Comic Ratings 2.0

[theKOT]

This thread is for people to post how they rate comics. The idea being that you make an original post with any ratings you have done so far and then post any new ones in a seperate post. Alongside each rating try to give a comment/explaination for it, the longer the better. A compilation post will contain each rating of its kind and comment given by each person in this thread, so that you can see them side-by-side. The author's name will be directly after their rating.

To those who are rating:
while I do read over the comic thread, I would enjoy it if you also posted your ratings here. Also, it would be slightly more convenient if you included -yourusernamehere after your rating. You don't have to, just a suggestion.

Ok, the old thread's first post exceeded the max length, so I made this thread to keep everything in order. Also, this is a golden opportunity to employ some new ideas to make this thread more enjoyable.

The first new idea I'll be implementing is a post dedicated entirely to sequence ratings. To rate a sequence, you look at a series of comics in a single area or dealing with a single theme (i.e. The Xykon throneroom sequence(104-119) or the New Years sequence(302-316)). In your post you type "Comic sequence" or "Story arc", the numbers of the comics within it, the reason you rated the arc the way you did(your impressions of the sequence), and lastly your rating. Once again, including-yourusername would be appreciated.

Another Idea is to rate the bonus comics from the books and the ones from origins. To do so, you place your rating inside a spoiler box and add the book name before each group of ratings.

Lastly, I'm splitting the main comic ratings into two posts(neither of which will be this one) So that I may have room for everything. Mods, please let this instance of quintuple-posting slide.

This thread brought to you by Alfryd, who first got me rating comics, and TinSoldier, who asked me to make it.

[theKOT]

This post will contain ratings for comics 382 and up.

#427 More good stuff from our favourite wizard. 8/10-Sir Norbert

#426 An interesting way to build up the suspense. 7/10-Sir Norbert

#425 Oh dear. 7/10-Sir Norbert

#424 Nice dramatic action with some great Vaarsuvius moments and a wonderful punchline. 9/10-Sir Norbert

#423 Completely unexpected, appropriate, and hilarious. 9/10-Sir Norbert

#422 Interesting new side-by-side format, mostly filler, but with a lovely closing line from Redcloak. 8/10-Sir Norbert

#421 A gorgeously cheesy moment, with Elan nicely turning everything on its head at the climax. 9/10-Sir Norbert

#420 Crazy stuff from Roy and Hinjo, with a very nice twist at the end. 8/10-Sir Norbert

#419 Some lovely deflation of stupid forum speculation. 9/10-Sir Norbert

#418: Hordle hordle!
That was fantastic. A really funny joke set, and once again, Hinjo rocks the Good Casbah. This whole comic though, is made by Belkar at the end. 8/10-theKOT
Well, I'm sorry, I didn't have my "modern American slang" lesson recently. Nice scenery though. 5/10-Sir Norbert

#417: That was SO touching! The mood is very well built, and constantly reinforced. The dialogue, while lengthy, is informative and not a bit boring. The jokes.... well, they aren't really there, but I don't think they need to be. Instead of feeling like forced drama, this was a completely believable series of events that got the message accross. The atmosphere is most conducive for the aim of the strip. The ending panel is perfect. A bit of wit but no punch-line feeling to make it seem out of place. This makes me smile and tear up at the same time. Bravissimo. 10/10-theKOT
A wonderful and touching moment, beautifully prepared and realised. 10/10-Sir Norbert

#416: Umm, ok that was lame. It was a rundown of information we already had, some unfunny jokes, and a hint at some actually new information. What a stinker 2/10-theKOT
Mildly amusing, but really just the same old Xykon/Redcloak interaction we're used to. 6/10-Sir Norbert

#415: Pretty good. I have to say I like every single joke here, even if none were laugh-out-loud funny. The plot moves along in a well-paced, believable pattern... yes, this is a 7/10-theKOT
9.8. I mean, c'mon.-Alfryd
#415 Forum spoilers completely sucked the fun out of this one, but there were some nice jokes in it. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#414: Kinda funny, but not that hilarious, the strength of this comic is the unpredictable plot twist. Still, not super-enjoyable 6/10-theKOT
7.2. A few decent gags. Some plot explanation.-Alfryd
#414 Contributes nicely to the mounting tension, and the "Yahtzee" and "ninja death squad" jokes were good. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#413: It's a good joke with some new information. I liked the technique for mixing humor and plot that is applied here, so I say 7/10-theKOT
At first I thought the miniatures idea was just a bit weird, but towards the end as the joke gets extended it becomes very funny. The "trying to be a PC" line and the development of the minor characters are the other highlights. 8/10-Sir_Norbert
8.4. I'm just a sucker for abstract wargaming. And a little humour.-Alfryd

#412: Heh heh... Oh wait, that's it? Kinda sad really. I get the idea behind this comic, but I don't like it. Feels kinda like stalling to me. And lazy writing. It was somewhat humorous, but not very anything. 3/10-theKOT
This is the one that really shows the plot has got too complex for Rich to handle, if we need to have "catching up" strips like this. Yes, it parodies the frequent need for such conversations in RPGs, but that alone isn't enough to redeem it. 4/10-Sir_Norbert
7.0. Not a scream, but harmless fun.-Alfryd

#411: Pretty good. This comic deals with a lot of things in a smooth and unstilted manner. The fluidity of the exposition is nice, and the jokes are pretty funny. Still, there wasn't a lot of emotion involved and these last two strips have had a winding-down feeling after the evocative strips between 405 and 409. So I'll give it a 7/10-theKOT
I would not have believed it if I hadn't already read a spoiler thread somewhere on the board. Yet again, Belkar gets the best lines. 6/10 -TinSoldier
8.5/10-Alfryd
Some nice intriguing revelations, but the ending joke isn't especially funny. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#410: Allright, gettin' some dry exposition out of the way, a somewhat funny pair of jokes... Well, it is another "filler" comic. Nothing very exciting or unpredictable happens, and the jokes are thrown in(deftly) to cut the boredom. not great, not terrible-5/10-theKOT
A very nice rounding off of this sequence, with great interplay between Roy and Hinjo. 8/10-Sir_Norbert
After the emotional ups and downs of the last few strips, this one didn't hold a whole lot for me. Now that we've had Miko's much predicted fall from grace it seems like the wait for Xykon's attack is stretching out interminably. 5/10 -TinSoldier.
8/10-Alfryd

#409: Funny, plot-moving, triple length, and completely logical? That has got to be at least an 8/10-theKOT.
After the initial shock, 409 wasn't actually bad as such. 7.4?-Alfrydtheinquirer
I actually liked this one. Both Hinjo and Roy acted appropriately (unlike Roy in #408). I'm sad that Miko seems to have gone completely off the bend but the other characters handled it properly. I'm also a little disappointed that Miko didn't get to stab Belkar, even a little bit. 9/10 -TinSoldier
Heart-touching, as Miko refuses to take the offered way out and instead chooses to complete her descent. About Hinjo's character I'll only say that it's not surprising this strip won him a fan club. The drama in the second and third pages is excellent as well, with the emotional tension never flagging for a second. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#408: I found this one confusing and really disliked the "get laid, *****" joke from Roy. However, I like the battle and how the plot moves and the ending joke, so I'll give it a 6/10-theKOT
408 was... shall we say 97.3% of a 'scream'? So, calibrating for wind resistance, I'll give it a 9.2.
Actually, it was very funny. Oh, dear, poor Miko. She still won't be in possession of all the facts for ages and ages and ages. So many opportunities for things to go badly wrong.
Still, it seemed the only likely way she could avoid the likely threat of imprisonment and execution. Gah!-Alfryd
My biases are showing and I know it so take this for what it's worth. I lost respect for Roy, not for attacking Miko so much as for his uncalled-for taunts. My faith in Miko has slipped a little because I didn't think she was that far gone, especially after the wakeup call from the gods she just got. Belkar surprised me a little both by showing he actually cared a little for someone else and that he could show a little fear. 6/10 -TinSoldier
Nicely keeps up the tension after the cataclysmic moment. Roy is impossible to like here, but Belkar (of all people!) lifts things, first with his wonderful line in the second panel and then with an oddly touching moment at the end. The continuation of Miko's character arc is splendidly handled. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#407: It has some nice artwork and a significant plot advancement, but it was pretty predictable and I don't like this format where one strip has an action and the next has a reaction very much. It hurts the flow. 6/10-theKOT
Nice dramatic presentation; I had been wondering about how exactly Miko's fall could be represented visually, and it was very well done. Great last words from Shojo, too. 9/10-Sir_Norbert
Nicely handled fall of the righteous there; the art was great! It just seemed a little short, leaving me wanting more. 7/10 -TinSoldier
8.9-Alfryd

#406: I love it! Miko's descent into insanity has been so well played... ah, I really like how this whole thing played out. It is brilliantly orchestrated from the smallest detail to the largest matter. This really explains Miko's deadpan expression upon hearing the news, and I really liked the Hinjo/Shojo thing. Still.... There are two problems with this comic: Belkar shouldn't have delivered the "She wouldn't" line. It just seems out of character. Also, Miko looks really wierd in the last panel, like "poor art" wierd not "insane" wierd. However, the comic as a whole is good and it sets up some great, unpredictable stuff... 9/10-theKOT
I'm still reeling. Proof positive of the old axiom that the most emotionally involving conflicts are not those of good against evil, but good against good. Shojo is undone by his secrecy even though his plotting was done with the best of intentions, and Miko is fatally tricked by circumstances in a manner worthy of the best Greek tragedies. I had to linger over the last panel -- to use a favourite quotation, "it strikes a man more dead than a great reckoning in a little room"..... 11/10-Sir_Norbert
I concur with Sir Norbert. 10/10 -TinSoldier
6.9-Alfryd

#405: This comic's heavy dialogue seems frivolous, and then you get to the end and you realize why it all was there. Then the comic becomes awesome. I always like the Belkar/cat dynamic and there are a few humorous moments along the way while dealing with some continuity issues, but the ending just left me winded. Miko's unreadable expression, Hinjo's vexed look, and the powerful simplicity of their dialogue resonated with me. I really liked this, and I can't wait to see what its setting up. 9/10-theKOT
Truly awesome. Not just because Miko returns -- although let's face it, that would redeem even an awful strip -- but also because the stage is set for some almighty comic chaos and my mouth is watering already. 9/10-SirNorbert

#404: While it had one really funny gag, this comic dissapointed me. It is one of those wrap-up/set-up comics with little value of its own. For the most part it just isn't very interesting, and that hideously cutesy reference to Haley and Elan's realtionship is a real let down, as I thought it had been pretty well handled up to this point. 3/10-theKOT
Shojo redeems himself in the humour stakes. 8/10-SirNorbert

#403: This comic is a little scattered, but it definitely feels like realistic interaction. The jokes are funnier in the first half, but the last gag has been done before (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0209.html) and feels a little stale. Still, not a bad comic to get us between to places and keep us concious of the many ongoing issues. Feh..... 6.5/10
Predictable a mile away. 6/10-SirNorbert

#402: Loved it. The end was surprising and enjoyable, and the first half wasn't bad. 8/10-theKOT
The first half, though enjoyable, is wordy, and the second half, though heart-warming once the fraud is exposed, still feels a bit of a let-down. 7/10-SirNorbert

#401: I completely agree with this comic. Resolution? We haven't had that spirit here since 1969. Thank goodness. This was funny, well written, and well paced. The art style does a good job of conveying the sensation of walking and the fourth wall's last pebble was expertly broken. Probably because of all the practice. 8/10-theKOT
Not bad. Not bad at all. ...slightly weak toward the end. 8.4-Alfryd
Solid comic. Glad to see Roy's back in action, and I loved the first panel, as well as the title. 7.5/10-Cleverdan22
Roy makes a splendid long-awaited reentrance, and the joke in the closing panel is delightful. 8/10-SirNorbert

#400: Finally! This comic is such a relief from the looooong wait for this moment. It could have been a bit better done, but I like the fact that Haley was still so unassuming and that Elan knew EXACTLY what to do to make things right. I also found it nice that Haley acted mature for once. On the whole, this comic is all about giving the Haley and Elan romance its space. First Durkon and V leave the room, then the jokes stop(for good reason) and then the zoom out completes the effect. Overall, it was a refershing and enjoyable comic, but It doesn't feel like more than a 9/10-theKOT
Wonderful. Of course I love the fact that it's V who knows what's going on and has to explain to Durkon; as TheKOT said, Haley has really grown up here, and so we feel she's earned her happiness. A lovely way to leave things on the round number, especially since we know what's coming next...... my only reasons for denying this full marks are the predictability and the fact that I'm not wild about the extreme close-up; it would have done fine as a one-and-a-half-lengths strip. 9/10-Sir_Norbert
wasn't bad, though for this strip I was rather hoping we'd finally find out whether or not Xykon comes knocking with the OotS on sabbatical. Call me callous, but I find it hard to focus on depictions of private romantic entanglements when the fate of millions hang in the balance. On the other hand, I suppose I should have known which would likely get priority.
Eh... 7.0.-Alfryd
Great comic. I had been waiting for that for a long time, and the way Mr. Burlew made it happen was fantastic. 9/10-Cleverdan22

