Quick guide: if you want a more-or-less objective rating, look at the tags; there will be a #/10. If you want details, read my notes.
I’m going to be working to make a post for every webcomic I’ve read; that’s going to take a while because as of now my webtoon subscription list is at 235— and then from there I’ll make new posts as I read new comics.
Sites: Webtoon, Tapas, and independent
Below is a list of my rating system for each one, which will be out of ten; I’ll also add any additional comments I have and credits to the creator(s). I’d love any recommendations and feel free to let me know your own opinions of the comics I’m reviewing, just keep in mind that despite doing my best to be objective, everything I say is my own opinion and can be taken with several grains of salt. The majority of the comic on my list are ones that I read or have been reading for a really long time, so most of the reviews will be skewed positively because of that. Even if I give something a generally bad rating, I’ll note that I probably like it anyway, so keep both things in mind.
Also additional preface: I have tried my hand at making comics and it is so so so hard and thankless, I am by no means dissing any of these creators. I am a critic through and through and I like to think I have really high standards— however, I’ll admit, a lot of my favorite comics don’t get great scores. I’m trying to incorporate some objectivity and some personal preference so that it accurately reflects my opinions and a general review, and we’ll see how that plays out. Regardless, all artists deserve more love and just because I didn’t like something doesn’t mean that it’s not good or not worth your time. (I am mainly doing this for myself, because I like making lists and organizing stuff, but if it helps people find stuff they like reading then I’ll take it as a win)
Criteria and guide to my tagging system:
Show-not-tell storytelling: the characters aren’t completely transparent, the plot leaves room for interpretation, etc.
Worldbuilding: doesn’t have to be complex, not every story calls for it, but I like it when some detail and thought is given to the location, social system, politics, culture, weather… anything really.
The backgrounds are drawn by an artist: ideally the same artist making the story, or one working in collaboration with them. There’s a lot of comics, on Webtoon particularly, where the backgrounds are either real images with reduced quality or taken from a reference site and left unaltered. It just gives me the ick. (There’s a whole argument to be made about Webtoon’s commercialization of comics that removes their value in favor of marketing and monetization, to which I say, yeah, Webtoon is the problem, however, I still have standards. Not saying I won’t read comics with this, just saying it looks bad.)
Fun pacing: either the plot itself is interesting and unpredictable, or just the way the comic panels are arranged has a good sense of flow and action. Or both, both is good.
Building themes: they do not have to be complex, but going into a story knowing you want to touch on certain themes is much better than having none; this is so so important for making the story memorable and applicable for the readers (me).
Character depth/ nuanced motivations: characters don’t have to relate to everyone, they just have to be well-constructed enough that their actions make sense. This is so important!!!
Self-awareness: What I mean by this is that the comic understands its intent and audience. If it’s about social justice, they did research into activism. If it’s about romance, they spent time exploring the characters and their chemistry. The comic’s pitch and marketing align with what we get, and there’s a certain level of competence.
Thematically appropriate language: characters who talk like people and have different dialects and speech patterns from each other when applicable. Sometimes they want to swear and they deserve to. Sometimes it’s just not necessary. They shouldn’t all be speaking with the author’s voice. This category also in theory covers grammatical mistakes but I read a lot of international comics and at a certain point you have to accept that broadening your horizons means not getting exactly what you want, so maybe I don’t actually care that much. Idk.
Expressive characters: some comics make their characters look very beautiful at the expense of them demonstrating human emotion. Some comics have every emotion hyper-emphasized to the point that nothing can be taken seriously. Neither is good.
Same face syndrome: I can’t stand comics where all the characters look the same. (it’s always rooted in Eurocentrism) It’s not entirely necessary for a good comic to have incredibly diverse features and character designs, but if you can’t tell who’s who, there’s a problem.
Cookie cutter syndrome: I also can’t stand it when all the characters have either a “male” body or a “female” body. Grow up. Draw fat people, draw androgynous people, draw old people. You will probably be one of those things at some point in your life.
Racial diversity: Ideally you have a handful of non-white characters. Even more radically, make some of them important to the plot! (Specifically, I’m referring to a multicultural cast.) (Call me crazy, but I don’t think you can tell a good story without looking at multiple perspectives)
Bechdel test: unless the story is a yaoi with two main characters and absolutely no one else, chances are there will be women, and chances are they deserve lives outside of the male leads.
Visuals-colors: I love comics with nice colors. This one’s personal.
Visuals- anatomy: this one is also personal. Some artists don’t draw the human body the way I like, and it bugs me a bit. This doesn’t mean the art is bad, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it. It’s personal taste.
Extra gorgeous tasty art: sometimes the story sucks but the art is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life. Sometimes they’re both good, but I think the art should get a little extra recognition.
Particularly satisfying or funny: mostly in reference to the dialogue and pacing. If the point of the story isn’t humor, it can still be satisfying, and that deserves recognition.
Excitement: these last three are very specific to me (any score I give a comic is probably within 3 points, give or take, of what it actually merits, due to my biases. I still have good taste, though, I promise.) This point just means that I get really excited when the comic updates. Sometimes I look at my phone and giggle in anticipation. I’m a silly guy.
