Wild Webcomic Review 170 - 174

Well, this is it.  I've been reposting my reviews since I started this blog over 3 years ago, and this is the last repost.  Considering I've added another 60 comics on top of this in those 3 years, I feel almost like I've been slacking.  Because I have.  Still, I've done a lot more things that I always wanted to do, and I'm planning to do more.  With that said, enjoy the last old review.  I'll have to think of something to add my current thoughts to the new review batches, but that will come later.

June 01, 2009

170. Sandra and Woo - This comic reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes. Not so much in art style like Sinfest, but more in tone and the way it flows. Don't expect it to be Calvin and Hobbes, it isn't, but it is its own thing, and it works pretty well. It's young (only about 8 months old), but I think it could easily become memorable.

TODAY - Still a pretty solid comic.  Is it memorable?  Probably not, but good nonetheless.  Worth reading and I've kept it on my read list for a while now, and probably well into the future.

171. Sister Claire - This is a silly comic. Mostly in concept, but in execution as well. It's fun and I imagine anyone who grew up around nuns (not me, BTW) will probably find this much more entertaining than the rest of us. Hard to say much else, but I think it's worth a look in most cases.

TODAY - I'm still not sure what to make of this comic.  It's not what I initial thought it was, a kind of parody nuns and such, because now there is magic, half cat people, witches, statues that are fighting robots and a Nun Fu.  This comic got odd really quickly and kept being odd.  I want to see where this is going though, and I keep reading.

172. The Best Band in the Universe - Here's another reminder comic, this time of Scooby Doo or something like that. The space van looks like it. But there is an issue: All the characters in the band are male. Go ahead and read it and you'll see why this is an issue. Once that gets out of the way, it's not too bad, if not updated recently (March was the last one). I think that's kind of a shame, with a title like that, it could be pretty memorable.

TODAY - Dead and gone.  I hate when that happens.

173. The Meek - The main character is naked. And is female. I know, I should have saved that for the end, but at least those of you who left are reading the comic, and you should. The art is great, the story, though still young, seems well written and I'll be following it for as long as possible. And since she's naked, so will you.

TODAY - Hey, that naked girl?  She's wearing pants.  Just pants.  And the comic has been on and off hiatus rather randomly, mostly because the artist is doing pay jobs and making money and living.  Good for him!  He deserves it, but I'd really rather he come back into this story.  It got pretty dark at a few moments, with a several great characters, but the stalling out due to pay work has made me sad.  Come back soon not so naked girl.

174. Zap! - Comics change over time, some for the better, some for the worse. If you come in at the wrong point, you can easily be turned off on even the best comics. For the first 250 or so strips, Zap isn't a great comic. It's not terrible, there's just nothing of interest there. Then, with a somewhat climactic fight scene, the comic dynamic changes and it shifts from being merely ordinary to something really good. If I had reviewed it before that point, I would never have gone back (well, probably never). As it stands, it will slip into my schedule, a comic that finally found its tone and style, after 250 some strips.

TODAY - I dropped it from the schedule within a year.  Mostly it was a pacing thing.  One page a week is a pacing wrecker, and it became easy to lose my place there.  The comic was better then when it started, but it was so slow, it wasn't worth following any more.  Just a brief look at the most recent page shows the art is still quite good and I think the story must be moving along nicely.  I may have to revive my re-review project and give it another shot.

And that's it.  It's now been over 10 years since I started reading and review webcomics in a sporadic fashion.  The first 7 years have now been reposted on this blog that took the last 3 and more into the future.  Hopefully I'll actually do some more reviews.  Until then kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 165 - 169

Another batch of old reviews as I have nothing this week.  It's been hot as hell around here, so comic stuff hasn't been foremost on my mind as of late.

January 03, 2009

165. U.F.O. - I almost swear this whole comic is just an excuse for the artist to draw girls in their panties. Almost. Otherwise it's just a silly romp with lots of people being killed for their 'funk.' Sadly, no, it is not funky funk, it's some weird plot device funk. Yes, I was disappointed that it wasn't funkier. It is moderately funny, if goofy, and despite the lack of true funk, I'll probably keep reading it, assuming they get back to making new comics. . .

TODAY - Well it DID update again, and at quite a good pace until SOMETHING happened in April of this year and nothing since then.  It's alright still, just alright, and if it updates some more, it'll be still on my read list but nothing that holds me to it.

166. Hopscotch - Most webcomics seem to settle into some epic storyline with no proper end in sight, or become a long series of gags that go on forever. Hopscotch doesn't. It is a short story in graphic form, and in fact you could strip all the art away and it would still be a pretty good story by itself. It is short, and complete, so worth it if you have an hour or so. I think the guy is an idiot, BTW, but whatever.

TODAY - Nothing further to add on this one.

167. Queen of Wands - This comic was the first creation of the author of Punch an' Pie, which I throughly enjoy, so I had decent expectations going into QoW. And it met them, surprisingly enough. It isn't perfect, there's a lot of backstory/flashback things that are FILLED with words and angst and emo that I really, REALLY could have done without, but when the comic was in the "here and now" it flowed pretty well and made sense the whole way through. I am kind of glad I didn't start reading it when it was active, because I probably would have dropped it after a while, but as a dead comic, I'm fine with it. There is an commentary version of the archives, but I didn't read that (said to be spoiler filled), but I might go back some time just to see what they were thinking behind the scenes. Half wish more comics did that.

TODAY - Still haven't gotten back to those commentaries.  Mostly laziness on my part, but again, I wasn't strictly in love with the strip when I read it.  Maybe someday.

168. The Call of Whatever - From one dead comic to another, this one with a Lovecraftian twist. This is just a fun little comic, and you really don't HAVE to have any working knowledge of the Cthulu Mythos to enjoy it, but it helps. Even then, there's probably somethings that will go clear over your head. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that it ended when it did. In someways, I would have liked to see it go on, but then, they pretty much played out all the good jokes by that point and it would have just settled into a mud of mediocrity or something worse. Still, it was diverting, and I'm glad I got a chance to read it.

TODAY - Again, nothing much to add on this.  Completed comics give me little room over this, unless I go full bore with a retrospective.

169. Shadowgirls - The first thing I see is a naked black man telling me to get out. Thankfully, this is not that kind of comic. It's a superhero comic basically, set in the Cthulu Mythos. I segwayed these last three reviews well, didn't I? Anyway, this is what the Front could have been, it's good, very good. The art is comic bookish, sure, but it's expressive and colorful. The story and characters are well done and well communicated. Heck, the backstory is presented in a believable, not lecturing kind of way that I love. It's good, damn good, even with all the filler/bonus comics strewn throughout the archives (and even those are actually pretty good). Worth my time.

TODAY - Speaking of retrospectives, I did a full blown one on this comic here, so go read that to get my most recent thoughts.

One active (though on unexpected hiatus) comic, and 4 dead/completed ones.  Ah well.  I will note that this review is the first time I really started thinking about doing this blog at all.  My issue with starting it:  not having enough stuff to fill it.  Yeah, I'm stretching this week, that's for sure.  Until next time kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 160 - 164

Well, I was working on an article, but it's taking time, and this week I have to read and review Friends With Boys since it's going to full print next week.  So instead, old review time!

October 05, 2008

160. Head Trip - If you saw the thread about Twilight in the Media board (comment from the forum I originally posted this in), the comics I linked there came from this one (she's got a deviantart site as well). It's a fun little comic with geek humor and implied violence (never in panel). There's no overall story arc, but there is a subcomic within it that has a story (non-traditional superheroes would be the best way to describe it). The archives get a little spastic at one point, so have fun navigating it, but it's worth a quick look anyway.

TODAY - The "non-traditional superhero" storyline is still appears once in a while, and got reasonably darker.  The regular comics are just as oddly random as they originally were, and I still enjoy it.

161. Heart Shaped Skull - Remember Edwitch? Same kind of comic, only done a bit better. The main character is almost identical to the one in Edwitch, except that she's probably both more powerful and more socially isolated (by fear more than anything else). The art is actually better too, though more gothy. About the only thing that bugs me is that half the archives are unavailable because it's also a print comic collection (aka: you have to buy it). Doesn't mean you need them, it's easy enough to get into without them. I like it a lot more than I think I should. Doesn't matter. BTW, another with archive issues: Hitting the first page button takes you to the first page of the current chapter, so click "archive" instead and follow the dates for the actual archive. The fact that I didn't do this the first time through and didn't feel lost is a credit to the comic.

