Completed Webcomics You'd Recommend II

[Dragonus45]

So I keep coming back to this thread as I keep thinking of old webcomics. Todays random thought is Ensign Sue Must Die A fun webcomic about Ensign Mary Sue and her adventures on the Enterprise and the strong desires of most everyone around her for her to go far away and never come back.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Stand Still, Stay Silent - A plague ravaged the world, turning every non-immune human and animal into a monster. 90 years later, things have more or less stabilized, and an expedition has been proposed to explore the mainland of Europe. It was approved, but only due to a misunderstanding as to the requested budget, and in the process of cutting corners to meet the newly much lower one, the planners give up on hiring competent professionals and decide to go with a ragtag bunch of misfits instead. This is their story.

[Dragonus45]

From the same author, I'd suggest Spare Keys for Strange Doors, a series of short stories about two paranormal specialists helping regular people with their supernatural problems.

While this is excellent and I devoured everything available as fast as I could and then backed the kickstarter. It's technically not completed. Sadly.

[theangelJean]

While this is excellent and I devoured everything available as fast as I could and then backed the kickstarter. It's technically not completed. Sadly.

Well, in the sense that each vignette is an arc in itself, and there's no overarching structure, I guess there are twelve complete stories there, ten of which are going into the compilation. Of the rest, one has already appeared in print, and the other was illustrated by a different artist, so I can see why it didn't go in this book.

The one currently being posted has also already been printed, she's not still writing it. I don't think it's part of the main continuity either - she describes it as autobiographical, and there haven't been any overtly supernatural elements yet.

As for whether there will be more Toby and Marion, I actually haven't seen anything recent about it.
Edited to add: at the end of Keep Digging she posted that she would be taking "an indefinite, and maybe permanent, break from making 'Spare Keys for Strange Doors' and webcomics in general". So I think Spare Keys is as complete as it's going to be, and the Underfloor story (which is only two more pages) is just a Kickstarter bonus.

[CountDVB]

Kid Radd
2002-2004. Author Dan Miller. Characters in video games (original parody ones) escape from their games and form a society on the internet. Lots of exporing of interactions of different types of character traits interacting (e.g. NPC's having no attacks but no health bar, enemy sprites having a "touch of death", etc).

The site originally had fancy Javascript tricks to make it look like a single-frame comic, where you were advancing panel by panel with button clicks, many panels with animations. Original site is offline, but wouldn't work with modern browsers anyways, link is to a fan reupload that has been made to work in today's world.

Glad someone remembers this gem.

It's a fascinating look at one of those early eras of the Internet and at the time. During one of the high points of sprite comics and what could really be done. In a way, it's a spirituall predecessor to Wreck-It Ralph and Undertale. More than a bit dated in some places, but it has a bit of charm to it and strangely nostalgic in the same way vaporwave is.

[Anarchic Fox]

I finished Chirault, which was quite good. It managed the difficult juggling task of having a high-power magic system, without making any of its protagonists seem overpowered. It also did a good job of drawing all the characters into the same location for the climax, without feeling contrived. The characterization was solid, and the catgirl consistently cute. My one gripe is that all the faces look broadly alike, so until halfway through the story I couldn't discern between the supporting characters. It runs about 1200 pages but feels like a quarter of that.

Then I finished what there is of Spare Keys for Strange Doors. The art is a tad weak, but the storytelling is solid, and belongs to an "urban fantasy" genre that's well-represented in television and novels but rare in webcomics.

Now I'm going through Stand Still. Stay Silent., which has absurdly good art. Previously Unsounded and Kill Six Billion Demons were my best examples for good art in webcomics, but SSSS is a step above. As for the storytelling, it's a very well-realized post-apocalyptic world, with interesting and distinct characters, and here my only gripe is that the storytelling seems a tad too gentle for the harsh world it takes place in. (Maybe that'll change by the time I'm through.)

Thank you to the people who recommended these!

[Dragonus45]

Now I'm going through Stand Still. Stay Silent., which has absurdly good art. Previously Unsounded and Kill Six Billion Demons were my best examples for good art in webcomics, but SSSS is a step above. As for the storytelling, it's a very well-realized post-apocalyptic world, with interesting and distinct characters, and here my only gripe is that the storytelling seems a tad too gentle for the harsh world it takes place in. (Maybe that'll change by the time I'm through.)

Thank you to the people who recommended these!