#399: Kind of interesting. I think we get a little more insight into V's alignment and Elan comes up with the best (although obvious) plan. Too bad that Leeky and Pompei seem to be quitting the LG because they could be quite interesting characters (not to say they won't show up again later anyway). 6/10-TinSoldier
Although this comic is mostly just an overblown explanation of a simple problem with a simple answer, I liked the conversation that occurs here. V brings up one of the problems I have with OOTS(Villains all recur) and in fact makes a very revealing speech about OOTS in general. Still, it is overblown and not a lot happens, but it is a bit better than passable. 6/10-theKOT
I quite like 399, though not especially for humour value. Personally I'd go for the soul-binding uber-magic option. Greater or lesser evil...
8.0.-Alfryd
Wordy but great fun, with some nice character moments (particularly from V) and a delicious twist with Elan bringing back his gift certificate just when we (or at least I) had forgotten all about it. The ending is also very good, wrapping things up with regard to Leeky and Pompey's mysterious disappearance from the plot, marred only by the sheer improbability of even an evil genius like Nale thinking he could depend on them. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#398 This was pretty good. I've always liked the battle banter in OOTS and this is no exception. The fight was wrapped up and we got to see the inevitable reactions by V and Durkon to Haley's recovery, so things moved along well. Now, it wasn't as hilarious as it could have been and a few plot mechanics aren't particular clever, but this is still a good comic. 6.5/10-theKOT
Nothing special. A little pity for Thog and a group hug. 5/10.-TinSoldier
A nice way to wind down after a tense fight, with Haley getting a group hug to make up for everything she's been through. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#397 Solid! This comic does a nice job of containing both Nale's and Vaarsuvius's wordiness while remain compact and moving the plot along. The jokes were good, if not hilarious, and the strip had a good feel. Mostly from V's awesomeness. 7/10-theKOT
Wonderful to see V-man back in the action, and the way he uses Nale's weakness to solve the conundrum is exquisite. Some nice dramatic suspense building up in the background, too, making this a very enjoyable strip all round. 9/10-Sir_Norbert
I laughed out loud "Thor's Duodenum" and seeing the teletubby in Elan's illusion and of course at the final punch line. Well done. 8/10-TinSoldier
I, too, approve of 397. Oh, call it a 7.5.-Alfryd

#396 In contrast, No. 396 pleased me mightily. It tickled many a rib verily. 7.9.-Alfryd
The attack on Sabine is beautiful, and Thog (as always) makes a timely entrance to stop things getting too ponderous. I get the feeling "yay! now ice cream!" is one of those lines that will be remembered for a long time. 8/10-Sir_Norbert
While the first two panels are good, I don't really find this episode funny or interesting. I suppose I'm satisfied with the way things go, but none of it was especially enjoyable to me. a 5/10-theKOT

#395 While the first few panels of this comic are good, Haley-in-crisis strips are getting a bit old. The last joke is pretty Elan, but it just feels a little out of place. This comic seems conceptually strong, but in execution it just doesn't pan out. Still, there are redeeming qualities, such as the thought-bubble gag and Elan's analysis of Haley's breakthrough. Eh, it's a 6/10.-theKOT
No-one seems to have time to notice Elan's remarkable increase in vocabulary and ability to think logically. It makes a good joke, but it does rather detract from his interest as a character. The second half, however, is OOTS back on form. 7/10 overall.-Sir_Norbert

#394 Well, it had some jokes, but(for me) no laughs. The dialogue is heavy and for the most part uninteresting. The plot moves a nanometer, the jokes are cheap, and the rhythm just seems off. After all those great strips, this was a bit of a let down. 3/10-theKOT
I'm not fond of 394, as it is (a ) not especially riotous and (b ) seems to contradict no. 385.
4.2.-Alfryd
An embarrassment. It makes too much of a twist that, while unexpected, isn't shocking and doesn't make us see things in a new light. If anything, as Alfryd said, it takes away from #385, which is one of my very top favourites. 3/10-Sir_Norbert

#393 This is truly a masterpiece. A few giggles, but for the most part it builds and then maintains a very serious tone that allows the final panels to have their full effect. The comic contains a very well written bit of ad-libbing on Nale's part, in which the Giant makes it seem plausible that Elan might actually buy it. Throw in the funny and clever way in whichThog and Sabine are removed from the room and you have my favorite performance from Nale yet. But this strip isn't about him, it's about Elan and Haley. This strip truly lets you feel Haley's pain, desperation, and frustration. It also does a good job of portraying Elan's consternation. To conclude, it leaves us with a panel in which expressions say more than words ever could. Bravo, bravo, bravissimo! 10/10-theKOT
Triple-length cryptogram goodness... it may be the final cryptogram page but it's a great way to bow out. The Elan/Nale confrontation is everything we've been waiting for over the last seven strips and the emotional payoff is incredible. The perfect end to a very long build-up. 10/10-Sir_Norbert

#392 This drags a bit, and has the distinct feeling of balooning to three panels when less was planned. However; it is funny, contains some extremely critical plot points, and showcases good artwork. Still, it's not hilarious and the drag is present, if minor. 7/10-theKOT
Action-packed, atmospheric, triple length AND full of brilliant Julio Scoundrél humour and gorgeous dramatic artwork. OOTS must have gone up a level somewhere along the line. 10/10-Sir_Norbert

#391 Ah, OOTS. You are at your best when you make unique jokes about general redundancies in media. I suggest that everyone watch this strip while listening to Strong Bad's training montage. (http://homestarrunner.com/sbemail117.html) Anyway, this solidly funny strip gets an 8/10-theKOT
Mostly filler, but it's worth it for the lovely twist at the end -- one that makes you kick yourself for being fooled. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#390 This comic is good. While it is just a dialogue strip, the jokes and plot points are perfectly balanced in such a way that keeps it from dragging at all. This prestige class is a very cool idea and I really like the degree and manner of the 4th wall breaks. I can't find much wrong with this one, but it lacks importance and/or degree of hilarity to be a ten 9/10-theKOT
Wow. Not just a rules joke when you least expected it, but one that advances the plot too. And it's great to see Elan finally getting the character development that's going to make him a worthy love interest for our favourite rogue. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#389 Good show. I really enjoyed the dialogue, and the jokes were spot on and the fourth wall was broken at the perfect time. There were problems however, as Elan seemed slightly out-of-character and there was little progression. Still, the comic is paced well and that last panel is a doozy. 7/10-theKOT
Pretty good. At first I thought it was going to be another video game joke that I didn't get, but that was just the character style. Captain Julio Scoundrel seems pretty cool, but I thought the Valentino joke was forced. Elan had the best lines, though--30 ft. movement and his mom's secret drawer had me laughing. The final panel joke was okay. Well, giant wooden alpacas are funny and I don't care who you are! 7/10 -TinSoldier
The recent strips are just getting better and better. Julio Scoundrél is a brilliant character, and Elan's sudden flair for thinking up ridiculously complicated plots (it obviously runs in the family!) leaves us with a lot to speculate about. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#388 While heavy on "you have to get the references for this to be funny" jokes that I didn't get, I found this strip to be very enjoyable. Reference-heavy parts aside, this strip does a lot in few panels. It's funny, the plot jumps ahead while remaining coherent, Elan is adorable, and the artwork is top-notch (I loved the glare effect). 9/10-theKOT
More good stuff from Elan, who's finally getting a chance to show what he's capable of now he's on his own. The appearance of the Final Fantasy characters in the second half was a lovely twist and completely unexpected. 8/10-Sir_Norbert


#387 What fun! Sure, this comic probably didn't need to be triple-length, but a lot of the humor is in the dialogue and it turned out great. The rythm of this strip is wonderful; Thog and Elan really play off of each other well. That said, it was a bit predictable, a tad drawn out, and it really stretches the limit of believability. Still, one of the funniest strips in a while warranting an 8/10-theKOT
Solid, enjoyable and LONG. Includes some great comic touches, from the Spice Girls to the trail of breadcrumbs to the "Vaporizing Flu", and you have to love Elan's ingenuity. 9/10-Sir_Norbert
This was pretty good even though I think that Elan was able to convince Thog a bit too easily. Brevity of the medium, I guess. Still the Hulk jokes were good. So were the "vaporizing flu" and "prison changed thog" jokes. 7/10 -TinSoldier


#386 While this comic certainly is very funny, not a lot happens. I would have liked to have seen a bit of movement on either the character or plot front, but this is pretty much a "setting up the board" comic, where not much really happens. The pieces are in place though, and as far as a set-up comic goes, this one is pretty good. 6.5/10-theKOT
It's nice to see Elan this angry; that's a bit of character development without even needing a word beyond the utterance of his brother's name. Linked consummations of Nale's plan (almost), Sabine's jealous rage (almost) and Elan's heroic rescue of the woman for whom he cares deeply and may just have realised he loves are nice to see. I hope and have some faith that Rich will be able to bring us out of this convergence in a manner which neither cheats us of back-story nor gets too tangled up. We'll see :)
Nice to see Nale's "what the...?!" facial expression too, up until Thog at which point it becomes more one of exasperation (and perhaps realisation that perhaps his brother isn't as worthless as everyone seems to think)
I give this one a 7.5 out of 10; it would have been 8.5 but I've deducted a point because the door is totally bollixed. The hinges shift between the hallway view and the room view, in addition to which in the room view the hallway appears to end abruptly some inches to the left of the door - right about where room 11 should be. It's quite obviously meant to be the same door; nobody puts room numbers on a door within the numbered unit, only out front. Still, fabulous plot convergence and great writing, even if the artistic execution was a little sloppy.-fangthane
A quiet build-up, but what a marvellous punchline! Thog in a leprechaun costume... Nale's deadpan summary of the situation is laugh-out-loud hilarious, and watching the expressions on everyone's faces is priceless. 9/10-Sir_Norbert
This was a very good comic. I loved the ending and I can't wait for the explanation of Elan and Thog's escape. And why Thog is wearing a leprechaun outfit. And the confrontation between Nale and Sabine and Thog and Elan. I still hear Elan saying, from Back to the Future, "Hey you! Get your damn hands off her!" in George McFly fashion. 8/10 -TinSoldier

#385 Utterly fantastic. Hilarious all the way through, builds up to a great cliffhanger, and contains some wonderful surprises..... the jump from Sabine getting drunk to looking across and seeing who she was talking too nearly made me fall out of my seat. OOTS has never been better. 10/10-Sir_Norbert
I loved this one. The jokes roll well(even the cliched traffic one), the characters and the plot move, and the art(see the effect on the window in panel 3) is the icing on the cake. Follow it up with one of the best end jokes in OOTS history, and you have a 9/10.-theKOT

#384 A nice touch that this seems to be the same restaurant Roy and Celia went to.... and I loved watching Nale's reaction to the cryptogram. The ending manages to be touching and bursting with tension at the same time. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#383 Elan's monologue feels a bit out of place -- its main function is to get certain reader concerns out of the way, but this only serves to deflate the suspense. Belkar's entrance lifts things, and the closing joke is splendid. 7/10 overall.-Sir_Norbert

#382: A very good effort from the Giant here. It was nice to see Haley coming along as a character and I enjoyed the jokes. A bit heavy on the dialogue at times, but this is an effective way of showing the conflict inside Haley. 8/10-theKOT
A wonderful comic, both for the insight into Haley's character and for the humour in the interplay between the different aspects. And Haley herself is marvellous, showing all the quality that makes us love her, even if this time she does get things drastically wrong. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

Still a work in progress. I'm constantly adding new ratings. Also, feel free to reply to comments or ratings them.

[theKOT]

This post contains ratings for comics 201-381.


