Tuesday, December 29, 2015

The Best Movies I Watched In 2015

The Best

#5 - Straight Outta Compton



 The long-awaited biography of the world's most dangerous group, I was pleasantly surprised just how well done this film was, as I hoped it would be from the day it was officially announced. I was already a longtime fan of the legendary band, and took the time to learn more about the individual members and the brief history they had together, which ultimately shaped hip-hop into what it is today. It brings equal portions of comedy, political commentary, and sorrowful tragedy as it covers N.W.A's meager origin story all the way through to the band's demise and beyond. My one scruple, as was shared by many, would be my wish that Dr. Dre, one of the executive producers of the film, would have allowed at least some light to shine on his own dark past, rather than casually portray him as the straight-man of the group, which fans like myself know was far from the truth. Alas, it was minor detail of what was easily one of my favorite movies in years, and exactly the kind of treatment that I wanted for their story.

#4 - The Martian



 No, I have not read Andy Weir's novel that the movie is adapted from, though I am now interested in doing so. I didn't even plan to see the film until a little while after its initial release, and I didn't have high expectations despite its positive press. But it blew me away not only in how much it surpassed my low bar, but in its clear superiority to previous space-adventures Interstellar and Gravity, the former which bordered on Kubrick-territory fantasy and the latter which was "Sandra Bullock has a hard time being an astronaut." The Martian is the only NASA-mission-goes-wrong movie I need. It's greatest achievement was making hard-science cool again, and somewhat accessible to the average moviegoer. Its still amusing, however, that Matt Damon played almost the exact same role in Interstellar, but managed to toughen up and not lose his cool in this story as his counterpart did in the other.

#3 - Mad Max: Fury Road 



 The blockbuster from out-of-nowhere. George Miller's box-office secret weapon. The one few expected to be any good, but became everyone's favorite movie overnight. The one we're still arguing identity politics over, despite it being filled to the brim with tumor-ridden mutants racing demolition death-machines in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. There's not much to say that hasn't already been expressed by myself or others ad nauseum, but it definitely would have been my top pick for the year if not for the two following films that I was certain would secure their ranking regardless.

#2 - Jurassic World 



 I still remember back in the early 2000's, when I would ritually trawl the Internet for any and all rumors of a Jurassic Park 4 that would sadly never come to fruition, despite my disappointment with the third installment, my first theatrical heartbreak. In the last year or two, after I had long ago given up hope or care for the franchise to be revisited, is when I first learned of "Jurassic World" in its early development stage, and that the equally-enthusiastic Chris Pratt of Guardians of the Galaxy fame would star in the leading role. I remained cautiously optimistic right up until I saw the first full trailer, at which point I knew which movie would be my favorite of the year, disregarding any imperfection in the final product.

When I left the theater on opening night, a small part of me that once lived for the Jurassic Park movies was left behind in my seat, still awe-struck by the wonders I had seen on screen. Even if Jurassic World never spawned a sequel, which it most certainly considering its tremendous financial success, I was finally able to close the book on that chapter of my life, and move on with a perfectly decent film to appreciate for its own merits. Its a controversial pick for any top movie list, as it has earned the ire of those who simply never understood the post-Spielberg dinosaur mania of the 90s. It was blatant fan-service to be sure, but the closure was all I ever wanted.

#1 - Star Wars: The Force Awakens



As loyal as I am to my Jurassic Park fandom, I have give props to where they are deserved. Star Wars Episode VII was the movie of 2015, and it ran a successful hype-machine all year round. I remember the mad-dash on the Internet when the Monday Night Football trailer aired and ticket sales went live, and I narrowly secured my seats for the earliest possible opening. While I might have been slightly spoiled prior to the premiere, the critical plot points were less important than the journey that connected them. I have seen it two more times since, and once in a newly opened luxury theater in my area, and I appreciated it even more with each subsequent viewing. It easily secured a comfortable place next to the hallowed Original Trilogy, as I trusted J.J. Abrams to be able to pull off with tender love and care for the source material. As far as the Prequels are concerned, they're not as inferior as they are irrelevant to the revitalization of one of the most beloved stories in entertainment history, shared from generation to generation. I have no problem whatsoever conceding the top spot to Star Wars, and I hope it gives James Cameron a run for his money in the race for highest-grossing movie of all time.



The Good

Kingsman: The Secret Service



 Like The Martian, I had no initial plans or desires to see this one, and I wrote it off as one of the many, many bad espionage dramas and comedies that the last year was inundated with. But if anything, Kingsman was the best of all of them, beating out Mission Impossible, James Bond, the one with Henry Cavill and the other one with fat jokes. It was more brilliant that it had any right to be, though it's left some people sore in the behind for certain jokes made towards the resolution.
Oh the times, they are a'changin'.

