is in some ways nitpicky: in Transfusions, vampires need to feed at least twice a week and Joa claims he's never left "prey" alive. Assuming he was telling the truth (and Joa's internal dialogue makes it clear that letting Dylan live was unusual for him and for vampires in general), he's murdered over 2,000 people in the twenty years he's lived alone. Joa's probably killed more than that. This does not appear to bother Joa, the self-described people person; perhaps he's numb to it after several decades of being a vampire. More importantly, this does not appear to bother Dylan at all. Even before Dylan became fond of Joa, he was never horrified by the casual way Joa admitted to killing two people a week. He calls him cold-hearted and exploitative, but he never outright calls him a murderer. Dylan has never reflected on the fact that he is somehow okay with dating a mass murderer who's never even shown or mentioned remorse for his actions. Sure, he's gotten to know him better, but 2000 people is a lot to gloss over. The comic isn't quite silly enough to shrug off such a large number as par for the course of having a vampire boyfriend.
Adorable as Joa is now that he's grown closer to Dylan, he hasn't even apologized for coercing Dylan by threatening to kill his friends and family. Considering the light-hearted, funny tone of this webcomic, this doesn't have to be addressed in a dramatic, heartrending confrontation, especially since so much time has passed. But the absence of any acknowledgment of Joa's pre-Dylan vampiric actions makes Dylan seem heartless. Joa claims he killed two people a week, which means he probably killed someone several days before attacking you, Dylan! How does none of this elicit even a tiny reaction or hesitation? It doesn't even merit an innocent inquiry?
Those details I struggle with are from really early in the comic, so as the story continues to explore their relationship without bringing up Joa's previous predation, I just have to salvage a dissatisfying explanation. For no reason, and completely out of character, Joa lied. It's a characterization that the webcomic doesn't support (Joa's early behavior is different from his current portrayal as he changes, but he's always written as an honest person), but it's the best I can do. Perhaps Joa was finally at a breaking point after hiding alone for twenty years, so the only thing he could think to do with his latest victim was to threaten him into accepting regular visits, and those threats included lies about killing those he feeds upon. It's just barely plausible. This doesn't completely resolve the problem, of course, but it suffices. I'm hoping the comic will eventually address this topic.
Transfusions is a sweet, well-drawn romance comic about two people figuring out what works best for them as they go along. You may or may not have the same criticism with its start that I did, but currently the story is cute and I recommend it if you like waiting on the edge of your seat wondering when these two dorks will finally do it.
Three Comics... That I Wish Weren't Abandoned Because I Miss Them
After coming across stringsoffate, someone's unofficial archive of Strings of Fate, I decided to see how many of my favorite abandoned webcomics still existed on the internet. Turns out, not many of them are still around; their archives appear down for good.
But here are three that are still available for reading, for now. I miss them and wish they'd return.
OF SNAKES AND APPLES
(Warning: Everyone is naked in this and genitalia is on display. However, the nudity is not pornographic.)
After her mother Shekah leaves her, Eve tries to get along with Adam as she navigates the rules of Eden with the questionable guidance of Lilith and Samyaza. Abandoned before the ball really got rolling.
I enjoyed this interpretation of Genesis, although it is not without its problems. For example, Eve's design is beautiful (the way curls of her hair wrap around page corners is a nice touch), but why does everyone else, even the angels and Shekah, have such pale pink skin? And though it's never stated outright, Lilith appears to rape Adam at night. Still, even though I know the story, I wanted to see what happens to Eve.
NO REST FOR THE WICKED
Princess November (Princess and the Pea), Perrault (Puss in Boots), and Red (Red Riding Hood) investigate the disappearance of the Moon. Abandoned just as it looked like they were getting somewhere.