#381 Very nice. The Monologue, while very Nale-ish, was funny and interesting and well done. The pace is pretty much perfect throughout, with enough jokes to keep you gripped while still revealing enough plot and character info to be worthwhile. The last panel was priceless and this built a lot of tension, 9/10-theKOT
Some lovely dramatic irony and tension, and one of the funniest closing panels we've had in a while. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#380 Fabulous. It made me smile, the whole while advancing the plot and developing the characters a ton. It wasn't entirely unforseen, but it was still fun to see the twist at the end. This really leaves you feeling satisfied with the comic, but craving more. Additionally, the use of cutaways for pacing was very well done. 8/10-theKOT
Now things get interesting, in many different ways. Not much to this one beyond the way it keeps us guessing about what on earth (or in the Lower Planes!) is going to happen next, but that's enough for a solid 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#379 Funny, in a strange way. I guess it just struck me as kind of odd that shojo had no problem using a skeleton as a puppet, and that it didn't really bug Roy. Additionally, I didn't feel that this comic was very plot-essential, although I did like it that Roy finally told the truth. 6/10-theKOT
Biting sarcasm for the win! I really like this one. Shojo is giving Roy a well-deserved reaming and it makes me laugh. "Teleport!" "Gah!" Priceless. The final panel joke wasn't quite as good as the rest of the strip but still decent. 8/10 -TinSoldier
I would just like to say I was extremely fond of 379. 9.2.-Alfryd
Not much value in the first couple of frames other than to confirm what had already been implied in the final frame of the last comic, other than Belkar playing with Mr. Scruffy, which will probably spawn a whole new series of "if he loves cats he CAN'T be evil" - to which I'd answer, he would probably love cats in a sweet-and-sour glaze too. I'm impressed that in the frame after Roy's kick, Belkar holds his right arm against his chest/side where he was hit - nice attention to the little things. I note (as others have not) that Shojo started off merely by indicating that an additional side-trip would not be happening, and only got particularly incisive when Roy got uppity about being ordered around - neglecting of course that in this situation, it's justified. Just as before, and just as the paladins consistently do, Roy forgot that Shojo's a heck of a lot sharper than he lets on. And considering that Roy's personal business in Cliffport has now cost him dearly, there's nothing wrong with a chaotic or even neutral good character calling him to account for it. Shojo's civic government probably has decent coin, to be sure, but 10k and a level lost is harsh enough, unless they have the resources to spend 25k gold instead - which of course is even more financially annoying, though it preserves the wizard's casting ability. If I were Shojo I'd be telling them in no uncertain terms that if it weren't for the fate of the world, they could walk. Oh, and I think Rich needs to release a shirt with Shojo throwing the corpse at Roy and saying "Teleport!!" I could be wrong but I get the sense there're plenty of other sickos like me who'd love that. Weak ending joke but a strong overall performance from all concerned for the most part. I give this one an 8.5/10-fangthane
This last one (379) was hilarious with shojo and the skeleton! :) 8.15/10-TharjTreesmiter
Quite funny, and I like the way it gives more depth to Shojo's character after he's been absent from the strip for so long. Roy once again gets what he deserves... just a pity that this time Belkar doesn't. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#378 Solid. The jokes worked for me and the plot moved. I loved how simply the Giant got the fact that Haley has a "thing" for Elan across to Nale, and the possibilities it sets up. The end joke was right on and the sudden punch line scene shift was a very efficient yet unannoying way of setting up further comics. 9/10-theKOT
I like seeing the reactive side of Nale - here, he's proving that while he shares with Bond villains, he's not as one-dimensional (insert gratuitous pun here) as some of them tend to be. Having been presented with an opportunity which exceeds his expectations, he's rolling with things and has the sort of analytical intellect to understand the basics - what he knows, what he needs to know, and what he can extrapolate about other people's motives and desires. And it turns out he's fairly accurate. He's obviously more than a little bemused by the ease with which the OotS accepts him because, having dealt with the untrustworthy so long he's unaccustomed to receiving unquestioning trust. I'd say this strip effectively establishes that he's a far more dangerous adversary, in his way, than Xykon. It also establishes that Nale's not a lot more perceptive than the OotS in that he's just now realised Haley has the hots for his brother, and primes things for subsequent action in that regard. This one wasn't really funny as such, but sets up an awful lot of Nale's future machinations, and really establishes him as a thoughtful villain - and I like that. It probably could have been "funnied up" at the cost of increasing its length, but I like the dramatic elements as much as the comedic, so I'm ok with the occasional 'serious' strip, and this fits. I give it a 7.5/10-fangthane
Solid but nothing really stands out. Final panel joke is good. 6/10 -TinSoldier
Tantalising stuff. Nale has the perfect combination of cunning and ineptitude to make it agonising to watch how much plain luck he gets. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#377 Good artwork. I also loved the Belkar part at the end. That's where the good ends however. The plot and character progression is almost nonexistant and the comic on a whole feels a bit too scattered for me. 4/10-theKOT
This is a solid beginning for the next story arc. I loved seeing Sabine as a Geisha; Nale seems to be playing the part of Elan much better than I would have expected ("Don't let the bedbugs bite!"). And then the little cloak-and-monkey (er, dagger) thing between Nale and Sabine gave me a chuckle. The Roc and Pimp my halfling was pretty funny... 7/10 -TinSoldier
Nice bit of indirect exposition in panel 6; obviously "Elan" has been subtle enough to get at least a partial description of the upcoming plan without tipping his own hand. Based on the way he greeted Sabine after their little Flintstonian code-phrase exchange, it's a fairly safe bet he's looking forward to setting his own new plans in action (plans presumably laid once he had a better notion of the OotS' actual intent) through Sabine as intermediary; though Belkar's presence may interfere there and limit his options. Especially if Belkar's looking to transact some bid'ness. Some good jokes and I thought the pimp hat was nifty, but really Belkar should have got himself some 3-inch treads for the bottom of his stilts. A pimp hat is one thing, but a pimp hat and elevators... Priceless. I suppose in a sense, though, he's already got that going on. ;) This comic takes a one-point hit on its rating because it cements the failure to explain why, if the OotS was planning to arrive in Azure City, Belkar wasn't in disguise to begin with. As such, I rate it a 6/10. Very good, some good jokes and some decent plot movement, but a one-point deduction because Rich knew the OotS wouldn't arrive directly in AC - they (especially Roy and Belkar) didn't.-fangthane
Fits in some essential plot exposition, leaves out the humour. Especially given how fast the plot is moving in the strips around this one, when I have the book this is one I will just skip past. 4/10-Sir_Norbert

#376 Good end-joke and a decent degree of plot progression, but the dialogue dragged a bit too me and the jokes throughout the strip were a bit weak. 7/10-theKOT
This was a very good comic. Xykon and Redcloak are the two funniest characters in the strip when they can play off of each other. The "Won't some of the hobgoblins die?" "You should have seen the look on your skull..." was the funniest moment, definitely one of the high humor points in the entire strip. The rest of it helped wrap up the story arc neatly, whether The Giant reads the forums or not. 7/10 -TinSoldier.
Hilarious stuff from our favourite villains, and the plot is getting ever more tense. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#375 The jokes were alright and the plot moved enough. Wasn't very interesting, but necessary enough. 6/10-theKOT
Again, difficult to rate this comic. It shows the ambiguity of whether MitD is very evil or very competent. For those of us who own On the Origins of PCs, the letter from the new High Priest of Thor raised more questions than it answered. Miko had some pretty funny lines, yet it still showed her dedication to the greater cause of good. Maybe the line by the roaches about whether littering was against the paladin code was a poke at forum readers, maybe not. The paper-cut bit was a little funny. 6/10 -TinSoldier
Nice plot twist! Alas, poor Durkon... though it's true we already knew he won't return to the dwarven homelands until his death, it's still ironic to see how close he came. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#374 Well, that was kind of lame. The "game" thing feels like the Giant backed himself into a storytelling corner and couldn't think of a good way out of it. The jokes were alright, but this comic lacked inspiration. 5/10-theKOT
I have a hard time rating this one; like many individual strips it is necessary to the plot and there is nothing bad about it. The humor didn't work for me that well but it is necessary to the plot. 5/10 -TinSoldier
I rather liked 374, if only by virtue of novelty value. I'd give it an even 7. 375 I must ponder.
6.5. Relatively harmless, and Miko has begun to exhibit the rudiments of a sense of humour. Very good.-Alfryd
For once, a Monster in the Darkness strip that raises new questions and intrigues us even more. I'll peg it down to 7/10 because I don't like seeing Miko in pain.-Sir_Norbert

#373 Very nice. While the whole thing wasn't exactly hilarious, there where enough jokes to keep it rolling. Meanwhile, it was a nice little "MacGyver" moment there, and the end was a very funny yet ominous cliffhanger. Bravo-7/10-theKOT
Anyways. I would just like to say I greatly enjoyed 373, for the obvious reasons. It was longx2, there was substantial plot, there was char dev, there were snarky demon roaches, there was Miko kicking ass, there was the MitD, and a pop culture reference or three. I am duly appeased.
8.6.-Alfryd
A nice surprise, and Miko is showing why we (or at least I) love her so much. I did wonder what she was going to do with the brandy, and the result was very funny. 8/10-Sir_Norbert
This was an awesome comic! Every couple of panels I found the lines making me laugh. The Pokemon joke was clever and unexpected. The "Show me on the doll where she touched you" line was sooo wrong and still very funny. And the MitD at the end... I'm still not sure whether he is being ominous or friendly. I'm thinking a little of both. 8/10 -TinSoldier

#372 This comic has nothing strong in it. The dialogue is tedious(however necessary it may be), the plot moves an inch and the jokes are yawnfests. I gotta say, I've come to expect more. 3/10-theKOT
I have a hard time rating this one low, but there was nothing that stood out in it. Even Redcloak's dialog was less snarky than usual. The character and plot development was okay. 4/10 -TinSoldier
I liked this one. Sure, it's wordy, but the character interaction is excellent and Redcloak is on top form. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#371 Well, it was plotterific, but the mode of exposition was pretty cut and dry. The joke was alright but overall the comic dragged a bit, and wasn't very efficient in its exposition. While it raised some good questions, I still give it a 5/10.-theKOT
Once again I'm conflicted by the characters in a webcomic! I liked Miko and Redcloak's back and forth, and Redcloaks line "Proof once more that you paladins have zero ranks in the Knowledge (What the Hell You're Talking About) skill." shows once again that he gets the best lines in the whole comic. Miko's readiness to blame the OotS for Xykon not being destroyed seems a little wrong to me. I mean she isn't that dumb... The Star Wars references were pretty good. I don't want to see Miko go this route, but it's the Giant's story. 8/10.-TinSoldier
This brings back memories... I did a great parody of that speech in a pantomime I wrote at college. Xykon's version isn't especially hilarious, but it's the absurdity of Star Wars juxtaposed with OotS that makes this a great comic. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#370
Good comic. Quick, cheap exposition done in an amusing manner. Nothing particularly spectular, but the end joke made me smile. 7/10-theKOT
This set of strips really is excellent. Nothing really stands out to me in this one (except Miko being thwarted) but all the lines are great and we get to see Xykon in action. 7/10.-TinSoldier
Xykon wipes the floor with the lowly NPCs as always. And his "Raise Dead" joke is so bad that it's good. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#369 Loved the throwawy joke, and I'm always up for a good battle scene. This introduced some new plot points("Crimson Mantle?") and is strong and fast-paced throughout. 8/10.-theKOT
Redcloak's cynical humor always gets me -- "That's not the 'Redcloak dresses in drag' plan, right?". The connection of the Crimson Mantle and the Sapphire Guard was some foreshadowy goodness (see Comic #300. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/../comics/oots0300.html)) and the end with Xykon betting against Redcloak. I loved it! 9/10.-TinSoldier
Miko in action! I love it! And the ending is absolutely hilarious.... again proving why Xykon is the most hilariously ridiculous villain of them all. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#368 Delightful. It was a nice way to tell a lot of things that had bee happening during the slightly overextended LG plot, along with a really good series of jokes. I really enjoyed this one. 8/10.-theKOT
Beautiful. Keeps us guessing right from the start, with so many new plothooks and loose ends (Miko has Durkon's reply!) ... and I hardly need to add that Xykon's appearance is a wonderful moment of suspense. Great title too. .... I have no choice. For the first time, I am giving 10/10 to two comics in a row.-Sir_Norbert
Must... remain... objective! Miko, once again proving that good does not have to be cheerful. Food supplies down to tiny packets of soy sauce! (At least they weren't packets of Taco Bell hot sauce!) Disguising as travelling encyclopedia salesment, priceless! And, of course, the big reveal at the end. 9/10.-TinSoldier

#367 Very well done. Wow, the pacing was brilliant and the character development(revealorment?) helped to make up for the lack of plot motion. The jokes were good, but the real strength of this comic is how it shows a side of Elan some had guessed at but none knew for sure. The zoom out, the pauses, and everything just made this a very touching and wonderful OOTS moment. 10/10-theKOT
A lot of dialog! But mostly funny dialog and touching at the end. As usual, Thog gets the best lines. 7/10.-TinSoldier
I felt genuinely moved by Elan for the first time in the series, and Thog has his greatest moment. This comic is perfection from start to finish. 10/10-Sir_Norbert

#366 That was pretty good even though nothing really stood out. I hope they don't have a teleport wreck because the wizard is drunk! A bit heavy on the dialog which didn't really move the story along much. 5/10.-TinSoldier
Only moderately funny, but the way it leaves us in suspense with a new plot twist we should have seen coming but didn't is brilliant. A breath of fresh air after the too-predictable last few. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#365 Seems not quite everything is going to plan. Nice and amusing. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#364 Heart-warming, as well as nicely closing another chapter of speculation. The last panel raised a good chuckle. 8/10-Sir_Norbert
You've got humor and drama all mixed together and the punchline was great! 9/10.-TinSoldier

#363 Wraps things up well, and I like the way Rich plays on our predictions (e.g. the Rookie taking charge). Still, I feel we've spent too much time here now. 6/10-Sir_Norbert
good plot development yet not particularly funny. I can't wait to see more, though! 6/10.-TinSoldier

#362: A good plot comic. It was handled well and wasn't totally predictable. I liked Haley pushing Roy(I get sick of his listening disability), the speed of the plotline, the emotion evoked(poor Elan!), and the jokes. 7/10-theKOT
Improves on the last with some delicious character moments. Thog is fun. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#361: Well, it was alright. Incredibly predictable and unfunny, but it moved the plot along well. Also, it raises a decent amount of tension over the upcoming strips, so that's a plus, but it still wasn't that enjoyable. 4/10-theKOT
Ooh, dramatic. I too wish I hadn't read so many spoilers, but it's still a nice moment. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#360: The gag's were solid here, we got affirmation on the "Julia is an attention-whore" idea, and the end left me reeling. It was really unexpected and was well timed. Just when I was getting worried the fight might drag on too long-Bam! I felt like I was reading a second Nale stabs Elan (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/../comics/oots0056.html) comic. A very solid 9/10-theKOT
Great comic and unexpected ending. I loved the jokes in the first five panels; after that, not so much until the surprise ending. Lemme guess... Chief was one day from retirement ::). 8/10-TinSoldier
This was looking like being the usual good stuff, mild chuckles and neat plot advancement, and then.... ouch, that hurt. I love the fact that this strip isn't afraid to kill off characters just as we were getting to like them. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#359: This comic, while not particularly hilarious, showed a good conclusion to the Leeky fight and finally had a good OOTS fight scene. I enjoyed it. 8/10-theKOT
I'm obviously not the right person for superhero jokes. 5/10-Sir_Norbert
I got a kick out of the panel with the superheroes. I didn't really get the last four panels though. What, shield-bash? Roy's Cleavage (giggle), and Belkar's comment to Haley was good. Why does Leeky give up so easily? 6/10.-TinSoldier

#358: Well, as much as I typically love Belkar humor, this one wasn't quite there for me. The strip was important, but not really interesting. 4/10-theKOT
I think this one went a bit too far, and I couldn't really enjoy it. 4/10-Sir_Norbert
Moving right along... exposition... getting ready for the next strip... Last panel -- I expected Yokyok might die (I had hoped not) but the unexpected gag (literally) made me chuckle. 6/10-TinSoldier