TODAY - The missing chapters were posted on the site, and they are excellent.  The whole comic, in fact, remains really, really good, and is completely worth a read through.  Go and read it already.

162. Blip - Ever think God is out to get you? What if He was, only you didn't know it? This is a comic about a young woman who is in that boat. K (her name) is a mistake, a blip on the radar of existance, and the only solution is to keep her down and out. Of course, her friends want her happy, the Devil wants her to cause the end of the world, and she just wants her dog to stop shitting on the floor. I'm kind of afraid she might learn about what's going on, because I think it would ruin it, but 100 strips in and it hasn't happened yet, so maybe things will go alright. We'll see.

TODAY - Injury has stalled this comic at the moment, but it still remains one of my favorite strips.  There are now over 1000 strips compared to the 100 I based the original review on, and the comic has not disappointed, and in fact even got better as time went on.  Hope the artist heals soon so we can have more of this comic.

163. Truck Bearing Kibble - It wants to be Perry Bible Fellowship. It DESPERATELY wants to be PBF. It has the elements: The great art, the weird concepts, the off beat jokes. Does it do it? Eh, not quite. There's a spark missing. It's not bad, by any means, but it isn't PBF. Of course considering PBF isn't updating much, if at all, it might be a decent replacement.

TODAY - Dead, has been for some time.  Worth a quick read through, but that's about it.

164. Our Time in Eden - I always manage to find these long, novel comics when they're very young (9th Elsewhere, Broken Mirror) and they all seem very good, and then something happens. Usually they just stop updating. I'm hoping this one doesn't suffer the same fate, as it is very interesting so far. Not actiony in any sense, but one of those that tries, and so far does a decent job, to be introspective to the characters. The first couple of chapters are pretty good so far, but it's another wait-and-see comic. Especially to see if it continues to update.

TODAY - Just discovered that this comic is updating regularly again after a hiatus, so I have to go back and catch up on it.  I like that feeling.

All for this week.  Next week, hopefully, I'll have a special review up.  Until then kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 155 - 159

Another old batch of reviews.  Been busy this week, and we haven't had one in a while, so let's go.

March 21, 2008

155. Apophenia 357 - I don't think it's really a comic, more of an art concept. Take a bunch of spam, create a comic from them, then let the reader add the text. That's right, there's not a single word in the entire comic, which makes reading it a rather interesting experiance. It's on a kind of hiatus now, so I wouldn't expect anything new, but it is interesting, and trying to form a story, even if it's only in your mind, is kind of fun.

TODAY - I'm still not sure if this is actually a comic or not.  It's an interesting idea, at least, kind of wish there were others like it.

156. Ashita and Yesterday - This comic hasn't been updated since December, and that's not a big loss. Seriously, there's really no reason to read it. It's not strictly bad, I suppose, but there's nothing especially good about it. There's a story, but it's nothing you haven't seen before in a dozen other comics and it doesn't do it all that well. The art doesn't stand out either. I will say the first few strips make it seem more interesting than it is, because it falls of after that. I mourn many comics that stop updating, but Ashita isn't not one of them.

TODAY - Still dead.

157. Footloose! - This is a comic that is silly, self aware, filled with history (from another comic) and actually not badly drawn. Though I did find myself comparing it to a couple other comics that LOOK JUST LIKE IT. See Return to Eden for the most obvious comparision. Now, that doesn't mean it isn't good, it is pretty decent. It's kind of comfortable in that way. It's also a very girl comic. I've read enough of them at this point to pick that out and again, that doesn't mean it's not good, it just means the story plays to a certian beat, and after reading enough of them, it does get old after a while. I'll probably follow it for a bit, mostly because it does have that silly, self-aware humor I do enjoy so much.

TODAY - Still reading it and enjoying it.  It's gotten a little darker and resolved with a literal Deus Ex Machina.  Good read, I recommend it.

158. Jetpacks and Time Machines - This should be in newspapers. It reminds me of Calvin and Hobbes, okay? Reminds me, doesn't mean it is, but if this was in the paper, it would be my favorite strip. And if the curse of hiatus hadn't taken it, I'd follow it even now. There's a lot of great things about it, the characters, the humor, the art, it's all there. Will it update again? God I hope so.

TODAY - Dead, which is a shame.  Great ideas, lots of fun, but no staying power.  Oh well.

159. Roza - Of this batch of comics, this is the best. Hell, the only comic that comes close in the last few reviews is Dresden Codak, and it's a pretty even fight there. There's no exposition, you're just thrown into the current story and it's done with one of the best balances of art telling the story and dialog doing so as well. I really can't praise this one enough folks, it is damn good, double damn good, so go read it, alright?

TODAY - There was a brief hiatus and it's going to change a little to make updates quicker.  Which is good because it's a fun comic and I enjoy it.

Well that's kids, I'll see you guys later.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 150 -154

Hey, some old reviews.  It's been a while with these hasn't it?  No matter, FORWARD!

February 03, 2008

150. Gingerdead and Friends - Gothic cookie people and the things they do. It's different, but not what I would call great. Nothing's really wrong with it, but only the art style really sticks out, and that isn't that impressive. It's kind of like a watered down Reiko, but not really. At least it isn't horrible.

TODAY - Damn, I didn't even REMEMBER this comic.  That's how little impression it left on me.  Still updating though, a bit, but wow did I not remember anything about it.

151. leveL - All I could think while reading this is that someone played WAY too much Final Fantasy (7 or later), or the equivilant at least. Main character with amnesia and latent, but unexplored, magical like powers? Check. Girl with lots of attitude? Check. Terrible secret that secret agency within the government is trying to hide? Check. I could go on, but it would take a while, so I'll stop there. I actually put off reading this one for a while because of the animish art style (which in the first chapter isn't that great), but the art does improve and the story is at least mildly interesting, except for the bulk of Chapter 4 which has a lot of characters just talking about the world. Boring. Anyway, it's not bad, but not really great.

TODAY - The website for this broke a while ago, and didn't have any updates for a while, so I kind of wandered away from it.  The main page HAS been repaired, and redone.  And was last updated August of last year.  Yeah, I think this comic is definitely dead.

152. Luz: Girl of the Knowing - "The Knowing?" Yeah, that kind of threw me to, so I had to read it to find out. Turns out, it's one of those comics with a message, which basically comes down to "Globalization is bad, peak oil will destroy the modern world, learn to live without this stuff or YOU'LL DIE!" Okay, maybe I'm going a bit far with that, but it does seem to HAMMER its message into your skull in a way that is unpleasant. Now I'm a bit of a luddite myself, but this comic takes it all TOO seriously. Though it is funny when Luz realizes that chocolate might disappear and there isn't a damn thing she can do about it. I've got better things to read.

TODAY - Apparently there is now a book for this comic, as well as a stand alone graphic novel.  As much as I don't care for the comic, good for the artist for getting published.  Still not reading it, but that's me.

153. Teddy Bear Trauma - This is a comic about teddy bears doing HORRIBLE things to each other. Lots of violence and death, all done to stuffed animals. Seems the narrator of the comic didn't get that message, but you'll have to see that understand. Anyway, this is a fun comic, except for the interface. Flash, the whole thing. Not a fan of flash interfaces, give me html any day. It doesn't hurt the comic in the least, might even help it a bit, but makes navigating it a bit hard. It's worth the effort though.

TODAY - Yeah, still  a bit of a waste of flash, but the comic has been slowly updating, apparently.  No idea on when (flash interface prevents back dating things), but it's there.  When I was reading  Devilbear: The Grimoires of Bearalzebub for my last review, I thought back to this comic frequently, it's the whole teddy bears doing horrible things to each other idea.  The flash interface, again, encouraged me to not bother with the comic.

