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With the growing advent of Project Wonderful and related advertising projects, it is probably interesting to note that the majority of new comics I've reviewed came through signature file banners in forums. I'm not talking about creating forum posts begging people to read your comic. Instead, I'm talking just ordinary forum board posts with a banner that took probably an hour or so to sketch up and create using a Photoshop-style program. It was one of these led me to Gunbaby, an alternative reality war comic.
I call Gunbaby a war comic, but it's honestly a bit too early to really determine the main thrust of the comic. Few comics focus exclusively on war, and this comic seems no different in that regard. While the early comics focus on the launch of an air raid on another nation in an act that will (in the words of one of the pilots) start a war, the comic promises to have several storyline interwoven. These stories include the attackers going to Falcon City, their target (a lab experimenting on something called "Gears"), and your traditional band of teenagers who undoubtedly will find themselves up to their chins in the mayhem that will be unleashed.
It will be interesting to see if Matt and Gabe White can capitalize on their comic's potential. While the attack on Falcon City will undoubtedly take months to tell, the chaos and confusion that happens when a city is attacked by the air, and the horror of having war suddenly appear on your doorstep is one that I've rarely seen in war-related comics. Perhaps this is part of the reason that Hailey and her friends were included: to give a civilian perspective of a surprise air raid, even as they're dragged further into the plot. Still, this is the type of story that can't just focus on one element; no doubt this is why we were introduced to several characters. Not just to humanize them in our eyes... but to set the stage for multiple plotlines.
Hiatus is a common problem for a significant number of webcomics. For the vast majority of webcomic creators, the comic isn't their primary job. The few creators who make a living off of the comic, such as Fred Gallagher or Pete Abrams, actually make their money through merchandising of goods rather than advertising revenues (and by that I include print compilation sales). Thus but for a few exceptions, most webcomics are a hobby. When real life crashes through the door, the comic often is the first thing to stop. Add in the traditional decline in readership during the summer months and you end up with a recipe for seasonal hiatus.
Alpha-Shade has just come off of one such hiatus, while its artist focused on finishing up contractual work. This time wasn't just idly spent; the Brudlos brothers revamped the website (and in doing so I missed the latest updates as my URL was set to the old site's precise URL). The site redesign looks absolutely spectacular, with a cut of the latest update prominently displayed on the main page, and the flash display nested within the comic itself (by clicking on the comic the flash viewer activates), which allows readers to zoom in on distant details which are often detailed for interested fans.
The current storyline continues to lay the foundations for the epic story that unfolds in front of us, utilizing a flashback to show us the death of Cyrene's sister, Richelle. These are new characters and new events that don't mean much unless you go back to the very first chapter, set sometime in the future of the comic. In it, a young lady who looks very similar to Cyrene attacks the central protagonist of the story, Laura Stone, intent on assassinating her and in doing so, eliminating a popular and talented general. It is the hows and whys leading back to that first chapter, and an epic story designed for both web and print, that has kept me and many other fans watching for updates despite its summer hiatus.
One of the strengths of Sluggy Freelance lies within its cast of characters. While Torg may be the main character of SF, without Riff, Zoë, Gwynn, and Aylee, the comic would quickly lose its appeal. Indeed, one of the largest flaws in the epic tale That Which Redeems lies in the fact that Torg went it alone (with but pale reflections of his friends in that world). And much like real friends, Torg's friends don't always get along; perhaps the greatest example of this lies with the Riff/Aylee relationship. Or more precisely, Riff wants to kill Aylee because she's literally an alien from another world.
Looking back, we can see that Riff has a knee-jerk reaction to the paranormal. When their friend Sam was turned into a vampire, Riff immediately made plans to kill Sam. Even after Sam had saved Riff's life, Riff still had preparations to take Sam down. "Just in case." A similar sentiment exists between Riff and Aylee, and it parallels the Riff/Sam conflict. Even after Aylee evolved into a form that no longer ate people, Riff remained skeptical and kept weapons close at hand in case Aylee proved false. Or rather, for when Aylee proved false.
