Comics > Independent Comics Comics

Advantages: Incredible plotting, characters, emotion...
Disadvantages: Could become addictive, have hankies ready!

...steel skeleton in sight. Strangers in Paradise is another example of a comic telling an adult story without cause for panic at being labelled a geek. The storyline is not formulaic, in fact it'd make a damn good movie if it wasn't so long. Maybe a TV series... anyway. The (very) basic plot is this: ***THE PLOT*** Soon before her 1-year anniversary with her creepy boyfriend, Freddie Femur, Francine Peters catches him with another woman and has ...
...(Katchoo for short) is angered and threatens Freddie with castration. Meantime, David, a mutual friend of the two women, confesses his feelings for Katchoo, which displeases her. Freddie reports Katchoo to the police for threatening behaviour, and we learn Katchoo has a dangerous past that is slowly catching up with her. From there, the stage is set for two parallel story lines. The first is the awkward love triangle between Francine, Katchoo and ... Read review

Advantages: A rollicking gret read
Disadvantages: Where's volume 3?

What a great book! I've been away from comics for some time now. I finally let go when I traveeled off to study for a degree as there were just too many things to spend too little money on. However recently I've started reading them again and was not disapointed when I picked this little beauty up. Penned by the ever quirky and creative Mr Alan Moore it is a strange tail set in a not too familiar Victorian World. The Brits are all powerful and the ...
...familiarity and alieness all at once. Moore rose to prominence in the comic world firstly by writting short tales for 2000ad (most noteably for me the D.R. and Quinch series) and then onto more heavy duty stuff such as Miracleman and V for Vendetta for Warrior magazine. Probably his most well known work to date was the groundbreaking Watchmen series but one of my faves was Big Numbers which was sadly never finished. Providing the visuals for this ... Read review

Advantages: Sweet, cute, creepy story--love that!
Disadvantages: *blank*

...a review on. I've loved Lenore since its first feature in a local comics magazine here in the country. And I appreciate any deathly though subtle humor the author has placed into the mind of this one-of-a-kind "daughter" of his. It reminds me of Acony (a manga similar to this one) and of Nickelodion's "As Told By Ginger" specially that "And Then She was Gone" episode. Anyways, the story was actually inspired by a poem-Gotfried's Lenore. It tells ...
..."sleep" only to wake up, well, dead. Then she has to deal with this sock-puppet stalker of hers which she inventively shuns away everytime by using him as a pin cushion for knives and pointy things. Then he makes me wonder..."a martyr stalker?" Overall, who doesn't want to see life's freaky part called death's cute, sweet, something funny side? If its the weirness of a story you're looking for, you got to consider this charming story for a read. ... Read review

Advantages: Funny, entertaining, amusing, writer introductions
Disadvantages: Most of it's free online

The Order of the Stick, also known as the OOTS, is a series of comics about a group of fantasy adventurers, based on role playing games, particularly Dungeons and Dragons. I should say that I don't play RPGs. Pretty much all I know about D&D comes from The Order of the Stick. Dungeon Crawlin' Fools follows the adventures of The Order of the Stick as they fight Xykon, an evil undead skeleton. ~~~ Comic Style ~~~ The style of the comic is quite simple. ...
...distinguishing features. The legs and arms are definitely stickish, but the bodies of the characters are clothed uniquely, female characters have definite bosom, and they are clearly characterised. It's amazing how much personality and expression can be given to a face that's basically a circle with a mouth, eyes and occasionally eyebrows. A whole range of emotions can be shown by the characters, despite the simplistic style. The comics are all drawn ... Read review

Advantages: Very funny, interesting backstories, new strips
Disadvantages: Black and white, short book

The Order of the Stick, also known as the OOTS, is a series of comics about a group of fantasy adventurers, based on role playing games, particularly Dungeons and Dragons. I should say that I don't play RPGs. Pretty much all I know about D&D comes from The Order of the Stick. On the Origin of the PCs is a prequel to the other OOTS book I have reviewed here, Dungeon Crawlin' Fools. It tells the back stories of the main characters and explains how ...
...~~~ Comic Style ~~~ The style of the comic is quite simple. The figures are stickmen, but with bodies, hair and other distinguishing features. The legs and arms are definitely stickish, but the bodies of the characters are clothed uniquely, female characters have definite bosom, and they are clearly characterised. It's amazing how much personality and expression can be given to a face that's basically a circle with a mouth, eyes and occasionally ... Read review