Webcomic Roundup – 09/29/19 to 10/05/2019, part 1
A hiatus is a funny thing. You think you know when it’s nearing the end, but it could go on for another month or two. Here’s looking at me. While I haven’t updated since August 14, I was surprised to see other comic review/critique sites have also been on hiatus for just as long. I can’t believe I’m coming back to write about web comics before Comic Critic Squad and Nabisco Parodies. Such is life, and the transition into fall is a notoriously busy season. Busyness aside, I’d like to get a regular weekly format going so that I can at least begin live up to this blog’s title.
So here we go. My weekly thoughts on all of the web comics I’ve been following.
Mac Smith promises updates soon as this project moves into the final chapter. He has promised to start delivering Episode 10 in October. To be honest, Mac had a really rough August, so a lack of updates is to be expected. When Scurry does return, big updates are in order as the mice colony has no choice but to leave the only home they’ve ever known.
The last few weeks of Ghost of the Gulag has been an interesting transition period. We leave behind the Clan of the Boar and its leader Katorga as the ghost and the Tsarevitch begin to make their way to Tribe of the Wolf. The story has moved back to the warden of the Gulag as he sits alone and plays Russian roulette with a gun to his own head. Whatever made him so suicidal hasn’t been revealed, but it certainly has something do with the back story focusing on the woman he loved, how he married her, and his job transfer to Siberia. I’m going to wager a guess and say whatever he had to do as warden of the Gulag caused his wife to leave, or she died suddenly and he was unable to be at her side.
While I’m mostly here for the story of Ghost, aka the tiger, I don’t mind the transition to the warden’s time at the Gulag. After all, the struggle between Katorga’s boar clan and the ruling wolf tribe is meant to be a parallel to the Russian Revolution. Though to be fair, in the story itself the revolution has already happened with the humans. Also, I say “parallel” instead of allegory here because the story clearly features people during or shortly after the Russian Revolution. Had it just been the animals and their struggle with collective rule (the boars) vs being ruled by a monarchy (the wolves) sans the humans and actual history, this story would be an allegory not unlike George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
Anyway, I’m getting off track. I’m excited to know why the warden is in such a dark place after seemingly having everything he could have wanted in life. This will also explain why and how the Gulag came to be abandoned.
Home:
Given that one of my first entries here was a rant about Home, I can’t help but rant from time to time. Kique 7’s writing ranges from bad to somewhat acceptable. Right now Home has just been boring.
- The plotline with Kargo and Ferah returning to the Meteor Tribe and Kargo playing the role of a jealous ex-lover feels forced.
- Jahla’s plotline with her, Thakir, and Folluin creating Havenreach Tribe is a bit more acceptable, but still feels contrived. After being kicked out of Origin Orion, she hasn’t been once worried about the Asmundr pack, or her mate Rhov. Now she’s a peacemaker for the Akifurs and the local dogs. If she had resolved her tensions with Rhov and knowing the Asmundr pack is truly safe, this plot wouldn’t feel so bad.
- And this criticism goes double for Rhov’s plot of using the guild to search for the Asmundr pack, but settling in with the Shiverfall Tribe instead.
- Right now the current plotline with Keirr realizing his fallen friend Zilas is now a ghoul and being distressed over it could be interesting. It’s the only real bit of tension we’ve had in Home for months now.
Big reveals are happening in the Realm of Kaerwyn at the moment. First Endymion now possessed by Murako the spirit of vengeance, and Niixa still a werewolf, have returned from Reklar. Endy heads off to beat up Gruff for sending them to Reklar to die, while Niixa runs off to find someone to help deal with the destruction a possessed Endy will bring. During Endy’s rough and tumble talk with Gruff it has been revealed that Niixa is more than she seems. The fact that she was able to open the rifting machine and create a portal to find Endy on Reklar, and that while there she was able to create a psychic link shocks the wolfdog barkeep. He realizes Niixa might be Aisha, but stops short before he can spill the beans. However, Sisari (this story’s main antagonist and racist dragon) was definitely spying on him and heard the entire conversation and realizes the truth.
Ironically, in an earlier issue, Sisari had possessed Niixa in order to keep an eye on Endy. While actively possessing the Xarax-hil (ie, an anthropomorphic raccoon-like race of people), she didn’t notice that Niixa was actually Aisha, her sister. According to Issue 8, page 44 of this comic, Aisha was hidden away so Sisari couldn’t get her claws on her. And in case you’ve forgotten, Endy is actually Fahrook, Aisha’s mate. All of this was explained in Issue 11, pages 10, 11 and 12. While Kaerwyn is a story that will go on for a long time, it’s nice to see some important plot elements being put into place and some questions being answered. So when Sisari comes after both Endy and Niixa to control them, crap will hit the fan and boy will it splatter.
Meanwhile, Niixa explains to Callie and Tunc her plans to channel the power of Rolatudan, the Destroyer entity of Errux, her home world, in order to do battle against a Murako possessed Endy. Naturally Callie and Tunc aren’t too thrilled about the idea, but it could be their best bet for saving Kaerwyn from Endy. Or the whole thing could literally blow up in their faces. Time will tell!
Part two of my coverage is coming soon.