154. Just Another Escape - Many comics do flashbacks, some do flashforwards, but few do what Just Another Escape does and jumble the whole thing up into a ball and run with it. It even defines what is the past, present and future via artwork, just to keep things straight as it bounces around between the different time periods and tries to tell the story of the people of Rain House, a fancy college dorm. I think the best part is you KNOW it isn't just being made up as it goes along, and so there is some sense of a destination, which is what many comics (like leveL) sometimes lack. Is the story any good though? Well, it's kind of scattered and trying to figure out where everyone sits, and why things are happening the way they are is difficult to say the least. Probably the result of the comic being relatively young (less than a couple years). I'll be keeping an eye on it.

TODAY - I just did a retrospective on this comic.  Go read that to hear my final thoughts.

Wow, no comics in this one I still read, though the last one was by it's own hand.  That's kind of depressing.  Until next time kiddies. 

Wild Webcomic Reviews 145 - 149

Well, my busy couple of weeks are still busy, but no new pictures from Champions Online.  Instead, some old reviews.  Enjoy.

June 10, 2007
 
145. Dresden Codak - This got linked from Nobody Scores! so you know it's going to be odd, and it is. It's also completely awesome. Few comics manage to caputure surreal tangents and mix in a batch of superscience as well as this comic. The art is also well above superior, so it looks as wonderful as it's written. Go, read, do it now. Chop chop!

TODAY - The art of this comic is still amongst the best on the net, possibly of any comic period.  It doesn't update frequently, probably once a month at best, but the pages are spectacular when it does.  The storytelling is getting better, improving with each extended story.  I highly recommend this comic, for the art if nothing else.

146. The Nineteenth-Century Industrialist - Yeah, we really need another one of those running around. It's funny in an odd way, mostly in the way of screwing workers, destroying the enviroment and general greed. The art sort of reminds me of Girly, only not as clean, which is fine. One of the earliest jokes features dropping an anvil on someone's head (It's funnier in real life, apparently). Crude, odd, evil, greedy. There you go, that's this comic in a nutshell. Is it worth the time to read it? Eh, not sure. Leaning towards not, but the premise is neat enough that it at least might be worth a look.

TODAY - I stopped reading it, so many other comics to read that I don't have the time or energy to keep up with this one.

147. What Birds Know - More a comic novel than a straight up web comic, the story follows three friends as they go in search of mushrooms. Well, that's how it starts and it only gets odd from there. The pacing is nice, there's a great mystery and a touch of the supernatural. I also love the way the comic is actually displayed: each page in it's own window with no ads to get in the way. Makes for easy and wonderful reading. It's currently on a short hiatus, but is certainly worth reading.

TODAY - The display issues were resolved some time ago, so that complaint is gone.  The comic has gotten rather dark since I originally reviewed it and it's getting darker by the moment.  It's still good, but at the same time. . .

148. Minus - Minus is about a little girl, named Minus, who can basically bend reality to her will. Literally. Trees grow out of no where, dogs become people (temporarily), sidewalk drawings come to life, etc, etc, etc. And it's sweet and nice and wonderful in every possible way. So why are you still sitting here reading this review: GO READ THE DAMN COMIC ALREADY! You'll thank me afterwards.

TODAY - Minus ended some time ago, but the same artist has two more comics going on his site, Kiwis By Beat. Great! is probably the longest lived comic so far, and is mostly about ramen.  Yeah, you really have to read it to get that.  Modern Fried Snake is, well, interesting to say the least.  I like it, but I'm not sure where exactly it's going, or if it even has a direction to begin with.  Either way, both are pretty good and I would recommend them, especially if you like Minus itself.

149. Bruno - Not Bruno the Bandit, just Bruno, a girl with issues (yes, HER name is Bruno). Funny, I just noticed that four of my five comics feature a female lead character. Odd. Anyway, this is a big comic, as in 11 YEARS of archives (the comic did end in Feb 07, so there is an end to it), and each strip averages a metric TON of text. Lots of reading, and its actually a bit of a depressing comic. 90% of the comic is watching Bruno take her life and smash it into a brick wall over and over again. It DOES get kind of old, but there's always this hope that she'll finally get it together. In any case, at least she gets to travel a lot, visit lots of places, angst, work dull jobs, strip at one point, and sleep with anything with two legs (I'm not using that word I want you to finish reading the review first kids). There is some nudity in the later half of the strip, so the youngins probably shouldn't read it, not that they would. Like I sad, a TON of text. In fact, that really makes it interesting as there's no action in the art, all the action is in the dialog (aside from a few rare occasions). So is it good? I enjoyed it, despite Bruno's life disasters getting a bit old after a while, but it did come to an end and so I'll accept it. Will you like it? If you don't mind reading a lot, maybe. Read through the end of the arc with the circus and you should be able to decide.

TODAY - Bruno is currently on a reissue spree, which commentary on each strip and each strip presented bigger and crisper than the original release.  It's only about two years into the comic's 11 year run, so if you want to read a comic with commentary from early on, now's probably a good time to start.  The original archives are still available, but even I may reread everything with the commentary this time.

Man, Bruno continues to surprise me.  First it was a pretty good comic and now it's going through a reissue.  Anyway, sorry I don't have anything more this week, I'm barely ALIVE after working the 4th, so take what little I have.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 141 - 144

God damn it, the wrong date got put in the scheduler, this should have been up Friday.  Blah.

Ah, spring, time for doing things outside, and not writing something new for the blog.  Heh.  Anyway, today is a shorter batch than normal because I'm tired of putting the extra dates in.  It'll switch back later as I get back to 200 and the start of this blog, but for this week, I've just got 4 comics.

May 21, 2007

141. REVVelations - Dystopias are always so dramatic and cliche. At least this one has lots of cars and a humpback. Starts with a car chase, a pirate television news program and something about meatloaf. Something HORRIBLE about meatloaf (apparently it's worse than being made from people). I can't really say I like it, the style just rubs me wrong for some reason. I don't hate it, now, it's not an abomination, it's just not my thing.

TODAY - Apparently it still updates.  I don't follow it, so I can't tell you if it's any good or not, but it's still alive, so that's positive.

142. Hockey Zombie - What's more funny than a comic about zombies? How about one about a hockey playing zombie, who is sentient (sort of). This comic is sort of, kind of dead (but not really) but the archieves are certianly worth a laugh. The riffs on the Zombie Survival Guide are great fun.

TODAY - Dead and gone.  The link leads no where.  Kind of a shame as it was a fun little comic.

143. Hazard Pay - It reminds me of something I would write. Seriously, it reads like I wrote the damn thing, which just tickles me pink. I could like it for that reason alone, but it's also well drawn, has an interesting storyline that's really only just started going and is just well written. Like something I would write. It's good, trust me on this.

TODAY - The last news post promises they're coming back.  It was written in February of 2010.  I wish it had kept going, but it was not to be.

144. Bunny - The Bunny doesn't understand why you aren't already reading this comic. This makes the Orange Bunny very angry. You don't want to make the Orange Bunny angry. Just don't do it.

TODAY - It managed to keep up being odd for sometime, then it slowed to a crawl and at the end of February it froze solid.  Is it dead forever?  I have no idea. I keep checking and hoping it comes back, but I'm not crossing my fingers on it.

The most active comic in this batch is one I don't read.  Weird.  Maybe I'll have something for you next week, until then kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 136 - 140

Here we are, another batch of old reviews for you to view.  Mostly because I have an idea for another series of articles, but, um, I finally installed Fallout 3 and have been kind of distracted. . .

March 14, 2007

136. Nothing Nice to Say - Another resident of the "I don't know what's going on but it's good anyway." It's about punk, the music and culture, and I know next to nothing about it. Which means most of the jokes go completely past me. But, like the Whiteboard (a paintball comic), it doesn't focus all it's humor power on just punk references, and when it does it tries to present them in a way that it's still a real joke. Enjoyable for that, but it hasn't updated since January, so I don't know if it's dead or just on hiatus (seems to go through that if you look through the archives).


TODAY - It updated a bit after this review, then died.  Probably won't update again (It's been almost 3 years at this point).  I really don't remember much about it, so it didn't leave much of an impression.

137. The Broken Mirror - It's a novel they're turning into a comic. A rather lengthy novel at that. It's a bit wordy because of this (less action, more narration that probably necessary), but it also has barely begun (DON'T read the character section as some of the characters haven't even been introduced yet!). Might be worth reading for a bit, seeing where this all goes, then making a decision on whether to keep reading it to the end.