Inside Out



 I typically avoid major-studio children's animated movies out of principle. Not that I don't have any more love for the business itself, but I've always maintained that it's capable of more than just anthropomorphized automobiles and musicals, as its shown in past instances as The Incredibles. But I didn't give Inside Out the benefit of the doubt, and it proved to be Pixar's finest output since their glory days of super-powered nuclear families. Disney's own in-house studio has proven to be far more reliable in producing solid-gold hits, but hopefully Pixar can get back into shape as well, providing they time their releases a little more strategically.

Ant-Man



 Though I have finally reached my limit for the onslaught of Marvel Cinematic Universe productions, one good thing that has come out of it is for lesser-known comic characters to get their shot at the big-screen, and Ant-Man was no exception. It impressed me far more than the latest Avengers did, when most fans wrote it off as an Aquaman movie or something just as ridiculous, betraying their lack of familiarity with the source material they claim to love so much. I eagerly await his return in the upcoming Captain America sequel, however, and hopefully this opens doors for the less-mainstream of Marvel's roster to win over audiences, such as Dr. Strange.

Crimson Peak



 I shared the same apprehension that others had when they first watched the trailer for Guillermo Del Toro's follow-up to the acclaimed Pacific Rim, and boy did it have an extensive marketing campaign as well. Inevitably, this didn't save the movie at the box-office, but those who gave it a chance all swear by it. It was the return of classic, gothic-romance horror that I didn't know I wanted, especially when compared to all the Paranormal Activities and other sequels and reboots it was competing with. I was left satisfied, though I'm sure that the possibility of another Pacific Rim will remain shrouded.

Krampus



I did intend to see this one after its production was announced, but it was apparent that American audiences needed a refresher course on their knowledge of obscure German folklore. It did the legend of the demonic Santa Claus justice, and it was a wonderfully written love-letter to the horror-comedies of the 80s and 90s, including the Gremlins and Evil Dead franchises. Though it doesn't necessarily need a sequel, as it stands well enough on its legs, I hope it sets a trend for
more fun horror flicks with less meta-deconstruction or demons who won't leave yuppies alone.



The Okay 

The Lazarus Effect 



 One of the few not-so-bad horror films of the last year, I at least appreciated what it attempted to accomplish.
It had some screws to tighten in its script and performances, but it had some very clever ideas complimented by genuinely disturbing imagery. The "twist" ending is how most horrors should conclude, without falling on its face by the third act as most others do.

 Chappie 



 Probably one of the more-maligned movies of 2015, even though it was the latest offering by the beloved Neill Blomkamp, who became an instant celebrity for the frequently recommended yet over-rated District 9. I might be one of the select who would understand what Neill was attempting to do with this one, or at the very least, who was actually familiar with the bizarre and off-putting hip-hop duo Die Antwoord. Though I can't tell if it was a celebration or a rugged caricature of South African culture, it piqued my interest in the potential of trans-humanism and the horizons such fantastical technology could reach. I'm all the more excited to see his stylistic treatment of a new Alien film, though perhaps the writing and casting would be best left to other capable talents.

Harbinger Down 



 The story behind this project is tied closely to the hollow prequel to John Carpenter's "The Thing" that was met with a lukewarm reception back in 2011. One of the few films I know created by a special-effects company itself, Studio ADI was originally contracted to bring the monsters to life in a prequel to Carpenter's body-horror classic. Prior to the film's release, however, the work was replaced with abysmally-executed CGI, rendering their contributions null. In retaliation, they started
a Kickstarter campaign to fund their own production, supported by fans who were equally outraged at the injustice of their work's erasure. True to their word, they secured their capital and directed their extraterrestrial horror, glues together entirely through the practical effects showcased on their YouTube channel. They even went as far as to cast Lance Henriksen of Alien fame. In the end, the result received a mostly tepid response from critics, and those uninformed of the film's peculiar development history. But I attribute any shortcomings to the minuscule budget itself, not to the visual-effects-based crew, the excellent cast, and certainly not the incomparable animatronics and prosthetic work. Though it is heavily derivative of both Alien and The Thing, the cinematic paradigms they endeavored to make tribute to, the performances and effect-design more than make up for it. More people should give this one a chance, if they haven't seen it already or have no idea about
its origin story.


The Top 15 Motörhead Songs

Rest In Peace, Lemmy.



Runner-Up: "Louie Louie"


[Richard Berry cover, bonus track on Overkill]



15: Eat The Rich


(Rock 'N' Roll - 1987)



14: Rock Out


(Motörizer - 2008)



13: (Don't Need) Religion


(Iron Fist - 1982)


I don't need no Santa Claus,
and I don't believe in fairies no more,
I don't need to go to confession,
I'm already trying to fight depression,
I don't need no exorcism,
Bet your life I don't need religion.


