Webcomic Book Club Full Reviews of Sketchbook by Jeff Crowther

Visuals: Style- The style of this comic has a flavor to it. Each of the characters has a great design to back themselves up; I especially liked the designs of the knights. All of the characters show personality, and some of them are well thought out. The characters have a large amount of detail put into them, and into the various textures. Flow- Sketchbook doesn't use any sort of standard in it's presentation. Panels can appear any place, in any size, and can flow in a variety of directions. It was very organic, and very well handled. An interesting note is that the author does provide a 'storyline' in the background, insuring that everything is in proper order. It actually took me a while to notice, but I found it a nice touch. Plot: Greater- The basic premise of the comic is neither original nor cliché, but is handled extremely well. The world of has a unique visual quality, like it truly was spawned out of stories and legends. Every part of the world has the quality of the fantastic. We only know as much as Abe does, and are left desiring to know more. Focused- I just like how the characters act. Alabaster is noble without being corny. I like the verbal bouts between Abe and Phistus. Everyone has their own charm and, in the case of the native's of K'o, mysticism. I want to know more about them. Final Thoughts: When you get right down to it, I just like it. I really do. Final Grade: A Review by Taua Boswell Tue Jan 13 2004 03:41 PM

"Weeee. Welcome to Salen's review of Sketchbook." "I'm trying to think of the best way to summarize it. The comic itself is the classic tale of good verses almost overwelming evil. Pretty cut and dry basis, but then we find out that our unlikely hero is a highschool kid who draws in his... take a guess... sketchbook. His even less likely sidekick is a yellow... creature, with a single antenna and tiny wings. Oh, and a snarky attitude." "Throw into this mix, a story of highschool tensions, a female friend, a fantasy world that relates back to the main character's father and grandfather, and you've got yourself one interesting comic. Oh, and then there's the two floating talking heads. But thats just some extra info... Its really sort of wierd." Artwork: "Art! I like art. And this artwork is pretty cool. Its sort of manga-ish, in a way, but more in just being influenced than anything else. And occasionally the art shifts, or just changes slightly, depending on the situation, such as a flash back or dream or stuff like that. Its all very neat though, and its very stylized." Characters: "There's plenty of characters going on. Ones in the real world, and those in the world of... uh... the place I can't remember how to spell. But yeah, there's characters there too. And like some of the others said, the characters aren't as developed as some would like. Even though the comic is quite large at this point, I still feel that the comic is just now starting to really getting out of the 'beginning' and get to the real fun stuff. I'm sure in time, we'll find out the connection of the fantasy world with Abe's grandfather and father, and how his father's death affected it as well. But right now, some characters are just more stereotypical, like the evil Teacher from Hell. But hey, there's time for that. Right now, I'm having fun enjoying the comic." Writing: "Words! There's lots of words going on here. And overall, I can't complain about the writing. Its interesting, it keeps my attention, and some of it I just expect. The only thing that probably threw off my reading in the comic was that it doesn't follow a standard pattern of flow. Instead of using a typical style of comic panels, the artist instead uses a line to connect the first panel to the next, and so on and so forth. Its like a big game of Candy-Land. Once I figured out that I had to follow the line from panel to panel, reading it made MUCH more sense. Really. But thats about the biggest complaint I can state with it." Plot: "I here to save the world! No, actually I just was told I can save the world and I got dragged here." "That pretty much explains the very basics of the story. Its more complicated, from some of the things I've mentioned, but in the end, its a story of good verses evil. But its a classic and it works. Go with it..." Overall: "I like this comic, a lot. It's cool, it's got action, it's got adventure, it's got witty banter, it's got fantasy, it's got magic, and i'ts got a monster named Harry. Don't ask about that last one. Anyways, it's very cool, and it'll be a treat to see where it goes next. And other than that small flub with not knowing how to read the comic right, its really been a fun read." Score: 9.25 out of 10. Review by Salen Stormwing Sat Dec 20 2003 06:18 PM