I love fairy tales - Fables, Castle Waiting, The Storyteller, Jim Hines' Princess Novels... You name it, I probably adore it (well, jury's still out on Once Upon A Time, but that's another story). No Rest For The Wicked starts off seemingly silly and sweet (Princess November spits out a frog whenever she says the word altruistic), but rapidly increases its eerie factor once Red is introduced. The chapters about the Girl With Silver Hands/Hansel and Gretel are quite terrifying. If you believe that Hansel and Gretel were abandoned because their parents were poor rather than one parent remarrying, and if you imagine little Red being traumatized after her meeting with the wolf, then you will like this. Then, like me, you will shake your fists at the fact that we never find out what happened to the Moon.
VENUS ENVY
After transferring to a new high school, Zoe decides to transition into the girl she's always wanted to be, hoping her family will eventually understand. Abandoned at a cliffhanger.
On top of typical high school problems (homework! playing a sport! school plays and dances!), Zoe deals with post-rape trauma, issues with her hormone pills, family who misgenders her, dating a boy who used to sexually assault girls (he tries to reform for her, of course), and dealing with anxiety as she tries to fit in at her new school as a teenage girl. For me, Zoe's relationship with her family is what makes this webcomic special - it feels pretty real and complex, especially between Zoe and her mother. It takes a while for this webcomic to really get going, and there are quite a few wacky filler strips that keep interrupting the story, but stick with it. In case you are especially affected by this: Yes, the dog dies.
OPPLOPOLIS: Diverse cast try to solve the mystery of the word marvedyne
BASICS
Title: Opplopolis
Updates: Tuesday and Friday
Genre: Drama / Science Fiction
Premise: A diverse cast tries to decipher the significance of the word "marvedyne".
Recommended if you... enjoy off-kilter bizarro media like Cherry 2000 and Brazil where you don't quite understand what's going on, but want more dialogue like Ghost World and neo-noir spy fiction.
For a spy thriller/strange scifi/conspiracy mystery, Opplopolis is certainly colorful (thanks in part to the presence of Vesper). The fun flat coloring and gorgeous inked lines are really appealing, and often remind me of vintage pulp comics, if vintage comics sometimes used pop art palettes. For me the best part is how different everyone looks from each other. None of the women look the same! Older people actually look older, and do not look like young people with more creases around their eyes!
Opplopolis is a weird setting. Google results are spat out on continuous paper as if printed by a dot-matrix machine; phones can be rotary, wall-mounted, or cell phones; both horse-drawn carriages and limos exist as vehicles for the rich. The elite wear what looks like vaguely colonial-era clothing, while average people wear something recognizably contemporary; yet Vesper looks like a popstar from JEM and the Holograms. Marvin asks for a Sega Saturn as payment for his assistance with Google. Everything is familiar, but not quite right. It all adds to the surreal feel of the webcomic.
That surreal feeling and eccentric cast will either make you love this comic, or hate it. The pursuit of marvedyne's mysterious meaning by such oddballs can be frustrating or too deliberately precious. An immortal grad student lives in a library of esoteric information; zinesters look forward to reviewing the Bollywood remake of Short Circuit; Vesper is actually a collective of people, so she can fulfill her narrative duty of engaging in all sorts of behavior a pop celebrity is supposed to indulge in without missing tour dates or diluting her brand image. If all of this together sounds too bizarre, well, in some ways it is. Personally, I like everybody's quirkiness, even if I find some of their dialogue inscrutable. But there are just so many personalities on show here that it's fairly easy to find one or more of them likeable, so if you find Tomaj's crotchety philosophy insufferable, then take heart Birdie's adamantine no-nonsense attitude. You will love Birdie, trust me. Birdie is awesome.
Opplopolis is not the kind of mystery readers can solve ahead of the characters. You will be as mystified and intrigued as they are as they pursue the meaning of marvedyne for their own reasons, no matter how absurd their circumstances are or how confusing the search becomes.
MUTANT NINJA TURTLE GAIDEN: Adult Mutant Ninja Turtles are a dysfunctional, violent family
BASICS:
Title: Mutant Ninja Turtle Gaiden
Updates: Sporadic. Lately, at least a couple times a month.
