Webcomic Book Club Full Reviews of Desert Rocks by JJ Naas

Art: At first, I liked the art for Desert Rocks. However, the characters have all ended up looking similar; if you took away the hair and shading, I'd probably be hard pressed to tell who was who. I'd like to see more variation in the people's faces. However, the backgrounds never disappointed me, and I wish other comics had this much detail for their settings. Characters: Like the art, everyone seems to have the same motivation. Almost everyone is wandering for their own reasons, and sometimes those motivations aren't very clear. I do like Coen, but he's not interesting enough to warrant the attention he's gotten so far. Story: Right now, the story is rather rambling. At first I thought we were following Coen, but now we're following May and Nizma as well, who have all of Chapter Nine (all that's finished, at least) to themselves. I feel like I've come in after the first fifteen minutes of the movie-I'm not lost, but I don't know why I should care about these people or where they're going. Writing: I like the writing for "Desert Rocks"; I may not like the story so far, but everyone seems to speak realistically, and the people who travel prioritize intelligently. This part is probably the best feature of the comic. Overall: I enjoy "Desert Rocks", but I don't think I can ramble on with it for much longer. It needs to develop a point soon, even if it's not all that dramatic. 6 out of 10. Review by Benor Thu Apr 22 2004 04:21 PM

A review of Desert Rocks by Kajamir the Giant Desert Rocks is a very laid back little comic concerning an adventure of several people wandering a foreign land in search of what to do in their lives and political justice. There's no strong direction or goal it's taking along the way, but seems to do well enough at it's own pace, coupled with decent smudgy art. This webcomic (like everything else about it) was slow to grow on me. At first, I was of the mind that it wasn't particularly interesting. It was too lethargic. However, after things get moving from the unremarkable beginning, you'll get a feel for the pacing of this comic, which is more relaxed than lazy. It doesn't always work, and it doesn't exactly stand out, but again, functions well enough for what it is. The characterization is here and though reasonably defined, the political refugees of Desert Rocks are of decidedly low interest. I could tell there was a nice amount of definition given to this world, a mix of reality and fantasy, but aside from the male lead's plight in the jail cell, I didn't really care too much what happened. Again, perhaps the speed of things matters here, or it's just a situation where the characters aren't as emotive and individualized as I'd like. Fortunately, said characters are all mainly distinct enough to be recognized at least superficially. The art here feels reminiscent of the smudgy pug nosed Demonology 101 style, but much brighter. The characters look maybe a bit too mellow for me to want to root for them, but it feels pretty in tune with everything else here. I eventually thought well enough of this webcomic, but it's wandering quality gets kind of sleepy if just dull at times. It's a strange thing to see things happening yet get the impression not much actually is. The slumbering progression of things is a bit hit and miss, unfortunately. I liked the background given for the world they inhabit, but what's going on within it currently doesn't do it as much justice. So for me, Desert Rocks seems above ho-hum, but not by much. If a webcomic could have a classifiable personality, Desert Rocks is a Type B. You learn about the underlying story and situation, which is fine, but I don't think anything here is terribly memorable so much as decent for what it is. It makes for languid reading. I give Desert Rocks a 6 of 10 stars. Not bad, but far too slow to really interest me. Someone who could appreciate a fictional real world politicial/magic understory and the smooth sailing pace could probably appreciate it more, and to them I would recommend it. Review by Kajamir the Giant Sun Apr 18 2004 10:19 PM

A combination of the title and the banner image attracted my attention to this comic. While I am not (and probably won't be) a regular for the WBC, I thought I would throw in my 2 cents on this comic. The art style is somewhat plain, but I feel that part of the attractiveness of the comic is the art style. The lines in the drawings have a rather soft feel. The majority of the coloring is accomplished using what seems to be black watercolors, with the most recent chapters gaining a hint of color. The story begins by focusing on 3 main characters who meet in a chance encounter. The first one (Coen) is a professional wanderer. The other two (Nizna and Mayna) are mages in training on a pilgrimage. As the plot unfolds, it is revealed that their world is a world at war. The dominant governments have become rather tyrannical in nature, and at least one resistance movement has developed. It is in this world that we follow the characters through their endeavors. In chapter 5, Coen encounters an unexpected person from his past (El), and it appears that the two of them will become a team of sorts. Most of the story is told through narration, with historical expose occurring when one character tells another character a story. I found that I had to take a moment to locate names when writing this review, as names are usually only spoken when someone is introducing him or herself. However, the appearances are distinct enough that you can recognize someone based on appearance alone. Site navigation could possibly be improved slightly (I'm used to the 'calender' style navigation found on the Keen* comics), but it would be difficult to get lost with the scheme already in place. Reading through the archives took me an hour or two, but I feel it was time well spent. It is likely that this comic would appeal to those who enjoy fantasy or adventure stories. Over all, I have found it to be a well written and enjoyable read. Review by Centaur Prime Fri Apr 16 2004 01:14 AM

