I'm going to try to talk a little bit every month about the new comics I've found that I think are awesome ... and aren't getting as many viewers as I believe that they deserve. First off, I'm Don ... and unlike most folks here, I'm not an artist (at least not a very good one). I'm a writer/editor. I'm the creator of Atonement, a gritty space opera ... and I, Necromancer, a gothic fantasy/horror story that tells the sad, violent tale of an ancient elvish Necromancer.
I think that I feel inclined to look for diamonds in the rough, partly because I'm super aware of how hard it is to attract subscribers and followers when your webcomic's new. Mine's very new, too. I'll also admit that I have a tendency to prefer western serialized stories over manga, though that's not always the case. A lot of the comics that I find myself getting into are long-form stories with sci-fi or fantasy settings.
With that said, here are some really cool comics that I've dug deeper into over the past months and want to give a shout out to!
Note: These aren't real reviews below. I've written just a few sentences of me describing what's awesome about these comic books and gushing in a general way. Every one of them deserves to have you read them, so that you can make up your own mind.
Donathin's February 2016 Spotlight
The Pale, by @agentfink
Where to begin? Well, the art is fantastic. The inking style reminds of The Walking Dead, with a very light touch of classic manga elements. The story itself, while still early on in its development, definitely has the sort of over-tones of the first season of True Detective. It's gritty, sometimes brutal, and features some of the sharpest dialogue that I've read on a webcomic. The writing is top notch, and it promises one hell of a modern noir yarn. There is so much potential wrapped up in this comic that I can't imagine it not being successful; you want to read this comic book.
Whetstone, by @jessicasurline
This is another comic that is very, very early on in its story. However, the hand-drawn art, the coloring, it's all incredible. The story itself is true grit. So far, it seems to be an sci-fi action/thriller with a heavy revenge bent. The dialogue and writing is strong ... and did I mention how great the art was? It's really, really good. Reading is believing.
Age of the Atroximals, by @fsarbolaez
This is a really cool collaboration. The writer is working with a variety of artists to tell short stories that take place within a shared, sci-fi horror universe. The art style varies widely between artists, the setting and characters are different with each story, but they are all anchored by this almost otherworldly threat. It's fascinating, and features the work of many people with the promise to always be something new and different. In essence -- it's the perfect sort of project for Tapastic. I highly recommend! I'd love to see more collaborations like this on Tapastic.
Rocketman, by @roy7zen
Sometimes a good story knows when to let itself breathe. Rocketman doesn't start with a bang, but with sort of a lonely whimper, and it's spot on thematically. It follows the story of a lonely astronaut living on the moon and dreaming of returning home to Earth. The character art is nice, the atmosphere and lighting are crafted with a rather unique style that captures the protagonist's loneliness rather well, and the concept practically begs for some feels. It's still very early on in its production, but if the writing is tight, focused and compelling, Rocketman stands to be a very promising book worth checking in on every week.
Beast Bait, by @dglisson
It's very challenging to tell a unique story on Tapastic. It's very challenging to tell a unique story anywhere. Beast Bait is a supernatural thriller with a good dose of action. Beyond that, it's a truly unique concept, with the promise of a very imaginative mythology that it's crafting. And most importantly, you can feel the writer's love and hard work in every bit of dialogue and story. It's a very ambitious tale, finely-written with only its first chapter completed -- and its art style is unconventional and unique. If you feel like trying out something entirely different from everything else you bump into on Tapastic, I can't recommend Beast Bait enough.
Donathin's March 2016 Spotlight
Astronaut Ninja, by J. Schiek
What? You've not heard about Astronaut Ninja? Apparently, only three people have so far, which is a crying shame. The first issue has just wrapped up, and so far this comic has a lot going for it. It's funny -- like, really, really funny. It's got an Astronaut Ninja, a classy telepathic giant scorpion sidekick, an evil Ninja Warlock brother, and plenty of gun-toting alien fodder. Beyond the sheer originality of the story, the art is fantastic, the action is everything you'd want from a tale about a ninja in space, the story features true (weird) friendship, and enough terrible (fantastic) puns to fill up a joke book. I typically prefer dark, sprawling stories, but I look forward to Astronaut Ninja updates every week now. And you totally should, too.