12: Back At The Funny Farm


(Another Perfect Day - 1983)



11: No Class


(Overkill - 1979)



10: Damage Case


(Overkill - 1979)



9: Too Late Too Late


(Overkill - 1979)



8: Stone Dead Forever


(Bomber - 1979)



7: Iron Fist


(Iron Fist - 1982)



6: Deaf Forever


(Orgasmatron - 1986)



5: Marching Off To War


(Another Perfect Day - 1983)


You can't understand,
If you weren't there,
You felt different then,
Marching off to war.


4: Bomber


(Bomber - 1979)


Check out the Girlschool cover, too!


3: Overkill


(Overkill - 1979)


Only way to feel the noise is when it's good and loud!


2: Motörhead


(Motörhead - 1977)



1: Orgasmatron


(Orgasmatron - 1986)


Your bones will build my palaces,
Your eyes will stud my crown,
For I am Mars, the God of War,
And I will cut you down.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Music That I Happened To Listen To In 2015: The Review

Thought I'd forget all about this, didn't ya?

As per my usual usual tradition of ringing in the New Year, I will share and review some of the highlights of my musical exploration over the past twelve months. 2015 itself saw one of the largest shifts in not only my taste in tunes, but the size of my collection which went through a radical decrease halfway through the year. I'll explain in more detail in the summaries below. For now, please enjoy what I found to be pleasant since last December. Cheers, and Happy New Years.

(P.S. Not all of the following albums are from the last year, nor are they in chronological order,
so I'm not going to bother with release dates.)




Frost* - Milliontown



If it wasn't clear in previous posts, I went through a significant binge in progressive rock and metal in the last year-and-a-half or more. As mind-expanding as that journey was, it ultimately took a serious toll on my music taste in general, leading me to remove an entire swathe of artists I deemed unworthy from my collection one-by-one. In frustration, I turned on the genre
I had just fallen for, and slowly added a handful of the bands I deleted back to my usual rotation. Only a few of those newer acts survived the culling, and Frost* was one of them.

Tantalizingly sweet yet dishearteningly short, "Milliontown" was released almost full decade before the time that I finally uncovered it, and it was an instant classic to me. As powerful as it is for such a succinct statement, it's even more disappointing that there never was a true follow-up to the album before the band finally called it a day.
A hidden gem if there ever was one.



Devin Townsend - The Retinal Circus



I've covered Devy multiple times before, but what truly sold me on his mad genius was this live performance released in 2013. After my first watch, it immediately became my favorite live show of all time, though I've admittedly only seen a handful in my lifetime. Regardless, I have since made sure to collect almost every work he's released under his various project titles. This clip happens to be one of the highlights of the show for me.



Threshold - Subsurface



This was the other band that I saved from the purge this last year. They had just enough edge to keep me interested beyond the first few listens, and enough experimentation to wash out the stale taste of older and simpler thrash bands.
I haven't dived headlong into their full discography just yet, but I'm sure I'll get there some day.



Eluveitie - Origins



I also branched out into folk and pagan metal at some point in my search for fresh, new jams, but I ended up walking away with just Eluveitie, a somewhat-softer entry in the genre hailing from Switzerland. Closely resembling both the melodic-death-metal of Sweden and female-fronted symphonic bands of Finland, Eluveitie dares to break ranks with their more pure brethren in favor of a style that's ultimately more digestible than drunken chanting or Satanic screeching. There's enough straightforward riffs and rough vocals as well as catchy sing-alongs for guys and gals who appreciate one or the other, or both. It's hard not to imagine being transported back to the Swiss Alps when playing their tracks on full blast,
as they deserve to be.




 Cancer Bats - Searching For Zero



I added Cancer Bats and other similar acts to my library out of the desire to satisfy my hunger for modern hardcore punk.
I'll admit, I haven't given their latest release much of a listen since I've acquired,
but the band as a whole makes for great shuffle-filler anyway.




 Mindless Self Indulgence - Pink



MSI is back again this year, following their shockingly satisfying "How I Learned to Stop Giving a Shit and Love Mindless Self Indulgence" with a compilation of early-era hidden tracks. No Kickstarter campaign this time around; merely a re-polish of songs recorded back when frontman Jimmy Urine was doing his absolute best Trent Reznor impersonation in the early 90s. I welcomed it warmly, as the self-titled album that it primarily revisits was already one of my favorite obscure releases of theirs. Here's to a new album of original material or even another Left Rights,
and hopefully without having to wait too long for it.



 Trocadero - Red vs. Blue: Season 12 & 13 Soundtracks



At least these guys have kept themselves busy. As the Chorus trilogy of Red vs. Blue wrapped, Trocadero released their contributions to the machinima's soundscape, mostly in the form of guitar-tinged ambiance. While there are remixes of older classics from the first official soundtrack, the one major addition would be the haunting and somber "Contact," available in handful of different versions. Worth the purchase of the entire albums, if nothing else.



