Click Here for Today's Comic Webcomics Links Here are links to webcomics and sites about webcomics that I regularly visit. SLUGGY FREELANCE by Pete Abrams Since the summer of 1997, Pete Abrams has been creating the sometimes complex, sometimes hilarious, and always entertaining universe of Sluggy Freelance. From geek humor to high drama, nobody does it better. Perhaps a bit tricky to jump into for a newcomer, but the archives are worth the read. PENNY ARCADE by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik Here's what I love about Penny Arcade -- on any given day (that the strip updates), there's a good chance I will enjoy a few moments of uncontrollable laughter thanks to Gabe and Tycho. Whether they're being deeply crass or genuinely weird, these guys are just flat-out funny. Girl Genius by Phil and Kaja Folio I love steam-punk and gaslamp fantasy. I love the inherent romantic quality of chunky brass gears, blown-glass tubes, and iron rivets. Apparently, so do Phil and Kaja Foglio, because Girl Genius has all that and more -- from great war dirigibles, to monsters born in dark laboratories, to mad scientists and miniature mastodons. Excellent writing, gorgeous art... this is why I love comics. Girly by Josh Lesnick Girly chronicles the story of Otra, the most serious girl in a very silly town. She finds adventure, intrigue, and love when she becomes the "sidekick" to a girl named Winter. Josh Lesnick has a very distinctive not-quite-manga art style and a fine knack for the absurd -- and his Girly has a sweet soul under all the chaos that I quite adore. He updates very consistently on M-W-F. Gun Street Girl by Barb & Park Lien-Cooper and Ryan Howe Gun Street Girl could easily co-exist in the same world as Thunderstruck, and they'd fit right in together. I can practically envison Saxony Canterbury and the streetwise wizard of GSG, Eddie Caution, hanging out in a pub and swapping secrets. The only knock against this comic is that it updates rather sporadically, but I look forward to every new installment of this tale of magic in the modern world. Penny & Aggie by T. Campbell and Giselle Lagace A top-notch high school drama about Penny (the consummate popular girl) and Aggie (the would-be social crusader), and their ongoing rivalry. Sometimes intense, often funny, and always very honest about the overcharged emotions that characterize the teenage life. Excellent writing with exceptional art -- I really love the expressiveness of the characters' faces. Story-driven, so I suggest you read the archives first, or you may be lost. Updates very consistently on a M-W-F schedule. Questionable Content by J. Jacques The ongoing tale of a coffee house, an indie rock band, and some peculiar sentient robots. Questionable Content has a story, but really it's about good characters and clever dialogue. That J. Jacques manages to keep such a consistent level of quality of writing and full-color art with his Monday-through-Friday update schedule impresses me to no end. No Rest for the Wicked by Andrea L. Peterson The Princess who can't sleep if there is a pea under her mattress is on a quest. Her companions are the cunning Puss in Boots and a strange, savage young woman, who in more innocent times was called Little Red Riding Hood. Together, they navigate a dark faerie tale landscape, searching for a drowned moon. A hugely enjoyable comic -- I just wish this one updated more than once a week. Zap! by Chris L. and Pascalle C. Zap! is a fun Science Fiction space adventure, one that started out mostly as a gag comic but has evolved into something deeper and more interesting. The early art is pretty crude, but these days it has turned into a very sharp-looking webcomic. Good cast, enjoyable storyline. Updates consistently on Mondays and Thursdays. Errant Story by Michael Poe There are plenty of people who try to lampoon fantasy -- it seems like an easy target, and you can look very smug by making fun of it. Errant Story takes a much more honest and sophisticated approach. Sure, it has a modern cynical edge and touches of rough urban humor, yet Michael Poe takes his world and story seriously. It's a complex tale -- new readers should start at the beginning if you don't want to get totally lost -- but very much worth it. Plus, you get to see the progression of the artwork, which goes from good to outstanding over the comic's life cycle. Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell The adventures of a very extraordinary girl at a most unusual school, Gunnerkrigg Court is one of my favorite comics right now. Utterly unique in style, delivery, and mood, the best word for it is "enchanting." Tom Sidell now updates this comic on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and never seems to miss a day. Sinfest by Tatsuya Ishida Here's something a bit unusual for webcomics -- Sinfest is presented in classic syndicated strip format, with 3-4 panel dailys and a full-page Sunday strip. Yet content-wise, it is far cooler than anything in the newspapers now. Dealing with religion, sex, drugs, art, and occasionally cats and dogs, Ishida's strip is both cunning and intelligent... and damned funny. You don't really need to read the archives to jump in and enjoy. Updates very regularly, with the occasional unannounced sabbatical. The Wings of Change by Mari Rose Hazel, a half-Elvian, wants to be a ranger. Mitch, a minidragon, is a ranger and wants primarily to be left in peace to do his job. They may think their worst problems are senile dragons and orphaned pixies with super powers, but working behind the scenes are gods, ghosts, and even a strange faceless woman... all with their own engimatic designs. It's a mostly light-hearted comic with very good humor, but I especially like the hidden depths and mysteries. Crimson Dark by David C. Simon A science-fiction space adventure in the vein of Firefly, David Simon's Crimson Dark is impressive on many levels. His artwork, for instance, is a mixture of excellent 3D modeling and digital painting, making it a visual marvel. His ship designs and characters are all superb and original. But what holds it all together is story -- and Simon writes a good one, with drama, emotion, and a quirky sense of humor that I quite enjoy. Updates Mondays and Fridays. DM of the Rings by Shamus Young What would happen if you took the greatest epic of fantasy literature, Lord of the Rings, and used it as a setting for a Dungeons & Dragons game? Seems like a perfect fit... unless you know role-players. Once you ask trigger-happy, loot-obsessed