Genre: Drama
Premise: Seventeen years after a tragedy forces the Mutant Ninja Turtles to break up their family, a new Mutant Turtle appears and everyone must face the effects and consequences of a terrible curse.
Recommended if you... prefer the original grim, violent Ninja Turtles comics over any of the cartoons, even that animated film with Patrick Stewart. If you have always questioned why Leo and Raph carried sharp weapons even if they weren't going to make people bleed, you won't have to wonder in this comic.
If you are only familiar with the wacky animated versions of the turtles, then this interpretation of the Ninja Turtles might come across as uncharacteristically gruesome. The original TMNT comics were significantly more serious in tone, and often pretty violent too. MNTG is darker than those comics, serving up feelings with hefty sides of gory violence and grim outlooks. MNTG explores themes of sacrifices, fears, healing, family, and identity by cursing the titular Mutant Ninja Turtles with a huge burden that breaks them down as they try to cope. Mostly, they cope by hurting people.
I love the art. Gory as the action is, they are some of the best pages in the comic. The action scenes are striking and bold, but also always instantly comprehensible, which is something I can't even say for mainstream printed comics. Honestly, most pages look really good, and are packed with enough interesting details that add to the scenery without making it look cluttered. Although the humans can look a bit strange, the Turtles always look amazing. Its cartoonish style is emphasized for comedy, yet it doesn't look out of place for dramatic interactions. There were times when I kept reading just to see more of the art, even when I wasn't enjoying the content.
I really wish I enjoyed the content more. The story is sad, serious, and frightening; at times, its heartbreaking tragedies are absolutely gripping. As more complications pile onto their lives, I want to find out how these Turtles resolve anything they're currently facing, how they use their bonds as a family to surmount their difficulties and forgive each other. But at the same time, I don't want to see more.
As a general rule, I am not a fan of dark, edgy approaches to storytelling. For me, it's a cheap way to make a story feel dramatic, gritty, and poignant or to emphatically underline the tragedy unfolding, just case it didn't feel seriously-serious enough. I do not think characters need to be put through as much of Hell as time allows just to show off how well (or not) they scar and suffer. You do not need to break characters just to test how well they were made or elicit agonizing reactions from people who love them. In some ways, dark, edgy storytelling is Drama's version of Horror's gore film subgenre.
Basically, I just don't want to see Turtles cry or grimace maniacally all the time. I grew up loving Turtles who balanced joy and growth, who had fun AND dealt with mature topics, and who fought enemies without slaughtering anybody.
The curse shadowing the Turtles has made them almost unrecognizable. Raph is a smoking, self-injuring alcoholic whose temper has become even more murderous over time. Donnie has completely shut himself away in his lab, working day and night on projects with a cynical yet fragile attitude. Mikey no longer laughs and is frozen with fear when confronted with the thought of picking up his weapons. Leo barely contains himself from killing people sometimes, and now hides horrific secrets from his brothers. These characters do change, and some of those changes are more complicated than they appear as other facets are revealed in later revelations. Let's just say that Donnie's big reveal was by far the most dark, even compared Leo's sacrifices.
Unfortunately, Donnie's instability revolves around the idea that mental illness is a corruptive, sinister affliction. He exhibits some of the most brutal violent tendencies, and it is strongly implied that it is because of his psychological state. "Madness" is how the curse uniquely affects him, see, which means that lifting the curse will also "cure" Donnie of his delusions. As of this review, Donnie's behavior has not yet been treated with as much nuance or compassion as the other Turtles, even when the other Turtles kill innocent bystanders by cutting them in half. Chapters 18 and 19, in which Donnie's secrets are revealed to readers, were some of hardest to stomach. They rank up there with every instance of almost-rape the young girls experience in MNTG.