Made me think a lot: as with any story, I want to be thinking about it for a while after. I want to want to blab about it to everyone I know because it was so gosh darn incredible.
Made me feel a lot: same gist. Happy or sad. If I cry over a comic, I’ll be thinking about it forever. If it’s a comfort to me during difficult times in my life, I’ll be eternally grateful. That kind of stuff is important.
Tagging
Demographic tags:
poc mc- the main character is a person of color
m mc- male main character
f mc- female main character
nb mc- non-binary main character
trans mc- the main character is transgender
Ship tags: m/f, f/f, m/m, and other variations- the dynamic of the main pairing, if there is one
friendships: m&m&m, f&m, f&f, and other variations- the dynamic of the main friendgroup, if applicable
feel: coming of age, comforting, charming, familial, supernatural, comedy, queer, slice of life, horror
The vibe, the main themes, the energy it gives, if you will (familial means that family is integral to the plot, not that it’s sweet. See: comforting)
setting: modern fantasy, mundane fantasy, school, office/workplace, historical, futuristic
Modern fantasy means the fantastical elements are the conflict, mundane fantasy means it just happens to take place in a magical world, which is fun and cool; plain “fantasy” is classic high- (or medium-) stakes, adventure fantasy.
Any extra elements, this is mainly for me to find patterns and trends. Send me an ask if you have any questions
format: slice of life, autobiographical, fanfic
If relevant
location: Euro, Asia, Afro, Latinx, Americas
If the story specifically takes place on a given continent or the fantasy world is heavily inspired by a specific culture, I’ll tag that too. Americas and Latinx are separate because Americas means it’s canonically on the American continent, while Latinx means a specific latino culture or influence. (can also be both)
Most of the stuff I read is somewhere between young adult and mature/adult so I’m not going to bother tagging for intended audience; most creators will specify, anyway. If you want to know triggers for a specific comic, send me an ask and I’ll do some reconnaissance for you.
Jamie, a comic artist on the brink of burnout, is about to hit rock bottom when a mystery comes knocking at his door. Enters Jay, a barista with a heart of gold, who will see his soul as pure as it can get.
tags:
m mc, trans mc, m/m
romance, realistic
comforting, charming, queer
modern fantasy, office/workplace
found family, mental health, black & white
Rating: 7.5/10
I really like this one. It has a clear goal and understanding of how to convey a story well, and it does so with care and detail. I appreciate how the main character is introduced in relation to his friends, which makes it feel fleshed-out and more realistic, as opposed to the common webtoon trend of two characters falling in love in a near-vacuum without being affected by other events or relationships. The attention put into the art is notable as well, it feels very clean and warm. My only critique would be that the treatment of the characters, who are adults, feels a bit juvenile and oversimplified, which leaves the tone feeling childish when it’s not dealing with more difficult topics.
points it missed on my rating scale were 13) bechdel test, 17) extra satisfying dialogue, 18) personal excitement, 19) made me think a lot, 20) made me feel a lot. Obviously it’s hard to pass the bechdel test if your main characters are men and the perspective doesn’t rotate. That’s fine. Otherwise, I’d just say it’s a matter of personal preference for the ranking, the comic is very polished and high-quality, obviously a lot of effort went into it, and the topics are addressed sincerely and with heart.
Some are born gay, some achieve gayness, and some have gayness thrust upon them. Sebastian has failed his Intro to Computer Science class two times already and now only has one more chance to pass. What can he do but ask Bianca, a local college scammer, to take his place for the entire semester? Will she be able to fool a professor who has met Sebastian before? Not to mention, what will happen when a girl named Chandler starts to develop a crush on ‘Sebastian’ A.K.A. Bianca? Bianca’s life is soon to be filled with drama, but she has no time for that. No, Bianca only has one goal—Don’t get caught. (A retelling of Shakespeare’s classic play, Twelfth Night.)
Complete, 50 episodes
f mc, f/f, m&f
drama, romance, realistic
charming, queer
school, found family
additional: fanfic - Shakespeare
Rating: 8.5/10
I read this comic before I’d actually seen Twelfth Night (I watched the 2025 PBS show, go watch it free on their site if you get the chance), and now, reflecting back on it with context, I think it’s pretty good but it doesn’t feel like much of a retelling. For one, there isn’t actually a love triangle: Chandler and Olivia are completely different characters, and Sebastian and Orsino are combined into one, which removes a lot of the themes and drama of the original without adding much in return. There is also a very small cast, which means that there’s no secondary plot with Malvolio, which, while not my favorite part of the original, accounts for most of the comedy aspect of the play, and I feel like without it there just isn’t as much going on. This to say, I don’t think it’s something you should go into expecting Shakespeare: it has its similarities but I don’t think it’s particularly valuable as a reinterpretation.