PCs to navigate Tolkien's storyline, it's nothing but trouble. Shamus Young uses stills from the movies to illustrate this extremely amusing version of the Rings trilogy. If you're an old gamer like me, you'll probably dig this. Darths & Droids by The Comic Irregulars Inspired by the "DM of the Rings" strip, here's a version of the same concept using Star Wars: Episode I. The approach is a bit different -- since the source material is a good deal weaker than Lord of the Rings, this strip uses the framework of a RPG session to explain many of the glaring inconsistencies of The Phantom Menace. Somehow, the whole thing does make more sense when it is presented as the off-the-cuff improvisation of a group of semi-ADHD role players. Even Jar-Jar becomes appealing in this context, which is something of a miracle all by itself. Updates three times per week. Dawn of Time by Michael Stearns It's a story of a girl and her triceratops. That's all I would need to hear to want to check this webcomic out, but in case you need more, Dawn of Time is delightful. Michael Stearns introduces us to a Cretaceous period that seems to be a kind of crossroads for time travelers. Dawn, our charming barbarian protagonist, is just trying to get by in this strange world... which is a lot easier when she makes a big, three-horned friend. Tangents by Robert A. Howard My favorite review blog for webcomics is run by Robert A. Howard. Whether he's writing a full "Tangent" (in-depth reviews and analysis of a comic) or just a "Secant" (a shorter check-in with a comic when something interesting has happened), Robert always impresses me with his keen insight and analysis. I've discovered many of my favorite comics for the first time on Tangents, and with Robert's frequent updates, it's always worth it to stop by on my daily web crawl. (Plus, he reviews Thunderstruck every so often, which is naturally of interest to me.) The Webcomics Ovelook by El Santo One of the better webcomics review sites out there. Run by the mysterious "El Santo" (okay, he's not that mysterious), the site touches on a wide variety of comics and is not afraid to pan the ones that merit it. El Santo is the sort of tough, fair critic that any writer or artist should value -- pay attention to his feedback, and your work will probably get better. Other Links I'm just going to put in whatever the hell comes to mind here. These are sites that I visit a lot, or are significant to me in some way... or ones that I simply decided to link to for the traditional no good reason. CANDI'S CREATURES If you've ever wondered where your missing socks go when they disappear from the dryer, here is the answer -- and the truth is far stranger than you've ever guessed. Entering into a hyperspace realm, the socks find their way into the mad laboratory of Candi Cooper-Towler. With her flashing needle, her fertile imagination, and some kind of secret formula of perhaps extraterrestrial origin, she kicks the force of evolution into overdrive: transmuting simple socks into fantastic creatures of all shapes and kinds. Fortunately, most of these new life forms are charming and friendly, and have found their way into the hearts and homes of many lucky human beings. But be warned... there are monsters lurking in the colorful menagerie that constitutes Candi's Creatures... ZERO PUNCTUATION REVIEWS by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw These animated video game reviews by the fast-talking, sardonic "Yahtzee" have become a greatly-anticipated treat every Wednesday. What's great about them is they aren't just parodies or pointless slams on games, but useful and insightful breakdowns of what makes a game good, bad, or utterly maddening. Yahtzee delivers everything with bite and humor, but he knows his business, and even when you disagree with him, his reviews are always a blast to watch. This is where I drew the inspiration for the animated chapter recaps. NAOMI NOVIK Ever wonder what would have happened in the Napoleonic Wars if there had been an air force... composed of dragons? If you haven't, you should, because this notion is the basis of Naomi Novik's utterly superb "Temeraire" series. Novik takes this irresistable concept and proceeds to nail the period details, style, and action in her writing. For me, what puts the series over the top from "good" to "great" is how dragons are not just here for the action scenes, they are also the ones who question the unquestionables about society, forcing their human companions to look beyond their cultural views about sex, politics, and morality. Pick up the first book, His Majesty's Dragon, and give it a try. You won't regret it. Usagi Yojimbo -- the Dojo, by Stan Sakai Stan Sakai's Usagi Yojimbo is my favorite running paper comic, and it gives me a hit of joy to see it every month. The ongoing tale of a samurai (who also happens to be a rabbit), it's a story laced with humor, drama, action, and Japanese medieval romance. Though the story is ongoing, you can still jump in any time and enjoy it. If you like it, Stan's website is an incredibly thorough resource for getting you up to speed on all things Usagi. MISTER BOFFO by Joe Martin This is not a webcomic, but a regular old syndicated strip. There are really not that many of these out there that I like or follow anymore, but Boffo is just creative and absurd enough to keep me coming back for more. GEORGE R. R. MARTIN One of my favorite fantasy/science fiction authors. He took about a 10-year hiatus from writing books and short stories, but has returned with the spectacular Song of Ice and Fire series. Good stuff. METAL and MAGIC: The Art of Ursula Vernon Webcomics fans may be most familar with Ursula because she writes and draws Digger, an excellent story about the adventures of a wombat. She is also one of my favorite artists, and her work can be found at her "Metal and Magic" site. Read the stories that go along with the art. Ursula is unique, perhaps even warped, but always entertaining... and amazingly talented. Superdickery.com Ever think that Superman, with all his absurd powers, might be kind of a jerk underneath that bright blue suit? Ever consider that Wonder Woman's improbable track record of being tied up might hint at a secret fetish? The author of this website has the proof! This is the most fantistic collection of comic scans from real comics, with a focus on the ludicrous, twisted, and hilarious. If you're an old comics junkie like me, you'll get a huge kick out this site. 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