Omergideon
2012-02-03, 07:35 AM
Well this is sommat I've been wondering about doing for a while. Ages ago (before life got in the way) I started doing an overall review of the comic, taking it mini-arc by mini-arc. I got to the point when Nale arrives, and,.......well...........I want to continue. It may take some time but I should enjoy it at least.
So this review should cover Strips 44 to 72. That is the whole of the First Nale arc. It may be long, but I'll try to have some fun with it. Now this is all my opinion. Disagree? Tell me. That is totally fine so long as you can explain WHY you disagree. Think I'm a fool......well, yeah. But it is just my opinion. Alos, I make no pretensions to be professional, funny or even right. I think any opinion you can explain is defensible. This is just mine.
But moving on.
Plot Synopsis: Spoilers ahead.
Without going into too much detail, a group called the Linear Guild show up. They seem like a standard broken mirror variation of the OoTS. The LG are questing for some magic doohickey that grants some sort of power. They split into 3 teams to crack the wards, get to the doohickey and in a MASSIVE SHOCK (TM), the LG betray the order. Hijinks ensue and eventually the Order win out and save the day, with the LG arrested and sent into custody, never to be heard from again ;).
Plot Thoughts:
This arc represents the first real story arc of the comic, and so it should be no suprise that it is a pretty simple one. Evil opposites and a massive VS brawl. Pretty much one of the staples of the fantasy genre. However it is quite well told and the exact nature of the amulet is somewhat interesting in it's powers. It is also a decent length at 29 stips long. Long enough to tell the story, but not so long as to drag. In fact re-reading this arc you can see it moving along at a very good pace. Each strip tells a different part of the story and, while the battle is pretty long (at 7-11 strips depending on how you count them) it IS action packed and pretty cool to watch. Primitive art and action by modern standards, but I can forgive some of that. This was one of the first stories.
As I said the plot is simple in and of itself. The real quality though is the character interactions. I have said before I think the OoTS is a Character based and driven story. Whatever else happens the comic focuses on the people involved. And the people in this arc are well treated. With 12 Characters to discuss I think it's time to focus on them.
Character Thoughts.
Roy and Thog: As said Roy is the Main Character of the comic. He takes a back seat though in this story to Elan, the 2nd main protagonist. However Roy has a few good moments, particularly with Thog. Quite important ones. I think Thog is more than a funny counterpart to Roy. He is everything Roy hates about Figher types. Thog is a dumb fighter stereotype taken to extremes. A sterotype that Roy wants to be the antithesis of. I think it shows just how personally Roy takes what he does and what he tries to represent. Not much more to say, but revealing in itself. Aside from this Roy is his normal leadery self. He has good lines, displays his tactical mind and is arcastic to all. That is Roy.
:roy: Is That it? I thought this was my quest...
:thog: Thog just happy to go first with Talky Man.
:roy: .....*sigh*
Elan and Nale: Whoooo boy. This arc is definitely Elan's story, and one that shows the first inklings of Elan's growth. Granted that would not be fulfilled for a LONG time, but it began here. The very first moments of competence (his storytelling nous with Nale), his first real dilemma (what to do with his Brother) and the overall small moments he has once Nale is captured. Elan is stupid yes, but his better nature as a “pure innocent” does shine through constantly. It's a shame that Nale won't come back, as I am sure this family aspect would make for some good drama.....oh well. Missed potential.
As for how he changed during the arc, as I said it was here Elan became more than the load. This makes his character far better for storytelling. He is no longer “the incompetent” so much as “the fool”. It IS Elan who finally defeats Nale after all. And the revelations about their parents were the soil for sooo many plot bunnies to grow in. I think I mixed the metaphor there.....oops. It is not a massive change, but in later strips you can see how it affects things. Elan is more often NOT creating trouble simply by being there, but by genuine and understandable naivete. In short, it was from this arc that Elan began to gain longevity as a character.
:elan: Longevity? But I didn't even get any taller :smallconfused:
And joking aside, Nale makes an excellent Dark Mirror for Elan. He is who Elan would be if raised wrong. And it works. The contrast in backstory is pretty stock, but is lampooned enough to work. I would say more but sadly the full extent of the concept is underexplored. The strip was still almost pure comedy (but now comedy with a plot) and such serious thoughts are out of place. But we will see where this leads in later stories.