#357: Nicely done. I enjoyed the mode of exposition here, and the joke. But most importantly.... This comic made a vague reference to Miko! All my wishes and dreams are now fufilled! Ok, not really, but it was nice to see her mentioned. What fourth wall? 7/10-theKOT
This comic was okay. Nothing in particular stands out except for Belkar using the tried and true tavern to hire adventurers. It would have been better had he gone into the tavern and become the "mysterious dark stranger" to hire adventurers, but he was pressed for time and the strip is pressed for number of panels.Rating: 5/10.-TinSoldier
It's a long time since the last one that was as funny as this. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#356: I love the twist at the end! I could kinda see it coming but not exactly in the way it came. Roy pulling Pompey by the hair? Priceless. 7/10-TinSoldier
Well, it was ok. I liked it a little bit, but in itself it really didn't have much. Moves along nicely. 6/10-theKOT
Worth a chuckle, but nothing spectacular. A good, solid 6/10. Pompey cracks me up though--he's such a flunky (yessir, shutting up!)-Kriklaf
Roy's stupidity reaches the point where you just want to scream at him. Now what's going to happen? 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#355: Good stuff! I liked the progression, Roy's reaction, and the attention to detail in Roy throwing the scrunchy. The joke was solid, too. 7/10-theKOT
I love it. Roy really has grown up a lot in the last few threads, and I enjoy watching him kick ass. 8/10-Kriklaf
This one was okay. I liked the "Giant Dwarf" comment. I knew once Sabine was trying to seduce Roy that it wouldn't work. The artwork is very good as usual. I see this strip as just moving along the story. 6/10.-TinSoldier
Excellent jokes, excellent character interaction, excellent pacing. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#354: I'm somewhat undecided on this one. On the one hand, I found it fun and liked the joke, but on the other hand it was really, REALLY predictable. Almost exactly what I, and many others thought was going to happen. I think ol' tinny has got it on this one-6/10-theKOT
Solid update. I loved the Centipede reference. 6/10.-Ol' tinny(aka TinSoldier)
We knew Thor's Might was going to happen, but I certainly didn't expect Centipede! That brought back memories. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#353: Well Done! I love seeing Durkon in action. Don't mess with a dwarf on a mission! This scenario is well played, and depending on what happens might turn into the best-written part of OOTS so far. 8/10-theKOT
I liked Thor and the planetar, and Thor's short attention span. Durkon's speech to Julia was okay; but I liked his interaction with Leeky. As much as I like Leeky, I really liked seeing him get Whunked! by Durkon's hammer. And of course the last panel was priceless! 8/10.-TinSoldier
Durkon's potential for being a great character should never be underestimated. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#352: I loved the pacing. Durkon's spell wouldn't have had it's full effect if we hadn't been left in suspense for a while. I didn't find any of this funny, but it was enjoyable. Bravo. 9/10.-theKOT
I didn't really like the "boobs" and "ta-tas" joke but I'm not too crazy about Julia's attitude anyway. I loved the large panel with the lightning, Durkon's white eyes and counting, Leeky (how can you not love him?), V's smile and covering his ears for the earth-shattering BOOM! at the end. 7/10.-TinSoldier
This was so sweet. Just when we'd been wondering what Durkon was up to, as well. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#351: 4/10(I really liked Belkar's joke, but it wasn't enough to carry this comic to a good rating)-theKOT
Ah, the moment we've been waiting for. Nicely done too. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#350: VERY nice. I thoroughly enjoyed this strip; clever jokes, good timing, and a tiny bit of insight into pompeii. 8/10.-theKOT
I felt this one was just a bit too wild. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#349: Blech. Boring. Really, what point did most of this have? 4/10.-theKOT
Adds some depth to a previously underdeveloped character. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#348: Yokyok is a real treat after all the speculation about what Belkar's opposite would be like. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#347: Builds up to one of the funniest wordless punchlines in the series. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#346: Meh. I feel we've had enough of the flumphs by now. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#345: The really funny thing is that it almost worked. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#344: Good stuff. Enjoyable, funny shot at big-mouths, and I liked the "Led you dogs to urinate on them" part. 7/10.-theKOT
Leeky is an interesting new addition to the cast, and Durkon's last line is wonderful. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#343: Feh. Not really funny, and no important action. Yawn, 3/10.-theKOT
Gets the fight off to a good start. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#342: Charming. I like the idea of Nale disguising his lackeys as hostages, and the "faux-punk whore" line was good. 7/10.-theKOT
We all knew Roy would live to regret thinking himself so much smarter than Julia, but it's still great fun to watch it happen. 8/10-Sir_Norbert


#341 Trust Thog to completely deflate the mounting suspense. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#340 Gets us ready for the showdown, but doesn't do much else. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#339 And now for something completely different... the Chief is a great new character, and the artwork joke is delicious. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#338 Roy's naivety is the best part of this one for me. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#337 One of the few that's just as funny no matter how often you go back to it. 10/10-Sir_Norbert
Chuckle-worthy, with a decent degree of storyline advancement. It's the details of this comic that make it work. For instance, the pauses in Nale's speech are well handled and timed. Even the note from Roy's whistling is colored. Such attention to detail is always fun for the readers. 8/10

#336 I really think Elan's player is overacting the part in this one. But Nale's appearance is a lovely moment. 6/10 overall-Sir_Norbert
I like the Elan humor, but it isn't hilarious, and the plot moves a bit, but not enough for me. I guess Nale's appearance was niether shocking nor enthralling to me. 5/10-theKOT

#335: That is a lot of exposition for a side-plot. But what should I expect from V? Still, the only things I really liked about this one were the two jokes, and they aren't great. 4/10-theKOT
V-man at his/her best. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#334: A very good joke comic. One of the few ones that still makes me laugh after repeated readings. 7.5/10-theKOT
Belkar tries his best, but he'll never be the funniest character in OotS when V's around. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#333: Kinda nice, but it doesn't provoke emotion in me like I think the Giant was attempting. Character develpoment and the posthumously joke are pretty much all that is there. Just down the middle, 5/10-theKOT
A wonderful character moment; touching and funny at the same time. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#332: Not particularly funny(although I liked Elan's joke) but decently plot advancing. 6/10-theKOT
Needed to round off the Oracle subplot, but just too predictable. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#331: I liked this. Funny, informative and intriguing all at the same time. 10 outta 10.-theKOT
Done just right, with each character asking the question in their own individual way... and the answers have really kept us guessing! 10/10-Sir_Norbert

#330: While lacking plot advancement, this strip throws around good ol' 4th wall demoliting humor and keeps up a snappy rythm, clearing away a lot of small issues(e.g. how will Haley ask her question). 8/10
It's probably funnier if you know beforehand what "take 10" means, but 7/10 anyway.-Sir_Norbert

#329: 7 outta ten.-theKOT
What can I say? The Oracle is a great new character, and very funny. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#328: It made me smile and the test is cleared nice and quickly, so you don't really have time to get bored with the it. This is well done; the Giant did a good job with what he had here. 7/10.-theKOT
I think the build-up to the punchline was a bit overdone on this one, but it was a nice twist. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#327: Decent character interaction, but the jokes aren't really funny and the test is boring. Belkar saying, "That's awesome!" at something violent can only carry a comic so many times. 4/10-theKOT
We've all come across this set-up before, but it was nice to see it being given a new twist. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#326: Kinda anticlimactic, but that is the trend with these tests. Nothing spectacular, but it is smile-worthy.
5/10-theKOT
The first half was just dull after so many people had predicted it, but the Goblin Dan twist was wonderful. 8/10 overall.-Sir_Norbert

#325: The jokes are pretty funny in this one, but not hilarious. Still, this is a solid comic, and it does advance the plot some. 6/10-theKOT
Mildly funny but not one of the best. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#324: Good. This joke(side-effects) has been done before, but this is a nice touch. 7/10-theKOT
Bizarre, but it got funny towards the end. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#323: Decent. Does a good job of explaining the motivations of the Belkar/V conflict, and is rather funny. 7/10-theKOT
Adds nothing to the story. 4/10-Sir_Norbert

#322: It's ok. I like the tootsie pop joke, but the rest is really just a rehash of a much funnier 8bit. 5/10-theKOT
V-man raises a slight chuckle, but that's about it. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#321: Nice. This comic is obviously just setting the reader up for the upcoming series of events, but the gag is pretty good and the character interaction is well done. 7/10-theKOT
Ah, back to the good old standard of meta-game jokes. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#320: Pretty good. I liked the Roy/Celia thing in this one, first time since before the date. 7 of ten.-theKOT
Good character interaction, and the closing joke is a good one. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#319: Wraps up the Haley storyline nicely. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#318: More great character stuff (I loved Durkon's snicker), and the finish was an excellent pay-off. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#317: Ah, V's Explosive Runes are always a delight, especially with Belkar as victim. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#316: Nice change of format to bring all the characters together, rounding off the preceding strips. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#315: Awwwwwwwwww. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#314: This doesn't move on very far from the last Haley/Elan strip, but it has some good lines. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#313: The completely wordless strip is a nice idea that could only be pulled off once. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#312: Belkar being Belkar, and a hilariously unexpected twist at the end. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#311: Haley is another of my favourite characters. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#310: Roy makes silly rules-related banter and for some reason Celia enjoys it. I suppose it's worth 8/10 for the sweetness.-Sir_Norbert

#309: A good few unexpected bonuses when you work out the cryptograms. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#308: I suppose it wasn't wholly unexpected, but seeing Roy and Celia get together was very nice. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#307: Hmm.... looking at it again, I suddenly notice Roy doesn't push Haley forwards. I'm not sure how that affects my view of this one. Let's say 7/10 for now.-Sir_Norbert

#306: Deliciously bizarre. I suppose it's even funnier for regular players of the game (I've never had occasion to play a magic-user) but I'll give it 9/10.-Sir_Norbert

#305: Now this was one punchline I didn't see coming. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#304: The expression on the girl's face is priceless. So is Belkar's reaction. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#303: Pretty funny, but nothing special. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#302: Elan at his best, and Hinjo's obliviousness just makes it funnier. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#301: Absolutely unique and wonderful. 10/10-Sir_Norbert

#300: A very nice climax to the "Paladin Blues" stage of the plot, setting up some major suspense. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#299: Another good Creature in the Darkness strip, but not outstanding. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#298: Holds the separate plot threads together nicely, with a lovely anticlimax to stop the suspense getting too unbearable. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#297: A nice conclusion to the "starmetal" subplot; not especially funny, but enjoyable. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#296: Elan works things out even before the reader. More good character stuff. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#295: Heh. A good laugh at Belkar's expense. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#294: Moves the plot on. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#293: Roy is wonderful, but it's Haley who really makes this one, even without saying a word. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#292: Family's always embarrassing, isn't it? 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#291: Some nice chuckles but no real laughs. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#290: This one was really unexpected. As my friend Amaya would say... "plothook!" 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#289: Meat Loaf Day indeed. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#288: Things start to get interesting. And Haley's growing exasperation as the strip progresses is delicious. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#287: Some good, much-needed winding down after the trial sequence. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#286: Nice to see Belkar being taken down a peg. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#285: An excellent finish to the Miko plot (or should I say the first Miko plot? We can but hope....) and Elan provides a hilarious punchline. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#284: Now, see that? THAT'S a climax! 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#283: Elan's naivety is strangely touching for once, and the punchline is a lovely piece of meta-comic nonsense. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#282: Wordy but deep. This was the one that really got me interested in OotS and made me go back and read from the beginning. 10/10-Sir_Norbert

#281: One of the better strips of the Miko/Belkar sequence, but it still seems like a light diversion. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#280: Idiotic rhyming and a large boot; what more could you want? 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#279: Space-filler. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#278: Anyone who's ever been frustrated by the rules will love this one. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#277: The backstory is finished at last. By now it's getting a bit tiresome. 4/10-Sir_Norbert

#276: Yay for pretty elf chicks. And Baron Pineapple. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#275: Now there's a thought-provoking creation myth. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#274: Keeps the (back)story moving. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#273: An interesting (and amusing) new way of looking at the mythological pantheons. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#272: Celia is wonderful, and Elan is just Elan. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#271: Banjo returns -- at least it's only for one panel. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#270: Hilarious and quotable. Belkar's finest moment. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#269: Having Celia back in the story makes me happy. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#268: Only mildly amusing, but it finishes with a lovely surprise. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#267: Just when you think things couldn't get any worse, your lives depend on the whims of a housecat. 8/10 for the pure joy of watching Roy's reaction.-Sir_Norbert

#266: Unfortunately I wasn't around for all the Lord Shojo speculation on the forums, but it's still funny. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#265: And so it begins. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#264: Another one that shows why we love Durkon. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#263: Not really any laughs, but a nice cliffhanger. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#262: Unforgettable. 10/10-Sir_Norbert

#261: Oh dear. You have to watch out for that halfling. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#260: Does the job of summarising the story, with a nice meta-comic joke at the close. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#259: Mildly funny, but I prefer real characters. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#258: The villains are ridiculous as always, and the Celine Dion joke is delicious. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#257: A classic Julia moment, but most of the strip felt a bit wasted. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#256: Some nice dramatic irony, and Thog is everything we've come to expect from him. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#255: Head-in-hands preposterous. Which is a good thing. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#254: Mildly amusing. I'll bump it up to 7/10 for the sheer silliness of the single ear joke.-Sir_Norbert

