Pretty Cool Webcomics

Short story: Not really

Mare Internum is a Pretty Cool Webcomic by Der-Shing Helmer / @marecomic! Updates irregularly, but usually on Mondays and Fridays.

In the not-so-distant future, the colonization of Mars is in its early stages. Several research stations are focused on this “First Wave Initiative,” including Devotion Base where Dr. Mike Fisher works on studying the cave system underneath Mars’ surface... or rather, where he worked. Having been fired from his position, Mike grimly awaits his return to an Earth where there is no one and nothing left for him- in his mind, at least. On his last day he meets his replacement, a colonist named Bex, and agrees to take her on a tour of the underground station, and that’s when everything goes wrong.

Mike’s breakdown, followed by the cave’s breakdown, leaves the two scientists separated and trapped far beneath the planet’s surface. What they find ends up being beyond any comprehension, but the harsh truth remains that they are stuck there with no food, no water, and an environment that can only last for so long with interlopers such as them...

Der-Shing’s work is again some that I was already familiar with, having viewed her comics on and off before really digging my hands into this one, and as someone who usually works in fantasy settings and elements seeing her expand into science fiction (albeit with some very fantastic designs and concepts brought in) was a change that is very well-handled! The art is visually stunning and well-paced, and the writing, while far darker in places, really feels like some of her best stuff yet.

It’s not for everyone- there are points where it feels like a pulp adventure story brought into contemporary times and mixed with heavy psychological themes, and the heavy parts can get really heavy for only being a few chapters in. But the story so far is engaging and respectful to these things, and I have enough faith that it won’t simply all be in Mike’s head, so if you want a story to grab you and embed into your mind this would be a good place to start.

Mare Internum contains blood and violence, body horror, themes of mental illness and CSA, and opens on a failed suicide attempt, and is recommended for older teens and up.

Thanks to the anon who suggested this comic!

Back is a Pretty Cool Webcomic by KC Green / @kcgreenn and Anthony Clark @nedroidcomics ! It updates once a week on Wednesdays.

She doesn’t remember anything. Her first thoughts arrive at the same time as she escapes from a coffin, buried in a dark graveyard. Dead men with guns. A strange symbol, the same that was on her prison. And a small coven of witches, who take her in and present her with a name and a purpose.

Her name is Abigail, and her destiny is to end the world.

With no other options - not even any reason to THINK of options - Abigail accepts both these things, and sets off to perform the task she seems to exist for. Along the way she meets villagers in aid, bandits and tyrants serving a cruel king with mysterious motives... and Daniel, a druid who decides to travel with Abigail to either recruit her help in stopping the king or stop HER from her seemingly god-given duty. But with mystery upon mystery upon conspiracy, whose side is Abigail truly on? Is Abigail even on her own side?

From the artist behind Nedroid comics, and the writer who gave us such profound works such as the “This is Fine” meme and Dick Butt, comes a... actually very thoughtful story about fate, free will, and the end of the world. As the characters travel from town to town on their journey North more of the mystery slowly begins to unfurl, but just slowly enough that you want more without being turned off by slow pacing. The art, angles, and transition scenes are handled beautifully as well- just look at the page below. That’s a scene where the viewpoint character was hanging upside down from a tree transitioning to a scene of him sitting upright at a bar, and the pouring of the bottle allows us to follow along seamlessly.

Sure, there’s still a bunch of potty humour thrown in from time to time, and the characters and dialogue can be goofy even if the story isn’t, but it just adds to the charm presented in this world, and you’ll likely be hooked before Abigail even finds her way into the first town. Back is one of those comics I followed on and off before eventually giving in and doing a full archive read, and boy howdy am I kicking myself for not doing it sooner!

Back contains death and violence, possible body horror, and occasional gross-out humour, and is recommended for teens and up.

Thanks to @laqueus for the suggestion!

Dreamless is a Pretty Cool Webcomic by Bobby Crosby and Sarah Ellerton! It is complete and remains free to read online.

Eleanor has never been able to dream. When she sleeps, instead of the usual process of her brain sorting through all the information it took in over the day, she sees life through the eyes of a boy her age in Japan. And when Takashi sleeps, he sees the world through her eyes. Through this mysterious connection they grow up and learn together, in a relationship that no other person could comprehend.

