Playful heart

Friday 23 March 2012

Amazing Comics March Edition!

Greetings!
How have you been dear readers?

Recently I have been reading less and less manga, but more and more online comics. As regulation becomes far more stricter against uploading manga, I have had a great need for a new free alternative, and it turns out more western style comics isn't something to be feared or disregarded. Infact, some can be very, very good! These 'rogue' comic artists usually have another job on the side, and are very generous when uploading their comic in very good quality. This quality beats scanlations tenfold. In regards to my personal buying habits, I like to read at least the first chapter of a manga or comic before buying it, and because of more limited access to manga - and less manga being published in my country now Tokyopops UK has died out, I feel I'm far more likely (and quite happy to) support these online comic artists and buy their unique works. Oh, it's also worth mentioning that the storylines and characters are far less generic than a lot of manga that's available to buy in Europe. So don't turn your back against comics dear manga fans! I feel that comics are also a good platform for any kind of reader - so even if manga isn't your thing, comics might just steal your heart.

Recommended online comics

Out there in the online comic world... It can be pretty crazy! There are a LOT of comics out there with easy access, but quality and consistency can be quite hard to find amongst the piles!

So I will be including my favourites that I am currently reading below. Also, if you happen to use DeviantART, I find a lot of good quality artists use this website to advertise their comic, which leads nicely onto my first recommendation.

1) Knite
This is an online flash comic hosted on DeviantART. It is a very beautiful series, and it's a major highlight to the week when a new chapter is uploaded. The artist, Yuumei, also makes other comics, and I defiantly recommend you check her work out.

Knite is partically special because although the art is incredibly magical, the story is very touching, and quite political. It highlights the problem of pollution in China, and corrupt politicians.

In short, I recommend Knite for everybody. Give this comic a try!

2) Spindrift
In the online comic world, Spindrift is quite a young project, and the story is only at chapter one right now. Yet there is already quite a lot of drama in this fantasy story, and I'm excited to see where this goes. The art is beautiful, and the characters are very interesting. It involves two races called the Alar and Iidra, and a quite a well made setting!

I recommend this story for the fantasy and adventure fans out there.

3) Strays
This is a pretty awesome comic that started in 2007, and is still ongoing five years later! I think in this comic in particular you appreciate how much effort goes into making a brilliant comic. You can catch up to the latest page in one or two days... And that's five years of hard work!

Strays is about the story of an orphaned child called Meela who is very lonely, in a world where her lupian race can be quite detrimental to her safety. She meets a character called Feral who is a very unique character with a major quirk/limit that I won't spoil to you, but it makes this comic a gem!

I highly recommend this comic for those who like manga, those who like wolves/foxes, and just generally those who want a pretty cool story.

4) Off-White
I'll be honest, I wasn't actually expecting to like this comic. Although the storyline involves humans, all the main characters are wolves. Sometimes the story can get a little lost, but when it gets dramatic - my goodness it pulls the strings on your heart. It's quite hard to describe this story without spoiling it, but I do recommend this for those who love wolves/pack animals.

5) Spinnerette
One of my favourite comics!
This is the perfect comic for any comic and superhero fan! If you're into Marvel or DC, you'll absoloutely LOVE Spinerette.
You see... Spinnerette is a parody of these comics, set in a world where superheroes obtain cool powers and have to wear disguises while doing their duty - that's kicking supervillian's butt. Yet... This comic isn't just a parody, it stands out with a unqiue storyline of it's own. It's characters are very likeable, there is drama, there is romance, there is an ongoing line of ACTION!

The one downside to this comic is that it can get a tad pervy, particularly during the latest chapters. However the romance is sweet and I recommend this comic 100 times over.

6) The Meek
This is quite an unusual comic, where the female character is naked throughout.
Yes, you heard that right.
But it's done in quite an artistic non-pervy way, and it's quite a good comic. It hasn't updated for a while, but I hope it will continue from haitus again soon.

I would recommend it to those who appreciate art, great story telling, and don't mind nudity.

7) EarthSong
This comic has been the artists' project for quite a while now, and for this comic I'll be honest and say that the art isn't the main draw for me as a reader. It's not as complex as Spinerette, or as beautiful as Knite. But the characters have a lot of depth - and the world is so interesting! This is a world where the planets themselves are people... I recommend reading it for yourselves to find out. It's not a good comic for everyone - those who are looking for great art should go somewhere else. But it is an interesting comic nevertheless, and I recommend this for those who are interested in a very interesting 'world'.

8) Pheonix Requiem
And finally, my all time favourite online comic.
This is a fantastic comic set in an alternative Victorian/Edwardian style era, in a small town/village. The main female character is a training doctor, and is so into her job that her friends find her hard to talk to. When a male character who happens to need medical attention comes into her life - she finds him fascinating, and begins to open up. Then come the haunting shades...

This is quite a spooky yet brilliant comic! Each panel is of a high standard, and the artist limited the number of characters to the great benefit of the comic!

I recommend this completely to anyone! I think those who are into manga and comics in general will like this, as well as those who are into ghost stories. It might be a little bit scary for the younger reader.