#253: It had to be done. And Nale's explanation of "tagonists" is a piece of pure genius. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#252: Always good to see characters being developed in an unexpected, but completely consistent, way. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#251 Pretty much exactly what everyone's been wanting to say for the last fifty strips, except that we couldn't have put it nearly as well as Roy. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#250 Wraps up one subplot nicely, and finishes with a delicious turnaround. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#249 Oh dear. But you can't say he didn't ask for it. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#248 Roy really puts his foot in it. Embarrassing but funny. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#247 The cryptograms begin. I know other people hate them, but I think it's been an interesting as well as original way to develop the character. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#246 Some wonderful character moments from everyone -- the silent ones being just as eloquent. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#245 Perhaps the first strip that made me realise OotS could be moving as well as funny. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#244 Belkar at his most excruciating. To be honest, I don't really enjoy this. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#243 I really like the way the fire is drawn, with the characters' colours being subtly changed. Oh, and the punchline is gorgeous. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#242 Hmm. The tension is kind of spoiled by being able to see the explosion before the panels that precede it chronologically, and I don't get the punchline. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#241 And Roy doesn't just jump across and put the fuse out. Great cliffhanger. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#240 The action sequences are great fun and don't really need to be funny. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#239 Cue some lovely dramatic lighting. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#238 Even Elan has his moments. The ridiculous rhyming makes this one even more enjoyable. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#237 Mounting tension and great character interaction, especially from Roy and V. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#236 Haley at her least lovable, but Roy is very funny. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#235 The sheer ludicrousness of the situation added to Roy's discomfort makes for some great fun. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#234 You know he's going to, but it's delicious to watch him try to fight it. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#233 One thing we really weren't expecting. Not a great strip, but the last panel, with both their expressions, is priceless. 8/10 overall.-Sir_Norbert

#232 The first two panels are very well done; the rest is enjoyable but only mildly funny. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#231 Elan's intelligence varies at the speed of plot. I loved the second panel, as well. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#230 Belkar's antics are always good fun. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#229 Unexpected and hilarious. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#228 The incongruity of legal reasoning in a D&D world is a wonderful piece of nonsense. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#227 Very funny, and seeing the assassin through the window is a nice touch. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#226 One of the all-time classics. 10/10-Sir_Norbert

#225 Haley does what she's best at, and the dramatic irony in the last panel is, well, dramatic. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#224 Good stuff; no real surprises. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#223 Very deep, and finishes with a real stunner. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#222 Oh dear, you shouldn't laugh but you can't help it. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#221 V-man is on top form, and the last line is particularly enjoyable. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#220 So funny. So quotable. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#219 More fun and silliness. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#218 By now I'm feeling a bit overdosed on the rules jokes. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#217 Some great Elan moments; I particularly like the song. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#216 Yes, you could see it coming, but it's still a victory worth savouring. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#215 A gorgeous twist and one of the best closing lines in the series. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#214 Prepares the way for the next, doesn't do much more. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#213 Some good character interaction, quite funny. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#212 Roy doesn't come out of this one looking too good, and much as I like him, his faults make him more interesting. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#211 This definitely raised a few chuckles. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#210 An interesting look at things from the other side. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#209 Nice to see some replies to fan speculation being slipped in, and a neat send-up of the class system. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#208 Belkar is just being childish now. Still enjoyable though. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#207 The sheer craziness of the last panel makes this a good strip. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#206 I defy anyone not to laugh at this. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#205 Maybe it does show that Haley is shallower than we hoped, but Durkon is wonderful. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#204 Rather painful. I like Haley most of the time; I don't enjoy seeing her participate in taunting Roy, still less in planning to help kill a Good person. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#203 Heh heh. Hard to pick out particular things I like; this one is great throughout, and has some lovely quotable lines as well. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#202 A classic Belkar moment. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#201 The world suddenly got so much more comprehensible. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

[theKOT]

This post is for Story arc or comic sequence ratings.

Story arc #368-376: Overall, this was a good story arc. It got a little weak in the middle, but we got to see some of our favorite characters again. We got to see the interaction between the goodest of the good and the evilest of the evil. There was some excellent character exposition during this arc, especially between Redcloak and Miko and between Redcloak and Xykon. The MitD also made us wonder more about how evil or competent it truly is. Reading through the entire arc, though, Xykon's explanation at the end that he had planned the whole ordeal for Miko seemed a little tacked on. 8/10 -TinSoldier

[theKOT]

This thread will have ratings for the bonus comics from the books and from Origins.
#1 (pages 5-12) Very nice atmospheric opening, and the first few pages work the suspense to great effect by keeping us "in the middle of things" without yet being sure how this will tie into the storyline. The "dream" extended joke is magnificent, and we get some lovely shots of our favourite rogue in the bath :elan: Only downside is that we don't get to find out more about the pretty girl who gives Haley her letter -- not even a name. 10/10-Sir_Norbert

#2 (pages 13-19) As expected, the dwarves provide some great humour, starting with the "Cabinet-Making Offensive" and ending with the infamous "tankard of moose urine" quotation. But it's the last page when we find out about the prophecy that things really get interesting. As with all good prophecies, you just know it'll come true in a different way from what you expect, but the question is how.... 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#3 (pages 20-25) There's really only one joke in this one, but it's worked to full stretch. After all, Elan's potential for exuberant inanity is inexhaustible.... I particularly enjoyed the ludicruous image of him dressing up as a steak. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#4 (pages 27-34) Well, it's essential plot exposition, but there's only so much of Eugene I can stand at one time. Though he does allow Roy to get in some great comeback lines. I'd like this one more if it developed Roy's character rather than just transplating it to a previously unseen setting. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#5 (pages 35-40) As the introduction notes, Belkar doesn't need character depth; his function is to be exactly what he is here, completely outrageous, unredeemable, and wickedly crazy. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#6 (pages 41-46) A wonderful debunking of something too many people take for granted (orcs have no function other than mindless killing), and some really touching character moments as Roy and Durkon form a team. Perhaps best of all is the munchkin paladin who shows us that Miko wasn't so bad after all! 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#7 (pages 47-52) The first half is typical V, but no real surprises.... the really nice moment is the way the different story threads at last start to come together. Some nice pictures of Haley, too. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#8 (pages 53-65) Ooh, it's long! But with many, many great visual jokes, including Roy's fantastic "disguises", I'm not complaining. And the mystery of V's gender is finally explained! I feel this sequence does take a bit long to finish, though, with Belkar's part not being particularly interesting. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#9 (pages 66-71) At last we get the explanation of the "Order of the Stick". Not what I expected, but very funny. And it's heart-warming to see the group together at least, heading off for new adventures, bouncing off each other like the characters we've got to know and love. Heh, I hate myself for sounding so cheesy, but it's a great way to end the book. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

[theKOT]

Actually, due to volume, THIS post will be for comics 1-200.

#200 Good dramatic action, a touching Haley/Elan moment, a real surprise when Miko is revealed, and an excellent cliffhanger. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#199 A lovely cliffhanger (not that that's any surprise, given the comic number!) -- and the way Elan is perfectly attuned to the dramatic point of view is charming. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#198 The meta-comic references are a nice touch, and... there's a kazoo. Enough said. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#197 Who can forget the moment when a new word entered our language? 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#196 Nice dramatic tension, with the introduction of Dorukan's party leaving the fans guessing. Wish I'd been around for the speculation. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#195 Walk three times around the house without thinking of the word "plothook". Rich knows his fans well. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#194 The inevitable "let's have another Monster in the Darkness joke" moment. One of the better ones though. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#193 The villains are up to their usual antics, but I didn't find this one particularly funny. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#192 Now this is Xykon at his lovable and most quotable best. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#191 Proving that the villains can provide solid and enjoyable character interaction as well. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#190 In which Redcloak makes his mark on the list of great characters. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#189 A real shocker. Maybe it's because I'm susceptible to the power of a pretty face, but this one hurt me even more than the oft-cited #56. And the Cloaked Avenger is so cool. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#188 Roy's "stop asking questions" line is so memorable that I often forget which comic it's from. The rest is less special, but 8/10 overall.-Sir_Norbert

#187 Haley's defining character moment; this one definitely made me smile. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#186 V is charming and it's great to see him getting his own back, but there's nothing especially funny here. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#185 One of the better Elan strips just because it's so crazy. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#184 Ouch ouch. Very predictable, but it's still amusing to watch Haley squirm. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#183 A nice tense moment.... and the last line is a great resolution. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#182 Keeps the encounter moving, doesn't do much else. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#181 Nice... the way the darkness appears in the last three panels is perhaps the funniest part of this for me. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#180 Aww, poor Vaarsuvius. I think this is where we see he doesn't lack any character depth compared to the others. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#179 A very unexpected turn, and finishes with not one but two of the strip's most memorable lines. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#178 Not up there with the best strips, but it raises a good chuckle. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#177 Always interesting to see how the characters react to a new situation; here it's done well, and V's last line is great. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#176 Of course she just stands around waiting. This one's good fun just because it's so ridiculous. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#175 This is just strange. It's not even a rules joke, it's a rules discussion disguised as an OotS strip. 6/10 for silliness but I can't give it any more.-Sir_Norbert

#174 Some nice suspense... and a well-timed piece of silliness to deflate the suspense before it becomes overburdening. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#173 This time the Explosive Runes find a target that fully deserves them. 8/10 for that.-Sir_Norbert

#172 Great character interaction all round.... with V's silent role perhaps being the funniest of all. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#171 One of the most memorable strips of all, not just for Roy's line at the end but also for the way it plays on and questions the reader's own sense of morality. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#170 Durkon is great and the last panel is hilarious, but for some reason it's the ridiculous fourth panel in this one that really makes me smile. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#169 A nice plot twist (again!), but not especially funny this time. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#168 I always like the combat sequences, and this one does finish with a cunning twist. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#167 Just when you thought things couldn't get any worse.... or sillier. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#166 Things are warming up... but this one's just a preparation for some much funnier strips about to follow. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#165 "Sounds like my kind of party"... mine too. This looks promising. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#164 Suspension of disbelief, along with suspension of halflings. Both enjoyable but only mildly so. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#163 Things are moving fast enough that the strips don't need to be especially funny; the tension is what makes this sequence work. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#162 We love to watch Roy making a complete fool out of himself. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#161 V's directness is touching, and Durkon is afraid of trees again. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#160 Nice tense plotting, and it's fun to watch Haley so nearly give herself away. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#159 Not unexpected, but well-paced and dramatic. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#158 Delicious... I love it when world-builders think about the little details like this, so sending up the ones who don't is great fun. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#157 And some people question why we hate Belkar? Yeah right. Still moderately amusing, in a way. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#156 A good chance to chuckle at Elan's simplicity. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#155 An excellent meta-game joke, and one that I didn't see coming. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#154 A few nice one-liners, but this feels like mostly filler. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#153 Roy deserves everything he gets in this one. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#152 Some good dramatic tension, not much else to say here. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#151 Haley is wonderful, and the surprise at the end is one to savour and chuckle over slowly. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#150 This one's funny because it's so bizarre, even if it does play on a well-worn stereotype. And the pun in the last panel is one of the strip's most memorable. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#149 Even reduced to a phylactery, Xykon is still on top form. The supreme leader raises a nice chuckle too. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#148 Redcloak says all the wrong things and the result is very funny. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#147 Some good stuff from the villainous team, and seeing the Monster in the Darkness under the umbrella was a great moment the first time, even if it's become very familiar by now. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#146 Roy does what we've all been wanting to do for over a hundred strips. Not especially funny, but enjoyable. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#145 Bizarre, but spot on target. I don't know what G.I. Joe is doing in this strip, but it's a good one. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#144 The Bag of Tricks may not be good for much, but one thing it is good for is making Roy into a hilarious fool. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#143 Relying on the rules can't work all the time.... here it just gets ridiculous. Funny in a head-shaking sort of way. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#142 Yay plot twist! But what's Thog doing talking in normal speech? 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#141 Some nice character interaction, and the last panel is crazy but heart-warming. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#140 Nice to see Belkar on the receiving end of a humiliation for once. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#139 Good fun, especially with the "pops", and some nice character moments. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#138 There are other strips that have other qualities, but this is quite simply the most laugh-out-loud ridiculous in the entire sequence. 10/10-Sir_Norbert

#137 Probably the funniest of the "Banjo" strips... which may not be saying much, but this is still a solid 8/10.-Sir_Norbert

#136 Monty Python reference for the win. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#135 Speaking as someone who's had to suffer too many economics lectures, I can't help getting a good laugh out of this one. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#134 Yet again, OOTS makes fun of the things that need to be made fun of -- such as cliched plothooks. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#133 Belkar does his usual stuff -- enjoyable but not especially memorable. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#132 A gradual build-up to a wonderful punchline. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#131 Very unexpected, and gives Haley's character a lot more depth. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#130 Needed for some later plot developments but not very memorable in itself. Good quote from Haley though. 7/10

#129 Haley at her best. And the moralising tone Roy takes makes his being taken in all the more enjoyable. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#128 A nice feel-good strip, with Elan's line in the eighth panel being the best part. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#127 The nonsense words are great fun and Vaarsuvius is wonderful, especially with the brevity of his reply to Belkar. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#126 Another great rules joke in classic OOTS style. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#125 Only Belkar could get roleplaying XP for going on about how much he wants to murder his friends. Oddly heart-warming. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#124 Belkar's expression as he jumps on the rat is the best part of this one for me. It really should have made the T-shirts. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#123 It's hard to comment on the ones that everyone remembers... it's a good joke, but I think the best part is reading it again knowing in advance that Haley's leading them on deliberately. (I'm surprised at Durkon though. At least he makes up for it a couple of hundred strips later.) 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#122 Our first glimpse at the rest of the world after leaving Dorukan's dungeon. Fun to see how things work behind the scenes, and you can't help loving the way Rich sends things up as usual. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#121 Um. Just because the reader mail device worked the first time doesn't make it worth repeating, and the questions this time round aren't especially funny. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#120 A very satisfying climax to the first story arc, as well as leaving some tantalising loose ends to lead into the second. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#119 Nice and theatrical; an entertaining feel-good strip to wind down after the Xykon fight. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#118 Poor Elan doesn't understand that real life -- even OotS real life -- just doesn't work like that. A glorious moment. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#117 A nice twist, even if it has plenty of precedent. Wonder how Xykon knew they were going to activate the self-destruction though? 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#116 Not much happens, but the final panel is a great visual joke. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#115 An odd strip with a series of small jokes, each quite enjoyable. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#114 The moment we've been waiting for. It would be a fairly dull cliche if the Monster in the Darkness wasn't there to deflate the tension. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#113 No punchline, as this one leads straight into the next. On its own it just doesn't feel complete; I do like the first panel though. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#112 A nice dramatic action sequence, with a couple of very nice lines. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#111 Aww, poor Belkar. I always like to see him get what he deserves, but there's not much to this one other than that. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#110 The follow-on from Roy's rather cliched opener is a wonderful send-up, and the Laundry Night line in the last panel is hilarious. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#109 A delicious and rather touching Haley moment. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#108 Very few words, and doesn't need them. A great piece of dramatic tension. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#107 Some great moments from V-man, and Belkar's stupidity is agonising as always. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#106 I love the little touches, like Xykon actually saying the words "wink, wink". And of course, "What gate?" 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#105 Over too quickly, but there are moments that deserve a large panel and this is one of them. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#104 The cutaways allow us some good chuckles without disrupting the tension, and Roy kicking in the door is a very memorable moment that leaves us dying to find out what happens next. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#103 After that bulid-up, the nutmeg line is wonderful, and after that it only gets funnier. Who could ever forget this strip? 10/10-Sir_Norbert