But when the person most real and meaningful to you lives on the other side of the world, managing your own life can sometimes seem like an impossible task. Without proof you may feel as though this other person is only a dream... or worse, a hallucination. You may have to work and study to find some way, any way, to bring the two of you together. And you will have to act fast, because a global war is drawing your respective countries closer and closer to conflict, creating a rift which might divide your lives for good...

While this is a comic several years old by now, it is nevertheless absolutely gorgeous, with art and story that draws you into the world of these two lovers desperate to meet face-to-face after a lifetime apart. The painterly style really sets the tone, and as someone who has seen Ellington’s work before this I can say that it’s some of her best in both colour and detail. Everything’s set up to nicely draw you into the worldbuilding surrounding this concept, and in the world of online relationships and political turmoil we find ourselves in nowadays, this story could not be more apt.

Unfortunately this story does its job a little TOO well for me; at only 70 pages long it leaves a lot of unanswered questions, and while Eleanor’s struggles with her faith and fears of mental illness are engaging some more focus on Takashi’s side of things would have been nice to see as well, especially with so little of his own family and social life being examined. But despite its flaws, if you like your historical romantic fiction with a supernatural twist then Dreamless will be a satisfactory read.

Dreamless contains themes of war, references to and an attempted suicide, and discussions of mental illness, and is suitable for teens and up.

Thanks to @shadow-wasser for the recommendation!

While I am keeping messaging open for the time being, please do not use it to submit comic suggestions. Both the Ask Box and the Submissions are open for this exact purpose, and it helps me keep better track of all the comics that are queued up.

@sarahluann​ asked:

Thanks for all your awesome reviews! I find my usual problem with webcomics is I lose momentum when I catch up and have to wait for new pages, so I am just wondering if you have any completed or almost completed web comics you particularly recommend? Thanks again!

Hi there! Sorry this took so long but I absolutely have some completed webcomics for you to check out! A short list is below:

The Less Than Epic Adventures of TJ and Amal by E.K. Weaver (for mature readers)

The Artist is Dead! by Noah Farlee

Rice Boy and Order of Tales by Evan Dahm

The Art of Monsters by Herbal Jabbage (bonus for also being short!)

Narbonic by Shaenon K. Garrity

A Softer World by Emily Horne and Joey Comeau

8-Bit Theater by Brian Clevinger

Serenity Rose by Aaron Alexovich

The Muse Mentor by Amy King (as you can see on the main page, the final two chapters will be released in page batches over the next year, but regardless is it nearly completed)

Above The Clouds is a Pretty Cool Webcomic by Melissa Pagluica / @darksunrose! It updates once a week on Mondays.

This is a story about stories.

Long ago and far away, there was an Elder Tree that help the joy and balance of the world. It was guarded and tended to by the Caretakers, the people of the sky who dedicated their lives to the Tree’s happiness. Then the dragon came, and destroyed everything... except for one Caretaker, who now journeys the land in search of answers. But if they lose hope, they too will be doomed to despair, along with the rest of the world...

The author of this tale, meanwhile, has a dragon of his own to face against. When a young girl named Eily is given a storybook, she falls in love with it and the Caretaker’s journey, but is saddened to discover that the book is incomplete. She seeks out the author, her friend Cian who is also a warrior suffering from a loss of confidence, and slowly convinces him to take up his pen once more as they work together to find an end to the story. Can both Caretaker and their author overcome their doubts and ensure that everyone can find a happy ending?

With soft colours, creative character designs, and some lovely use of storytelling without dialogue, it’s awfully hard to believe that this story was made to practice comics! But it hits all those marks and more with a sweet and intimate story about friendship, creativity, and finding the strength to move forward and pursue the things important to you, even with everything standing in your way.

As someone who struggles with a lot of the problems depicted in this comic - loss of confidence, depression, trying to make room in your life for the things you love doing - this comic strikes all the right chords, and really makes me root for not just the Caretaker but also Eily and Cian. I wish them the best, I wish Pagluica the best, and to all of you who struggle with your own dragons, I wish you the best as well.

Above the Clouds is suitable for all ages.

Thanks to @quest-bread​ for the submission!