TODAY - Dead and gone.  I've heard that the author of the comic (not the artist) got into a tiff with some people critical of their work and then the site just vanished.  May be a coincidence, but who knows. It had some decent ideas and I think it could have gone somewhere, but it didn't and now is gone for good.

138. Punch an' Pie - Speaking of comics that have just started, here's one with only 5, count them, 5 strips. That's it. That's the whole comic (it's why I had to dig out another comic for this review). Is it good? Hell if I know, IT ONLY HAS 5 STRIPS! Looks like it could be though. Good idea to start this one early, you might be reading it for a long time.


TODAY - Five strips when I started reading it, and I never stopped.  This is still one of the better relationship style comic I've read.  It's had some twists and turns over the years but it feels like it's grown rather than just continued on.  This is one of those comics I really need to do a full review on some day.

139. The Dreamland Chronicles - I've reviewed many comics (139 now), and most are hand drawn, a few are built with old sprites, and nearly all of them have some level of computer graphics work done to them before they're posted. That said, this is the only one that is completely, 100%, 3D rendered. It looks like those Pixar movies, so when they don't move, it's really creepy looking. I'm serious on this. Is the comic good? Well, it reminds me of something I wrote when I was 9 years old, only they're trying to make it a bit more mature. Not a lot, but a bit (the main character is in his 20s, which is important to the story actually). I don't think I'll be following it any more, but it's probably because I outgrew it a long time ago. You might like it better.

TODAY - Still updating, I'm still not reading it, but it looks like (from the two strips I checked) that it may be nearing it's natural end.  Could be wrong on that, of course.

May 21, 2007

140. The Book of Biff - Biff learns a lot of lessons in this comic. A LOT of lessons. And what the hell is up with his eyebrows? It's got funny moments and certianly keeps me entertained. But still, eyebrows. . .

TODAY - It's a daily strip that keeps me coming back because of, well, weird stuff.  It's not the best daily strip I read, but it's good enough to keep my attention.  Those eyebrows are still weird.

Enough for this week.  Hopefully next week I won't be as distracted.  Hopefully.  Until then kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 131 - 135

Sorry about the odd formatting last week.  This blog thing is terrible sometimes.  So another batch of old reviews for you to feast your eyes upon.

March 08, 2007

131. Ever After - Watch as Little Red Riding Hood kicks ass and takes names (as well as limbs). This is actually a fairly young comic (very few story line strips, it's stuck in a giant guest strip sequence now, which I could do without, thankyouverymuch) but it has a load of potential. The action is actiony, the art is fantastic, and the writing, well, we'll have to see on that. Like I said, it's young. Might become a classic at some point, you never know.


TODAY - Dead as a doornail.  It died maybe a couple months after I reviewed it.  Damn shame as the comic looked so damn interesting.  I sure know how to pick them, don't I?

132. Starslip Crisis - A light sci-fi comic featuring a war ship turned museum and its crew and galactic TERROR. Doesn't that always follow? It's not as funny as, say, Schlock Mercenary, but it's a bit more deep than Station V3. It's something in the middle. That's not bad, mind you (I like both Schlock and V3), just in the middle. Enjoyable.

TODAY - The name and art style was changed a bit ago, so it's now Starslip, and features more 3 dimensional character designs.  The comic hasn't changed that much from when I first read it and continues to entertain.

133. Questionable Content - This batch of comics comes to you thanks in part to this comic, but mostly to this review of the comic. If you are less than mature or a fan of Questionable Content, I suggest not clicking that link. Upon reading the review, I had to find out if what he says is true. So is he right? Well, yes and no. No, it is NOT the worse comic ever (EarthBeta is far worse, with Diesel Sweeties right behind it). In fact, I found parts of it quite funny. That said, everything he says about the nature of the comic ("a group of 20-somethings consisting of guys who are absolutely terrified of women and the girls who terrorize them sit around and discuss their feelings" among other things) is dead on. There are also probably 2000 comics out there that do the same damn thing, this one is just lucky enough to be popular. I think it takes the "whimsy" element (weird stuff that happens, including giant robots demanding apologies) a bit to far for a comic that is, generally, pretty grounded. All that said, this comic isn't going to stay in my read pile. It's okay, often funny, but it just doesn't interest me in a long term relationship. I'm sorry Questionable Content, it's not you, it's me.

TODAY - Still don't see what other people see in this comic.  I just don't read it, but I don't hate it (like some other comics that are popular for some god damned reason).  Just not sure why people like this one that much more than it really deserves.

134. Brat-halla - So what's it like to raise a god? This comic answers the question. About the only comic that focuses almost solely on Norse mythology (that I've found, I have a few that do Greek), and a rather funny one at that. The art style looks familiar (can't place it myself) but it is very well done and fairly high quality. It's just a fun comic.


TODAY - As I said last week, the comic is going on indefinite hiatus, and is likely dead.  Damn dirty shame.

135.  Flatwood - The FAQ for this comic suggest that you read it "with all the lights off and the optional oragan music playing." Adds to the "horror" effect of the comic. And it has a point, this can be a bit of an unnerving comic. The character style screams "FUNNY" while everything else says "BOO!" Odd combination and I still can't decide if I like it or not. It's not bad, I'm just not sure if I want to keep it in my weekly grind. Be warned that some of the comics are actually animated gifs, so don't go clicking through real fast, you might miss something.

TODAY - So dead it isn't even funny.  The main site is long gone, so all that's left is the Comic Genesis site, and that's about it.  I would say a shame, but at the same time, I don't think it was really that good.  Weird, scary, but good?  I don't know.  Judge for yourself on that one.

Well, that's enough.  Hopefully I can get the time to get to reviewing that award thing next week.  Until then kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 126-130

Another round of old reviews because I couldn't come up with a Christmas themed post for this week.

February 25, 2007

126. Perchance to Dream - No comic has ever made me want to sit down and rewrite it more than this one. The concept for this comic is absolutely wonderful. The ideas, the characters, everything is about as interesting as you can get, right from the first line on. The execution, while decent, though, doesn't go far enough. I'd like to see more depth, more exploration of the topic, try to get into the character's heads, especially Katherine's. I am so tempted to rewrite it, using the comic as an outline, that it actually hurts. I enjoyed it, but it starts to fall apart during the build up to the ending (though not the ending, oddly enough). Worth the read for this dead comic.

TODAY -  Still occasionally I think about doing a rewrite.  I hold back because I have other projects I want to do, but it's still there.

127. Mixed Myth - Reading comic archives gives you a chance to watch the evolution of the artist as an artist and a writer. Mixed Myth gives me a chance to see a proto version of the artist of Metrophor and is a real treat in that sense. It's also pretty entertaining without being too big on itself. Unlike, say, Wapsi Square, it doesn't let the story's mythology take over, and actually makes fun of it in the process. I got some great giggles out of it, and it does have some interesting takes on characters and plot development (from Cynamatiks to the realtionship between rabbits and elves). It's light hearted fun and it's dead so you can read it at your leisure without missing anything new.

TODAY - The archives are still there and active.  Yeah, I know, you wouldn't think so.  I have fond memories of this comic, but nothing spectacular.  Still miss Metrophor though.

128. Nobody Scores! - 8-Bit Theater is the most consistently funny comic there is. Nobody Scores, however, will remove your internal organs as you're laughing so damn hard. These are not short strips, I should say now, but they are extremely funny as you read through the bulk of them (there are always a few duds). The situations and charcters are just hilarious and tearing up from laughing while reading them is to be expected. Go read it already, it may take a while, but you'll thank me later.

TODAY - It's kind of stalled out.  No, it's still funny, it just doesn't update regularly any more.  I'm not sure why, actually, aside from artistic burn out.  Eventually I may be forced to shuffle it off to hiatus land (unofficial at that) but I'll reread the archives before I do.

March 08, 2007

129. Avalon - Another addition to the dead comic party. Avalon is a high school relationship comic. There, that's about all you really need to know about it, I mean when you've seen one, you've seen them all. And no far out sci-fi/fantasy element to gum up the works. The only downside is that it doesn't end as a comic. Guess the guy just didn't want to do the comic any more and simply posted a summary of how the thing ends. At least he ends it, I appreciate that.