#102 Totally unfunny. Considering that Elan is meant to be the love interest of my favourite character, I expect better of him than this. 1/10-Sir_Norbert

#101 Now this is Elan at his finest. There aren't many things he's good at, but when he's good at something he's really good, and the result is very funny. Great last panel too. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#100 Ushers in the new straight-edged OOTS look, though to be honest I rather liked the old style. The actual content is a great Haley moment, and I did like the "Evil Ivy League" joke. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#99 Vanquished enemies as pub snacks is an interesting touch; nothing else out of the ordinary in this one. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#98 An interesting strip, in which the funniest part is seeing how close the OOTS were all along to the monsters without noticing them. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#97 More great stuff from Xykon, with sending goblins to their deaths because he's bored being the funniest moment. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#96 Ta-da! Leaves us guessing nicely, and starts off the running gag about the Monster not being able to see the gate. Like all good running gags, it's very funny the first time. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#95 One of the best of the Xykon strips, with the interaction between Xykon and Redcloak being especially hilarious, as well as the sheer insanity of summoning a dead spirit because you can't remember where you left your keys.... 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#94 Essential plot advancement (and dungeon advancement) but nothing especially funny. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#93 A splendid extended joke and a nice look into Haley's past. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#92 Aaaah, Explosive Runes. Not very nice to encounter but deliciously satisfying to watch. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#91 Utterly bizarre, but a rare example of a parody that works just as well even when you're not familiar with the original. The whole thing is done very well, with a succession of excellent lines. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#90 Meh. The "I got a 4!" line is seriously overhyped and not actually all that funny, but the ending is enjoyable. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#89 Very funny... and surreal, which makes it all the funnier as it progresses. Not easy to make a comic work with words alone, but here it's done very well (and a great complement to the pictures-only strip much, much later in the series). 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#88 Roy isn't being particularly nice, but watching the "huddle" is amusing, as is the closing joke. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#87 I don't see the point in this strip, except that it's inevitable after the last. None of the jokes are especially good, and there's no plot or character development. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#86 This one loses a lot on coming back to it without the element of surprise, but but it *is* a good build-up and pay-off, and pokes fun at something people often forget in this game. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#85 The first five panels are incredibly effective for a device so simple, but after we're done with the Durkon storyline, the jokes in this one aren't great. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#84 A truly stunning character moment, with some of Durkon's most unforgettable lines. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#83 Interesting and mildly amusing, particularly the third-last panel. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#82 Certainly not your typical OotS strip -- in fact, I think it's one of only two that sets out to make the reader feel uncomfortable. It succeeds, but it doesn't go too far, so it works. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#81 My, it didn't take him long to find that miniature goat! The satire is good, and V-man (as always) turns up the humour knob a little. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#80 Sigh. Enter Banjo, my most hated character. Admittedly, in this strip he isn't annoying *yet*, and I did enjoy the tiny thunderstorm when Roy is "smote". 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#79 What does Rich have against dwarves? Still, the humour works because we're aware of the stereotype, we don't have to believe it. And I'd probably feel the same as Loki, on account of that beard.... 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#78 "Unfinished business my ass"... Eugene's only unfinished business is with Roy, whom he clearly feels he didn't annoy enough in life. Seeing Xykon as a human was good though. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#77 One suspects Rich has an agenda here, but that doesn't stop it being funny. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#76 We've all been there... Hilgya's grin in the last panel is squirm-inducing, but the memories come flooding back making it all too clear where this is leading. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#75 Ah, what Roy has to put up with... and the wway he reacts to it is so typical of him. Some great character-based humour. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#74 First appearance of the flumph running gag. Decently amusing. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#73 The dieting monsters are delightfully crazy, but the second half is pure gold; I don't think anything more needs to be said. 8/10 overall.-Sir_Norbert

#72 With this, the first comic in the smaller text size, OOTS has grown up (though I still like looking back at the different feel of the earlier strips for nostalgia). Nicely rounds off the Talisman vault sequence, and adds more flesh to Celia's character development. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#71 Some tantalising hints at the backstory, and some great visual gags, like the DVDs and "This Side Up". Also, lots of Celia. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#70 Even tied up, Nale and Thog provide some great humour. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#69 Nothing really stands out in this one, although Haley's line at the end is quite amusing. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#68 I suppose that being a philosophy student as well as a lifelong Tintin fan helps me appreciate this one, but it is very funny. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#67 More good dramatic action, with a nice cliffhanger (in the literal sense of the word!) 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#66 One of Thog's most hilarious (and quotable) moments. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#65 Unfortunately, this one *really* only works if you knew where "Zz'dtri" came from beforehand. Still mildly amusing, I suppose. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#64 Not a great strip, but the last three panels are perhaps the most enjoyable moment in the entire Linear Guild fight sequence. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#63 Belkar's wounds do heal fast. I guess you can't really go wrong with a good swordfight, but there's not much to enjoy in this one, and the end is rather too violent for my tastes. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#62 Some good stuff (and great facial expressions) from Haley. Not much else to say. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#61 The fight begins. A good start, with Nale's theatricality and Elan's silly songs getting things going in style. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#60 This is the one that first revealed a new side to OOTS, with the long-awaited explanation of Eugene's prophecy. It's a bit far-out (a goat isn't the same thing as a goatee even if the words are similar) and a bit in-your-face, but it's a great moment only partially spoiled in retrospect. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#59 A great dramatic moment made even better by having Haley at the centre of the action. This is when I first started to really love her. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#58 I admit I can't understand why the fans love this one quite as much as they do, but watching Belkar's expression change is marvellous. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#57 OK... the bad guys leaving the heroes in a death trap you just know they're going to find a way out of is one of the oldest clichés in the book, but this is Nale we're talking about and that's his job and he does it well. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#56 Most of the strip is just bringing things together in preparation for the last two panels -- but what a shock! There's not much more I need to say. 8/10 overall.-Sir_Norbert

#55 An interesting conception, but I guess you need to be a long-time player to really appreciate the joke. I'll add a point for the first appearance of the flumphs because they're not annoying... yet. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#54 Very fun to watch how Nale knows exactly the right way to manipulate each character, and the closing joke is marvellous. (Did you know this actually was the first ever use of "rumbleworthy"? I didn't.) 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#53 Celia's first appearance is unmemorable; there are no clues here that she's going to be a great character later on. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#52 A bit weird, even without taking into account what we learn afterwards about where this is heading. And not especially funny. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#51 Thog likes puppies. Hard to forget this strip, even if I'm never quite sure how we're meant to react to it -- the Earth Guardian may not even be a character, but I can't help being shocked at her fate just because she's so beautiful. The way it breaks the usual left-to-right panel sequence is clever, too. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#50 Some great jokes in this one, and Rich cleverly doesn't stop the fact that this is all rather cliche spoil things, by making a point of it. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#49 Crazy but amusing. Another one geared towards long-time players. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#48 Good to see Belkar unable to win the situation for once, and Thog's line is one of his best. Still, most of this feels like filler. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#47 Have to go up to 8/10 just for "We can also watch it in Spanish"... I can't explain why that gets to me so much but it does.-Sir_Norbert

#46 The individual jokes work well and the plot advancement is well handled. Nale is already starting to turn into a great character. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#45 Haley is wonderful. But who's the *seventh* person speaking in the second panel? 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#44 Gets the character introductions over with, but doesn't do much beyond that. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#43 Interesting swerve -- why in fact *did* Xykon think the door was trapped? -- and a nice cliffhanger finish, even if rather laboured. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#42 Let's all laugh at poor Belkar. Feels good for a moment, but makes you want to get back to the others. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#41 The ending is obvious a long way in advance, but this had to be done once. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#40 Outrageous -- this is as far into black comedy as OOTS ever gets -- but hilarious precisely for that reason. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#39 Interesting way to keep the suspense mounting, and Violet sets up some good jokes in her only (so far) appearance. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#38 Passes the time, I suppose. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#37 Xykon's cheesy grin as he slaughters the ogres is wonderful. As is his attitude in general. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#36 Exuberantly inventive... and leaves so much to the reader's imagination. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#35 Just goes to show we can't all be perfect... not even Durkon. I didn't expect that. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#34 Very funny. I suppose this will bring back memories for a lot of people. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#33 Nice idea for a bit of a break from the usual routine, and going on about doilies is just the sort of crackpot humour I love. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#32 A ridiculous piece of meta-comic humour. The interplay between the lawyers does rather remind me of Majikthise and Vroomfondel, but that isn't a bad thing. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#31 Utterly bizarre, and hard to know how to react to; it isn't straightforwardly funny in the usual sense, but it raises a chuckle. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#30 Surreal, but ultimately forgettable; there isn't any real joke here. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#29 A classic Haley moment, all the funnier for being taken to an extreme. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#28 Clearly Belkar isn't the only one who's taken "Craft Disturbing Mental Image". And I can't help feeling it serves Roy right for using such stupid euphemisms in the first place (see #26). 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#27 Like most embarrassing moments, it's fun to watch but not especially memorable. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#26 A pointless interlude; the nudity joke was funny to begin with but there isn't enough in it to justify taking it any further. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#25 A great rules joke and a great character joke at the same time. It's no surprise this one got onto the T-shirts. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#24 Goblins shouldn't talk like that. But it sets up a nice send-up of one of the silliest D&D cliches, so I'm not complaining. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#23 The first Xykon strip. Not especially funny, since it needs to introduce us to the new characters, but the torch gag is worth a chuckle. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#22 Roy has the makings of a great leader. Not a brilliant strip, but the conclusion did make me laugh. 6/10-Sir_Norbert

#21 The first half is a nice meta-story joke, and Elan's silliness at the end is charming as usual. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#20 Glorious and highly quotable; a rare example of an early strip that hasn't lost any of its enjoyability in three years. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#19 Brilliantly surreal; how could anyone not smile at this? 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#18 One of the best rules jokes in the series; the chimera's deadpan reaction is perfectly written. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#17 Some nice character interaction and a nice twist at the end. Not exactly astonishing in retrospect, but still fun to watch. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#16 First we have some great puns, then we have a joke where the atrociousness of the pun is the whole point. Gorgeous. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#15 Eugene's first appearance. An intriguing first look into the backstory, a nice meta-story joke (with Eugene knowing that he's a character in a story) and, yes, some good foreshadowing even if it is rather heavily signposted. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#14 A very nice piece of character-based humour. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#13 Belkar's line in the second panel is excellent, and the plot exposition is a lovely sequence (especially with Haley's interpositions). 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#12 Hard to judge this one because of all the hype it gets, but I have to admit, when you come back to it after a long time, it is funny. For the most part. I think it gets a bit overdone towards the end. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#11 Of course you need to know the game to "get" OOTS at all, but this is one of very few strips that requires you to know a specific rule. And even after knowing the rule I'm not sure where the joke is. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#10 A heart-warming Vaarsuvius moment, with a classic punchline. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#9 Only a slight chuckle. The real point of this one is setting up #233, and you can't help admiring the ingenuity of that, but I've already taken it into account in rating that strip. 6/10 for this one.-Sir_Norbert

#8 Delicious. Still in the first ten strips and Haley has already become a great character. 8/10-Sir_Norbert

#7 It would be stating the obvious to go on about the incongruity of the gods having a modern answering machine service, but that is what makes it funny. Of course, we know from the beginning that it's going to go wrong; that's the only function such machines have. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#6 I'll pass over the first half in silence; the second half is unforgettable. Nearly four hundred strips later, "How important is one of these?" is still my favourite OOTS quotation -- perfectly paced and glorious in its simplicity. Combine that with the visual humour and you understand why this was the point where I couldn't stop reading. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

#5 Some enjoyable dramatic action, with nicely done visuals. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#4 A strip with only one joke, but it's well set up and excellently timed. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

#3 This one I just don't get; it's a bit too bizarre. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#2 There doesn't even seem to be a joke here. 5/10-Sir_Norbert

#1 It's hard to judge the very first strip, because it's meant to be seen before you know anything about what's going on, and yet it throws you straight into the middle of a fight scene. The main point is the way it draws you into the action, presents the characters, and makes you want to read on, and all this is done well. 7/10-Sir_Norbert

[theKOT]

Compiled! I'll add my own sometime this week-I'm getting my wisdom teeth out so I'll have lots of time to sit down and do pointless stuff.

[TinSoldier]

Sorry I haven't rated in awhile. The current story arc has been average to me and I haven't had anything positive or negative to say about the individual strips. I'll get back into doing it eventually... I'm just taking a break for now.

[Alfryd]

I've rather liked the arc recently. It hasn't been side-splitting on average, but there were some great moments, and it's been reasonably enaging plotwise.

[rxmd]

On a scale of ten, 98% of your ratings is 6 or higher, and 80% or so is 7 or higher. That lends some doubt to your rating system, it's like a school where 80% of students get A grades, and 98% get B's or higher.

