The original batch of reviews was far more than 5. My records say there were 7 comics. The number per date has varied quite a bit over the years, but I always aim for five, I just go over sometimes.
January 2, 2003
6. 8-Bit Theater - The single funniest comic of the ones that still update (can't beat PLiF, however). Better yet, it's consistent, and makes fun of a game I put far too many hours into (it's still better than any of the sequels). Why are you still standing around, read the damn thing already. You deserve it.
August 1, 2003 - Still the funniest comic on the net. If you're not reading it, what the hell are you waiting for?
October 11, 2006 - And I still stand by those statements. Despite everything that's happened to me in the last three years since I first started reading 8-Bit, it is STILL the most consistently funny comic on the internet. Only soulless dolls don't laugh at 8-Bit Theater.
TODAY - It's almost over. How many years has it been? So many now it's funny to think that this comic might actually, finally end. And I still get a chuckle out of it every strip. I shall miss it, I really will, but I'd have to say that without 8-Bit Theater, I doubt I would have ever gotten into webcomics beyond the handful that I began with.
7. Leisure Town - Now here's a comic that will warp your fragile little minds, and you'll love it, goddamn it! First of all, it isn't drawn, at all (well, a little, mostly for "special" effects), secondly, prepare for a great string of stories about the usual, death, violence, drugs, masturbation, insanity, and love. Yes, love somehow gets in this mess. There's so much there, it'll take a while to even get through it, but it also hasn't updated since April. Damn shame, I hope it comes back soon.
October 11, 2006 - Guess what? It didn't come back. But, the artist is selling the character models online, and the entire Leisure Town archive is available for viewing (it wasn't for a while). Do yourself a favor and go read at least some of them.
TODAY - It still remains one of those surreal gems most people never hear about. I still encourage people to read it and enjoy the ride, however strange.
January 3, 2003
8. Life of Riley - Paintball nuke. I'd stop there, but there's more. This comic is the reason I started doing reviews. Originally, I just wanted to find something new to read (being bored), instead I got a new hobby. Anyways, Life of Riley isn't a bad comic, but not a great one. Occasionally, there's a spark of incredible creativity (the paintball nuke was sheer genius), but the rest of the time it's a relatively flat comic about a bunch of people who play games. It's also deeply connected with its own community (which probably reduces the impact it should have on me, as I stay away from such groups). Frankly, the thing is a cult comic, worshiped by its own members, and it gives them exactly what they want. I read it in the hopes for another spark of greatness, but it's hard to match that first great one: paintball nuke.
August 1, 2003 - They've expanded to cover the whole week, but only the original storyline held the Mon, Wed, Fri schedule. I'll have to read the Tuesday and Thursday batch someday.
October 11, 2006 - It's gone. The old url no longer works, the story ground to a halt and everything went up in smoke. I actually managed to get caught up with it, and it targeted off into some flashback and then poof. Am I sad to see it go? Well, kind of. I want to read about the paintball nuke again.
March 8, 2007 - Someone went through and uploaded the archive again. Link updated.
TODAY - I keep meaning to reread this comic and see how it really holds up, but I just haven't. Maybe later. Still, it's nice the archives are available again, may they stay up for a while.
9. Jack - Oh boy, this is a hard one. On one hand, it's got an interesting premise, the afterlife and how people die and such, on the other hand, oh boy. Not for the kiddies, or possibly even the adults in the audience. The artist is what's called a Furry, people who get off on, well, just look at it and you can take a guess. It's a fetish, and I suppose that's okay, but as you read this comic, keep in mind what some people are doing to the same thing you're reading. Now you get the idea of the problem I face. It's got some great ideas, and occasionally pulls them off. The rest of the time it's, well, not quite right. It's also depressing as all hell (meant in every sense). It's also where I learned the horrors of "archive tunnel vision." Initially, I thought it was better than it is, then the site went down for a couple of weeks just after I completed the archive. With reflection, I don't need it, and don't have it on my "must visit" list. In fact, once I'm finished here, I'm deleting it from my bookmarks. If you can look past the art, you'll find something nice, otherwise, stay clear.
October 11, 2006 - I still haven't read it again. I know it moved off of Keen, but I'll be damned if I know where it went. Life goes on, but without Jack.
TODAY - Found it, pretty easy to find, honestly, and I fixed the link. I still don't know what to think about the comic, but I'll probably stay away for now, I have other comics to read.
10. Megatokyo - I can see why people absolutely love this comic. Some of that, however, irks me, starting with the ieet speak. But let's get beyond my little pet peeves, shall we? It's not a bad comic at all, but it suffers from a kind of "split personality" disorder. You can even see the point where the split occurred, and it hasn't healed yet. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, however I get a feeling that eventually one of the two lines will be forced to collapse into the other, removing my only reason for reading it (the Largo storyline is some much more interesting than Piro's girl problems). Maybe it can sustain it for a while, though, and maybe a re-merger can occur, if it does. I don't see it happening though. The end will be short and violent, and I'll stop reading it at that point. Until then, I'll have to suffer through one storyline so I can read the other.
August 1, 2003 - They finally merged the storylines, to no effect. So much so, I dumped it earlier today. It's just not interesting anymore.
October 11, 2006 - People still go gaga over this comic, or so I hear. I haven't read it in years, and have no plans to.
TODAY - Last thing I heard about this comic was something about Godzilla being turned into a zombie. Yeah, I'm not missing much, am I?
Again, only one of these comics remains on my active read list. I'd do the math, but I imagine that's probably par for me. Let's see if the next section has an birdie or two (Answer: A surprising yes!).
Until next time kiddies.
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