 Black Breath - Slaves Beyond Death



Like the Cancer Bats, I just wanted to add some bitterness to my palate, without necessarily exploring the material too deeply. I did adore their first few albums, however, whereas the former band is a recent procurement. If harsh and black-metal-inspired hardcore is what you're craving, then you can expect Black Breath to deliver more of the same, at least.



 Kylesa - Exhausting Fire



One of the few, select bands that I've seen live, recently and in a smaller venue than most. These Savannah natives apparently visit my neck of the woods on more than one occasion, and they were definitely one of the better and more personal live experiences I've had. I certainly had more fun than I would at a fully-loaded amphitheater while being
sonically-pummeled by a poorly-adjusted PA system. Like others on this list, I'll have to do my part and give the a album a proper run-through, as I have their earlier material.



 Dog Fashion Disco - Ad Nauseum



Surprisingly, this band is back with another full album a mere year after their previous submission. Thankfully, I appreciated this one more than I did the other. It gives me hope that their recent reunion will mean a broader catalog replenished with songs comparable to their golden age. It gets my foot stepping to the beat, in any case.



Carcass - Surgical Steel



Another band they crawled out of its grave in recent years, I've seen this album placed in many reviewers top-ten lists at the time that it was released. It's undeniably a return to the form that won them so many loyal fans in the first place, while not denying the more mainstream sensibilities they adapted before their untimely demise. One of the few "melodic" death metal bands I can stomach, though with a little more credibility than their pop-oriented peers.



Soilwork - The Ride Majestic



Soilwork is the band I fall in and out of love with time-and-time again, but this time I think they're here to stay. It's also hard to think of any of their newer recordings that didn't at least have a few worth-while tracks, unlike others in their genre who jumped the proverbial shark a long time ago, according to hardcore fans. "The Ride Majestic" is as decent as any other album of theirs that I've commented on before.



Ideamen - Schemata



This is my new favorite discovery among those that I've added to my now-meager collection. Ideamen is the perfect blend of Faith No More, Incubus, and Twelve Foot Ninja for fans of either of those bands, without really sounding anything like them. How I went for so long without at least stumbling across them is a mystery, but I'm too busy jamming to their tunes to care. Hopefully they don't break up or go on an indefinite hiatus, as other aforementioned darlings have before them.



Parov Stelar - The Demon Diaries



I had actually listened to Parov Stelar before, and I'm familiar with the seemingly-waning trend of "electro-swing" from the last half-decade. It just seemed too much like music that steampunk losers would enjoy, so I left it behind in the pile of royalty-free jazz samples that it came from. I jumped back into it when I shed my fear of being judged for my music taste, and discovered to little surprise that the stalwarts of the genre had also given up on the tired trappings of the style, opting to return to their dance-club roots instead. And I, for one, gladly welcome it.



Caravan Palace - Robot Face



The cartoonier of the two nu-jazz heavyweights, Caravan Palace have also eased back on strictly sampling old swing recordings, to apparently no protest from their longtime fans. But yet again, they've complimented their composition with another fully-animated music video, far naughtier and more violent than the others so far. Not that I'm complaining;
I get to bob my head and admire the meticulously hand-drawn bloodshed and pole-dancing.



Baroness - Purple



This is the last time that I'll confess to not fully listening to an entry on this list, but in my defense, it literally just came out. And if anything, it's astounding to everyone that it came out at all, considering the tragic accident that struck the band shortly after the last album's release. But at least half the members refused to admit defeat in the face of long-lasting pain and costly self-repair, and instead endeavored to record a new album in spite of that anguish,
and for the sake of healing from it.

From what I've heard so far, it's neither a return to the trademark sound of the Red Album or Blue Record, nor a sequel to the more delicate Yellow & Green, which I would have personally whittled down to a brief EP of its stronger songs. Meeting them somewhere in the middle, I'm certain I'll love it just as much as I have the others, even though it represents a new and uncertain era of the band's turbulent history.

See you all next year when El-Creepo, Twelve Foot Ninja, and many others all plan to have new albums out. My retrospectives on films from 2015 will be out soon. Peace!



Friday, December 11, 2015

Webcomic Review #11 - In Conclusion: The Hall Of Fame

As a wrap-up to my resurrected Webcomic Review Saga, I now present my shortlist of long-running, personal favorite online comics. I was always hesitant about compiling such a list, as it is in my nature to be somewhat secretive about my beloved works of fiction, in hopes that they remain "underground" or "underrated." And like the filthy hipster that I'm proving myself to be, you won't find most of the top-dog comics that are commonly shared in other forums and communities.

It's not necessary for me to name them; you might just be reading them already. Some of them I used to read myself until they overstayed their welcome, others I personally detested for the low quality of their art or writing, and there's at least a few popular authors whose work I ignore for personal or political reasons. More often than not, most upper-tier webcomics are simply of no interest to me, or involve subject matter that I don't particularly delve into.

