#The webcomic review reviews webcomic reviews

[byelacey]

oh my GOD you can’t just ask someone why they’re barking

now on instagram!

[marsoid]

favorite pieces from 2022 x

[taylor-titmouse]

Coming in late on this one, but if you're saying you're not planning on your work being piblished... but isnt there a graphic novel coming out soon? There was a link to pre-order it at least via bookshop or barnes and noble (can't remember which off the top of my head). Were you able to get your blook distributed to them as a self-piblished creator? Or was the graphic novel trad-pub and you're just saying you can't see your prose writing/books getting published?

what a funny thing to gotcha me on

yes, i do have a traditionally published graphic novel coming out. under a different name. in a different genre. for a different audience. it's not relevant for me to bring it up every time somebody asks me here if my work will ever be physically printed because it's not the work they're asking about.

so yeah. the last thing you said.

[superectojazzmage]

Watched the Nimona movie last night. Review I guess. It was pretty damn good. Definitely would’ve probably been regarded as Blue Sky’s magnum opus if they’d gotten to release it instead of being fucked over by Disney. Very cute, very funny, very powerful in the right moments. A thing that stuck out to me is that it’s really only an adaptation in the loosest sense of the word. It takes the core premise and beats of the comic but is functionally an entirely different kind of story that does its own thing. And given that ND Stevenson was heavily involved in production, I suspect that was intentional.

The comic was much darker and more downbeat in a lot of ways, plus it was significantly longer and thus could afford to be slower paced. But more than that, it was a lot more meaty in terms of themes and scope. The whole “LGBT allegory” element was there, but it wasn’t the sole focus, the comic was a story about a lot of different things; not just an LGBT experience, but also discussion of fantasy genre tropes and clichés, criticism of other fantasy deconstructions, character study, exploring what it means to be a hero or villain, critique of the glorification of crime and cruelty in underprivileged communities, corruption in governments, peer pressure, the senseless and self-perpetuating nature of violence, the worthlessness of revenge, etc.. And above all that, it was a story about trauma and people’s responses to it, with Ballister representing people who actually deal with their problems and move on while Nimona represented people who let their mistakes and suffering and grief consume their identity, or worse, use it as an excuse to indulge their worst qualities and take out their feelings on everyone around them.

The movie, by contrast, has a much more narrow focus. The LGBT allegory is front and center and basically the entire focal point of the movie, aside from a spattering of themes about the danger of zealotry and rigid fundamentalist thinking. This gives the movie a much tighter narrative and pacing that suits its inherently shorter runtime, but also leads to a ton of changes to the story either to convey a different kind of message or just work better in a different medium. Most obviously in how Nimona is vastly more sympathetic in the movie and essentially really is the silly gremlin the comic fakes you out into thinking she is, scrapping the comic’s twist that she was a genuinely bad person who was completely serious about wanting to be a villain, caring nothing for the lives she destroyed with her behavior and idolizing Ballister because she thought he was the same as her and would thus tell her what she wanted to hear (i.e., that she was justified in killing and destroying everything around her in the name of getting even). And in the changes to the Institution’s history and nature. And all sorts of other things.

All in all, I feel if you go in comparing and contrasting the movie and the comic, arguing which changes are for the better or worse, you’ll be setting yourself up for disappointment in either direction because they’re two different beasts and it’s like comparing apples and oranges. So keep that in mind if you’re a fan of the comic watching the movie or a fan of the movie wanting to look into the comic. I think ultimately I still like the comic better, but that’s purely my personal opinion and there’s plenty that I think the movie did better.

Some other observations:

Riz Ahmed my beloved, thank you Mr. Stevenson for this perfect casting. Literally perfect for Ballister.

Acting in general was very good. You can tell this was a passion project for a lot of people, not just Stevenson.

Only two changes that are objectively bad are Ambrosius losing his awesome Van Halen hairdo and changing Ballister’s last name — Blackheart is a way cooler name than Boldheart and it’s a pointless change, one that I’d argue even hurts the narrative since it makes it too obvious that Ballister isn’t actually a bad guy.

The animation is really great with fantastic expressions, stylish movement, and wonderful aesthetics that perfectly suit the story, but there’s times where it feels a little off. But there are parts where it looks less “movie” and more “cheap mid-2000s CGI-and-Flash cartoon show from France”.

The humor can be a hit and miss, in a “going through the motions of a Hollywood animated comedy for kids” way. The movie excels when it’s either imitating the comic’s Old Internet sense of humor or going hard on the drama, but there’s bits where it seemingly slams on the brakes to do Illumination-esque Twitter humor and those bits definitely throw off the vibe.

Having an actual straight up attempted suicide in the climax was shockingly ballsy. I genuinely can’t believe they went there, but I’m glad they did because the film wouldn’t have felt nearly as raw without it.

I don’t know how they managed to make the Director even more of an asshole than in the comics, but they did.

[eightfish]

A comic recommendation

Also the comic's art starts out a little rough BUT the author redrew all the early pages for the book!!

Kickstarter link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wishjacked/cargo-volume-one

read it read it buy it buy it

author's tumblr is @wishjacked

[catscafecomics]

Penguin reviews coffee cups...