MNTG does not treat its female cast very well. One young character has been almost raped twice - one of those times, she was tricked by a classmate, who "sold" her to several gang members. Another young character is severely beaten for protecting herself and her friend, then thrown into the river. This was after she is kidnapped in order to lure Mikey out to an ambush. They figured he would never allow his young friend to be unrescued, but decided that they don't need her alive. Gross, right? It gets better. In an earlier chapter, Mikey REFUSED to rescue the first girl from rape that he was told would definitely happen if he didn't help. His defense: he was going to choose how to live his life and he didn't want to fight anymore. Which is a fair sentiment, considering the events of the Prologue, but let's not try to argue that when one girl is begging him to save her friend from a violent gang rape. (The girl is understandably furious with him, calls him a coward because he is triggered by just the thought of fighting, and later apologizes to HIM for being cruel.) So I'm sure this rescue was supposed to directly contrast with his earlier choice of inaction. Look at Mikey, choosing to save the girl this time!
Yes, it's all about saving the girl. There are a number of female characters and they're all interesting individuals (Karai is nothing like April, etc), but this story is 100% focused on the development of the Turtles, even the new guy. Every female character has, at some point or another (usually repeatedly), reminded the Turtles to strive for improvement or exposed/mended vulnerabilities. This forces all of them, even the teenage girls, to be constant fonts of compassionate wisdom and insight. Yet none of the ladies ever need to alter their behavior. Surely they have flaws, surely they adapt for better or worse because events should change them too. But no, it's nothing that would affect the story. They are there to inspire the Turtles into action, to be rescued, or to be grieved.
As for the new Turtle, Renoir, I am half-disgusted by him and half-sympathetic. The former is entirely due to the story treating his perverted behavior as a source of comedy. He steals lingerie from his female friends and tries to sneak peaks at up-skirt shots. He keeps "accidentally" grabbing breasts. When asked to prove his identity, this behavior is his defining trait, which people who knew him immediately recognize. There are moments when he is scolded or punched by other characters when they catch him doing it, but it's played for laughs, to give some reprieve from the dark story. Renoir has yet to stop sniffing his friends' panties even though they've repeatedly asked him to stop. This should not be seen as comedic.
But his role as a catalyst within the story is not boring. His circumstances are complicated and mysterious, and he doesn't understand anything that's happening around him or to him. And you know what? That's okay. When others reprimand him for whining about his identity problems, I am actually on his side. Sure, he is a brat, but Renoir is a kid (a young teen at most) and he's stuck in a situation that would upset anybody with its level of violence and depression. As more pieces come together, I can see his life will soon hit some difficult, painful hurdles. I'd sympathize more if he wasn't written as if being a creepy perv was a funny personality trait.
There is a lot to love about this Mutant Ninja Turtle Gaiden. The action scenes are superb and there are some great character interactions between the Turtles. When it comes to showing how far any of them will go to protect each other, because they're family and those bonds are what make them strong, this is absolutely a great comic. Then a panty shot happens, or a little girl exists to spur development in a dude, and I wonder if it's worth it enduring that for those precious character interactions.
THE WORMWORLD SAGA: Young boy is the savior of a fantasy world
BASICS:
Title: The Wormworld Saga
Updates: Roughly once a year or so, an entire chapter is released.
Genre: Fantasy
Premise: Young, pyrophobic Jonas is lost on another world where he's told he, as the Chosen One, must defeat the evil God of Fire.
Recommended for people who... read a lot of stories about children looking for a way home from a strange, fantastical world and wanted to see more South Asian influences in Avatar: The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra.
The art is gorgeous. "Gorgeous" is probably putting it lightly. The backgrounds are lush, shadows are deep, lighting is impeccable, etc. - truly, it's breathtaking. The Wormworld Saga has some of the best digital painting I've seen anywhere, period. The creator puts a lot of work into his craft, and it shows. Is it worth the wait of 9+ months between new chapters? I think so. Panels are laid out for infinite scrolling, so big batch updates are the way to go anyway.
It does not take long to see a very obvious influence of South Asian cultures in Jonas' fantasy world. There are too many aesthetic similarities for this to be coincidence. The inspiration is everywhere, from the fashion to the architecture to their approach to spirituality. People greet each other with slight bows and palms pressed together. Jonas sets a lotus-like lantern afloat on water during a festival. The new elite force in Kingspeak, the capital, is called - I kid you not - the Black Turbans.