These, however, are the diamonds in the rough. After nearly a decade of subscribing to and unsubscribing from literally hundreds of comics, these are the select few that I've stuck with along the way. However, it should be noted that I had completely different tastes as a budding teenager just scratching the surface of what the internet had to offer in the early 2000s, and I only started reading the following comics in the last few years. And among these, there's less than half that I would consider competitors for the "best" webcomic. While on my search for new works to bring into the fold, which I listed in previous entries, I also took a hard look at other comics that I had been reading regularly, which resulted in me dropping them altogether and their subsequent exclusion from this list.

Without further ado, here is my never-before-seen selection of All-Time Favorite Webcomics:


Comedy / Slice-Of-Life / Journal




When Blaster Nation was just starting out, I held it no higher regard than the plethora of two-gamers-on-a-couch strips that had already come before it, especially considering that the art was still rough around the edges. Surprisingly, it turned out to be so much better than I could've possibly imagined. It's cemented as one of my most-beloved online comics of all time, and easily a contestant for the top spot now that Boxer Hockey is no longer updating. It's a charmingly nerdy comic that you don't have to be a nerd to appreciate, and it has yet to grind to a halt unlike its counterparts Fanboys or Jack Cannon, or lose me in its tedium as did Paranatural. Complimented by its NSFW kin, Tissue Box and The Rock Cocks, the authors of these works are two of my favorite people on the internet.

Mac Hall was also close to my heart in the years of my youth, until it ultimately came to an end once the creators left the college they had made the backdrop for their partly-biographical mishaps. In returned in due time in the form of Three Panel Soul, which now chronicles the now-adult authors in their adventures through responsibility, unemployment and parenthood. Slower than I'd prefer it to be, every update still brings a smile to my face, and Ian McConville still knocks the illustrations out of the park. 

Terminal Lance is a little more niche for those unfamiliar with the upbringing of an army-brat such as myself, but its standard-issue among the Marine Corps and service-members alike. It reads like a run-of-the-mill newspaper funny, but with no holds barred where profanity and context are concerned. It's politically incorrect when it wants to be, and takes a level-headed stance on current events when it needs to. And Maximillian is just a astoundingly humble and cool guy all around.

Sufficiently Remarkable is newer to me, having only discovered after the dust settled from Penny Arcade's Strip Search contest, but I would happily nominate it in the Best Webcomic category if such an award existed. It's a slice-of-life comic the way it was meant to be made, devoid of the usual author soap-boxing and boring panel layouts, but featuring some of the most believable and non-superficial characters in a adulthood drama yet.


Gamer / Role-Playing / Parody




I remember avoiding Darths & Droids for a long time, as I always had an aversion to comics that used photos as panels.
Out of a mixture of boredom and curiosity, I gave it a shot, and it didn't take long to convince me of its merit. And the first two arcs which follow A Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones respectively are hilarious in their own right, considering that they're the whimsical conversations of an imaginary table-top gaming group. I had caught up to it just before they started on the original trilogy, and even that will be coming to an end soon. I suppose they will make use of the new sequel that arrived just in time.

The GaMERCat is more-or-less the only "gamer" webcomic that I follow anymore. Essentially VGCats without the jokes that fall flat or the absurdly long waits between updates, TGC cuts right to the chase. It ranges from the cute and heart-breaking to the hysterical and near-disturbing from strip-to-strip, and has yet to rely on Cerebus Syndrome to retain a waning readership. It's more cutesy than the usual Penny Arcade, MGDMT, or Awkward Zombie, but I've yet to outgrow it as I have its predecessors.


Fantasy




Ask me for a top ten list of webcomics, and Unsounded would sit comfortably at the top, far above the runner-ups.
It's astonishing and sometimes frustrating just how good it is. There's very little I could say to describe the comic or my love for it to those who are unfamiliar, other than to start reading now. I'll be devastated once it reaches its closing chapter,
which will wrap up within the next year. To put it simply: if you don't like Unsounded, you are not my friend.
I can't promise that's entirely sarcasm.

Mystery Babylon would also be on that short-short-list, helping to placate my fix for funny-and-appealing comics that have since fallen off the update wagon. It's a continuation of a previous story by the author, which I have purchased and read, but with a completely different yet far more interesting setting and mythology. Unlike the former, this entry is genuinely hard to describe in as few characters as possible, but I guarantee you'll enjoy it unless you have an allergic reaction towards any artwork that even remotely resembles an "animesque" aesthetic.

Boozle's pretty good, too.


Science Fiction




Trying Human was more a "trying" comic to endure in the earlier chapters of its archives, but I stuck around the bizarrely pleasant story. That, and it's an example of one of the more significant improvements in the author's draftsmanship, with the creator only slowing down updates in order to redraw her admittedly embarrassing first attempts. Equal parts intergalactic romance, espionage drama, and situational comedy, I'm still coming back for more despite the occasional extended hiatus.