If you want to say that you like OOTS, just say it, no point in inventing a numerical scale that starts with 1 if you're never going to use it except for the occasional very rare 4/10 or so.

[Alfryd]

That lends some doubt to your rating system, it's like a school where 80% of students get A grades, and 98% get B's or higher.
What are you proposing? A grade curve?

[Sir_Norbert]

On a scale of ten, 98% of your ratings is 6 or higher, and 80% or so is 7 or higher. That lends some doubt to your rating system, it's like a school where 80% of students get A grades, and 98% get B's or higher.

If you want to say that you like OOTS, just say it, no point in inventing a numerical scale that starts with 1 if you're never going to use it except for the occasional very rare 4/10 or so.
To me, 5/10 means literally that: halfway between the best a strip could be and the worst. Most OOTS strips have more good points than bad; a comic that was only scoring 5/10 on average wouldn't keep me coming back for 400 episodes.

In a school, good students tend to get good marks and poor students tend to get poor marks. Rich is a very good webcomic writer, so it's much more like a school where there's one student who gets 80% A grades. I don't see how that "lends some doubt to the rating system".

[theKOT]

On a scale of ten, 98% of your ratings is 6 or higher, and 80% or so is 7 or higher. That lends some doubt to your rating system, it's like a school where 80% of students get A grades, and 98% get B's or higher.

If you want to say that you like OOTS, just say it, no point in inventing a numerical scale that starts with 1 if you're never going to use it except for the occasional very rare 4/10 or so.
There is no rating system. Each individual expresses their own opinion on each strip. Besides, a 7/10 is a seventy percent, or a C-. A 6 is a sixty percent, or a D-. A school where 98% of the students get D-minuses or better is a good school, much like OOTS is a good strip. However, this is a thread to quantify your opinions on a strip and compare them with others'. We have fun, what's it to you?

[fangthane]

Norbert/KoT - good posts. That said...
rxmd - the plural conjugation of "to be" is "are," not "is." Other than that, you're just putting the cart before the horse. We like OotS because the quality is consistently good.

386 - It's nice to see Elan this angry; that's a bit of character development without even needing a word beyond the utterance of his brother's name. Linked consummations of Nale's plan (almost), Sabine's jealous rage (almost) and Elan's heroic rescue of the woman for whom he cares deeply and may just have realised he loves are nice to see. I hope and have some faith that Rich will be able to bring us out of this convergence in a manner which neither cheats us of back-story nor gets too tangled up. We'll see :)
Nice to see Nale's "what the...?!" facial expression too, up until Thog at which point it becomes more one of exasperation (and perhaps realisation that perhaps his brother isn't as worthless as everyone seems to think)
I give this one a 7.5 out of 10; it would have been 8.5 but I've deducted a point because the door is totally bollixed. The hinges shift between the hallway view and the room view, in addition to which in the room view the hallway appears to end abruptly some inches to the left of the door - right about where room 11 should be. It's quite obviously meant to be the same door; nobody puts room numbers on a door within the numbered unit, only out front. Still, fabulous plot convergence and great writing, even if the artistic execution was a little sloppy.

[TinSoldier]

I'm bored. So I'll rate some of the recent comics.

#386: This was a very good comic. I loved the ending and I can't wait for the explanation of Elan and Thog's escape. And why Thog is wearing a leprechaun outfit. And the confrontation between Nale and Sabine and Thog and Elan. I still hear Elan saying, from Back to the Future, "Hey you! Get your damn hands off her!" in George McFly fashion. 8/10 -TinSoldier

#387: This was pretty good even though I think that Elan was able to convince Thog a bit too easily. Brevity of the medium, I guess. Still the Hulk jokes were good. So were the "vaporizing flu" and "prison changed thog" jokes. 7/10 -TinSoldier

#388: This one relies too much on specialized knowledge. I still liked it, but having never played Final Fantasy (of any Roman numeral) I was pretty lost on the references. Still, the first half was good. The note that Elan left to the shopkeeper (especially the edited version) and the airship was good (we've seen them earlier in the comic plus I have seen them in other fantasy computer games). The bit with Elan channeling Roy was priceless, though. 7/10 -TinSoldier

[TinSoldier]

#389: Pretty good. At first I thought it was going to be another video game joke that I didn't get, but that was just the character style. Captain Julio Scoundrel seems pretty cool, but I thought the Valentino joke was forced. Elan had the best lines, though--30 ft. movement and his mom's secret drawer had me laughing. The final panel joke was okay. Well, giant wooden alpacas are funny and I don't care who you are! 7/10 -TinSoldier

[Alfryd]

We seem to be falling behind the times a little. With no. 400 coming up, I just thought that the recent slew of elan-exposition was mildly amusing. Oh, say 7.2 average over the last 4 strips since 393. Though I really was expecting Nale to tag along surreptitiously for a bit longer...
Any bets the gang will *still* manage to be off before Xykon comes a-knockin'?

[theKOT]

Aaaag! It's alive!!!
Back to-a da rating!

[theKOT]

Added, and the origins ratings are up too. But I refuse to deduct that point because I'm evil.

[Alfryd]

I'm not fond of 394, as it is (a ) not especially riotous and (b ) seems to contradict no. 385.
4.2.

[Alfryd]

In contrast, No. 396 pleased me mightily. It tickled many a rib verily. 7.9.

[Sir_Norbert]

#397 Wonderful to see V-man back in the action, and the way he uses Nale's weakness to solve the conundrum is exquisite. Some nice dramatic suspense building up in the background, too, making this a very enjoyable strip all round. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

[theKOT]

Hey Sir Norbert, has your life lost it's purpose now that you've rated all the archived strips? ;)

But wait! You haven't rated any arc's yet. I'm sure that could keep you busy for a while. :P

[Sir_Norbert]

Actually, I have something better in mind :elan:

I'm waiting for #400 to go up, and then I'm going to make a post with my ratings statistics (for each hundred and overall, so you can see exactly how much OOTS has improved since its first "phase") and a compilation of my personal Top Ten with a longer commentary section on each.

Any potential in that idea?

[theKOT]

Sounds good. I'm just wondering where I would put the top ten part...hmmm

[TinSoldier]

Okay, I haven't felt like rating in awhile even though I like the current story arc.

#397: I laughed out loud "Thor's Duodenum" and seeing the teletubby in Elan's illusion and of course at the final punch line. Well done. 8/10-TinSoldier

[theKOT]

Okay, I haven't felt like rating in awhile even though I like the current story arc.

That's allright Tinny. The MFC needs you rested and enthusiastic for our frequent battles with the infidels.

[Alfryd]

I, too, approve of 397. Oh, call it a 7.5.

[TinSoldier]

#398: Nothing special. A little pity for Thog and a group hug. 5/10.-TinSoldier

[TinSoldier]

#399: Kind of interesting. I think we get a little more insight into V's alignment and Elan comes up with the best (although obvious) plan. Too bad that Leeky and Pompei seem to be quitting the LG because they could be quite interesting characters (not to say they won't show up again later anyway). 6/10-TinSoldier

[Alfryd]

I quite like 399, though not especially for humour value. Personally I'd go for the soul-binding uber-magic option. Greater or lesser evil...
8.0.

[Sir_Norbert]

#398 A nice way to wind down after a tense fight, with Haley getting a group hug to make up for everything she's been through. 7/10

#399 Wordy but great fun, with some nice character moments (particularly from V) and a delicious twist with Elan bringing back his gift certificate just when we (or at least I) had forgotten all about it. The ending is also very good, wrapping things up with regard to Leeky and Pompey's mysterious disappearance from the plot, marred only by the sheer improbability of even an evil genius like Nale thinking he could depend on them. 8/10

#400 Wonderful. Of course I love the fact that it's V who knows what's going on and has to explain to Durkon; as TheKOT said, Haley has really grown up here, and so we feel she's earned her happiness. A lovely way to leave things on the round number, especially since we know what's coming next...... my only reasons for denying this full marks are the predictability and the fact that I'm not wild about the extreme close-up; it would have done fine as a one-and-a-half-lengths strip. 9/10

[Alfryd]

400 wasn't bad, though for this strip I was rather hoping we'd finally find out whether or not Xykon comes knocking with the OotS on sabbatical. Call me callous, but I find it hard to focus on depictions of private romantic entanglements when the fate of millions hang in the balance. On the other hand, I suppose I should have known which would likely get priority.
Eh... 7.0.

[Alfryd]

401: Not bad. Not bad at all.
...slightly weak toward the end. 8.4

[Cleverdan22]

I'm gonna start with 400 and just work my way up as the comic progresses.

#400: Great comic. I had been waiting for that for a long time, and the way Mr. Burlew made it happen was fantastic. 9/10

#401: Solid comic. Glad to see Roy's back in action, and I loved the first panel, as well as the title. 7.5/10

[Sir_Norbert]

#401 Roy makes a splendid long-awaited reentrance, and the joke in the closing panel is delightful. 8/10

#402 The first half, though enjoyable, is wordy, and the second half, though heart-warming once the fraud is exposed, still feels a bit of a let-down. 7/10

#403 Predictable a mile away. 6/10

#404 Shojo redeems himself in the humour stakes. 8/10

#405 Truly awesome. Not just because Miko returns -- although let's face it, that would redeem even an awful strip -- but also because the stage is set for some almighty comic chaos and my mouth is watering already. 9/10

Average for the hundred so far: 7.6

[Sir_Norbert]

#406 I'm still reeling. Proof positive of the old axiom that the most emotionally involving conflicts are not those of good against evil, but good against good. Shojo is undone by his secrecy even though his plotting was done with the best of intentions, and Miko is fatally tricked by circumstances in a manner worthy of the best Greek tragedies. I had to linger over the last panel -- to use a favourite quotation, "it strikes a man more dead than a great reckoning in a little room"..... 11/10-Sir_Norbert

[TinSoldier]

#406: I concur with Sir Norbert. 10/10 -TinSoldier

[Sir_Norbert]

#407 Nice dramatic presentation; I had been wondering about how exactly Miko's fall could be represented visually, and it was very well done. Great last words from Shojo, too. 9/10-Sir_Norbert

[Alfryd]

I was quite fond of 207- it bodes slightly well and got the point across effectively. But 406 I just can't bring myself to enthuse over. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1919704#post1919704)
8.9 and 6.9 respectively.

[TinSoldier]

#407: Nicely handled fall of the righteous there; the art was great! It just seemed a little short, leaving me wanting more. 7/10 -TinSoldier

[Alfryd]

408 was... shall we say 97.3% of a 'scream'? So, calibrating for wind resistance, I'll give it a 9.2.
Actually, it was very funny. Oh, dear, poor Miko. She still won't be in possession of all the facts for ages and ages and ages. So many opportunities for things to go badly wrong.
Still, it seemed the only likely way she could avoid the likely threat of imprisonment and execution. Gah!

[TinSoldier]

#408: My biases are showing and I know it so take this for what it's worth. I lost respect for Roy, not for attacking Miko so much as for his uncalled-for taunts. My faith in Miko has slipped a little because I didn't think she was that far gone, especially after the wakeup call from the gods she just got. Belkar surprised me a little both by showing he actually cared a little for someone else and that he could show a little fear. 6/10 -TinSoldier

[Alfryd]

After the initial shock, 409 wasn't actually bad as such. 7.4?

[TinSoldier]

#409: I actually liked this one. Both Hinjo and Roy acted appropriately (unlike Roy in #408). I'm sad that Miko seems to have gone completely off the bend but the other characters handled it properly. I'm also a little disappointed that Miko didn't get to stab Belkar, even a little bit. 9/10 -TinSoldier

[Sir_Norbert]

Now that I've had time to get some emotional distance so I can rate things objectively:

#408 Nicely keeps up the tension after the cataclysmic moment. Roy is impossible to like here, but Belkar (of all people!) lifts things, first with his wonderful line in the second panel and then with an oddly touching moment at the end. The continuation of Miko's character arc is splendidly handled. 8/10

#409 Heart-touching, as Miko refuses to take the offered way out and instead chooses to complete her descent. About Hinjo's character I'll only say that it's not surprising this strip won him a fan club. The drama in the second and third pages is excellent as well, with the emotional tension never flagging for a second. 9/10

#410 A very nice rounding off of this sequence, with great interplay between Roy and Hinjo. 8/10

Average for this hundred so far: 8.3

[TinSoldier]

#410: After the emotional ups and downs of the last few strips, this one didn't hold a whole lot for me. Now that we've had Miko's much predicted fall from grace it seems like the wait for Xykon's attack is stretching out interminably. 5/10 -TinSoldier.

#411: I would not have believed it if I hadn't already read a spoiler thread somewhere on the board. Yet again, Belkar gets the best lines. 6/10 -TinSoldier

[Alfryd]

I rather liked the last two, actually. 8.0 and 8.5, in that order? 410 was straightforward, but pleasant, and 411 was moderately humorous.

Though I am curious as to how, exactly, Hinjo knows that Roy *did* whack Xykon, given he knows the trial was rigged, that they testified to Xykon disintegrating, and he now appears to be alive. Miko may be paranoid, but occasionally they are out to get you.

[Sir_Norbert]

#411 Some nice intriguing revelations, but the ending joke isn't especially funny. 7/10

#412 This is the one that really shows the plot has got too complex for Rich to handle, if we need to have "catching up" strips like this. Yes, it parodies the frequent need for such conversations in RPGs, but that alone isn't enough to redeem it. 4/10

#413 At first I thought the miniatures idea was just a bit weird, but towards the end as the joke gets extended it becomes very funny. The "trying to be a PC" line and the development of the minor characters are the other highlights. 8/10

[theKOT]

About the ratings for 412-
I feel like it is some of what I predicted would happen when I claimed OOTS had to many plot threads: Drag. Things ballooned out of control a bit and that strip was the cost.