Obscurato, by @DMBrigman
Obscurato is a new fantasy book with a lot of mystery, and a unique and layered mythology. The more we learn about the mythology of the story, the better it gets. The art style is unique, the coloring and lettering are very strong, and the characters are very interesting and promise to reveal depth as they develop. If you're looking for a new fantasy story about magic, romance and adventure, you won't go wrong with Obscurato.
From Destiny's Ashes, by Finjix
From Destiny's Ashes is another unknown potential diamond-in-the-rough. It's a sweeping, epic sci-fi tale with plenty of heroes, villains, rebels, robot dystopia, galactic war, and questions of morality. Though the creator is Swedish, it reads pretty well in English. Nobody's seen it, though the first two chapters are finished. The author has a very expressive, unique style of art and the action scenes are exciting. I'm a sucker for cool, original mythologies ... and From Destiny's Ashes has it in spades. If you like sci-fi, you'll be intrigued by this comic.
Electricity is Her Element, by Kathleen Kralowec
Wow. One of the amazing things about Tapastic is that sometimes a story comes along that is truly inspired, and pushes the boundaries of what we expect comic books to be. Electricity is Her Element reads like a cosmic tale of Greek Mythology, inventing a new story to explain why the universe is the way it is. Thus far, the story is so incredibly stylish and confident that it could stand as the basis for a new religion. The potential of the story is so great that it could be timeless, immortal ... if enough people read it. The art is one-of-a-kind, the voices of the personified elements are specific and engaging, and the lettering is almost art by itself. I come from a family with a strong connection to its Native American heritage, and what I love most about this story is how reminiscent it is of the stories ancient cultures would tell around a bonfire. At the same time, there is an inherent sci-fi element to this comic that makes it distinctly modern. I can't wait to see how the tale unfolds -- Electricity is Her Element is a treasure.
RetroBlade, by @Vanadis
RetroBlade is new. RetroBlade is great. RetroBlade has a bit more of a following than the other comics that I'm spotlighting above. RetroBlade deserves a much bigger following. It's funny, original, action-packed, with a unique voice through its art, its lettering, and its universe. If the theme of this month is, "Donathin loves a good mythology", RetroBlade fits the bill as much as any other title on this list. Describing RetroBlade's story is a bit of a challenge, but I think that its author does it best: RetroBlade is a story that includes Time-Travel, Augmented Powers, Higher Dimensions, Mullets, Jam, Motorbike Jousts, Cyborgs, Absolutely no Vampires, Crystal Swords, Jam... and much much more. It had me at Mullets and Jam.
Donathin's April 2016 Spotlight
You can read my full reviews from this month's issue of StArt Faire Magazine (click here to go straight to my reviews!)
Paradox Chronicles
[Fantasy] [Rated Teen for Violence, Adult Themes]
Story and Art by vonblinden22
Morganna of the Borgs
[Sci-fi/Super-hero] [Rated NSFW for Violence, Language and Brief Nudity]
Story and Art by listerart
Heroes for Ghosts
[Sci-fi] [Rated Adult for Violence & Language]
Story and Art by apocryphagraphics
Donathin's May 2016 Spotlight
You can read my full reviews from this month's issue of StArt Faire Magazine(click here to go straight to my reviews!), but below are my picks for my favorite Tapastic titles that deserve more attention from May! Seriously, check them out. They are all fantastic books.
Cataclysm
[Dystopic Fantasy] [Rated NSFW for Nudity and Violence]
Story and Art by Armando Batista
Voidchild
[Supernatural/Horror] [Rated Teen for Adult Situations]
Story and Art by @TheVoidchildProject
Dinohunter Chronicles
[Comedy/Fantasy] [Rated Teen for Language and Muscles]
Story and Art by GL-Zoon