I just finished SSSS today. The art is great but I think KSBD is slightly better art wise.

[The Patterner]

I finished Chirault, which was quite good. It managed the difficult juggling task of having a high-power magic system, without making any of its protagonists seem overpowered. It also did a good job of drawing all the characters into the same location for the climax, without feeling contrived. The characterization was solid, and the catgirl consistently cute. My one gripe is that all the faces look broadly alike, so until halfway through the story I couldn't discern between the supporting characters. It runs about 1200 pages but feels like a quarter of that.

Then I finished what there is of Spare Keys for Strange Doors. The art is a tad weak, but the storytelling is solid, and belongs to an "urban fantasy" genre that's well-represented in television and novels but rare in webcomics.

Now I'm going through Stand Still. Stay Silent., which has absurdly good art. Previously Unsounded and Kill Six Billion Demons were my best examples for good art in webcomics, but SSSS is a step above. As for the storytelling, it's a very well-realized post-apocalyptic world, with interesting and distinct characters, and here my only gripe is that the storytelling seems a tad too gentle for the harsh world it takes place in. (Maybe that'll change by the time I'm through.)

Thank you to the people who recommended these!

The ending of SSSS is kinda abrupt, yes it's an ending, but you can tell that the authour had had enough of the story sadly.

Still worth reading, just be aware of that.

[Dragonus45]

The ending of SSSS is kinda abrupt, yes it's an ending, but you can tell that the authour had had enough of the story sadly.

Still worth reading, just be aware of that.

Yea, it felt a lot like she went for the earliest possible exit she could find without just literally writing the end mid scene like the say Ian Jones-Quartey did way back when. Which I do appreciate, but the way it was done felt like it still cut even just that one bit of story far too short. Still, things were open ended enough that if she wants to she can come back and explore things later. This setting was just so well thought out and cool I really need more.

[The Patterner]

Yea, it felt a lot like she went for the earliest possible exit she could find without just literally writing the end mid scene like the say Ian Jones-Quartey did way back when. Which I do appreciate, but the way it was done felt like it still cut even just that one bit of story far too short. Still, things were open ended enough that if she wants to she can come back and explore things later. This setting was just so well thought out and cool I really need more.

One can hope, it's a great setting, awesome art and well written characters.

I loved how she captured the different nordic countries way of handling everything and how plausible it felt to me as a scandinavian.

[TaiLiu]

Glad someone remembers this gem.

It's a fascinating look at one of those early eras of the Internet and at the time. During one of the high points of sprite comics and what could really be done. In a way, it's a spirituall predecessor to Wreck-It Ralph and Undertale. More than a bit dated in some places, but it has a bit of charm to it and strangely nostalgic in the same way vaporwave is.

Do you know what happened to the author? I've read and re-read Kid Radd a whole bunch of times, but I've never found too much info on Dan Miller.

And yeah, I think Undertale is a good comparison. The whole "invulnerable shopkeeper NPC" is used in both Undertale and in Kid Radd.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Just finished another short webcomic.

Alice Grove - An alien boy wakes up in a rural field. And while he's mostly interested in tourism, his sister isn't far behind, and she's furious. Luckily, the local 'witch' is nearby, to hopefully sort things out. A very short, contained story; worth checking out if you like sci-fi.

[Agi Hammerthief]

Guilded Age

https://guildedage.net/comic/chapter-1-cover/

about half way though the second run with annotations

[WanderingMist]

1/0

There's not a good way to describe this comic. Post-modernism is my best guess but not the annoying kind of post-modern. It's also fairly short. Only 1000 3-panel strips (there may be some strips that were double-length but I don't remember).

[Anarchic Fox]

I just finished SSSS today. The art is great but I think KSBD is slightly better art wise.

They're close enough that it could go either way. What decides it for me is that I think KSBD's coloring often looks hasty and a little sloppy, when you zoom in.

For the other comments, SSSS's second chapter did end abruptly, but the first chapter is a complete, consummately paced story on its own. I was dubious about the second chapter because they face

Spoiler

Show

a plague lich, three ultra bears and a huge, unique speedster zombie without a single casualty.

It's far too gentle a story for such a horrific world. On the other hand, in the first chapter they face

Spoiler

Show

a succession of lesser threats, which their abilities are barely (but plausibly) able to handle, and there is a casualty.

If you take SSSS's first chapter on its own, it is one of the best webcomics out there, full stop.