However, as its own story, it’s great fun. It’s well-paced and balances its absurdism and realism well; it has lots of goofy scenes that don’t take themselves too seriously, and it does also touch on identity, loneliness, and change in a way that suits the tone. The art style is simple but consistent and emotive, I especially really like the way warm lighting is used in contrast with harsh linework.
In terms of numerical rating, Surprise lost the most common points: 11) cookie-cutter syndrome, 18) significant excitement to read, 20) made me feel a lot. Otherwise I think it’s really well done, I think my favorite things about it are the tone and the way that the art upholds it, it all meshes together very well. I also really like the way the friendship between Sebastian and Bianca is also given priority as a development over the course of the story, not just the romance; it adds a lot of warmth. It does have the common romance pitfall of the characters not getting together until almost the very end of the story, which always kind of irks me, but I guess Shakespeare himself patented that, so. All in all, I’d recommend this one.
Giselle should support the royal engagement - she's the princess's best friend, after all! But it's hard to watch your love get married to someone else. What's a girl to do? Team up with the one other person in the kingdom not celebrating the marriage: a handsome rogue who wants the princess' fiance dead. When Giselle learns the engagement is not what it seems, she's willing to get her hands dirty. Can a noble lady and a street rat stop this courtship from sailing?
poc mc, f mc, multi (that’s my tag for “I have no idea where the ship is going”)
drama, romance, fantasy
queer, historical, royalty, fairy tale, charming
Rating: 8.5/10
Okay so I binged the entire ~40 chapters on Canvas like riiiight before it went to Originals and while I’m so glad it’s gotten sponsored because this comic definitely deserves it, I do think there was a bit of a quality drop between the two versions. (Probably because Webtoon values quantity over quality). I’m a little sad that the old episodes are no longer available just because I think they’re so friggin’ gorgeous. There have been a few major plot/pacing alterations, and I’m not pleased with all of them but I am excited to see where it goes. I think the premise, drama, and pacing of this comic is absolutely fantastic; the characters are so compelling; and the design, stylization, and colors feel like something out of Disney’s wildest dreams. Definitely a personal favorite. (I’m a huge sucker for queer fairy-tales.)
The only points this missed were 1) a bit of tell-not-showing, 11) cookie cutter syndrome, and 20) made me feel a lot. I think 20 might change at some point, but we’ll just have to see!! Like I said, this one is just really well-done and obviously an immense labor of love.
Update: since we've just wrapped up the first season of its Originals debut I thought it would be good to take another look at how it's changed since Canvas. Unfortunately, I think this comic isn't quite what it used to be. The romantic, languid feeling of the original art style was one of the things that I really loved about the previous story, and the early episodes of the reboot, but it's gotten less detailed and the pacing feels rushed. I think the artist has incredible talent for scenery and environmental storytelling, but some of the backgrounds in recent episodes are pasted in or oversimplified. It's not just an issue of aesthetics, the story is no longer visually coherent, which is a shame coming from an artist who used to do this so well. (Screenshots below of interactions between two of the mcs in the first episode vs most recent to exemplify the change in detail.) In addition, the plot has accelerated and lost most of its show-not-telling, becoming much more simplistic and easy to follow, without nuanced interpretations. I still think it's worth the read, but the comic has lost a lot of its initial appeal, which is all-too common to see with Webtoon’s push for production over quality.
Because of that, I’m trimming down my rating a bit: removing points 4) fun pacing, , 17) particularly satisfying or funny, and 18) my extra excitement point. I’m hoping to see a change in season two once the artist’s gotten a bit of rest and time to build buffer, but we’ll see.
BL These are just silly strips based on AU about the genderband of princesses who ran away from their "happily ever after."
Webtoon, Tapas
Photo from episode 4: Perv.
tags:
m mc, m/m, multi
drama, fantasy, adventure
slice of life, queer, comedy, supernatural
mundane fantasy, historical
hybrids, royalty, sex (not explicit but very much a part of the story), fairy tale, reboot, disabilities (Atlas being mute), genderqueerness
additional: fanfic - Disney
location: Euro (I assume, I mean, based on the characters it could be anywhere between france and iraq, but the climate is more temperate, so)
rating: 8.5/10
Ough this one is so fun. It’s just unserious enough, the tone is great, the characters are interesting, and the disney redesigns are really visually satisfying. I wish all those awful live-action remakes looked to this artist for inspiration because ripushko does the subtle alterations while following the original elements of each character really well. Even though the main cast is technically all men, it still follows the characters’ original vibes pretty well, while also providing interpretation, and it feels more like they’re all just vaguely nonbinary than anything else, which is a pretty good time. I also really like how the comic fits into its genre: it feels slice-of-life, but there’s still enough intrigue and complexity going on to understand that there was a lot of thought put into the characters and their actions, while also not going too far in the other direction and being too complicated for its pacing. It has elements of larger, more serious stories, and then shorter one-page gags, and they all work together surprisingly well.