I want to know what happens next. That's about the best compliment I can give to any story. Summary "Sketchbook" is about a boy named Abe who recently lost his father and has moved into a new town with his Mom. He befriends a female classmate named Mavis and the two of them enter a strange fantasy realm named K'Ozmana which may or may not be of Abe's own creation, somehow tied to the drawings in his sketchbook. Like many fantasy epics, "Sketchbook" follows the formula involving a great evil that has beset the land, which may only be vanquished by the deeds of an unlikely hero. Artwork The artwork is refreshingly distinctive and a joy to behold. The colors are vibrant and the linework has an energetic bold quality that brings vitality to the pictures. The settings and character designs are imaginative and the artist exaggerates things with a quirky flair, which the reader quickly gets used to. I found myself occasionally reading panels in the wrong order as the arrangement often was counter to standard left-right layout. But following the black panel-connector lines allowed me to discern the intended order. Characters I think the characters could be developed a bit stronger. I do like them (which itself is no easy accomplishment in writing), but they feel just a bit generic. They lack some distinctive details to really make them pop out. For example, similar school scenes from "American Born Chinese" (teacher introduces new kid, bullying from peers) contained the kind of specific details that made the scenes feel actually lived. The scenes with Abe at school had more of a generic everyboy quality to them. Even in K'Ozmana, the characters seemed to continually speak and act in a way to merely reinforce their type ("noble knight", "reluctant sidekick"). Some of the aggravation banter between Abe and Phistus could have been a bit sharper. I'd like to see the K'Ozmana denizens grow as three-dimensional characters beyond the initial role they may perform. But the story is still young and there is still time for that. Story I'm ready for the adventure to really get rolling in K'Ozmana. Having the characters be able to go back to the human world and hang out for a while kind of dampened the sense of urgency over the dire mission in K'Ozmana. While it is still an interesting choice to see the hero back in the real world mid-adventure, I just don't want the narrative momentum derailed. Like I mentioned at the top, I look forward to what happens next. Review by The Phantom Critic Sat Dec 20 2003 02:29 PM

Art: Whee! Fun art! To be perhaps a bit more precise, the art is stylish, bold, and creative. At least when it comes to the denizens of the fantasy world K'ozmana it is. The humans are pretty much your typical cartoony bunch, unfortunately, but in my mind, the somewhat Seussian characters and scenery of K'ozmana more than make up for that. Characters: Whee! Fun...alright, I won't start that again. Some of the human characters don't really seem to be that interesting, to be honest. The principal's too much a cliche, always out to make the students as miserable as possible. Admittedly, there are people like that out there, but there are simply too many similarly sadistic principals out there in fiction for it to really be all that interesting. Fortunately, he plays a minor role. Similar is the bully, territorial, violent, and about as bright as a musk ox. The main characters are, thankfully, a bit more well-rounded. Abe, while a typical smart-mouthed kid, shows enough depth and history to still be interesting, as does his friend. The mom's not been shown enough to draw too many conclusions about yet, so I hold my judgement in reserve. On the other hand, like the art, the characters become markedly more interesting, particularly Alabaster. He certainly seems realistic, and does his job without being overly angsty, which, in my opinion, would certainly ruin the mood of the comic. Story: Ah, well, the story, the story...I've read stories before that seem similar, but Sketchbook's story still holds undeniable charm. It also brings enough originality with it to the table to keep me interested, and while the school/K'ozmana dynamics have minimal thus far, I look forward to some more development there. Overall: Dammit, as much as unlikely heroes travelling to strange worlds has been done before, I've still got a soft spot in my heart for them, and with Sketchbook's undeniable flair in mind, I give it an 8/10. Review by Luthorne Sat Dec 20 2003 04:39 AM

