Review #19: ...where no one can hear you "guffaw."

What the hell is that thing?

Title: The Far Reaches
Artist: Gerhard Bahnsen
Collective/Studio: Outlandish Studios
Genre: Comedy/SciFi
Updates: Usually biweekly
Link: http://www.thefarreaches.com (link updated)

A long time ago (February '02, I believe) a joint project between the creators of RPG World and Adventurers! (Ian Jones-Quartey and Mark Shallow, respectively) was born, called Starsomething. Then it went on hiatus, then continued, and then just stopped after November '04.

This comic has nothing to do with that, but it will give you that satirical scifi fix you've been looking for ever since Starsomething unofficially "kicked the bucket," as the old folks say.

The story starts with a young, wealthy guy named Gilrec Dauntless, who has apparently decided to retire to the countryside in his mid-to-late 20's (take that, you young, poor farmboy protagonists!) with a butler robot. However, it isn't long before an old friend convinces him to board an interstellar ship that happens to be attacked by aliens that look kinda like Ivan Ooze with longer faces. Oh, and the robot butler kicks ass too.

The good thing about this comic? It manages to stay humorous without constantly referencing other SciFi shows or memes, unlike Starsomething.*

Lazy-Ass Summary:**
Art: Starts out black and white, but transfers into full color. Pretty good CG graphics and art that drifts between Disney and manga styles, though the occasional chibi-ness of the characters feels a bit unnecessary.
Story: Still kinda growing, though aside from the Star Wars-ish intro, it doesn't feel rushed and the relevant stuff is mostly explained.
Humor: See above paragraph, or read the comic. I ain't writing it again.
Action: Some good action sequences in the middle, though I was hoping for
Characters: Interesting variety, from the Palpatine-esque cyborg uncle to the butler robot.
Money Quote: "No, it can't be...NIGH-PSYCHOTIC CYBER SHEEP!"
Final Thoughts: It's a worthwhile read. You might like it.***

(*This statement is subject to be proven wrong in the future)
(**After much contemplation, I decided to keep the Lazy-Ass Summary, but dispense with the point system)
(***The Doctor regrets that he lacks the creative energies to come up with anything better than that at this time. This is also subject to change later on.)