1/0

There's not a good way to describe this comic. Post-modernism is my best guess but not the annoying kind of post-modern. It's also fairly short. Only 1000 3-panel strips (there may be some strips that were double-length but I don't remember).

Oh yeah, that was one of the most novel webcomics back in the nineties. I summarize it as a creator starting a gag-a-day comic, but resolving from the start to treat his characters like real people to the greatest extent possible. The author carries this resolution so far that, halfway through, the characters unite in a vow of silence to force him to adhere to a small set of laws, since previous spur-of-the-moment decisions had wreaked havoc.

[Neoriceisgood]

1/0

There's not a good way to describe this comic. Post-modernism is my best guess but not the annoying kind of post-modern. It's also fairly short. Only 1000 3-panel strips (there may be some strips that were double-length but I don't remember).

That's quite a nostalgia trip, I remember archive binging this back when it was just completed. Quite the rollercoaster and experimental.

[WanderingMist]

Oh yeah, that was one of the most novel webcomics back in the nineties. I summarize it as a creator starting a gag-a-day comic, but resolving from the start to treat his characters like real people to the greatest extent possible. The author carries this resolution so far that, halfway through, the characters unite in a vow of silence to force him to adhere to a small set of laws, since previous spur-of-the-moment decisions had wreaked havoc.

That's quite a nostalgia trip, I remember archive binging this back when it was just completed. Quite the rollercoaster and experimental.

...I didn't realize it was that old. I only read it a few years back.

[theangelJean]

Oh yeah, that was one of the most novel webcomics back in the nineties. I summarize it as a creator starting a gag-a-day comic, but resolving from the start to treat his characters like real people to the greatest extent possible. The author carries this resolution so far that, halfway through, the characters unite in a vow of silence to force him to adhere to a small set of laws, since previous spur-of-the-moment decisions had wreaked havoc.

I went and read it based on this recommendation. I liked the conceit. Some of the character concepts haven't aged well though, particularly the token-female-lesbian-in-name-only. That and the religious analogy were a bit on the nose (even though the latter was lampshaded, ultimately in comic it was supposed to have worked). But I guess this was 2000-2003.

[Dame_Mechanus]

I should note that the author of 1/0 has also done a subsequent comic, Leftover Soup, which wrapped up a few years back and is quite good. It's much less experimental and much more straightforward slice-of-life comedy... to the extent that slice-of-life comedy can involve a major subplot about drug distribution networks and a character accidentally starting a riot.

It makes sense in context.

[Neoriceisgood]

I went and read it based on this recommendation. I liked the conceit. Some of the character concepts haven't aged well though, particularly the token-female-lesbian-in-name-only. That and the religious analogy were a bit on the nose (even though the latter was lampshaded, ultimately in comic it was supposed to have worked). But I guess this was 2000-2003.

Oh I'm not surprised it did not age well. I often feel reluctant to reread/get back into stuff from that era literally for that reason.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Finally read Errant Story, which has been on my list for a while but I never got around to it. My favorite part was definitely the banter between Sarine and Jon.

[WanderingMist]

8-Bit Theater

Can't believe I forgot this in my first post in this thread and also very surprised no one else even mentioned it. Truly a classic.


Basic Instructions

This one technically ended back in 2015 but the author decided earlier this year to start posting new strips again. It's a 4-panel comic which gives advice in the narration, followed by the characters either ignoring it or following it poorly.
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All the uncompleted webcomics I would recommend are already their own threads on this page (EGS, Freefall, Girl Genius, Gunnerkrigg Court)

[Neoriceisgood]

Kid Radd
2002-2004. Author Dan Miller. Characters in video games (original parody ones) escape from their games and form a society on the internet. Lots of exporing of interactions of different types of character traits interacting (e.g. NPC's having no attacks but no health bar, enemy sprites having a "touch of death", etc).

The site originally had fancy Javascript tricks to make it look like a single-frame comic, where you were advancing panel by panel with button clicks, many panels with animations. Original site is offline, but wouldn't work with modern browsers anyways, link is to a fan reupload that has been made to work in today's world.

Oh damn I missed this on my initial thread read, I should really try to re-read Kid Radd sometimes, aside from A Modest Destiny it was one of the only true fully custom pixel comics back in the hayday of the whole sprite comic boom.

Not sure how well it aged (probably not very) but it was one of my main inspirations back in the day for sure.

