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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
#6 - Laughs, Fights, and Magical Girls
#7 - The End Of The World
#8 - Furries (For The Most Part)
#9 - Fantasy Comics Part 1
#10 - Fantasy Comics Part 2
#7 - The End Of The World
#8 - Furries (For The Most Part)
#9 - Fantasy Comics Part 1
#10 - Fantasy Comics Part 2
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