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!


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