V and ZZ'drti: I'll mention them here as, while the interactions are limited they are telling. As with Elan seeds are sown, that seed being V's power issues. This is the first foe V faces where his magic is not enough. And V's frustrations at it are clearly seen. The use of the lawyers to defeat ZZ'drti shows him playing dirty as well. The issue is not properly explored of course but leads to some good gags. However the real development is the fight with ZZ'drti at the end. V has, to this point, been pretty smart in his actions and use of spells. But here there is an issue he cannot solve just by blasting it. Just reread strip 65, then look at the fight between the 2 most recently (especially 799 and 802). In the latter V reacts intelligently, strategically and without pride. Here........he just fails to consider options beyond magic blasting (I don't count the joke ending for character purposes). It is telling to see how much V has grown, but I'll cover it in more depth eventually.
Belkar and Yok Yok: Nothing much to say, except whilst I did not find the fued too fun Belkar had the best fight scene to date here. In fact it still holds up pretty well by todays standards. Belkar shows his sadism more of course, but Owl's Wisdom aside he just further cements his role as evil team mate. Nothing more to add. No major developments for him. But he fought well and showed a legit place on the team.
As for the others.....well Like Belkar we learn nothing new. Sabine is a stock villain, Haley is her normal self and Durkon and Hilgya will be covered very soon. Outside of Nale the Linear Guild get almost no character beyond expected counterpart cliches. Celia, while introduced, is a mere plot device. Not a character. Despite this there is something I noticed about the team as a whole. This is the first time the order works as a group to defeat a real foe in a proper story. We get to see them complete a real quest. And the constant interplay of banter between the members is fairly good. They show a degree of trust not seen before. And they seem friends moreso than earlier as well. Roy even trusts ELAN of all people to stop Nale (strip 67). I think here the order has really become a team through defeating their first major adversaries. Still mostly gag stuff is seen, but a difference between the arc and, say, strip 6 is quite noticable.
:haley: Wait........how does Belkar get more discussion than me?
:belkar: Suck it girls, The Belkstar rocked the Kobold Fight. All I need now is a sexy shoeless catchphrase! :smallamused:
The Rest: Just to give some final thoughts then. I quite enjoy the arc. Sure by modern standards it is extremely simple, poorly drawn and thinly characterised. However we are beginning to see the seeds of the richly nuanced people we would encounter later on. The quirky cliches the characters began as have now been fleshed out by their interactions a bit more. Well, Roy, Elan and V have been. I cannot be sure, but if the Giant decided during this arc to begin his more in depth storytelling I would not be surprised. Especially considering what happens to Durkon in the next arc.
When remarking on the jokes it is hard to say what is, or is not good. There are no massive clunkers I can remember, and despite the number of great “I am building up to a single joke” or “punchline” strips as I think of them (see 64, 54 or 45 as some especially nice ones) the jokes are a little more subtle. Some do not work though. Strip 48 stands out to me as something of a clunker, with the same joke repeated twice and a less than powerful punchline. Strip 71 as well is noticably weaker, with too much dialogue, few overt or funny jokes and a less than enthralling infodump. But humour is very subjective. It is noticable though that fewer jokes are appearing, with more time taken for story or action by the end of the arc. A sign of things to come.
Overall I see “Dorukans Talisman” as an experiment in storytelling for the comic. It is extremely self contained with a villain who worked well without knowing much, if anything, before hands. You could start here and barely miss a beat in getting up to speed. But I think the experiment is a good one. Strips 55-59 show some much improved art and some pretty decent crowd shots of the monsters. Scope is introduced to the images. All in all this arc is a sign of things to come. I have spoken mostly about it virtues, not the flaws, because there are few. The only major flaw (art and thin characters aside) is in how simplistic the story is. But I forgive that as the story is well told, and short enough for it not too be too much of a problem. And whilst the characters seem thin, and the art poor, it is much improved over the start of the comic. This arc is a sign of things to come. As the origin of Nale it is, of course, a must read. However it also is a fairly good little tale that is fun to read in it's own right, if totally unchallenging.
As for a rating I would call it **1/2. No massive flaws, but it lacks the developed virtues the later comic would have. It is fun enough to read for me, though your enjoyment will depend on how much you enjoy the jokes. I thought them mostly OK (except some excellent punchlines). I may not choose to reread it just for the fun of it, but I certainly smile when I get to it in my regular archive binges. Consider the experiment a success.