What's more, it's an intensely personal issue for Riff. He easily could have written this off for the government to handle. But he doesn't trust them not to get the job done, or to try and use Aylee for their own ends. It's clear that Riff doesn't trust anyone, which may explain why he's gone through so many girlfriends. Thus when Aylee shifts forms into something almost human (and thus easily hid)... he freaks. His conscience is telling him to kill Aylee for the sake of humanity, and for the Earth itself. But he's actually grown to accept Aylee, almost as a friend. And by killing Aylee, it's almost certain his friendship with Torg would end. It also brings an interesting dynamic into the comic; Torg may be the main character, but it's his friends that truly bring the comic alive.
Recently I went to town on El Goonish Shive concerning pacing and how the current artistic style seems to emphasize the slower pace of current comics. Thus it may seem odd for me to come out and praise the comic. But the characterization in today's comic calls for it. And by that I don't mean the antics of our foul-mouthed freckled friend trying to browbeat the school populace for turning their backs on Susan. No, I'm speaking of Principal Skinner Verrückt, and the quiet sullen anger Susan is showing him in return.
In the past, Principal Verrückt has been played off for comedic purposes. Early appearances of him had him look like a fat balding Hitler-wannabe, and his actions and beliefs didn't show merit. The emphasis on murals over having a properly-functioning fire alarm system (which I believe may be Federally-mandated, thus the school is possibly not in compliance with Federal legal codes... don't quote me on that though) is just one of the many idiocies of Verrückt. The upcoming battle of wills over the new school uniform policy between he and Susan seemed to be a no-brainer as to who'd win.
I'm not so sure now. Verrückt has shown considerable restraint and tact in this most recent update. This is how teachers and principals are supposed to act... with calmness and downplaying disciplinary issues but letting the student know that should the misbehavior continue, punishment would result (and would be harsh). It is a level of leniency that I wasn't expecting. And naturally enough, Susan will resist and pay the price. While I have no doubt that we'll have a manic insane Principal Verrückt running through the halls again in the future, I'm hopeful that Dan Shive will continue with this aspect of the principal... as a figure of responsibility and authority enforcing an unpopular measure.
Mythology is full of stories of the children of the Gods. Often these individuals have superhuman abilities and can face horrors that normal people have little chance against. In some ways, these mythical characters are the precursors of the superheros of today's American print comic industry. Thunderstruck is a modern mythical tale of two teenaged sisters with the blood of a god beating in their veins. And much like the ancient heroes of old, they have been drawn from their mundane world into a strange world where the old myths are true, after a fashion... and much like history these myths are written by the victors of ancient wars among the Gods.
The comic has come a long ways from the dark and stormy night where Sharon recovered from her paralysis. While the beginning of the strip has Sharon narrating what happened even as we were shown these events, the comic soon moves away from that style of narration and the comic moves into a more traditional form of storytelling. And in doing so, the comic has slowly moved deeper and deeper into the world of the supernatural (which is rather amusing, considering that Sharon is an atheist who didn't believe in the world of the supernatural; for that matter, her sister Gail was (and still is, somewhat) quietly Christian... but has been learning that her beliefs aren't completely founded in the truth).
Now that Sharon and Gail have made it to New Orleans, things have shifted into overdrive. Factions arrayed against each other have noticed the sisters and have plans to utilize them in their conflict to achieve dominance. But there are no good guys in this. The angels (and I literally mean angels) have no compulsion against killing to forward their goals. The powerful witch opposing these angels likewise sees the sisters as tools to use in forwarding her goal. And each side has claimed one sister, dividing them from each other and feeding them snippets of the truth while concealing the full story. Fortunately, both girls are smart enough to know they are being used, and are biding their time in the hopes of getting the opportunity to be reunited... and then with what each has learned, piece together the truth.
Robert A. Howard
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