Before I go on, I must thank Furilius for honoring my request by featuring this comic and A Miracle of Science. Thanks a bunch! Desert Rocks is quite a different story-driven comic than most. Instead of a certain goal or drive in the story, it's more of a wandering feeling. This is refreshing, however, as it gives the comic a real sense of adventure. Nearly every aspect of the comic is downplayed and that brings makes the subtleties more noticeable. Art The art here is not meant to be awe-insiring, but charming. It's a bit rough with some sketch lines showing, but instead of making it seem unprofessional, the art seems to have more emotion in it. The roughness sort of reflects the world that the comic describes. The characters are drawn slightly out-of-prportion, but it's not a big deal. The facial expressions are drawn just subtly enough so you know what the characters feel, but not as if you're being beaten over the head with their emotions. The landscapes such as this one and this one are impressive, as many different regions are shown quite well, from large cities to cold mountains to dense forests to date farms. The color is black-and-white with many shades of grey for the most part, with the beginning of chapter 9 done in a limited scale of light yellow and grey. It's very beautiful. Story As said before, there isn't any driving force behind the story here. The backstory of the world in this comic is largely unexplained, unfolded a bit every once in a while through conversation. As far as I can tell, a warlord has been taking over and pillaging many nations, so the neighboring nations have been allying themselves with the warlord in order to avoid his wrath. Characters The main characters here are Coen, Mayna and Nizna. Coen is a young man who is a refugee from his home state of Saaher. He's a natural wanderer, though, and has been to many places and taken many jobs. The upside is that he gets to see the world, but the downside is that he cannot form any sort of attachment to any of the places he visits or people he meets. Nizna and Mayna are cousins that are part of an important family from the state of Tinaret. Mayna, however, is part of a resistance group in Tinaret. Both of them have snuck away from Nizna's father in order to go on a pilgrimage to various temples, but Nizna is naive to the outside world, and also unaware of Mayna's ties at first. Plot Coen meets Mayna and Nizna in the city of Fett. After they get to know each other, Coen gets in trouble when a spoiled princess decides to have some fun. After escaping prison with a mysterious man named Starry, they all decide to leave Fett and come to the Gator Camp via river. It's then that they must part ways. Coen takes a job picking dates at the camp, while Mayna and Nizna continue their pilgrimage. Both parties meet new people and have more adventures, as Coen decides to explore some ruins near the camp, while Nizna and Mayna have a difficult pilgrimage ahead of them. This is all a bit slow-paced, but I think that gives the reader time to absorb the scenery around them. All of the characters have interesting conversations, even if they don't advance the story. In many ways I feel as if I'm walking alongside the characters, experiencing what they feel. It's that immersion thing that I like so much. Even though this comic has around 200 pages, I feel that it's still only starting. In General I really enjoy this comic and it's one of my favorites. I like it mostly because it's so different from other manga-styled comics in the fact that it's not always rushing to be somewhere. Many other comic creators rush through their comics in order to get to or get over with certain plot points, but this one takes its time and chills, a lot like me. It's good to relax every once in a while. In short, Desert Rocks rocks. Review by Cobra Wed Apr 14 2004 01:09 PM

Offsite Review Summaries

"Finnish artist JJ Naas's Desert Rocks is a fantasy, but hardly takes notice of the fact. Instead it conjures up a convincing, tangible world that in many ways resembles our own." more... Read Full Review by Joe Zabel at The Webcomics Examiner Mon Aug 09 2004

"I suppose Desert Rocks could best be described as a fantasy slice-of-life. It follows the journeys of Coen, an apparently intelligent and educated young man with a mysterious, shadowy past, who now scrapes out a living by finding odd jobs, while taking the opportunity to explore the cities and countryside he passes through. He's one part itinerant laborer, one part tourist; think of a college student out on a cross-country backpacking trip, except that in Coen's case, there is something driving him and he can't go home again." more... Read Full Review by Layla Lawlor at Sequential Tart Sun Feb 01 2004

Visitor Reviews & Comments

This is a really good comic. The pacing IS slow. That's part of what makes it so good. We are exploring a world--and some people's goals, dreams & inspirations. It's fair to dislike this comic because you don't like this TYPE of comic--but it's important to recognize that this is a valid, complete form of storytelling, and it may not be a style you like.... but it's a style and it's a really shining example of that style! Review by streever Sun Aug 08 2004 03:43 PM

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