TODAY - I still remember it for giving an ending, even if it wasn't in comic form.  Other comics simply stop (especially the long story ones) but few actually make an effort to give closure.  Thanks for that.

130. A Miracle of Science - Make that two dead comics. This is actually a pretty damn good comic. It's got its share of the angst bug, but the universe is wonderfully detailed and well thought out. It's paced well, even the final climax. That said, I picked out pretty much how it would end while I was still in the second chapter. Predictability isn't a bad thing, and doesn't really hurt this comic at all.

TODAY - Still a pretty damn good strip and I recommend it highly.

Wow, that's a lot of dead comics on that list, and only one that is kind of alive.  Next week I'm taking off, but I'll try to have something for New Years.  Until then kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Review 121 - 125

Time for another old batch of reviews, mostly because I don't have time to come up with an article (aka: I'm lazy).

February 12, 2007

121. Daniella Dark - It's cliche to the max. I don't mind cliches, never have, as long as they're done well. This comic fails at that. On top of that, it DUMPS the entire exposition on you like a freaking weight. I don't think the actual comic starts for a dozen strips, and there's only 25 of the damn things. Maybe I could over look this, but the art isn't that great either. It's just and overall bad comic. Don't even bother, not worth it.

TODAY - It still updates, so that's good, but I just don't read it.  First impressions are important, and this comic failed there for me.

122. Diesel Sweeties - I hear this comic got into newspapers. I see syndicates are holding up there very, very, very low standards as usual. This comic is actually pretty bad. Not gouge-your-own-eyeballs-out bad, but when that's all it has going for it you know it isn't worth it. The jokes are wooden, the delivery is often terrible, there's this pretentious sense about the whole thing that just irritates me. Worse yet, it has fart jokes. And they're not even funny. Wordy as all hell too. It wasn't so bad when they were doing 4 panels, but at some point it was decided they could do as many damn panels as they liked and you're going to like it. Few comics, very few, have been bad enough that I skimmed through a signficant portion of them. Diesel Sweeties managed to do it, I don't think I read more than a half dozen comics worth in the last 500 strips. Pathetic comic, I'm glad I never have to look at the website again.

TODAY - The more I think about this comic, the more I hate it.  It even surpasses my dislike for Penny Arcade and I really don't like Penny Arcade.  I hate that I had to put the link up there, but I did review it.

123. On The Edge - Well, that's better, a comic that can actually be funny once in a while is a breath of fresh air. It's not a great comic, few are, but its a decent enough little strip to help wipe a bad taste out of your mouth with a bit of sarcasm and humor. I like the characters too, for some reason. There's nothing special about them, there's no overarching super storyline that makes them stand out, they just seem comfortable. Maybe I needed that after Diesel Sweeties, I don't know. Worth a look at least.

TODAY - I still read this comic, and it remains fun, light and interesting.  It even has a graphic novel style comic running at the same time that is going very slow but is just as interesting.  Go read it, it's worth it.

February 25, 2007 

124. Wapsi Square - No, I don't know how to pronounce it either. It's a comic about a short woman with big boobs and the weird things that happen to her. It starts off as a simple, fairly generic comic, but near the end it starts getting wrapped up in it's own mythology. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and it is interesting, but it kind of bumps along. Revelations suddenly occur without any explination as to why, the beat of the comic is off when they start tackling the mythology (and you'll know what I mean when you read it), and a lot of the characters get lost. There are a TON of characters in this comic, and luckily they all look different enough from each other to keep track, but the comic DOESN'T keep track of them, or at least it doesn't seem to. Which is a shame, they are all great in their own way. Not as great as other comics, but a good enough read.


TODAY - The original story line FINALLY wrapped up a few months ago and the comic has started to really open up.  I still wish there was more exploration of the characters that don't get much screen time, but I think the increase in simple scale of the images has made the comic so much better than when I first read it.

125. Seraphic Blue - This is not a bad comic. I say that now because I'm about to make it sound like I dislike it. I don't. Alright, that out of the way, this comic is like every anime cliche strapped together. Earth mostly destroyed by cataclysm? Check. Few, select people can defend surviving people? Check. They all happen to be young, sexy women? Check. One has a mysterious past? Check. Etc, etc, etc. It's probably BETTER than the schlock that comes out of Japan, but it's the same damn thing, it really is. It's not bad, not bad at all, but it's completely uninteresting to me. You might like it, but I don't have the tolerance for this kind of thing any more.

TODAY - Dead, about a year after the review.  I don't know if it got any better, but I imagine not really.  Oh well.

That's it for this week kiddies, see you next time.

Wild Webcomic Review 116 - 120

Another batch of old reviews for you to read.  Which means I have no new ideas for articles.  Heh.

January 22, 2007
 
116. No 4th Wall to Break - And we end this session with a dead comic. If you hadn't noticed, I do review those, and this is one that probably shouldn't have died. It's not as bad as Jeremy in that respect (died, again, so young), but still sad to see it go. Oh, and it's the third stick figure comic. Not as obscure in it's humor as Cynide and Happiness, and actually a little higher on the art scale (it even has *gasp* characters!). It's almost not a stick figure comic at all. And there's no 4th wall either, they are all very aware of the fact they're in a comic, and they don't care. Enjoyable at the very least.

TODAY -  Gone, this time thanks to a computer glitch.  Better than just being forgotten or something.

February 12, 2007
 
117. Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - It wants to be the next PLiF. It wants to be it DESPERATELY. And it actually comes pretty damn close. A lot closer than Edible Dirt, that's for damn sure. It doesn't quite get there though. Yeah, it's that funny, weird humor we've all come to expect from these kinds of comics, but it just never seems to go far enough. And you get to see the back of many, many people's heads.


TODAY -  And you still see a lot of back of people's heads, but the strip has changed up the formula a bit and now does a lot more stuff.  It's better than when I initially reviewed it and I still read it.

118. No Rest for the Wicked - A lot of comics try to play up some fairy tale element in them at some point. Few do it from day one and only this one does it in half as much detail. I can tell the artist loves fairy tales and is very well read about them. It makes the comic a wonderful treat if you know the stories behind them, and it all seems to, well, work. The updates seem a bit sporatic, but I'm willing to wait if it can maintain this quality.

TODAY - Hasn't updated since October of last year.  Yes, the comic has really lengthy gaps between updates, but this one is huge.  I somehow doubt it will be coming back, but I'll check it through October, then it goes in the dead bin.

119. Kawaii Not - It's formulatic, silly, cute, and insults Japophiles everywhere. I like it. It's not anything fancy, don't expect that, and some of the jokes fall flat, but for a quick diversion, it does the job well. Not much else to say about it.

TODAY - Still doesn't stray from the formula, and I still read it for the simple humor.  Again, not much esle to say.

120.  Edwitch - There's a witch, living in a house on the edge of a cliff overlooking a city. Sounds like a weird fairy tale story setup, yes? It's not. It's more down to Earth than that. Really, it seems to be more about the main character working against her own nature. Its kind of interesting that way, and it's odd too. Worth watching, for sure.

TODAY - Dead and gone.  It died (and was announced dead) some time ago, but I'm surprised it vanished.  Kind of a bummer, the story was just starting to heat up, but at least the artist was nice enough to tell people the comic had come to an end.  I like that.

Well, that's it for this week.  You know, I keep thinking there's something special about next week, but I can't put my finger on it.  Oh well, I'll remember eventually, until next time kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Review 111 - 115

Back for another batch of old reviews.  Hope you don't mind.

January 22, 2007 

111.  The Adventures of Dr. McNinja - Holy crap is this a funny comic. The concept is ridiculous, but the execution is so spot on that you can't help but crack up into fits of laughter. Everything is well done, and it is about as damn perfect as you can get. Why have I not read this comic sooner? WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS WRONG WITH ME? Or you for that matter? HAVEN'T YOU CLICKED THE LINK BY NOW?!

TODAY - Still one of the most awesome comics on the net today.  NOW IN COLOR!  Go read this comic.  GO READ IT NOW!