In my scoring sheet, I subtracted points for 11) cookie cutter sydrome, 19) made me think a lot, and 20) made me feel a lot. The cookie cutter syndrome is pretty bad, tbh, but I can’t exactly pretend it’s any different in the source material, so... oh, well. I wouldn’t say the comic has prompted any personal emotions or insight, but I would say it’s been really enjoyable, so it still got my excitement point. In other notable mentions, props to the artist for managing to pass the Bechdel test despite the entirely male main ensemble (shoutout aladdi and jasmine fr), and I really enjoy the way that the non-european characters were reinterpreted to better represent their races (without disney’s over-sexualization and inattention to detail when it comes to brown people). And double props for the art, because it makes me sooo happy to see all the little details and the nice coloring and lighting, like it really just adds a bit of fairy-tale ambiance that I love.
I would for sure recommend, this one’s definitely a fun time and a really thoughtful reimagining.
When Kieran meets his new classmate, Mason Kane, he bristles with an unexplainable disdain. Soon it becomes apparent why: Mason is a werewolf. But when a fight turns into a sudden kiss that neither expects, Kieran's feelings for Mason turn to attraction in an instant. None of it makes sense - vampires and werewolves are supposed to be mortal enemies, so why does Kieran find Mason so irresistible?
Photo from episode 4
tags
m mc, m/m, m&f
drama, romance, fantasy, realistic
familial, supernatural
modern fantasy, school
teen, sports, hybrids
rating: 2.5/10
Okay, so my main issue is that the premise is good! Everybody loves a vampire/werewolf story: it’s formulaic but it can have a lot of nuance and subtext about societal expectations, disabilities, queerness, love (like, whatever you want it to be about, really). And this has none of that. Whenever I read it I feel like the writers seriously just took the most basic and easily replicable parts of this trope without considering any further depth or complexity. Every part of the story is told-not-shown. The character’s emotional complexity is that of a cup of rice. It doesn’t pass the Bechdel test. Usually I try to be at least a bit more impartial but this comic makes me too frustrated to accept its flaws that easily. (Oh, and it’s based off a Wattpad story.)
The points it got from my rating system were 2) worldbuilding, 8) thematically appropriate language, 15) anatomy, 17) satisfying to read, 20) made me feel a lot. The first ones are pretty self-explanatory. For 17… look, it’s a little bit addictive, like Twilight, or terrible orange soda, and yeah, I kind of do want to know what happens, even if I’m cringing the whole time (you’ll notice I have not tagged it DNF). For 20, I say it made me feel a lot and what I mean is I felt anger in my soul in defense of good writing. And it seems like I’m riffing, but I’m not: I do think that it’s valuable that this comic gave me such a visceral reaction, one way or another, because it taught me what I want to avoid in my own writing.
My biggest point of contention is probably the lack of self-awareness as a romance (or maybe an abundance of it). What I mean by that is that the comic doesn’t have a clear understanding of the levels of personal depth necessary for a love story to work. The characters are flat. But somehow, they still follow the script of “things people say and do and feel in romances,” which makes it so much worse, because the characters aren’t constructed well enough for their actions to hold any weight, so it just feels like they’re being dragged around like little paper dolls. Another thing that irked me was the token best friend character. Considering she’s the catalyst for most of the main events as well as much of Kieran's supposed emotional complexity, she is absolutely bland and uninteresting. And she’s in. Every. Episode. Not to mention a huge aspect of the romance is the two mains sneaking around behind her back while the love interest still pretends to be interested in her. TF?? She has literally zero agency for a story that is basically held up exclusively on her back, and it makes me quite angry.
The thing is, at the end of the day, if I’d read this when I was 12, it would be the greatest thing in the world. Its redeeming qualities are exactly what give it any appeal or marketability, and why it’s been successful: the art is passably good, the main characters are attractive, and the sexual tension is actually, like, fantastic. I wouldn’t recommend it, but when all is said and done, it is fun. If you’re willing to turn off your brain a bit.
Avery is a vampire hunter! Who unfortunately gets bitten by and subsequently turned into, a vampire.
Webtoon
Photo from episode 1
tags:
f mc, f&f, m&f
drama, fantasy, action
supernatural, comedy, queer, horror, familial
modern fantasy, office/workplace
monsters, mental health, death/afterlife
location: ???
rating: 9.5/10
I love love love it when comedy and horror intersect and this comic does that supremely well. Even though it’s peppered with good visual comedy and clever dialogue, the premise itself is deeply morbid: Avery (who hates vampires) upon becoming a vampire, decides that she must die. She articulates this the instant she has a moment to process recent events, less than ten episodes in. The ways that she deals with this sudden self-loathing should be painful to watch, but it’s not, because despite everything, it’s hard to not root for her. Watching her unlearn deep-rooted beliefs about the innate evil of vampires for the sake of her own wellbeing and survival is such an interesting concept and endlessly applicable to the real world. To top it off, the art is absolutely incredible (like, the colors… the shapes… the lighting and detailing and stylization… wowza), and lends itself perfectly to both the visual gags and the unnervingly raw emotions shown throughout.