And that is my first review. If you agree/disagree/think I just wasted a few minutes of your time then let me know. I really want to get a discussion going, not simply state my opinions.
So this review should cover Strips 44 to 72. That is the whole of the First Nale arc. It may be long, but I'll try to have some fun with it. Now this is all my opinion. Disagree? Tell me. That is totally fine so long as you can explain WHY you disagree. Think I'm a fool......well, yeah. But it is just my opinion. Alos, I make no pretensions to be professional, funny or even right. I think any opinion you can explain is defensible. This is just mine.
But moving on.
Plot Synopsis: Spoilers ahead.
Without going into too much detail, a group called the Linear Guild show up. They seem like a standard broken mirror variation of the OoTS. The LG are questing for some magic doohickey that grants some sort of power. They split into 3 teams to crack the wards, get to the doohickey and in a MASSIVE SHOCK (TM), the LG betray the order. Hijinks ensue and eventually the Order win out and save the day, with the LG arrested and sent into custody, never to be heard from again ;).
Plot Thoughts:
This arc represents the first real story arc of the comic, and so it should be no suprise that it is a pretty simple one. Evil opposites and a massive VS brawl. Pretty much one of the staples of the fantasy genre. However it is quite well told and the exact nature of the amulet is somewhat interesting in it's powers. It is also a decent length at 29 stips long. Long enough to tell the story, but not so long as to drag. In fact re-reading this arc you can see it moving along at a very good pace. Each strip tells a different part of the story and, while the battle is pretty long (at 7-11 strips depending on how you count them) it IS action packed and pretty cool to watch. Primitive art and action by modern standards, but I can forgive some of that. This was one of the first stories.
As I said the plot is simple in and of itself. The real quality though is the character interactions. I have said before I think the OoTS is a Character based and driven story. Whatever else happens the comic focuses on the people involved. And the people in this arc are well treated. With 12 Characters to discuss I think it's time to focus on them.
Character Thoughts.
Roy and Thog: As said Roy is the Main Character of the comic. He takes a back seat though in this story to Elan, the 2nd main protagonist. However Roy has a few good moments, particularly with Thog. Quite important ones. I think Thog is more than a funny counterpart to Roy. He is everything Roy hates about Figher types. Thog is a dumb fighter stereotype taken to extremes. A sterotype that Roy wants to be the antithesis of. I think it shows just how personally Roy takes what he does and what he tries to represent. Not much more to say, but revealing in itself. Aside from this Roy is his normal leadery self. He has good lines, displays his tactical mind and is arcastic to all. That is Roy.
:roy: Is That it? I thought this was my quest...
:thog: Thog just happy to go first with Talky Man.
:roy: .....*sigh*
Elan and Nale: Whoooo boy. This arc is definitely Elan's story, and one that shows the first inklings of Elan's growth. Granted that would not be fulfilled for a LONG time, but it began here. The very first moments of competence (his storytelling nous with Nale), his first real dilemma (what to do with his Brother) and the overall small moments he has once Nale is captured. Elan is stupid yes, but his better nature as a “pure innocent” does shine through constantly. It's a shame that Nale won't come back, as I am sure this family aspect would make for some good drama.....oh well. Missed potential.
As for how he changed during the arc, as I said it was here Elan became more than the load. This makes his character far better for storytelling. He is no longer “the incompetent” so much as “the fool”. It IS Elan who finally defeats Nale after all. And the revelations about their parents were the soil for sooo many plot bunnies to grow in. I think I mixed the metaphor there.....oops. It is not a massive change, but in later strips you can see how it affects things. Elan is more often NOT creating trouble simply by being there, but by genuine and understandable naivete. In short, it was from this arc that Elan began to gain longevity as a character.
:elan: Longevity? But I didn't even get any taller :smallconfused:
And joking aside, Nale makes an excellent Dark Mirror for Elan. He is who Elan would be if raised wrong. And it works. The contrast in backstory is pretty stock, but is lampooned enough to work. I would say more but sadly the full extent of the concept is underexplored. The strip was still almost pure comedy (but now comedy with a plot) and such serious thoughts are out of place. But we will see where this leads in later stories.