I am all for more non-Eurocentric fantasies, particularly ones that do not build imaginary magical Europes that have elves but no brown people or only borrow from Eastern philosophies for their white dude mystics. But I want this done respectfully, without appropriating culture just because it is so Other. I think, for the most part, Avatar: The Last Airbender did that really well. When my mother can read the Chinese on the posters or letters in the background without scowling at horrific made-up grammar errors, you've done a good job.
Beautiful as the art is, I have a problem with The Wormworld Saga's fantasy world. Jonas marvels at everything he sees, both the unusual flora and fauna AND the people's culture. Everything he's seeing is supposed to further convince him he's not in Kansas (or the equivalent in Germany) anymore. So this is not Jonas using his own experiences for his imagination, this is Jonas exploring a world that is as fantastical as anything he's ever dreamed. Like Jonas, the audience is supposed to find those examples of actual, living cultures - turbans! lantern festivals! bowing! saris! written language that can be read horizontally or vertically! - just as otherworldly as a wolpertinger that fetches gems that sprout from the ground like dandelions or as weird as goblin-like humanoids who live in the slums. This is treating other people's cultures as exotic and Other just because it is not yours. Putting it mildly, this is not okay, for numerous reasons that plenty of smart, articulate people have outlined elsewhere on the internet. And Jonas, the young white hero, is supposed to save them all.
Then there's the problem with everybody's appearances, particularly as new chapters are posted.
When he first meets Raya, the woman in the top image, her skin is darker and warmer than his. In fact, almost everyone at the first village has skin like Raya. But as new chapters were posted, I noticed something disturbing. Raya's skin was lightening, and because of that, many of the nameless background characters were also now lighter-skinned too. As you can see in the middle panel, by Chapter Six, there really wasn't much difference between Jonas, Raya, and random crowds of people, although I think that Jonas usually has more of a cool pink undertone. Unfortunately, so does the woman in the final panel - and, of course, she's royalty.
I know not everyone has brown skin. Painting these characters with skin that's nearly as light as the white savior child's skin is still wrong. The fact that Raya is no longer as dark as she once was adds to the problem.
Jonas himself is okay. At this point, he is an imaginative, delicate child who obviously struggles with his sad memories and trauma-related fear of fire. He faints when he's told he must somehow defeat an evil God of Fire. He is still looking to adults for direction and being led by them, rather than making his own choices. It is not hard to guess the kind of lessons he'll learn before he manages to go home again. He's a normal, sympathetic kid character.
Unquestionably beautiful as this is, I no longer read The Wormworld Saga. I think there needs to be more all-ages webcomics (and regular comics) in the world, but I think it is important not show children that it is okay to treat other cultures as a mystical fantasy land where seeing turbans is as surprising as meeting a gigantic pink and green cat creature.
LOVE! LOVE! FIGHTING! Multiracial woman deals with prejudice & love in Korea
BASICS:
Title: Love! Love! Fighting!
Updates: At least a couple times per month.
Genre: Slice of Life / Romance
Premise: While in South Korea, Oriana confronts family problems, criticism about her weight, hair texture, skin color, and multiracial identity, and a potential romance with someone even though she doesn't speak their language (yet).
Recommended for people who... watch a lot of shojo anime but seek love stories that include learning to appreciate yourself as part of the romance, and whose favorite couple from Love Actually was Jamie and Aurélia.
So, this is a manga-style webcomic. There are times when the art is adorable or beautiful, such as the example above, and times when the layouts aren't coherent enough for the story the creator tries to tell. In particular, anytime there's an action scene, prepare to be confused. I had to reread parts involving the game show and subway in order to understand the sequence of events, and honestly I'm still not sure I know what was supposed to be happening. To be fair, having weak action scenes in a non-action-oriented comic is a small issue. The layouts have improved a lot, especially in the latest chapter (Chapter 6), so if the art or format is awkward to follow at first, stick with it - I promise it gets better.