Anyway, on my ranking sheet, Paperteeth scores basically perfectly. There’s not a huge amount of body diversity, and I felt like I had to dock a point somewhere because I’m afraid of calling anything flawless, but also, there’s, like, maybe 3 recurring characters, so it’s not really a huge deal either. My favorite things about it are definitely the tone and overall themes, but I also absolutely adore the stylistic choices and the expressiveness of the characters. Seriously, get this comic some literature awards.
Christy is saved from a bad date by a dragon girl and introduced to world of magical creatures while falling in love with her savior. Updates 2-3 times a week!
photo from episode #359: pg. 339
tags:
f mc, poc mc, f/f
drama, romance, fantasy, adventure
queer, slice of life
modern fantasy, office/workplace
magic/witchcraft, hybrids, sex, black & white
rating: 5/10
Overall, I like this comic, but I think it’s more because I really like the artist themself and their other comics and concept art. This is their oldest and longest-running work, and I find it really cool to see how their sense of visual comedy and coherence has changed over time. I find the art style extremely satisfying and I really enjoy the individual character designs, and I think the plot itself is pleasingly low-key and whimsical.
Although I generally like the plot, pacing, and characters, my main issue with My Dragon Girlfriend is its tone. The characters are portrayed as generally two-dimensional and silly, which is fine, but that in combination with the discussions of sex and sexuality just puts me off a bit, because it feels like it lacks the nuance to make any interesting commentary on the adult themes it represents. I find the comic’s sense of humor kind of juvenile, especially a lot of the gay jokes. Obviously, let queer people be annoying without being judged, let cringe die, etc etc, but I really felt like it’s to the story's detriment to enforce such a strange binary between queer and not, especially considering, again, that supposedly all these characters are adults and should understand how to not alienate people unlike them (like… isn’t that the point of queer rep anyway?). Maybe that’s just me.
Tags that it got in my book were 2) worldbuilding, 3) hand-drawn bgs, 4) fun pacing, 7) self-awareness, 8) thematically appropriate language, 9) expressiveness, 11) no cookie-cutter syndrome, 12) racial diversity, 13) bechdel test, 19) made me think a lot. I think the things that I like best are the stylistic choices and the sort of playful plot that goes in between slice-of-life and realistic fiction. I enjoy reading this one, and it’s gotten a lot better as it’s progressed, but it’s not for everyone, either.
Tony has only one wish... getting home. On what should have been an ordinary school night, Tony finds himself thrust into a world of magic, wide open seas and pirates. Out of place and out of options, Tony joins The Kiligrew pirate crew and befriends a whole host of interesting characters, but he soon realizes more than one of his crewmates is keeping a dark secret. Will he ever return to his family and his world again... or will something or someone be too important to leave behind?
Photo from episode 5: Why is all the juice gone?
Tags:
m/m, m mc
Fantasy, action, romance, adventure
Queer, charming
High fantasy, modern fantasy
Magic/witchcraft, pirates, found family, mer, disabilities, genderqueerness, concepts
Rating: 8/10
I think the thing I like most about this is that it feels so exploratory: it truly encompasses that feeling of a whole new world that I love in fantasy, and it really feels like anything could happen. Even though there's not anything exceedingly original (though I do really fw the daylighters/niteskies construction), all the elements are handled with care, both in the storytelling sense and the visual sense: it feels really earnest to read. The characters are interesting and the pacing is well planned-out, and it just feels so intriguing, like anywhere the story goes could be fascinating, and there's dozens of possibilities.
Points missed on my glamtastic rating scale: 11) cookie-cutter syndrome, 13) bechdel test, 17) extra satisfying, 20) made me feel a lot. Generally speaking 11 and 13 barely count— there’s not much body type diversity but they’re all still characterized uniquely with outfits and stuff, and I really like the way the artist draws people, anyway. And I’m pretty sure the only reason it hasn’t passed the bechdel test (not 100% sure, also) is because the two main characters are men and it doesn’t switch POVs, but there’s still well-written women and genderqueer characters, it’s just not the focus.
Overall, I definitely would recommend this one: the art is immersive and engaging, the characters are nuanced, and the plot is pretty badass too.
Mihai has always been considered intimidating, and the more others avoided him the more socially awkward and anxious he became. Content with two friends, his grandmother, and his beloved cat Muffins, he never felt the need to change... until university started and the charming Adilene moves in next door. Will Mihai resist opening up his life to his polar opposite? Or will he realize that all change might not be so bad?
This series contains themes regarding anxiety and depression that may not be suitable for all readers. Viewer discretion is advised.
Photo from Ep. 15: How to make decisions
Tags:
m mc, m&f, m/f
drama, romance, realistic
familial, school
found family, mental health
location: Euro (England)
rating: 4.5/10
I didn't find this one particularly noteworthy. I've been following the artist since I joined Tumblr and you can tell that this is the work that got their technical skills to where they are now, that is to say, flourishing like crazy. In that sense it's pretty cool to see the slow development of the art style over time, as well as the understanding of storytelling, but overall I like their second work (Ray of Sunshine) a lot better. The initial character designs and established dynamic is really satisfying— Adilene who is good with people but isolates herself, and Mihai who has trouble engaging but wants to pursue deeper connections— and I like that they become each other's “exception” to the rules they've set for themselves. That said, I don't really like the way it goes about this: a lot of the scenes feel very dialogue-heavy and because of that most of the drama feels like it's not amounting to anything other than temporary petty grievances.