112. Return to Eden - Sometimes you just have to take a chance on a comic, and this one needs it, especially give the massive warning set right at the beginning of the the archive. I imagine if you don't think you'll enjoy it because of that, you'll be wrong. Yeah, it's a little mangany (sometimes a little too much) but it does have an interesting perspective on Heaven and Hell and love and all that crap. Oh, and a bit of action, but not much, so far. If you're willing to go with the flow despite the warning, maybe. If not, well then you probably won't even bother to try. Mores the pitty.


TODAY - The story is on it's last chapter, and it's actually pretty exciting.  Oh, it's not action exciting, but "oh shit, the world is ending" exciting.  The warning at the beginning of the comic was, in the end, probably unnecessary.  Aside from some of the earliest stuff, almost nothing happened later on that required such a warning.

113. Hector! - I like where this comic is going, but figuring out how it got to where it is right now has been an issue. The backstory is, well, limited. That's not a bad thing (and I think it finally explained it, I just didn't get it all). The art style is pretty damn neat, (even when they switch artists and character sets after the first book), the humor is okay, and it might have a more interesting story as the thing goes along (not that it's not interesting, mind you, just I think it'll get deeper). I'll be watching this one for a bit, I think.


TODAY - Died shortly after this review, and I don't think it'll be coming back.  I heard somewhere that maybe it moved from the site I found it on, but I see no sign of it.  In retrospect, I don't think I'm as impressed with it as I had been, but that may be because it doesn't update.

114. Mango in Dreamland - This comic is probably too young to strictly judge, but it is strange and very, well, Japanese cutesy, if you get the meaning. Bad? Good? Hard to say. Odd, I think would be a good start, considering the main character has magical Kirby powers (the game Kirby), but hasn't even begun to explain why or how this came to be. I'll give you a better judgement after I read it for a bit longer.


TODAY - Died, and a shame too because it was pretty good in the end.  Real life, though is always more important than a comic.

115. Gone with the Blastwave - It's like Red vs Blue, only far more violent. They drop a tank on someone for pete's sake! And it was very funny. Oh so very damn funny. Welcome to the end of the world, now go read it.

TODAY - I would love this comic more if it updated more than once every 5 months (okay, it's on a monthly schedule now, apparently).  Long periods between updates make it almost intolerable.  At least it still updates.

Well, that's enough for this week, see you next time kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Review 106 - 110

Something good is another set of old reviews.  Yeah, I've been lazy this week.

January 11, 2007


106. Sorcery 101 - Thanks to caerbrigit for pointing this one out. It's a modern day meets the creatures of the night (vampires, werewolves, etc) type strip, and it does it pretty well. It's not deadly serious most of the time, but tries to make it clear that certian things are serious (even if they aren't taken that way at the time). What I find most refreshing is that it is an alternate Earth, so she (the artist) doesn't have to shoe horn our world into it. Give it a whirl at least, I'm still reading it.



TODAY - It's not bad, but I'm not sure if I'm really enjoying it as much as I was earlier.  I don't know what exactly changed, but I almost think of it as an obligation rather than something I enjoy.  That means it's this close to being removed form the read list, but not yet.  Not yet.

107. Haru-Sari - Thanks to kodein for this one. I've had this one sitting in my bookmarks for the longest time, and in fact it was only the other day that I actually sat down and read it. Why? I'm turned off by most manga style comics. Aside from a few (Errant Story among them), they generally don't attract me at all. I'm kind of sorry I feel that way because I almost missed out completely on this one. It's less straight up Japanese style than most, and it's actually, well, good. I found myself drawn in, which is rare. I'll be reading this one for a while.

TODAY -  The on going mystery of what the hell is going on keeps me coming back.  Eventually it should end, eventually, but until then, what an strange trip.  Not going anywhere.

January 22, 2007

108. The World Explodes - There are three stick figure type comics in this batch to review, and, well, this is the worse of the lot. Worse than that even. It tries to be funny, in an extremely crude way (NSFW, BTW), but it fails, repeatedly. It's the kind of things preteen boys come up with while trying to figure out if they're gay or not. It's not funny, it's not entertaining, and it's not worth your time. I know I swore I would read more bad comics, but damn.

October 11, 2008 -  What a change. This comic is still very NSFW, but the difference between when I first read it and what it is now is amazing. And it comes in the form of two words: Story arc. That's right, he turned this mess of a comic and gave it a story, starting with a play on a fairy tale, and things went up from there. I don't think I've ever had a comic go from the bottom of the list bad comics and get right into my regular rotation, but this one did it. The latest story isn't that great, tried to include too many characters I think, made it too epic, but even so, it is still worth reading now. Sick, isn't it?

TODAY -  It's dead, even BEFORE the re-review went up, it was dead.  Didn't know it at the time.  It's a bummer, actually, even the last story was fun and interesting, but I think perhaps the artist had the same thought I did:  It was too epic, there was no way to match it again.  Still, I'm glad I went back to this one, still worth it.

109. Cyanide and Happiness - Everything The World Explodes attempts to do, Cyanide and Happiness manages to do in a spectacular fashion. It's funny, primarily, and that alone makes this comic worth the energy. Yeah, sometimes the jokes fall flat, but when they hit, they're great. It's simple, fun, and generally mindless. Go, read, enjoy. Be happy.


TODAY - They've done some videos, animations, and those are JUST as funny as the actual comic.  I've even seen this comic IN book stores, in book form of course.  It deserves it, this comic is one of those great, silly, stupid comics that you simply must read.

110. A Divine Dramedy - Within the first 10 or so strips, the three main characters get their heads chopped off. Two of them have it done twice. It's alright, they're dead already. Maybe it's because I just got done reading it, but I really enjoyed this comic, probably more than I should have. The art is wonderful in my eyes, the humor is spot on, and the whole thing is just, I don't know, great would be a good term. Perhaps it'll wear off, but I'm thinking it won't.

TODAY -  This one is the one I am most embarrassed about.  Don't get me wrong, the comic was pretty good, but not as good as I seem to be saying in the review, and I'm embarrassed by that.  Which doesn't matter because it's MIA.  The artist still has a site (linked) but the comic itself is gone.  No idea where it went.  Perhaps I should be happy about that, but I'm not sure.

Anyway, enough of this.  Let us move on.  See you next week kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 101 - 105

Another batch of old reviews for you guys to read.  Honestly, I'm nearly out of new articles (have a couple more Newspaper ones, but you know, time).  I'm thinking of revamping the blog here to cover a much wider net than just webcomics.  But that won't be for a bit.  In the meantime, more reviews!

101. Out There - It reminds me of Road Waffles (which hasn't updated in forever), but with far less violence and insanity. In fact, there's nothing too, well, out there about the whole thing, it's a very grounded comic. It's also a kind of character play. Different personalities interacting, talking, and not much else. I find it most interesting that way. I think you will too.


TODAY -  The number of characters grew, but at the same time, it still boils down to long stretches of two characters talking about the life, universe and everything.  It's one of the better comics I read and continue to read to this day.  Go, read it, it's worth it.

102. Kitty Litter - This is about the most standard silly comic you can find. It's got everything you'd expect, talking animals, silly vampires, game playing geeks, zombies, death, etc, etc, etc. There's really nothing that special about it, except that the star is an evil genius cat, which reminds me of mine. Light humor, nothing special.


TODAY - I'm kind of embarrassed by this.  You see, one day the comic didn't update as usual, and that went on for a long time.  I figured it was dead.  Never did bother to read the message at the bottom of the strip that said they had moved (no redirect) so I just stopped reading it.  Whoops.  I haven't taken it back up because, um, no real reason actually.  Nothing wrong with it at all.

103. The God Machine - It's not a comic, but a rough draft for a comic. Heck, it's posted in devian art, so that should give you some clue. It is very artistic in style, even if it is just a rough layout for a comic book. It's kind of neat to see the process, if not the finished project. Kind of a neat story too, so worth the time.


TODAY - I wasn't kidding about it being a rough draft, because I do believe it got published.  I can only say that because it ground to a halt while she  was working on the final versions and I just sort of drifted away from it.  No big, it's likely still worth a read.

104. Least I Could Do - It's a comic about sex. Actually, mostly sex jokes, with lots of references to the act (the main character is wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am kind of guy). The jokes can be very funny (certian storylines remind me of a certian someone and his niece actually), but the comic really only has the one joke to play on, so it gets old pretty quick. You might enjoy it more than I.


