Andrew's Webcomic Review

Alright, so, as an avid Webcomic reader, I decided I'd review a few of 'em. By that I mean probably around ten, depending on how bored I get or don't get.

Obviously, we must first start with the perennial webcomic: Penny Arcade.

Its a damn fun read, usually hitting the mark with humor and a vibrant art style. The characters are likable, albeit under-characterized. If you like video games, it'll hit the mark, if not, the vast majority of the humor and jokes will miss you completely. Most of the jokes are a dialog between Gabe and Tycho, with Tycho usually playing straight man to Gabe, and it usually works, although they'll occasionally need to bring in another character, like Gabe's girl friend in the comic above, to get the joke through. Recurring plot is minimal, so don't expect to get too attached. Still, there's a reason its been going on this long: its good. Not a must read, but one to check out weekly.


Stiptease



A comic about making comics (sort of), hence the name. Its Soap Opera story telling, with about as deep of plot and characters. The arts nice, but the characters border on unlikeable for the most part, with sexism pretty rampant in this one. Take on recent plot line: there's a misunderstanding over whether Max (the main character) had sex with the resident Lady Dragon, Kim. His girlfriend, Alli, meets an old friend (implied to be without Max's knowledge, seemingly for a triste until we find out otherwise), and learns that Max might have had sex with Kim, whom she hates. We learn that yes, they did, but its because Kim was doing for revenge for Max's ex (now a lesbian and a main character). When they confront each other, she comes off as being the bitch, and he as just being frustrated with her. Its a taut comic, the character's shallow, and the plot lines have pulled the "Evil Twin" concept. I shit you not.


Questionable Content

One of my personal favorites, Questionable Content has interesting, and likable characters. One of the longest running comics, its also one of the few that supports its creator. Its pretty damn brilliant, although it has high and low points where the plot line suffers and succeeds, depending on the level of conflict. The art has changed greatly, as the archives chronicle well. Its good, usually a joke a day, and has shown great evolution in writing. I recommend it to anyone looking for a good slice-of-life read.


Multiplex

Damn is this good... One of the comics that has gotten even better over time, while starting with a high standard. I tend to like the more dramatic story lines (which its quite good at), better than the one and done joke strips (also quite good). Its a good read, with good art, but there are times when characters come off as mildly unlikeable. They aren't bad, but there are things they do that have rubbed me the wrong way. Still, check it out, see if you like it.


Penny & Aggie

This is quite possibly one of the best comics on the internet. Seriously. The plot lines are smart, the characters varied, and the art fantastic. Its gotten increasingly better over time, and while the core plot line of the beginning (Aggie v. Penny) has disappeared, it is a comic that should be held to a higher standard than most. The only real complaint I have for it is that the plot lines occasionally come off as pandering to the Forum audience. Other than that, it does things that seem almost outlandish in the common webcomic, such as cohesive plotting, and symbolism. Check it out, damn good read. Again, one of the best.


Ctrl+Alt+Del

This is one of my least favorite Webcomics, I would call it the Family Guy of webcomics, but that might be a little harsh to it. Its still bad, mind you. The characters are unlikeable, and, while not as overtly so as Striptease, its still not exactly flattering to its female characters. It takes the same formula of Penny Arcade, and shits on it with annoying characters, meaningless and stupid plot, and a robot that is directly a take off of both HK-47 and Bender, and is just as annoying as the humans he supports. Ethan, the main character, is a psychotic, while Lucas, the next main character, is merely boring and uninteresting, and the main female character, Lilah, is nothing more than one of them with a vagina, who apparently doesn't know anyone other than the two of them and her male pro gaming partner, while also enabling Ethan's addiction and insanity. Maybe I expect more, but this has a huge readership, so maybe you'll like it. I don't. At all.




That's enough for now. I promise it won't be a month before I post again! Still, if you need a daily dose of me, I have two other blogs. If you disagree or want to recommend anything, e-mail me at hopesoftrying@aol.com, or leave a comment.