Art: I really like the style for Sketchbook, and the level of detail that goes into it. The backrounds always stand out to me, which is hard to do. However, while the creator has done a great job with the inhabitants of K'ozmana, I'm less impressed with the humans of the story. While I don't mind the oversized hands, their arms don't seem to fit their physiques. Characters: While I have problems with the visual style, I like the personalities behind the characters. Abe is someone who hides his problems behind humor, to me, and I can understand that. Mavis isn't as easy to pin down, but I thought her reactions were reasonable to me. And Nobu was just cool. Back on track...the same, fortunately, could be said for the K'ozmana natives. Alabaster is a noble figure, and loyal-but that loyalty has cost him a great deal as well, which he tries to hide. I could keep coming up with examples, but in my opinion, they're all believable...except for the principal. I find it hard to believe that he would dole out punishments that quickly without having some kind of official reprimand coming down on his head. Story: I liked Sketchbook's story a lot, because it had more depth than I expected. At first, I thought Abe would just appear in the world and start to make the connections, thus changing into the standard "savior from another world" idea. However, he's just now making the connections-and outside of K'ozmana, as well. I like that, and the fact that Abe hasn't solved the mystery...he just has a better shot at it. At the same time, the readers have more clues, but I haven't come up with an easy or obvious answer. Things can still go several ways, and I like that. It lets me construct my own theories while preserving some of the mystery. Writing: I like the writing for Sketchbook, but there are some holes that nag me. For example: is Abe an albino, or simply pale? Several people have made comments about his complexion, but I can't decide. And what happened to the Kevin that was sent to our world? He definitely appeared...and since Mavis, Abe and Phistus have been in the 'real world' for several weeks right now, I think he would have come back in some way. Of course, that might be just on the horizon...but I'm waiting. Overall: I give Sketchbook 9 out of 10. I certainly enjoy it, and I want to see more of the story unfold. While it has some weak spots, they appear isolated to me, and I can't wait until it comes back from its hiatus. Review by Benor Wed Dec 17 2003 12:56 AM

A review of Sketchbook by Kajamir the Giant Our final Modern Tales selection is a tale of a small teen who enters a fantasy world based on the writings of his grandfather. He seeks to help restore good to the world and make sense of the questions posed to him by visions which parallel the grandfather's acquaintances and characters within the world he developed. Sketchbook is generally a story about the fantastic but with down time elements concerning the real world. Sketchbook is very stylish indeed, both in design and art. Closest comparisons I can surmise are Creed and The Maxx. Style rules the day for Sketchbook. It just seems really inspired, particularly in designs. While the real world people are rather unexceptional looking including our hero (Abe), the fantasy world denizens are like nothing I can compare to. The soldier, the keymaster, even the king, are all rather eye catching. The author's particular art style is an interesting mix of graffiti, sketching, and a touch of anime, with over sized hands being a trademark. Style wise, I loved Sketchbook in every way. Creatively constructed images that worked very well as characterizations. Expressions also get big points from me this time. Abe's facial reactions give him a lot of life. Writing gets a little shakier here. While I thought it was nicely put together in terms of a story that both reveals and gives tingles of suspense, I must say the real world instances within the comic are just not very interesting compared to the fictional world. Furthermore, characters seem conveniently unreasonable or confrontational, more than I would find plausible. This is further confounded that the kids/teens don't particularly seem like actual teenagers, but intrepid experienced adults. That rather bugged me about Abe and his friend. You'd see them in their daily paces, but Abe's way too self assured when confronted by the dumb jocks. Even when he gets pounded, he doesn't seem affected personality wise. That sense of untouchability didn't sync with how weaker teenagers behave. Despite the lacking in the real world elements of Sketchbook (with the exception of the dad and grandfather conflict... nicely put together, I might add), Sketchbook was a lot of fun in the fictional world, as well as outright eye candy. I could even see this being animated and quite popular for late night viewing. I grant Sketchbook a 9 out of 10 stars. Had the plausibility problems not jarred me a bit, I might've given it a full ten point rating. Sketchbook is a real treat. Review by Kajamir the Giant Sun Dec 14 2003 10:45 PM

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