[fox-teeth]

Are you still looking to fill your SBCF basket before it closes on the 31st? Here is a post of rapid-fire recommendations of some comics I really liked for you to consider:

Being Useful by @laurark: This is a comic about having your sense of self and agency warped by extreme forces outside of your control. This is also a comic about a hot, horrifying vampire. Absolute banger.

Blade of the Fane by @theoplum: Do you want to read the absolute apotheosis of medieval fantasy comics? This right here is it, in 200+ beautiful pages. If you liked my comic Basilisk, you have to check out this one.

BLEED ANY% by @bluedelliquanti: Blue has an impressive track record of mind-bending sci-fi and near future comics and this is no different. If you love seeing inventive visuals only comics can pull off this is for you.

Bobo Has An Offer For You by Pavina: Do you, in this world of morals and feel-good tales, ache for someone that is terrible and sucks? Then you need Bobo, who will never learn nor improve.

Clair de Lune by @takitakos: This is a comic both about the transcendent beauty of music and the annoying realities of playing a clarinet. Enjoy gorgeous art while listening to the soundtrack. As a former clarinetist I think this is a MUST for all musicians.

IMPASTO by @sjmillerart: I say this with the highest praise: by page 6 I was ready to be sick, and it only got worse from there. A disgusting, beautiful mix of Edwardian splendor and horror.

Lapis Blue by @birbyarts: All the twists, turns, and asking of big existential questions of the best of New Wave science fiction told by a cartooning master of the pre-page-turn gut punch.

Offering by Jocelin Kee: A sweet, wistful slice-of-life story about sharing an office with a god. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into this strange, dream-like magical world.

Aquatic Lives by Pepe Reyes and Pacific Dream by Vincent Lau: I am declaring these two a DOUBLE MARINE BIOLOGY BANGER. I know I have followers here that follow fish-a-day blogs and have had big, weepy feelings at their local aquariums. You have to get both these comics. Trust me.

See also: my recommendations for SBCF for readers that liked my own comic.

[zal-cryptid]

I did an interview for a webcomic review! Check it out!

[jasontoddiefor]

webcomic rec of the day:

Kill the Villainess

Plot: I reincarnated in a novel inside the body of a villainess named Elise who poisoned herself when her fiancé, the prince, married her childhood friend, the maid Helena. From the moment I realized this, I had only one goal. Escape from the world in this novel. To succeed, however, I must play the part of "Elise" and die her foretold death, even as the events of the novel start to change.

Comment: Oh, man. I've heard many good things of this webcomic to the point where I was annoyed and refused to read it out of spite. However, one day spite was not enough to keep me away and I gave it a try and now I have to admit, yes, it more than deserves its praise.

In a genre full of villainesses turning out to be good guys, getting the man and the happy ending in their new world, this story breaks convention. It doesn't just linger on the passing trauma of transmigrating into a new world, it makes it the core theme. On top of that, without spoiling too much, this story never loses sight of its start. Too often these stories get caught up in adding yet another villain and conspiracy, shifting the goals ever so slightly, but Kill the Villainess says this is a story about death and holds to its promise. This, of course, doesn't mean there isn't a happy ending.

Also, I'd die for Anakin and not just because he's called Anakin. In a world of golden haired red eyes Male Leads, he's a knight in shining armor.

[oleadergrove]

Long Exposure by Marsoid

Alright. As always we're starting with trigger warnings. Child abuse, child pornography (referenced), underage drinking and drug use, homophobia, bullying, and some violence.

When Jonas' childhood bully comes back to his school after (rumor has it) he'd gone to jail for stabbing his stepfather, they're forced to work together on a group project. They stumble across a strange research facility in the middle of the woods and gain superpowers, but with that comes an organization following them. (And maybe some romance too?)

I love this comic so much. I've read it all the way through like three times. Jonas and Mitch have a really adorable relationship (though I guess not really in the beginning, although it is kinda cute with how Mitch is very lovey-dovey) and Mitch's shirts are pretty great. The art is amazing and I loved how it's in all black and white except for Jonas' powers. Would for sure recommend to so many people it's amazing and I love it.

Since this is a webcomic, the link from the cover photo will take you to the Tapas page, but you can also read it on Webtoons and at https://www.longexposurecomic.com. You can also buy it as a print book on the author's shop if you prefer, but I don't think the entire comic is available that way. You can find the author's tumblr page @marsoid.

[lindoesntwin]

FROM A KNIGHT TO A LADY

A popular and accomplished knight finds herself being beheaded by her closest comrade during war and when she wakes up, she finds herself in the body of a count's daughter in her rival kingdom.

[byelacey]

a guide on how to enjoy: LEAF 🍂

[sailor-toni]

Tragic lovers, one of my favorite angst tropes

[space-junk-comics]

Default Doom

[m1xieup]

spoilers for 108

So I think it so funny that Will arrived to Prospero/Montresor’s room when he did because that means he either

a) woke up before Mrs Poppet’s alarm or just straight up hadn’t gone to sleep (which aligns with my belief he had trouble sleeping based on how tired he can be shown to be/the fact there is often more line weight/a slight shadow under his eyes [though that could just be showing his eye shape]) and he probably knew of it before the alarm

b) his room is really close to their room

c) he ran as fast as his legs could take him to get there. He SPRINTED down those hallways and stairs to get there. Monty and Prospero had barely gotten up when he got there. He was running so, so, fast

[toothybj]

Unshackle Yourself