My only other comment on art is not really a critique. I think the love interest, Jae Hwa, is a little creepy looking, especially in the early chapters. Judging from other people's responses, I gather he's supposed to be a very attractive Korean man, but to me he looks a bit elfish or alien compared to the rest of the cast, even the other Korean men. That said, Jae Hwa looks better as the art overall improves. He looks great on the Vol 1 cover, for example, though he's not as cute as Oriana.
As far as romance goes, it is nothing really unusual. If you've watched or read enough romances, you get the idea of the formula pretty quickly. Oriana and Jae Hwa are attracted to each other, though the language barrier prevents either of them from communicating very well (not that "good communication" is much of staple in romances) about what's developing between them. Since this is Oriana's story, we know she is baffled by Jae Hwa's interactions with her. He is friendly and she likes the way he treats her, but only because, right now, it contrasts with how everybody else, including her own family, treats her.
For me, it is all about how Oriana deals with the world and herself that makes the story interesting, so if the romance angle bothers you, at least know that it is not just about explaining how two people ended up coupled. Love! Love! Fighting! deals with a bunch of issues. For example, her relationship with her cousin, Krisa, is complicated. Krisa constantly criticizes Oriana's body to her face, but behind Oriana's back she's quick to defend her if anybody else dares to belittle her beloved cousin. She even tells others, truthfully, that she also sees her cousin as a powerful positive role model. That doesn't mend the hurt she directly causes, of course. Increasingly, Oriana doesn't let Krisa get away with thinking she's allowed to be cruel just because she's family. It is the kind of relationship that I hope the webcomic continues developing.
If you are looking for a promising webcomic starring an (unfortunately) uncommon character, read Love! Love! Fighting! For personal reasons, Oriana resonates with me, and I am sure many others feel the same way.
A STRAY IN THE WOODS: Readers direct a cat to investigate its surroundings
BASICS:
Title: A Stray in the Woods / A Leaf in the Night
Updates: Completed.
Genre: Slice of Life / Fantasy
Premise: Readers directed a cat's exploration of its mysterious surroundings. Surprisingly, it is not entirely about knocking objects to the floor and purring.
Recommended for people who... enjoy the thought of interactive fiction in the style of Ferry Halim's tranquil Flash games.
The art is stylized into something simple yet elegant. Its textured appearance looks suitable for a video game rather than a comic - it is so easy to imagine an animated version of A Stray in the Woods. The minimalism really works for the ending and the short sequel. I think it's cute.
There is not much to say about A Stray in the Woods. Is it a ground breaking story? No, it is not. It is sweet and gentle and sometimes a little eerie. There is no violence or trauma or moral dilemma here to face, only puzzles that focus on getting the attention of strange animals and figuring out who dropped the basket of mushrooms. Even the most mundane parts of the story are made interesting due to the art or clever writing, usually both.
Between the style and interactive approach, I think this comic is memorable. There are a little more than 100 pages of cat adventuring to read and I for one think that A Stray in the Woods is worth reading until the end, especially if you need the distraction. Sometimes you want to read a calm, uncomplicated story in which nervous animals are soothed by an intrepid nameless cat.
DERELICT: Post-apocalyptic Earth scifi starring a lady at sea
BASICS:
Title: Derelict
Updates: Officially, Mondays and Fridays. Realistically, once a week-ish.
Genre: Science Fiction
Premise: Dang Thu Muy tries to survive in a flooded world full of hostile elements: the Fog, Miasmic creatures, and other humans.
Recommended for people who... think it'd be amazing if the kaiju from Pacific Rim settled in Waterworld.