Cassiopeia Quinn gets my pick for Best New Webcomic of the last year or so. It dares to be sexy in an era where most
new webcomics are overly concerned with issues of representation and exploitation, in a medium that was once the newly-pioneered wild west of comics as far as alternative story-telling and art styles are concerned. Regardless, it doesn't lack for humor or an endearing cast either, carrying the torch that Our Intrepid Crew dropped years ago. I try not to say it often,
but in this case, it is criminally underrated and deserves a larger fan-base than it seems to have.



And now, ladies and gentlemen, I present my Hall of Fame for comics that have since finished their main plot-lines,
were abandoned by their authors, or simply update far too slow to pay attention to anymore. Among these entries are some of my personal G.O.A.T. webcomics, a few of which I got misty-eyed for their demise, and others that I would recommend above more plebeian publications.



Comedy, Drama, & Slice-Of-Life


Journal Comics & Autobiographies


Video Game Humor


Romance & LGBT



Science Fiction


Paranormal & Supernatural


Post-Apocalypse


Anthropomorphic & Furry

Strays
Exterminatus Now



And that's a wrap, everyone!

I'll be posting my movie and music entries here within the next few weeks (after I see The Force Awakens),
and hopefully at some point next year I will have all new webcomics to share with the world.

Thanks for stopping by, and hopefully you'll have as much satisfaction as I did in reading these remarkable webcomics.

Peace.



Previous Webcomic Reviews

#5 - (Re)Introduction

Monday, November 30, 2015

Webcomic Review #10 - Fantasy Comics Part 2: Monsters, Elves, and Sorcery

FANTASY - PART 2

Monster's Garden

 

I was going to say that, like Glam Rock Gorilla, I had written about this comic before in an earlier submission.
As it turns out, I never published that post. It's just been sitting as a draft for a few years now.
I didn't even write so much as a summary, let alone a review.

Anyway, like GRG, Monster's Garden is pretty damn fun to read. I almost listed it among my re-read comics, but I never actually made it past the first few pages before losing interest. Like others that I've mentioned, I gave it another chance, and it didn't disappoint. The tragic thing is how slowly it updates, and there hasn't been a new page in almost two months now. And it was getting really interesting, too.

Daughter Of The Lilies



I didn't expect to like any of the countless adventure-fantasy webcomics that feature a band of cliche' role-playing
characters on a quest for enchanted artifacts. Daughter of the Lilies neither embodies nor eschews these tropes, rather it acknowledges and has fun with them, as it tells a slightly different story than other sword-and-sorcery works have replicated for decades. And it's nice to follow characters that have adult conversations and aren't ripped right out of a dungeon-master's prized campaign. Regardless, don't judge this tome by its dusty cover, and you might be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

Updates twice a week.

Spindrift



I would say that reading Spindrift was a similar scenario to D.O.T.L., wherein I was cautiously optimistic about consuming a comic about elves with wings engaged in war with horned barbarians, but it also won me over with its more mature and subdued approach to the "epic" high fantasy genre. But, like others in the online comic medium, it suffers from a decline in its update schedule, having receded from new pages being posted every week down to once a month on average. I can at least compliment the professional-level illustrations and its exceptionally astute narrative, though it may be a while before anyone finds out what happens next.

The Hunters Of Salamanstra



The Hunters of Salamanstra is a creation of none other than John Joseco, MLP fan-artist for those in the know, and also responsible for more infamous deviant works for those really in the know. Aside from animals tails and ears here and there, Hunters has little to do with either ponies or furries, and focuses instead on an unlikely young hero taking up the mantle of her more famous older sister, a legendary member of a monster-hunting guild. The problem this time? Not lack of updates; rather, lack of a working RSS Feed for which to follow said updates. As compelling as it is, I have to remind myself from time to time that it still exists.

Steve Lichman



I first discovered Steve Lichman through a random Imgur link on Reddit...or maybe it was somewhere else. Anyway, it was during the time where my webcomic appetite was at an all-time low, and it was a rare occasion for one to put a smile on my face. I would warn that it's a little more low-brow and "Internet humor" than most fantasy-comic fans are accustomed to, but it was right up my alley.

I have no idea if this comic finished a while ago, or if the author means to continue what you might call a "story."
There are archives in multiple locations, and he is currently running a KickStarter to sell prints of the first volume.
Read it anyway, it's worth it.



THAT'S ALL FOLKS!

GO READ SOME COMICS!


Webcomic Review #9 - Fantasy Comics Part 1: The Spiritual, Occult, and Mythological

FANTASY - PART 1

The Firelight Isle

 


 The Firelight Isle presents an ancient civilization akin to a Meso-American empire, where boys and girls alike are expected
to undertake harrowing trials of religious devotion as part of their grand and hallowed coming-of-age ceremony.
Two childhood friends find themselves torn apart, as one decides to join the highest order of spiritual warriors.