V and ZZ'drti: I'll mention them here as, while the interactions are limited they are telling. As with Elan seeds are sown, that seed being V's power issues. This is the first foe V faces where his magic is not enough. And V's frustrations at it are clearly seen. The use of the lawyers to defeat ZZ'drti shows him playing dirty as well. The issue is not properly explored of course but leads to some good gags. However the real development is the fight with ZZ'drti at the end. V has, to this point, been pretty smart in his actions and use of spells. But here there is an issue he cannot solve just by blasting it. Just reread strip 65, then look at the fight between the 2 most recently (especially 799 and 802). In the latter V reacts intelligently, strategically and without pride. Here........he just fails to consider options beyond magic blasting (I don't count the joke ending for character purposes). It is telling to see how much V has grown, but I'll cover it in more depth eventually.
Belkar and Yok Yok: Nothing much to say, except whilst I did not find the fued too fun Belkar had the best fight scene to date here. In fact it still holds up pretty well by todays standards. Belkar shows his sadism more of course, but Owl's Wisdom aside he just further cements his role as evil team mate. Nothing more to add. No major developments for him. But he fought well and showed a legit place on the team.
As for the others.....well Like Belkar we learn nothing new. Sabine is a stock villain, Haley is her normal self and Durkon and Hilgya will be covered very soon. Outside of Nale the Linear Guild get almost no character beyond expected counterpart cliches. Celia, while introduced, is a mere plot device. Not a character. Despite this there is something I noticed about the team as a whole. This is the first time the order works as a group to defeat a real foe in a proper story. We get to see them complete a real quest. And the constant interplay of banter between the members is fairly good. They show a degree of trust not seen before. And they seem friends moreso than earlier as well. Roy even trusts ELAN of all people to stop Nale (strip 67). I think here the order has really become a team through defeating their first major adversaries. Still mostly gag stuff is seen, but a difference between the arc and, say, strip 6 is quite noticable.
:haley: Wait........how does Belkar get more discussion than me?
:belkar: Suck it girls, The Belkstar rocked the Kobold Fight. All I need now is a sexy shoeless catchphrase! :smallamused:
The Rest: Just to give some final thoughts then. I quite enjoy the arc. Sure by modern standards it is extremely simple, poorly drawn and thinly characterised. However we are beginning to see the seeds of the richly nuanced people we would encounter later on. The quirky cliches the characters began as have now been fleshed out by their interactions a bit more. Well, Roy, Elan and V have been. I cannot be sure, but if the Giant decided during this arc to begin his more in depth storytelling I would not be surprised. Especially considering what happens to Durkon in the next arc.
When remarking on the jokes it is hard to say what is, or is not good. There are no massive clunkers I can remember, and despite the number of great “I am building up to a single joke” or “punchline” strips as I think of them (see 64, 54 or 45 as some especially nice ones) the jokes are a little more subtle. Some do not work though. Strip 48 stands out to me as something of a clunker, with the same joke repeated twice and a less than powerful punchline. Strip 71 as well is noticably weaker, with too much dialogue, few overt or funny jokes and a less than enthralling infodump. But humour is very subjective. It is noticable though that fewer jokes are appearing, with more time taken for story or action by the end of the arc. A sign of things to come.
Overall I see “Dorukans Talisman” as an experiment in storytelling for the comic. It is extremely self contained with a villain who worked well without knowing much, if anything, before hands. You could start here and barely miss a beat in getting up to speed. But I think the experiment is a good one. Strips 55-59 show some much improved art and some pretty decent crowd shots of the monsters. Scope is introduced to the images. All in all this arc is a sign of things to come. I have spoken mostly about it virtues, not the flaws, because there are few. The only major flaw (art and thin characters aside) is in how simplistic the story is. But I forgive that as the story is well told, and short enough for it not too be too much of a problem. And whilst the characters seem thin, and the art poor, it is much improved over the start of the comic. This arc is a sign of things to come. As the origin of Nale it is, of course, a must read. However it also is a fairly good little tale that is fun to read in it's own right, if totally unchallenging.
As for a rating I would call it **1/2. No massive flaws, but it lacks the developed virtues the later comic would have. It is fun enough to read for me, though your enjoyment will depend on how much you enjoy the jokes. I thought them mostly OK (except some excellent punchlines). I may not choose to reread it just for the fun of it, but I certainly smile when I get to it in my regular archive binges. Consider the experiment a success.
And that is my first review. If you agree/disagree/think I just wasted a few minutes of your time then let me know. I really want to get a discussion going, not simply state my opinions.