[Floogal]

I'd say that the only thing that didn't age well with Kid Radd are the non-video-game pop culture references.

Otherwise it's like watching a show set in the 80's. Technology of the time is bit dated (i.e. style of the video games showcased: no modern 3d open-world games, etc), but the themes of free will and finding your place in society still hold up.

[Anarchic Fox]

8-Bit Theater

Can't believe I forgot this in my first post in this thread and also very surprised no one else even mentioned it. Truly a classic.

It's strange. Normally the "awful people being awful to each other" style of comedy doesn't work for me, but it did here. 8-Bit Theater's cast consists of a psychopath, a kleptomaniac, three idiots (each stupid in a different way), and one last person who's both good and intelligent. Most of the humor is these six playing off each other. Similarly, almost all of the side characters are either stupid, evil, or both. I think it works because it's setting is so artificial (it's RPG-land) that their various awful deeds don't really register as such.

Incidentally, I see that the author (Klevinger) has a bunch of other projects; does anyone have opinions on these?

[TaiLiu]

Hark! A Vagrant has been complete for a few yrs. Kinda funny that it's only been alluded to in someone's signature.

Incidentally, I see that the author (Klevinger) has a bunch of other projects; does anyone have opinions on these?

I thought his sci-fi novel was okay. Not the most amazing or spectacular thing I've read, but it's fun and exciting and has good energy.

[Gez]

Incidentally, I see that the author (Klevinger) has a bunch of other projects; does anyone have opinions on these?

Warbot in Accounting is pretty funny if you're in that kind of humor (kinda depressing slice of life of someone who can't fit in no matter how they try). Atomic Robo is kind of somewhere between Doctor McNinja and Deadpool. Good art and all but it didn't really grab me, too formulaic perhaps (snarky protagonist, wacky antagonists, lots of "kewl stuff the Internet will like", etc.).

[Dragonus45]

It's strange. Normally the "awful people being awful to each other" style of comedy doesn't work for me, but it did here. 8-Bit Theater's cast consists of a psychopath, a kleptomaniac, three idiots (each stupid in a different way), and one last person who's both good and intelligent. Most of the humor is these six playing off each other. Similarly, almost all of the side characters are either stupid, evil, or both. I think it works because it's setting is so artificial (it's RPG-land) that their various awful deeds don't really register as such.

Incidentally, I see that the author (Klevinger) has a bunch of other projects; does anyone have opinions on these?

They would be better if he finished a few of them. How I Killed Your Master had the feel of an all time classic.

[Dame_Mechanus]

It's strange. Normally the "awful people being awful to each other" style of comedy doesn't work for me, but it did here. 8-Bit Theater's cast consists of a psychopath, a kleptomaniac, three idiots (each stupid in a different way), and one last person who's both good and intelligent. Most of the humor is these six playing off each other. Similarly, almost all of the side characters are either stupid, evil, or both. I think it works because it's setting is so artificial (it's RPG-land) that their various awful deeds don't really register as such.

Part of why it works, at least for me, is the same basic trick that It's Always Sunny routinely pulls off. For one thing, no one in 8-Bit Theater is the voice of reason. It is very possible, in a given strip, to have all four of the main cast be reasonable at one point and then be completely unreasonable moments later as one of their own ridiculous assumptions bubble to the surface. As a result, you never get the sense of one person having repeated and exhausted responses to problems; you get to simultaneously laugh at someone pointing out how ridiculous the situation is while also not feeling bad that they're frustrated, because hey, if Black Mage is upset, we know that Black Mage is a sociopathic monster who deserves to be miserable no matter what.

The other element is that their opponents are just as bad when they're given any kind of characterization. They're either doing awful things to non-people (that is, individuals who aren't characterized in any fashion) or to people who absolutely deserve what's happening to them. And frequently they're the victims of their own hubris in that process.

"So, you didn't get any spells?"
"In the sense that being stabbed gets you a blade, man, I got spells."

[Anarchic Fox]

To my surprise, Nukees, one of the longest-running webcomics (it started in 1997!) just ended. It's about a group of nuclear engineering grad students at Caltech, whose shenanigans eventually form a coherent plot. The humor is often quite sharp, and you'll get a fair number of physics and math jokes, if you're into that. The art started out awful and eventually became... serviceable.

I'm not sure I recommend this to anyone who isn't studying physics, but I'm still boggling over the fact that it concluded. What's next, Freefall concluding? Sluggy Freelance?