Hosted on Tapastic and updates roughly every two weeks.
 

Castoff 

 


 In Castoff, a magically-inclined bounty hunter comes across a quaint bookstore, wherein dwells an unusual creature with
pointed ears and glowing, yellow eyes. He is immediately detained for charges unknown and dragged away to meet an
uncertain fate. The aesthetic overall is adequate enough, but I'm a sucker for demons and satyr-like character designs.

 Updates twice a week.

Godslave

 


 Godslave follows Edith on a visit to a history museum, who unintentionally frees an ancient Egyptian deity from its slumber inside a canopic jar. She is immediately accosted by an otherworldly henchmen on the hunt for the unassuming animal,
and through her new friend's help she is granted the power necessary to dish out her own proverbial can of whoop-ass.

 Updates anywhere between once and three times a week.

Ilse

 


 Ilse stars a princess seemingly afflicted with a terrifying deformity, only for it to appear to be the sign of a witch slain by the town's local hero. Desperately seeking to return to her tower before her royal sires discover her sneaking and spying,
she comes across the offspring of said hero, and its unclear just what she has in store for him.

 Updated on a one-per-week schedule, but currently on hiatus.

Suihira

 


 Another comic set in a deeply religious society, Suihira is named for the mythical paradise created by a goddess long
forgotten by the denizens of Iona. Princess Wahida is jeered and shamed for her devotion to said legend, and sets out
on a pilgrimage to meet her maker and escape the confines built by the blasphemers surrounding her.

 Updates twice a week.



BUT WAIT, I'M JUST ABOUT FINISHED!

WEBCOMIC REVIEW #10

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Webcomic Review #8 - Furries (For The Most Part)

ANTHROPOMORPHIC

Kappa



 Goddamn near everything.

 Kappa stars a far-from-home clownfish taken hostage by a tiny kingdom of tentacular merfolk, who
recruit him to their cause of liberating their ancient home from the clutches of giant enemy crabs.
The character designs are simple enough, but the landscapes are gorgeously illustrated, and
it's rare to find a webcomic, furry or otherwise, with such a refreshing and unique setting.

 Updates once a week.

Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth



 A curiously Christian webcomic, or at least derived from religious mythology, B.I.B.L.E. as it's cleverly titled showcases a war between the forces of Heaven and Hell, fought by animalistic angels and more traditionally-designed demons, the latter
of which exploit a middle-race of elves for their arcane rituals. The angelic protagonists are far from perfect, however,
and it's unclear if this battle between good and evil is as black-and-white as it seems.

 Updates have been sporadic at best, and seemed to have stopped indefinitely over a month ago.

Prequel



 This is pretty much my new favorite thing.

 Out of all the bookmarked comics that I've binged on in the last few weeks, it's safe to say that Prequel secured itself as one of my new all-time favorites. It was a chore to read to be sure, considering that it's a text-based choose-your-own-adventure game composed on the MS Paint Adventures forum and punctuated by gif animations, as seen above. That, and it regularly updated for years by the time that I got around to it, but it was absolutely worth my time. The mini-games alone, let alone the layout-breaking animated segments, are a labor of commitment that put other established authors to shame.
It's damned funny to boot, and when it's not, it ranges from heart-breaking to awe-inspiring. I never thought that I
would be this enthralled by what is essentially Elder Scrolls fanfiction drafted by a long-time Homestuck fan.
It's certainly one of the rare comics that I've considered spending real money on.

 Updates infrequently, as it's currently undergoing a crowdfunding campaign.


Beyond The Western Deep





 A more traditional "furry" comic than those listed above, Beyond The Western Deep stands out for
its genuinely intriguing backstory and characters that don't feel straight out of a histrionic soap opera.
All swords and no sorcery, it features a world divided up among varying races of personified
woodland creatures, where our heroes race to prevent a potential genocide of one of these domains.
However, their version of current events might not be as accurate as it seems, when it comes to
light that the militaristic nation they are allies with may have altered history for their own ends.

Updates once a week, but the main story arc has been on hiatus for a few months now.



BUT WAIT, YOU WON'T BELIEVE THERE'S MORE!

WEBCOMIC REVIEW #9

Webcomic Review #7 - The End Of The World

POST-APOCALYPSE / DYSTOPIAN

Tethered



Tethered takes place in a war-torn Britain of the future, where exposure to free-roaming green vapors can induce
paranoia and hallucinations. Survivors scavenge badly-needed power sources from the last remaining robots in the
scorched wastelands. The protagonist Cara finds herself in a precarious situation, when she needs to rely on one
such android for his life-support system as they travel to newer, more hostile destinations.

 Updates once a week.

Soul To Call



Soul To Call starts after a uncertain calamity wipes out most of Earth's population, and demons from an alternate dimensions wreak havoc among those left alive. Out of some desperate yet unknown purpose, the young Avril attempts
to summon one of these creatures in order to make use of his precious fluids. Tormented and pursued by a cult and
the occult alike, it remains to be seen if both her and her captive new companion will make it out alive.