TODAY - I haven't kept up with it, but it still looks about the same (though it did settle on an artist from the looks).  Pretty popular strip I hear.

105. Death Piglet - A picture is worth a thousand words, and it had better be since this comic hardly uses any words at all. Which makes it very funny. Cute little characters doing horrible things is always funny. Watch as the cute little pig summons Cuthulu. Isn't it horribly cute? Yes, yes it is.


TODAY - Fun while it lasted, then it ground to a damn near halt.  Even the site says "Updates without warning."  Which means I don't bother checking it daily.

Not bad actually.  Oh sure, I only regularly read one of these comics, but only one is basically dead, so things are looking up from last time.  More new stuff next week, I hope.  Next time kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 96 - 100

Time for some more old reviews, and it's the last of the first hundred.  HOORAY!  That might mean I'll get fewer dead strips, right?

Right?

October 29, 2006

96. Metrophor - It's a fantasy comic I saw linked via Errant Story. It's not a snarky fantasy story, however, nor is it one of those pretentious ones. It's good, interesting, fun and well paced, which is better than I can say for most comics of the genre. The art is great, the writing is good and it just seems to be an all around good comic. I recommend it to just about everyone except the little kiddies.


TODAY - Dead.  Artist had some wrist problems and, well, that was it.  End of strip.  Just as the action was starting to crank up to.

97. Mad about U. - Don't let the title fool you, this isn't about that stupid sitcom. It's about science, mad science. Where they read from physics books at comedy clubs. Yeah, that. It's funny, it is. It's also the only comic that actually decorates the area around the comic to be, well, interesting. It looks like a drive-in, and that just adds a certain touch of class to the whole strip. It also has nice explosions.


TODAY - Also dead.  Dead as a damn doornail.  At least Metrophor had an explanation, nothing for this comic.

98. Edge the Devilhunter - It's Underpower only with fewer characters and more updates. It also doesn't ramble nearly as much. It's got a hip hop theme in it, it's about life on the streets, you know? But it's also about the future, heaven and hell, and superpowers. It all comes together to be this neat comic that I think I'll be reading for a long time to come.


TODAY - Not quite dead, but damn does it update once a blue moon or something.  I'm starting to rethink my deceleration of reading it for a long time.

99. Candi - Yet another college comic. It's less weird than most (there's a ferret who flys, but that's about it for the supernatrual stuff), and features an art student. Beyond that, it's all relationships and whatnot. It's chick comic, if such a thing exists. Hope that helps you figure out how to react to it.


TODAY - I stopped reading it after a few months, didn't really appeal to me any more.  It's still updating, so that makes it a world better than the rest of these strips.

100. Dungeon Crawl Inc. - I haven't read a comic this bad since Earthbeta. It's not as bad as Earthbeta (nothing is as bad as Earthbeta) but it sure as hell tries. The characters are terrible, the dialog is awful, the art, when they use art, is horrendous, and don't let me get into the first quarter of the strip when they use video game screenshots to move the story along, I'll probably commit suicide. If I never have to read this comic again, it'll be too soon. Avoid.

TODAY - Discovered a worse comic than Earthbeta, but that's another story.  Anyway, I THINK it still updates, but it's hard to tell, and I really don't care either.  It just wasn't that interesting then and I still don't care about it.

And so the first 100 are done.  Go me!  See you next time kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 91 - 95

Okay, so I don't have time and energy to get the Newspaper article written at the moment, so I'll do some old reviews instead.  Hopefully I'll get the Newspaper article done for NEXT week.

Hopefully.

October 3, 2006

91. A Lesson Is Learned But The Damage Is Irreversible - Probably the longest comic title I've ever had. I've actually tried to read this strip a couple times, but could never get into it. Even after reading it, I still really can't. You would think I would enjoy it, it's full of weird things happening, its very artsy in presentation and all that, but it just doesn't click with me. Maybe you'll have better luck. It's in hiatus now, so don't expect updates for a while.

TODAY:  I honestly don't remember much about this comic.  I think it started up again, but it's on hiatus now, I think.  I don't know.  Don't really care.

October 29, 2006

92.  SMILE (A Dental Drama) - Thought I was kidding, didn't you? I'm not. There are lots of comics that claim to be about real life, but this is about the only one I've ever seen actually do it. Well, I'm pretty sure it's real. In any case, this girl is a pro, as in she actually gets paid to draw comics, so this comic is probably just fun and games for her. There's nothing flashy about it (the artwork is very comicky, if you know what I mean), and the story is actually pretty interesting. And painful. Hell, it's about teeth and all the hell she had to put up with. It rings true, so I read it.


TODAY:  It ended a bit ago, and apparently it has been now published.  Congrats.

93. Totally KotOR - That's KotOR as in Knights of the Old Republic, the game. It makes fun of the game and Star Wars, so it's kind of fun that way. There, of course, needs to be more HK-47, but then doesn't there always need to be more HK-47? Otherwise, a fun little comic that doesn't take itself very seriously.


TODAY:  It went on hiatus for a bit, and now it's back and covering more of KotOR II.  Still fun, though the flash interface for it is a bit annoying and pointless.

94. This Comic Sucks - Surprisingly, it doesn't. There are two reasons. First, it's funny, which is more than I can say for Penny Arcade which it seems modeled after. And secondly, they attack Gabe (or is it Tyco, could never tell the difference) and punch Piro in the face in the comic. This makes me happy. Other than that, just a goofy comic about people doing stupid things. They tried a plot line at one point, but it had zero effect on the comic. How novel!


TODAY:  MIA for the most part.  Replaced by a blog that doesn't seem to be doing much.  Ah well.

95.  Pixel - How many jokes can one man tell about color pixels? Quite a few apparently, as this is what Pixel does. It's a simple comic, sort of like Panel One and Death to the Extremist, only more complex in it's design. Yeah, I know, that doesn't make sense, yet it does. There are rules to how the universe behaves, and while weird things happen, they aren't that weird for the most part. That makes it an interesting read, but not one that I would keep up with.

TODAY:  I think it might have ended.  Bummer, I remember liking it enough anyway.

Well, that's it.  Only one comic I still read, but alright.  See you next week kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 86 - 90

Here's another batch of old reviews.  Slowly building up to comic 100, but still a couple updates behind.  Probably won't catch up completely for a while though, so let's go.

September 26, 2006

86. Schoolbooks and Brimstone - Another comic with someone turning into a demon? Am I crazy? Yeah, probably, but this one is far more lighthearted than Zebra Girl. It's also shorter, and apparently dead. Which is quite a shame honestly, as it could have been quite fun. The story doesn't even really get started before it stops. So sad when comics die prematurely.


TODAY -  The original site vanished, no idea where it went.  The version I have linked up there is different than the one I read the first time, so it might be worth the effort to read, but at the same time, it's just as dead.  Great idea, but no staying power.

October 3, 2006

87. Templar, Arizona - It starts with a man screaming the loveliest string of curses and insults over phone that I have ever seen, and then pulls out a sculpture of Jimmy Carter as a Greek god. After that things get weird. This comic is like something I would want to write. It's real in a way that isn't real, but manages to not make itself seem too serious despite being real but not real at the same time. Make sense? No? Just go read it, you might understand. Maybe.

TODAY - Still one of the odder comics on the net today, and yet it's still pretty good.  I kind of wish he would focus more on the original main character, but I think this comic is more about Templar, Arizona than any one character, and that makes it fun as well.

88. No Stereotypes - A man is cursed with immortality. Hey, that sounds familiar, I wonder if anyone here can relate to that . It has gods, magic, time travel, a purple cat with a big smile and a ziggurat, which doesn't exactly make it unique, but the elements all come together to form a strange combination that you really have to just read to enjoy. I know I do.

TODAY - The main site went belly up some time ago, and so the comic also vanished into the ether, but not quite as I did find a bit of the original still floating around at the link above.  But the comic is dead and most of the later chapters are gone.  A shame as I remember it being pretty enjoyable.

89. Gun Street Girl - No, your eyes don't deceive you, this comic is on the same site as No Stereotypes, but this is completely, totally different. There are guns and violence, magic and mystery, and another pair of lesbians. Shit, did it again. Well fuck, if you're going to wonder off every time I say that word, I'll just sing a little. Or not. This isn't a strip, and there are no long story arcs, just short little pieces written more like mini-comic books than anything else. So don't let the style turn you off, or you'll miss the fun.

