The Webcomic Watchman

Monday, January 15, 2007

"Where Are They Now?" #3: Go For It!


Once again, the battle rages on...

Our current subject is an amusing webcomic I found last September, entitled "Go For It!" Drawn by R.L. Peterson, a member of the "Cornstalkers" collective, this collection of mostly one-shot strips has some rather edgy insights on the various absurdities of life, religion and self-proclaimed "otaku" culture.

From the Trix Rabbit ("It was just for some f**king cereal! What the f**k is wrong with you kids?) to the existence (or non-existence) of God. Not to mention an interesting jab at a lot of webcomics that The Doctor has viewed before pausing to reflect on the time he's wasted at his computer (I won't name any names, just look through my previous reviews). And that's just within the first 15 strips.

Aside from joking about the usual suspects, like D&D, DBZ, and Peterson also ups the ante by exploring less-explored areas like liberal guilt, global warming, and even editorial cartoons themselves. And as mentioned above, you won't believe all the shit he gives so-called "otaku" throughout the comic. There are too many examples to list here, but trust me, you'll know it when you see it.

So where is he now? According to recent reports, he's doing college stuff in London. That's about all I know. Even so, this is one of the funniest comics out there, provided you aren't invested emotionally in the characters of FFVII or Inuyasha. Go read it. Now.

Monday, January 01, 2007

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

EVIL DOG!
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.)

Humorous!

Is it not?