Updates twice a week.

Bicycle Boy



 Bicycle Boy features yet another cyborg, who this time wakes up in the
middle of the desert, struck with amnesia and surrounded by fresh cadavers.
Wayfaring on a salvaged bicycle, he searches for answers about
his very identity, assisted by a curiously helpful travel guide.
Along the way, they contend with savage foragers who are keen
on retrieving certain items that he has stowed away in his chassis.

 Updates once a week.

No End



It seems that nowadays you can't have a post-apocalypse story without at least a zombies roaming around somewhere.
That's more or less the setting of No End, where the undead serve either as a foreboding yet off-screen threat, or as disturbingly sentient bounty hunters. This may delight those who have already grown tired of the continuing zombie trend
in popular fiction, or disappoint those who are accustomed to works where the corpses are nothing more than
background decoration.

However, this might just be one of the best zombie webcomics that I have yet read, and I've read quite a few
(well, there's literally only a few of them). The art is appealing and the characters are endearing, and the more
mature themes and dialogue are much appreciated in the ongoing Age of Robert Kirkman.

 Updates in batches once a week.



BUT WAIT, THERE'S STILL MORE!

WEBCOMIC REVIEW #8

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Webcomic Review #6 - Laughs, Fights, and Magical Girls

COMEDY

Camp Weedonwantcha



Camp Weedonwantcha was the first on the list to read on my mission to expand my webcomic
horizons, and it excelled with flying colors in making me appreciate the medium again.
There likely isn't a single page in the archive that didn't leave me with a smile on my face,
and also a few that moved the blackened husk that is my shriveled heart.
Katie J. Rice is probably most well known for her work on the venerable Skadi,
as well as being a contestant on Penny Arcade's Strip Search, during which
she laid the groundwork for this truly irresistibly amusing comic.

Updates Tuesdays and Fridays. Read now, if you haven't already!

ACTION / SUPERHERO / SHONEN  

Phantomland



 It looks like a manga, and reads like one too, but it would disingenuous to disregard it as such.
Phantomland follows the life and adventures of Chie, a amnesiac girl who is somewhat forcibly
recruited into the city's crime-fighting organization, where she will get a chance to prove her
capability - or lack thereof. It doesn't pull any punches when it comes to action sequences,
and it's fairly funny as well.

Updates once a week.

Chaos In The Tropics



 Chaos In The Tropics is an absolute beast of a webcomic.
It's got superpowers, it's got walking talking sharks, it's got chaos, and it's got tropics.
The art alone is enough to sell me, let alone its premise.

 The problem, sadly, lies in the format in which the author chooses to tell his story.
Rather than aim for weekly or every-other-day updates, as most online comics typically do,
he attempts to finish entire "beats" at a time, each one taking months to produce.
This inevitably leads to forgetting that it existed in the first place, yet craving more
once one reaches the end of the installment. He insists that it's for the best, but I digress.

StarHammer



 StarHammer is named for the weapon inherited by high-school girl Evey one fateful day,
and which used to belong to an infamous superheroine. This comic literally just started,
so it's too early exactly how events will turn out, but it looks promising enough to me for now.

Updates three times a week.

The Inheritors




Tragedy strikes the city of St. James not just because of a nuclear explosion, but from the plague that followed.
Survivors are discovered to have enhanced abilities, only to be horribly disfigured over time.
In order to stave off further infection, a vaccine was distributed to contain the monsters
to the irradiated wasteland and subdue the burgeoning powers of the town's youth.
The Inheritors is named after the mythical band of heroes granted gifts by the disaster but
who never succumbed to the so-called "Id Fever," and follows a group of high school students
who may be similar cases themselves.

MAHOU SHOUJO

Sleepless Domain



 Sleepless Domain is a remarkably well-drawn comic that postulates what might happen to a cliche'
troupe of magical girls once they're past their peak and shed themselves of their overbearing leadership.
Unfortunately, the artist behind the first arc retired from the comic a month ago,
leaving illustration duties to the writer, and it hasn't updated since.

Metacarpolis



I vaguely remember attempting to read through this once before, but got bored and gave up before
it got a chance to get interesting. Admittedly, I regret that, but I'm glad for giving it another shot.
Though I hate to use the term, Metacarpolis is more of a "deconstruction" than loving tribute to the genre,
but it handles that part of the backstory well and provides plenty of laughs and antics along the way.
Also features sentient robot assistants, a supervillain megacorporation, suspiciously-shadowy bureaucrats,
Japanese-style maids, and a kooky archaeologist.

In fact, it would be easier to think of what the comic is missing instead.
Updates whenever the author isn't taking an extended hiatus.



BUT WAIT, THERE'S EVEN MORE!

WEBCOMIC REVIEW #7