The plot didn't really stick with me, and apart from the two leads, the cast doesn't feel that interesting. The depictions of non-toxic masculinity and a male main character who actively seeks to connect with others, as well as a female lead who is characterized by her lack of empathy and faces real consequences for this, are all things I'd love to see more of, but even so, the execution isn't great. Both of the leads have mental health issues to work through as the story progresses, and the themes of relying on others and self-improvement are sweet, but the pacing of each section of the story feels like being dragged through molasses. Even so, the end themes are tied together nicely and it has a satisfying conclusion.
On my points system, this one scored in areas 2) worldbuilding, 5), theme building, 6) character nuance, 7) self-awareness, 8) realistic dialogue, 10) lack of same-face syndrome, 13) bechdel test, 14) visuals-colors, and 15), visuals-anatomy. I think the things I liked best were the depth into all the four main characters in some way; by the end they really did feel fleshed-out and realistic. The growth between Adilene and Mihai was solid and even if I don’t think the actual development of it was satisfying, it ended in a good place. The story addressed mental health topics with the care and caution they deserve… but my main critique was just that I didn’t actually find the storytelling interesting. I won’t be rereading it, but, y’know, to each their own.
Elva struggles through her life as a flightless faery, constantly looked down upon by others. Her only respite from this is the first friend she ever made, a girl from the sea named Nerissa. Nerissa and Elva become close in the few months they spent together as children, but Nerissa has to return to the ocean. That is, until the two of them grow into adults, both struggling to find their way in the world and come together to navigate a new adventure and their unfamiliar feelings for each other.
I think this is my most recent subscription and just… wow. Right off the bat the art is immensely nostalgic: if you ever read the Tinkerbell/Pixie Hollow novels as a kid, this reminded me so much of that in the best way possible, (also Barbie Fairytopia, for obvious reasons). The colors and textures are reminiscent of a childhood paradise and the plot is both meaningful and sweet. The pacing isn’t particularly fast or slow but the art tends to focus on details and there’s lots of little things in the worldbuilding that make me read a bit more lingeringly than most. (Also the way texture is used??? Delicious.) I really like what we’ve gotten of the main characters so far, and even though I really can’t tell where the story is going yet I’m so excited to be along for the ride.
In terms of my rating scale, I think this one only misses points on areas 11) cookie cutter syndrome, 17) extra satisfying dialogue, and 18) makes me excited when it updates. Most of the characters have a pretty similar body type, but my bigger issue is that two of the mothers look like teenagers, which becomes even more apparent when the main characters pass the timeskip and are also teenagers. (I promise nothing bad happens if you depict middle-aged women with cellulite and wrinkles.) It’s not a big deal, but… eh. And then point 18 is just by nature of the comic, it’s a bit slower-paced than some others, so I’m not, like, on the edge of my seat over it. That said, I think the pacing is one of its strengths (overall tone, too), like it really is such a peaceful and enjoyable read.
Follow along the everyday adventures of a bunch of little nature spirits, as well as of the witch and human living with them. Some of them end with new friendships, others with good food™ or a scolding, but all of them are on the cute to wholesome spectrum, so get comfy and enjoy your serotonin boost!
Tags:
f mc, f/f
fantasy
comforting, charming, slice of life, queer
mundane fantasy, magic/witchcraft, monsters (they’re just little guys), found family
location: unclear (artist is German)
Rating: 12/15 = 8/10
If this one wasn’t a slice of life I wouldn’t like it half as much because logistically there are so many untied threads, but just as bits and pieces I think it is so freaking sweet, like, I genuinely read this and I feel calmer about the state of the world. The writing isn’t my favorite but again, it’s mainly just vibes, and the art is just lovely and so immersive. It feels like an escape from society, a bit of peace.
In terms of my points, I eliminated categories 6) character nuance, 11) cookie cutter syndrome, 12) racial diversity, 13) bechdel test, and 19) made me think a lot; just in terms of this comic specifically, like. There’s two (2) human characters and they aren’t really even the point. I don’t think we have to get into social issues with this one, y’know?
From there, out of my remaining points system, I decided it was lacking in areas 4) fun pacing, 8) thematically appropriate language, and 17) particularly satisfying or funny, which really all boil down to my point that I don’t really like the way the dialogue is done and I also don’t really think it’s necessary for the sake of the story. But regardless. I think the things on my tally system that stood out most were the art style and the, like, feelings: both are really well done, there’s an abundance of green and soft lighting and details of the food they make… like, wowza. I wish I lived in this comic so dang bad. It’s absurdly evocative and I don’t know how. I might just yearn for the forests. Either way, definitely worth a read!