Still, I must admit I am impressed for the most part with the transition of plot lines. None of it feels too forced, so my "the end is near" doomsaying was premature.

[Alfryd]

415- 9.8. I mean, c'mon.
414- 7.2. A few decent gags. Some plot explanation.
413- 8.4. I'm just a sucker for abstract wargaming. And a little humour.
412- 7.0. Not a scream, but harmless fun.

[Sir_Norbert]

#414 Contributes nicely to the mounting tension, and the "Yahtzee" and "ninja death squad" jokes were good. 8/10

#415 Forum spoilers completely sucked the fun out of this one, but there were some nice jokes in it. 7/10

Average for the hundred so far: 7.8

[theKOT]

Geez Sir Norb, if Spoilers make it so much less fun for you, just avoid the comic thread and any spoiler ones.

[Sir_Norbert]

Thing is, when people -- and not just one but SEVERAL -- put spoilers in the thread title itself, it's kind of hard not to see them.

[theKOT]

But but, Norby... No!!!!! How will we go on.

Ehem, well yeah, I suppose I could. You are right about the spoilers in the title thing. I mean, "Will Miko join the Linear Guild[spoilers]" kinda take away the purpose of the tag.

But we'll miss ya. And the thread, she will die without your bumps! But meh, it's not worth ruining the comic for ya. Happy trails, friend.

[agentx42]

I'm sorry, I just can't rate or review every single page. Doing so takes a lot of the joy away from the story. It feels too much like "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" was a good sentence, now let's review the next one.

But I don't begrudge you or anyone else for doing so. This is most certainly not an admonishment or a personal attack, just my personal preference.

Peace out!

[theKOT]

So why post it? Seriously though, as OOTS is pretty much self-contained episodes, it isn't that hard to judge. I think of it more like judging an episode of a TV show than chapter of a book.

But if it takes away happiness for you, by all means avoid it. The point of this thread is to add a level of enjoyment, not detract.

[Sir_Norbert]

Well, my website idea doesn't seem to have worked too well :( so let's go back to doing it here.

#416 Mildly amusing, but really just the same old Xykon/Redcloak interaction we're used to. 6/10

#417 A wonderful and touching moment, beautifully prepared and realised. 10/10

#418 Well, I'm sorry, I didn't have my "modern American slang" lesson recently. Nice scenery though. 5/10

#419 Some lovely deflation of stupid forum speculation. 9/10

#420 Crazy stuff from Roy and Hinjo, with a very nice twist at the end. 8/10

#421 A gorgeously cheesy moment, with Elan nicely turning everything on its head at the climax. 9/10

#422 Interesting new side-by-side format, mostly filler, but with a lovely closing line from Redcloak. 8/10

#423 Completely unexpected, appropriate, and hilarious. 9/10

#424 Nice dramatic action with some great Vaarsuvius moments and a wonderful punchline. 9/10

#425 Oh dear. 7/10

#426 An interesting way to build up the suspense. 7/10

#427 More good stuff from our favourite wizard. 8/10

Average for the hundred so far: 212/27 = 7.85

[theKOT]

Wow, this thread is like a zombie from Resident Evil 1. Anyway, nice ta see ya again, norby. I'll have to start rating again.

[Sir_Norbert]

#428 Haley is back on top form, showing that she's taken no permanent damage from her speech loss, and the gradual build-up to the climax is one of the comic's greatest moments. I love this one. 10/10

#429 Dramatic, suspensful, touching (poor Sangwaan!) and with a really nice nail-biting twist and the end. More great stuff. 9/10

#430 As others have said, the first panel is glorious, and the return of the "Xykon not remembering" joke was well worth waiting for. Less nice stuff in the middle. 8/10

Average for the hundred so far: 239/30 = 7.97

[hrak]

wow...you guys put to much thought into reading a comic:smallannoyed:

[Sir_Norbert]

#431 A nice combination of exposition and Monster in the Darkness wittery. 8/10

#432 Delightfully bizarre, even if it did rehash not one but THREE earlier jokes. 8/10

#433 A fairly good action strip with a nice touch at the end. 7/10

#434 Xykon at his best. Delicious. 9/10

#435 Some wonderful Belkar moments. "Why isn't he jolly?" being one of the greatest. 9/10

#436 Nice and dramatic. This is going to be a night to remember. 8/10

#437 A good bit of fun. 8/10

#438 Silly. But good-humoured. 7/10

#439 Very well presented to show the build-up (in both senses!) to the climax. 8/10

#440 A sad end to an old recurring joke. I'm not sure I get the point of it this time round. 7/10

#441 A moment well worth savouring. 8/10

#442 Roy does his best, but Xykon is just too cool. 8/10

#443 Interesting new panel format -- obviously very appropriate for this strip. Not sure how well it'll work out in book form. And whatever comes of it, the moment of landing was a really well-prepared surprise. 9/10

Average for the hundred so far: 341/43 = 7.93

[Sir_Norbert]

#444 A wonderful way to let the emotional build-up of the previous strip wind down. For once, I felt the flumphs joke was fully justified. 9/10

#445 Gorgeous parody -- no wonder the forums went crazy over it. But it's Belkar who really makes this a strip to remember. 10/10

#446 Yay for strips with pretty girl characters firing lightning effects. A nice chuckleworthy premise too, with an excellent punchline. 9/10

#447 Short. Tense. Intense. 8/10

#448 An unforgettable shocker. Evil has never felt so real. 9/10

#449 And this was the moment that made it all worthwhile. OOTS rises to the heights of cinematic intensity, perfectly encapsulated in the silent last panel. I'd defy anyone not to have a catch in their throat at this point. 11/10

#450 And after that, the tension is released with some lovely Belkar humour. Combined with wonderful attention to detail in the first panel. 9/10

#451 Redcloak's character reveals unexpected depth in a strip that increases the overall tension considerably. 9/10

#452 Even the NPCs get their their share of the limelight, with V's cameo providing a nice shocker -- completely in character, with hindsight -- in a strip full of drama and tension. This is one of OOTS' most amazing moments. 10/10

#453 Nice dramatic action, nice humour, and an ending twist we didn't expect. 9/10

Average for the hundred so far: 424/53 = 8.00

[Sir_Norbert]

#454 Wonderful drama, some nice meta-level humour and some great moments from our favourite characters. 9/10

#455 For once, Belkar is almost likable. And the illusion is a splendid comic touch. 9/10

#456 Probably one to appeal to long-time D&D players. To me, it's just dull. 6/10

#457 I feel sorry for the people silly enough to think this was the end of Tsukiko. Nice set-up strip. 7/10

#458 And an excellent payoff, nicely getting one loose thread out of the way to start the process of winding down after all this battle action. 9/10

#459 But first, we get the nice epic fight scene the earlier throne room strips prepared us for. Good to see Xykon getting clobbered at last. 8/10

#460 Awesome. A moment that really allows us to feel for Miko and understand what she's going through. 8/10

#461 More nice setting up, not much more to it. 7/10

#462 Definitely a shock.... I still don't know how I feel about it. Sad more than anything else, I suppose, but it was still a powerful moment. 8/10

#463 The inevitable large-panel moment.... but at least we get an interesting twist at the end. 9/10

#464 Farewell, Miko. I'm glad you finally managed to gain some understanding before you went; a pity that it comes too late. At least you got a lovely, heart-touching death scene, which is more than most characters in this comic can say. We'll miss you. 10/10

Average for the hundred so far: 514/64 = 8.03

[Sir_Norbert]

And at last, here are my ratings for Start of Darkness (I'll get back to the main strips soon):

Overall: an absolutely brilliant book. Don't judge it by the average of the numbers, but note also that the best sequences are also the longest, the ones that provide the real meat of the volume.

#1 (page 5). A good start, with a very plausible glimpse into what Xykon must have been like as a boy. 8/10

#2 (pages 6-8). Getting more interesting. Little in it that we couldn't have guessed, but it's all presented and paced very nicely. 8/10

#3 (pages 9-15). Soul-frying. No sooner has it finally been revealed that goblins too have family lives and human emotions than the heads start rolling, with pretty girls being skewered left, right and centre and Redcloak's master as a great tragic character. This is where you can't stop reading. 10/10

#4 (pages 16-18). Xykon shows his human side for the last time before he matures into the choice of evil for its own sake. A necessary stepping stone, but not a very memorable one. 8/10

#5 (pages 19-26). A necessary rehash of old information, infused with a few nice jokes and new characters. 8/10

#6 (pages 27-48). Now this is where it really gets interesting -- and ambiguous. It's left up to the reader to decide what to make of the Dark One and his claim to be working for equality, and of course, this determines how we perceive Redcloak too. Finally getting to find out how Xykon and Redcloak teamed up in spite of their obvious differences is the real icing on the cake. 10/10

#7 (pages 49-50). Filler. I'm not really sure what the Creature is even doing in this book, but I'll forgive Rich that because the circus episode later on is truly delicious. This, however, I can pass. 6/10

#8 (pages 51-75). Awesome, more awesome than any poor words of mine could possibly describe. Lirian is a masterpiece and I love her to bits, never more than when she actually defeats Xykon; we all knew her death was coming, but it was still heart-rending to watch it happen. The way Xykon's transformation was integrated into the story was an excellent and unexpected plot twist, and the effect it had on all three main characters was brilliantly achieved. OOTS rises to a new greatest ever height with this sequence. 11/10

#9 (pages 76-82). Another sequence that gets deeply into the characters; for once, just for once, Eugene is not quite despicable. And Right-Eye moves into the spotlight at last, developing him in preparation for the climax. 9/10

#10 (pages 83-96). Hilarious, all the way from the blind date to the wonderful panel where Right-Eye faces down his foes with cotton candy. Some much-needed comic relief before Xykon's return brings up back with a bump to the well-aimed collision course with tragedy. A deeply moving moment. 10/10

#11 (pages 97-110). The long-awaited grand climax, and yes, it is everything we'd been hoping for and more. The resolution of the Redcloak/Right-Eye storyline is quite inevitable, but the way it's carried out is flawless, and the sudden way his family's deaths were thrown in was a real heart-jerk. Dorukan is another great character, and Lirian's last words are one of the most beautiful moments in the comic, but it's the final exchange between Xykon and Redcloak that really leaves you feeling this book has changed you. A level of amazingness none of the previous OOTS books ever quite reached. 12/10

#12 (page 111). A light-hearted finish after the extreme emotional rollercoaster of #11. It never really engages you, but then it isn't really trying. It's just there to round things off. 7/10

[Sir_Norbert]

Back to the main strips:

#465 A nice way to relieve the emotional pressure with humour, and I always like a strip with Tsukiko in it. 8/10

#466 You kind of need to have read Start of Darkness to get the full value out of this one, but the last two panels are a real heart-wrenching moment. 8/10

#467 Haley is wonderful, and I almost liked Belkar with his delicious punchline. 9/10

#468 Most of this is just there to set up the last panel, but it's a delicious heart-warmer. 8/10

#469 Excellent dramatic tension, after some nice humour at the beginning. 8/10

#470 Haley is übercool. And the ninth panel shows her looking as beautiful as we've ever seen her. 9/10

#471 Filler, not particularly funny, and repeats an earlier strip. 6/10

#472 This is more like it; touching and hilarious both at once. And yes, Kazumi is a very pretty name. The hairstyle is a disappointment though. 9/10

#473 Setting something up, but not especially interesting or funny beyond that. 7/10

Average for the hundred so far: 586/73 = 8.03

[Sir_Norbert]

The hiatus would be a good place to get this up to date.

#474 More set-up, but the dramatic tension is well-paced and some of the humorous touches are good. 8/10

#475 Some nice interaction with a constant undercurrent of "what is going to go horribly wrong?" 8/10

#476 And this is a real cliffhanger. You can almost taste it. 8/10

#477 And an awesome payback. I especially like the demon roach's character development. 9/10

#478 Another lovely nail-biter, with Vaarsuvius finally making his reappearance. 9/10

#479 We're back on rules jokes again. I didn't really miss them. 6/10

#480 Oh dear. :) Redcloak adds a welcome touch of dark humour. 7/10

#481 A lovely emotional wrench, beautifully presented. 9/10

#482 Mostly filler, but the final joke is a nice moment. 8/10

#483 Elegant, simple, and touching. 9/10

#484 An excellent closing strip, with an interesting new mystery for us to ponder. And Tsukiko. One must not forget Tsukiko. 10/10

Average for the hundred so far: 677/84 = 8.06

[Sir_Norbert]

#485 Not what I was expecting, so a nice twist, and Eugene, although annoying, makes for some nice banter. I like the punchline too. 9/10

#486 The necessary explanations, redeemed by Violet's brief second appearance. 8/10

#487 It just gets barmier and barmier. 8/10

#488 Getting interesting. 7/10

#489 After all the forum discussion, it's nice to have some closure by having these things discussed in the comic itself. 7/10

#490 An excellent slam-down of stupid forum speculations. 9/10

#491 Nice follow-up. 8/10

#492 So now we get to find out what the afterlife is like. All I can say is: "Oh dear." 7/10

#493 Part of me doesn't like this, but it's damn hard to make an afterlife look convincing. 5/10

#494 Creepy. 7/10

#495 Oh dear -- but not altogether surprising. 6/10

#496 At last!!! I'm trying to refrain from giving this one an extra point because it was so satisfying to be proved right. Regardless of that, it was still a lovely moment. 8/10

#497 Necessary set-up with a bizarre interlude to fill time. 7/10

#498 Absolutely gorgeous. 10/10

#499 Predictable, really, but the building up of suspense more than makes up for it. 8/10

#500 We've been wondering what this number would bring for a long time, but it meets every expectation -- and throws a twist at us that we certainly didn't expect. 10/10

Average for the hundred: 801/100 = 8.01. Congratulations, Rich, you've broken the 8.00 average barrier with your best hundred strips yet.