The art is very nice. There are plenty of beautiful panels that show Penumbra looking very small and isolated on a gigantic ocean. Derelict reinforces Dang's somewhat lonely utter solitude by having minimal or no dialogue in its early pages. The designs are great. Every character is easily recognizable, even if they aren't important for more than a few pages. Penumbra is decorated with little touches of personality that make it clear how much of a home Pen is for Dang. Old equipment looks rusted, clothes are a mix of rags and futuristic fashion, and the environment is atmospheric. Anytime The Fog appears, it is incredibly creepy.
Derelict's pacing starts slow, but builds up into something quicker as elements introduced earlier come together. After the events of Book 1, there are now recurring characters and, perhaps, a larger plot unfolding of greater importance than Dang living alone at sea. While this was inevitable for Dang from a story perspective, I will say that it's done well. Rather than having Dang being suddenly thrust into Plot, it was her own decisions that led her to where she is now. One plot point was, perhaps, unavoidable, but it is subtly introduced through hints first long before Dang is confronted. Once she's faced with it, Dang's choices are in-character. I wouldn't call Derelict character-driven, but it is still very good storytelling.
My favorite part is Derelict's world-building. Currently 200 pages in, Derelict is still one big mystery, including the background of the main character herself. What are Mothballers? Where did the Miasmic tribes and other creatures come from, and what does the Fog have to do with it? What happened to Earth? Derelict does not answer anything directly; there is never exposition. Dang herself is neither a narrator nor an audience surrogate, so she has no need to ask for definitions or histories of her own world. As a reader, I prefer this approach because it feels more natural not to have everything neatly explained, especially by characters who should be familiar with their own world. There are some mysteries that confuse Dang as much as they intrigue readers, but there are just as many that don't bother her at all because she already knows the answer. Like, what do dyed hair streaks have to do with being a Mothballer, whatever that is?
Give Derelict a try if you like scifi that isn't set in space and is simply about a character's desire to survive, no matter how difficult that is when so much of the world is hostile to her.
Title: Carpe Chaos
Updates:Tuesdays
Genre: Science Fiction
Premise: As if it wasn't hard enough living with people on your own planet, various alien species deal with the fact that nobody is alone in the universe.
Recommended for people who... think the best parts of Star Trek and Star Wars (etc) are the aliens, but you wonder why these different species all have mammary glands.
First, can I point out how gorgeous the art is? With its full-color, double-page spreads, Carpe Chaos is visually stunning. The art is handled by a group of artists, but they're all great digital painters - the quality stays top-notch with every update. Although I believe a good storyteller can make any medium work, I think the art really works in Carpe Chaos' benefit. There is nothing like seeing how one species pilots spacecraft that appear to be giant crystals, and how travel through the tubes is full of terrifyingly beautiful purple clouds.
Unlike many other comics, Carpe Chaos does not have a plot or recurring cast of characters. Rather, stories explore the possibilities of this complex universe. What happens when a young girl sets out to rescue her mother using new technology? What happens when two prisoners, each a different species, escape prison together? What sort of myths do each species have to teach their children, and what do they think of each other's religions? Stories have no set pattern, each of them varying in length, from completed in just a few pages or spanning multiple chapters. Sometimes there's a time skip, other times they are tantalizing glimpses into the culture; often, there's no tidy conclusion, just threads that may or may not be picked up in other episodes. In other words, this is an aptly named comic.
While this format might be a turn-off for readers who prefer following heroes/villains or linear, long-form storytelling, this does mean it's incredibly simple to jump into Carpe Chaos universe from any story. For the most part, they all stand alone. In fact, the comic has a recommended timeline for new readers, starting with Transmissions Vol 1. I disagree with their pick. Instead, I recommend starting with any of these stories: Jailing Fortune, in which a Porg and a Kaean accidentally escape prison together; Rising Up, in which a young Turikasuul rescues her mother from raiders with the help of new technology; or Hard Lessons, in which a pregnant general tries to explain why overthrowing the Porg is neither as easy nor desirable as a young soldier believes.
I heartily recommend this webcomic. If you want gorgeous scifi and stories that explore what it means to co-exist, then you will probably love Carpe Chaos.
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