After witnessing the death of his mother, Vincent Marino makes it his life’s goal to avenge her. He leads an underground militia to hunt down and slaughter all hybrids he suspects of the crime. In his search, Vince crosses paths with Dallas, an enigmatic Cephoid (human-hybrid) working as a bounty hunter beyond the walls of Enix. Vincent wants answers. Dallas might have details, but he won’t give them up so easily. That’s ok, what fun way to waste time.
photo from episode 1
tags:
m mc, poc mc (italian), m/m
action, sci-fi, drama
futuristic, familial, queer
hybrids, sex, revenge
rating: 8/10
Right off the bat, this one is genre-defying and sucks you in completely: it takes place in the 2700s and combines an Italian mafia family with western stakeouts, hybrid humanoids, and scientific experimentation. There's a clear class disparity and a rigid social structure, which means rampant homophobia on top of the human/nonhuman conflict, so of course the main characters (human and not, two men) are immediately horny for each other. Forbidden fruit and all that. Main content warnings: violence and gore, familial trauma and abuse, and hella sexual references. The sexual tension is generally relevant to the characters and their relationship, so it's kind of unavoidably enmeshed in the entire plot, and there’s a lot of heavy body gore, which can also jumpscare you at times… just things to know. Also there is a 12-year age gap but they’re both adults so it doesn’t really impact anything. Don’t like, don’t read, etc. I think this one is really well done and insanely underrated— it has lots of details and overlapping layers that haven’t been fully played out yet which makes the plot really engaging, the characters have lots of different facades and secrets and it’s so intriguing; the story is undefinable and thrilling, the art is great, the worldbuilding is fantastic… it checks all the boxes.
In revision I’ve realized it’s, in fact, missing boxes 11) cookie cutter syndrome, 13) Bechdel test, 18) personal excitement, and 20) made me feel a lot. 11 and 18 don’t really surprise me considering the genre; I do think it’s funny in retrospect that the only female characters are Vincent’s dead mom and this one child being experimented on. I’d say my excitement per update is low because the episodes are short and kind of sporadic; even though the story’s been going for a while, it feels like we’re still at the beginning of the plot and waiting for things to kick into gear. Even so, I think Enix Sanctum is incredible and I’m so ready to see where the story goes.
As a typical Taurus, Luan Jia is pretty good at hiding his feelings, and sometimes he even oppositely expresses them. it bothers him sometimes, especially when he meets his crush Xiang Yufeng.
Photo from episode 1: prologue
dnf
tags:
m mc, poc mc (Chinese), m/m
romance, realistic
school, teen
location: Asia (idk where in China)
rating: 2/10
Being so fr, I don’t have that many thoughts on this one: it’s a light read and it’s enjoyable but I really did not find it particularly memorable or interesting, I stopped reading it relatively recently because I realized I wasn’t emotionally invested at all. I like the art: I think the lineart style and coloring styles are really visually satisfying, but the character designs are really repetitive and kind of emotionless, and the characters’ personalities stuck with me even less.
this one got points 2) worldbuilding, 3) hand-drawn backgrounds, 7) self-awareness, and 15) visuals-anatomy. It’s a simple premise and doesn’t go overboard trying to convince you otherwise, but it just doesn’t feel like there’s much there.
I gotta rephrase, this opinion is so so subjective: the comic just didn’t stick with me so I did the review based off of vibes because reading it again felt like dragging myself through it. Really just not for me.
Slice of Life | Coming of Age | LGBTQ+ /// "Green & Gold" is a story about teenagers at a german boarding school. ///
Photo from episode 12
tags:
m mc, m/m, multi
Drama, realistic
Coming of age, familial, school, queer
Teen, mental health
location: Euro (Germany)
rating: 6.5/10
Okay so I generally think this comic is really good and encapsulates a lot of the feelings of growing up and forming relationships that are really well done: conflict with authority, self-development and expression, feeling trapped, feeling lost– it’s very genuine. I love the way panic attacks are depicted with glitches and static, and I think all of the art choices are really strong: the lighting and colors are great and the characters actually look and dress like real teenagers, which is always nice. But. It's a little ruined for me by the way all the characters look so goddamn similar. Half the time I couldn't tell if I was looking at Piet or Levi, and it took me half of the story to tell Tim and Lukas apart (I know that was a relevant plot device but still), to the point that multiple times while reading it took me most of the chapter to tell who's point of view it was from, and what was going on. Which just kind of ruins it, a little bit. It also kind of bugs me that even though a lot of the characters are dealing with toxic masculinity and the weight of expectations, there's almost no insight into the opposite end of that spectrum: this comic does not pass the Bechdel test, which would bug me less if Thea wasn't constantly being left in the dark and then brought back into focus for the sake of Piet's emotional journey. I do really like, however, that a lot of the characters make kind of bad choices— leading people on, getting into fights, hurting others through their own emotional ignorance, and though the tone is casual in letting these things happen, there's an understanding of the characters’ naïveté and the impacts of their actions while also portraying them as sympathetic and really just trying their best. Which is kind of sweet.
This comic also deeply reminds me of Dead Poets Society, from the homoerotic mood lighting to the daddy issues to the Midsummer Night's Dream references and the difficulty telling all the white boys apart, so if you like that, you'll probably like this.
