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To me, this is an example of a excellent 'niche' or 'parody' comic. If you've never played any RPG games, you're not going to appreciate a lot of this comic. There's a ton of jokes that only make sense from that perspective.
However, if you have played any RPG games - particularly those by Squaresoft - I think you'll find it amusing. It pokes fun at a variety of RPG standards, such as one-line NPCs and after-battle posing. Cherry's confusion with the absurdities of the world she's is the perfect way to express the whole idea.
In addition, I think the art and storytelling are excellent. There are no muddy or unclear images, and the plot moves along swiftly enough to prevent boredom, but with enough detail to develop the various characters. The plot has become even stronger in recent strips as Cherry's background is revealed, giving hints as to why she sees the world the way she does.
If you're a fan of RPG games, I strongly urge you to check this strip out. If you're not, you may still enjoy it but you're going to miss a lot of jokes too. I'd suggest looking for a less specialized strip. |
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Tue May 25 2004 11:35 AM |
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I'm quite honestly surprised at the reaction this comic has gotten. I checked out Diesel Sweeties a year or more ago and revisited it again for this review. Now I'll admit this time around I only read the first 200 or so strips, but I don't think any more is necessary to get a strong idea of the comic.
Did this strip offend me? Not in the slightest. It's not a black hole that all webcomics should avoid emulating either. Personally, I found it rather bland.
Diesel Sweeties is a comic about an ex porn star, her robot lover and their various acquaintances. Typical strips will feature Maura & Clango joking about their sex life, Indie Pete failing in his efforts to be 'indie', Maura's sister dating a variety of men and a red robot who wants to kill all humans. The art is consistent and clear, and the text easy to read. It's not meant to be eye candy and it serves its function - illustrating the dialogue - perfectly well.
It's a gag a day strip that doesn't delve deeply into plot or characterization, which makes it a light strip that’s easy to pick up again if you happen to miss a few days. The writing style and jokes are very consistent from strip to strip.
I have no plans to return to this comic, simply because it doesn't catch my interest. I don't find the basic premise of a robot and a human having sex to be particularly shocking, thought provoking, amusing or offensive. I didn't find any of the characters especially interesting, enviable or even pitiful, and really didn't care what happened to them from strip to strip. While I did find a pun or ironic statement amusing in a few strips, overall, Diesel Sweeties isn't 'my' kind of funny.
The best way to decide if Diesel Sweeties is worth your time is to read 25-50 strips. Even if it doesn't become your favorite read, there are far worse ways to lose a few minutes. |
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Tue May 25 2004 11:21 AM |
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Kagerou is one of the few comics I read regularly. I'm not sure how I'd define the story, but does keep me interested in what's going to happen next. The graphic style is very unique, with a gradient-coloring system. Its interesting to look at and can provide a very 'otherworldly' feel.
When you first start reading it though, it can be confusing. I had to go back and re-read the first chapter once I finally relalized the speech bubbles were color coded. In actual fact, i think they're double color-coded, with the outside color being the body thats speaking, and the inside color being the personality. Once you've got that straight - and you learn to pay attention to eye color - it becomes a lot easier.
The other thing I found confusing was sorting Tcaolin, Tonbu and Fuuka. I'd definitely recommend reading the character guide for this comic, as well as the FAQ.
There's a lot of plot elements to keep your attention. Between the basic champion/goddess story, the flashbacks to Kano's past and the various and assorted things that are going on inside his skull the comic rarely slows down.
Overall, I recommend it. |
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Thu Jan 22 2004 08:24 AM |
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| I think "Return to Sender" is an enjoyable comic with a lot of potential. The artwork is nicely done, especially the expressions. I love the expressions. There's a lot conveyed without words. The characters -especially the over the top Collette- seem anime-ish in personality, which also appeals to me. The comic isn't very far along, so a lot of the plot is still a mystery. You can formulate a lot of questions about where the letters are coming from, who the demons are and what the heck is going on??, but this early in a story, I enjoy a lot of questions. While I won't be checking weekly for updates on this, I will check in every few months to read the updates. |
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Thu Jan 22 2004 08:09 AM |
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Shaw Island
I've only time to read four or five comics on a regular basis, and this is definitly one of them. It's consistently funny, intelligent and original. Even though the characters in some ways fit sterotypes (Anime Fan, Programmer, Stalker..) they're presented in a unique and engaging manner.
The artist has managed to merge elements of absurity (like the hamsters and crabs) with serious realism ( like the characters reactions to their various failed relationships). The satire on both a personal and society level is always dead on, and I find the timing is really well done as well - storylines are long enough to capture interest but end before they get boring or over done.
My favorite character has to be the hamster king, though the humans are pretty nice too.
On a final note, I like the format change that happened early on. While the heavy dialogue at the beginning was great for establishing the characters, I think it would get a bit much on a constant basis. The tighter dialog in the current strips is much more pleasing on a regular basis. |
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Mon Jan 27 2003 12:41 PM |
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