TODAY - Vanished for a time when No Stereotypes did, but it has it's own site so you can still enjoy it.  I'm glad for that, but I haven't had the time or energy to flip through the rest of it (I think there's more than what I originally read, I'd basically have to start over at this point) or any of the other comics on the site.

90. Return to Sender - It has a concept, a mystery, and it follows it for a bit, then stops. The comic died something like 2 years ago, which is sad, as the very idea of it is just damn interesting. But since it dies, we never see it get much beyond damn interesting into good territory. Worth the read to see what could have been, if nothing else.

TODAY - Still dead, but at least you can still read it.

Two quasi MIAs in one update.  Bleh.  Next batch isn't much better I'm afraid.  Anyway, next week, another edition of Newspaper Comics, until then kiddies.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 81 - 85

Wow, this week has been odd.  I lost my temp job, but interviewed for another, and I likely won't be returning to my full time job and, well, I've hit a bit of writers block on webcomic articles.  I mean, I can do a lot of Newspaper and Touching Base ones, but more generic articles are escaping me.  So for the moment, I'll stick to a weekly schedule until I get a second wind.  With that said, let's go through another batch of old reviews.

September 26, 2006

81. Zebra Girl - This is a story of a young woman who turns into a demon. Which wouldn't be so bad, I suppose, except she looks like a zebra (hence the name) and sweats acid. The flying, pyrokinesis, and demonic strength are all positives as far as I'm concerned. This comic is about how she deals with it and the misadventures she has because of it. This also means that it's a fairly dramatic comic, where it starts as a rather humorous comic. I kind of miss the humor, which isn't completely gone but fairly subdued, but the comic is good otherwise.


TODAY -  Still pretty dramatic, but updating is slow as mud.  And despite that, probably one of the best comics on the internet.  Oh, there are still a few out there that can and do beat it, but it remains a favorite read of mine.

 82. Count Your Sheep - This comic has a level of sweetness that could rot your teeth if you're not careful. It's also blue, for the most part, with a few dashes of purple. If you'll read it, you'll get it. It actually does something different in that it puts a bit of a twist on the old childhood imaginary friend shtick. Be aware that the early part of the archives are a bit of a mess. Oh, you'll get through them okay, but you won't always get just the strips for the comic. Incidentally, this is by the same guy who did No Room For Magic, but this one is superior to it in everyway, including updates.

TODAY -  Continues to be sweet and fun, and I anticipate it's updates everyday, though I don't often get them.  One of the better daily strips (when it is daily) out there and worth the time to read.

83. Gunnerkrigg Court - I wish I went to a school like this, simply for the chance to run into some of the weird things the comic's heroine does. The fact that she does so in such a calm way is, well, weird. No screaming fits, no panic, hardly even a sarcastic quip. It's not normal for webcomics, which probably gives this one something that you won't find elsewhere. It is worth reading if only for that.

TODAY - If Zebra Girl is one of the best comics, Gunnerkrigg Court is damn near the absolute best.  This comic is everything a good webcomic can and should be and deserves to be read.  WHY AREN'T YOU READING IT ALREADY?!

84. The Wotch - That's not a misspelling, it's actually spelled Wotch. This comic, well, appeals more to a certain mindset than others. Yes, it is funny, it has interesting stories, is well written, well drawn, and I actually enjoyed it, but it is aimed at a certain group. You'll get it pretty quickly, even if you just read the most current strip. It doesn't make it bad, nor is it as creepy as Jack was, but you'll notice it. If you can look past it, it's a damn good strip.

TODAY -  The Wotch ran out of a lot of steam recently, the stories toned down and seemed to lose their punch.  So much so that even the artist took a break from the comic, running a guest story that just wrapped up last week.  Hopefully this signals that the comic has gotten it's second wind and is ready for more wacky adventures.

85. Girly - Speaking of "certain mindsets," Girly fits in an oblong way. Lots of talk of sex in this strip kids. Not really for the younger crowd, and they don't really say the word, only lots of implying it by dancing through the fields (I'm not kidding). The point is that it's a fun, silly comic about the relationship of two people and those they've come across. Oh, and they're lesbians. Gee, I bet you're not reading this any more. I suppose I should have saved this strip for last. Oh well.

TODAY - This was originally a 6 comic update, that's why the last line sounds odd.  Girly is still one of those strips I enjoy reading, the story is reasonably original and manages to keep me hooked.  I think it might be winding down to a grand end, but it's hard to say for sure with this comic.  Ask me again in a couple months.

Well what do you know, all five not only still update, but I still read them too!  I like these updates, makes me feel good about my choices.

Wild Webcomic Reviews 76 - 80

Hey, hope you didn't forget I was going to a once a week schedule.  I know I didn't, though it would be better if I actually returned to my full time job.  If I don't start back there by April, I'll go back to 2 times a week.  In the meantime, I've got 5 more old reviews to post.  Are you ready?  Here we go!

August 24, 2006

76. Parallel Dementia - Another dark and terrible comic that's far more epic in nature than you would expect. Expect violence, because there will be quite a bit. Don't let it turn you off, it's too good for that.

TODAY - Wow, has this comic come a long, LONG way.  Comparing the first pages to the more recent ones is like comparing two different comics.  It's still epic, and it's still dark, but it's probably one of the better comics I read.  He's currently on a hiatus as the most recent cross over with Emergency Exit has just wrapped up, but when he gets back, I expect more awesome things.  GO READ IT!

77. Porridge Cooling Darkly - He's on a mission. A mission for a perfect bowl of porridge. And his hat. It looks serious, but after a bit you'll come to understand that the seriousness is merely a mask. It's fun in that way.

TODAY - The date of this review is August 24, 2006.  The last update for this comic is August 13, 2006.  Can I pick dead comics or what?  Yeah, it's dead as a doornail, and that makes me sad as it was kind of interesting and fun.  Ah well.

78. Resident Dysentery - It's a Resident Evil parody. Not a half bad one either. Its fun, light, references a lot of things that I don't quite get (never played any of the games), but has all the standard zombie cliches. There's only one problem with it: the artist doesn't like Resident Evil 4. Yeah, he's one of those. Doesn't hurt the comic, honestly, and he may have changed his opinion after he did the strip, but it does make you think. Make sure you watch the flash intro films he did, those are fun.

TODAY - As I said in my previous Touching Base article, this comic is gone, vanished without a trace.  Initially I thought they just forgot to pay their bills, but now the site is completely MIA.  While the comic had the update frequency of a Presidential election in a Central American dictatorship, when it did update it was a fun read.  Of course, you probably won't ever know that because the comic is gone, long gone.

79. Strange Case - The description at the top of the page may be accurate, at some point in the future. So far, it isn't. Which isn't to say that's a bad thing. It's still good, interesting and, well, a touch violent. Even has a warning you'll see when you click the link. If it updated with any regularity (last update in June), I would say this is one to watch, but I don't even know if it'll be updated. If you hadn't noticed, I was in a dark, horror mood with this update, and this comic fills that role well.

TODAY - Another one that died RIGHT before I reviewed it, though this one was closer to a month earlier.  Yeah, it's dead, 27 strips in and it died.  Disappointing.

80. Zombie Commandos from Hell - Yet another comic about zombies, but not nearly as cute as Kristy Vs the Zombie Army, but potentially more bloody. I say potentially because, like most of the others, it's a very young comic. It's also very odd in that it needs flash to work, and is actually part of a proper comic book, shown one small strip a day. The news page does suggest he'll post a page a day, possibly, if people are interested, but he just put that up today, so I don't know when it'll happen. Is it good? Well, it is interesting looking, but so far there aren't any real characters. I'll keep you updated.


TODAY - This comic taught me that flash comic interfaces SUCK.  It also showed if you're going to do full page comics, POST THE FULL PAGE IN ONE GO!  I grew tired of it pretty quickly, and though I don't know for sure, I have a feeling it hasn't updated in a couple of years.

Well, that's pretty depressing, 4 dead/MIA comics.  At least there's Parallel Dementia.
Next week, Newspaper Comics #2.  See you then kiddies.