This one missed points in my ranking system on 8) thematically appropriate language, 10) same face syndrome, 11) cookie cutter syndrome, 12) racial diversity, 13) Bechdel test, 18) personal excitement, 20) made me feel a lot. Thematically appropriate language failed when one of the 12-year olds used the word “accolade.” Sorry. Same face syndrome I’ve already discussed, same as the Bechdel test, same as the cookie cutter syndrome, and any racial diversity (really just any presentation of alternate perspectives at all) is lacking. Though this comic is thoughtfully made and the pacing, plot, and art are all well done, it really just doesn’t resonate with me personally.
Rayne woke up with no memories of the apocalypse. Samael is just... a delinquent, who happened to find Rayne at a rooftop. They both ended up making a deal in order to survive in a world where cannibalistic monsters roam.
(I don’t have tags for it but this comic deals with pretty heavy violence and gore as well as significant mental health issues, substances, and character death; it’s rated mature for a reason.)
Rating: 8.5/10
While this comic is really well constructed and interesting, it's just… not for me. I think it has all the right components: the art is great, the tone is intense, the lore is intricate, the characters are complex, the world building is on point. It's objectively very good, but I actually ended up DNF-ing it, just because it's not that appealing to me, and reading it felt like I was dragging myself through it a bit. The plot is pretty intricate and because it didn't really hook me, I had a hard time keeping up. (I’d probably like it better as a full book than by episodic releases) That said, I might go back at some point, we'll see. (I read to episode 120.) I'd also say horror and post-apocalyptic are not my usual jam so I am a little out of my depth there, and I can't judge it as harshly as I do a lot of dramas or fantasies, because I don't have much background.
This one missed points on 11) body diversity, and then 18 and 20, which are my points for making me feel a lot, and how excited I am when it updates. Again, I have no explanation for this, it's all personal preference; like, when I was looking back on certain episodes to get a sense of the overarching plot I found so much that I thought was compelling and there's a lot to think about, it just didn't really resonate with me and I can't explain why. On the topic of body diversity, I will say, there's not none. The cast is really big because there's a lot of in-and-out background characters, and I really like how among them, there's a lot of tall and muscular women (and not just bc I'm gay, I swear), which is a bit less-often seen; but even though there's a lot of variation on the muscular-slim-curvy axes, I don't know if there's a single plus-size character, which is kind of crazy to me.
Things that stood out to me the most: the characters' designs go so hard. So many hot people, so many fun outfits, it's just very visually satisfying. Similarly, the color scheme of the entire comic is fabulous. I love it when there's a clear visual commitment to a specific color palette because it just makes it so iconic and sets a specific tone instantly. I also think the different PoVs are juggled seamlessly, like there's so many plotlines with different sets of characters as well as background to the pre-apocalypse society and gradual details on how the main cast got to where they are, which is really nicely done. I didn't connect with any of the characters much but they are clearly well-written and thought-out, so props there, too. Tldr: I didn't connect with it but I still think it was good.
Danny and Hunter have been best friends for a while, and although they follow different paths after high school, they stick together. But what’s keeping them together might be something more than just friendship.
Webtoon
photo from episode 21: Strawberry Sandwiches
m mc, m/nb, m&f
drama, romance, realistic, slice of life
coming of age, queer, comforting
rating: 4.5/10
I think this one is generally cute, but that’s about as far as it gets. Because the initial set-up is one asking out the other rather than following a typical build-up structure, it's hard to get really into it: the audience has no context for what motivates the characters to do or say the things they do, and this trend follows for most of the story. The pacing and dialogue feel a bit clunky, and there's not a lot of depth into what makes the characters interesting or worthy of being the main characters at all. It sort of feels like the whole coming-out, new-romance timelines are done on speedrun for the sake of emotional conflict without deeper nuance, and the telling:showing ratio is way off, even for a slice of life. I like the art style of this one a lot, it feels very natural and I find the linework really satisfying; the colors are warm and fun and the character designs and style are all great. But as a whole, it feels like it's just going through the steps that a romance story tends to follow without a deeper exploration into its characters or their actions, which makes it feel pretty cringeworthy. I think queer comfort and openness are really important to portray, but not when it feels like there’s no substance. I don’t get why you would want to tell a story if you don’t actually have anything to say.
I gave this one points 2) worldbuilding, 3) nice backgrounds, 7) genre awareness, 8) thematically appropriate language, 10) lack of same-face syndrome, 11) lack of cookie-cutter syndrome, 12) racial diversity, 14) visuals-colors, and 16) bonus art point. I feel bad that I don’t have more to like about it, like it genuinely is very cute and I think the art is fantastic, but that can’t save the story, and there really doesn’t feel like there’s anything going on to make it, well, interesting. My biggest critiques summarized are points 4) pacing, 5) building themes, and 6) character depth because I think those are the things that make it really hard to connect with. Again, all my personal opinion and I haven’t stopped reading it, either. I don’t think it’s actually terrible, it just doesn’t really leave a strong impression.
