Anatta

In the near future, a technology that allows people to exchange minds between their bodies has emerged. Through the life of Alex Lee, ANATTA explores the identity revolution brought about by the global exchange of minds.

Review of Anatta;

Story;
Off to a great start so far. There's a clear air of mystery around the main character and this mind switch business. I'm definitely hoping a bigger scheme in all this will be revealed soon, or at least hints there's more to the story than the mystery behind the main character and the mind switch business.
The author does an excellent job with Pacing, and even more so of a compliment considering I know only one other story webcomic with decent pacing.

Another thing I liked about the story is it has absolutely no mass appeal tropes that are the majority of webcomics. On one negative hand i can see the readership of anatta being plateaued early, but on another I can see it being talked about for its originality and freshness.

Art;
The art can be pretty rough around the edges, it seems to be clearing up in later pages. One thing about the art that i dislike is the poor line scratches for 'shading'. I think the author intends to use the feathering effect popular in mainstream comic titles, but is using the wrong pen and technique. Feathering is best done with a brush/ink and is made by drawing the brush from one base getting thinner as it goes out-while the base connects with other feathers(pick up Tom nyugen's 'drawing kick ass comics' for more in depth or even 3PU's pin-up). I find the panels where the author does not attempt feathering to be much more appealing. Besides that the art has good story telling abilities.

Coloring;
Quite nice and suits the comic, gritty an a bit cloudy but with purpose. I think once the author gets more sure with the line quality of the inking the coloring will really start to shine. I thought this page was one of the best coloring wise.

Overall;
Good stuff I will continue reading and recommend it to others;
Anatta gets a 9/10

Anatta is an awesome comic, it's one of the few story comics I have found that are actually good. Anatta is suspensfull and that plot is really intense, it gets where it needs to go and doesn't take too long getting there. The story is interesting, Anatta's best quality is telling the story in a way that makes it not at all boring, something that a lot of story comics struggle with.

The art is awesome, I don't really consider art to be a huge factor in a comic, as long as it has what it needs, Anatta has more then what it needs, the art is very good.

Some problems I've found in Anatta is the text bubbles can get kind of confusing in some pages, it can get kind of hard to understand who is talking to who, also speach buble chains go on for too long sometimes.

Overall Anatta is a very good comic, in the world of internet story comics where most are boring, Anatta stands out as one of the few that are actually really good. I give it 9.5/10.

For starters, this comic will frak your mind up, and I mean that in more than one way, but all good ways!

Lets start with the plot. Existentialism is the word of the day here. Featuring a similar brand of sci-fi out of body jumpiness that exists in Ghost In the Shell, you're taken for a wild ride in the first chapter as both the liberties and consequences of this kind of society are brough to a painful light. Where any technology exists that can better mankind, someone somewhere will use it for ill gains. It's the dark side of a potentially and superficially glorious society.

Next, the characters. The characters all have souls, and by that I mean there are few characters who appear that are two dimensional, even in passing. With just so much as a word, a phrase or even a shot of the wall of somebody's home you get to know the characters so well in such a short period of time its quite astounding.

Lastly, the art. The coloring is subdued, but strong, in almost flat colors that bring the world to life in a way that is neither too dark, nor too vibrant, but mostly accurate, and the hatch-style shading combined with pastel like toning is a nice touch, as the pages swim from light to dark in an awesomely stylish way. The pictures themselves lend a strong hand in enforcing the character development and the overall existential and deep feel of the story.

Bottom line, this comic is definitely worth a read for the story, or if you dont like to read, just look at the pictures. You could almost get the exact same story from the illustrations alone.

I really enjoyed this comic, I can't wait to read more of it when the creators update.

Story/Plot: Liked it right from the start, it draws you in right from the beginning. I could see the story going just about anywhere, which is a great quality to have. I hate it when I can guess the ending right from the start. I also like that it reveals more of the story in controlled doses. It doesn't overload you with backstory at the start like I've seen a lot of stories (not just comics) do.

Art: The art was pleasing to look at and it seems like the artist has a fairly good grasp on anatomy and other fundamentals, which is something I always like to see in comics. The inking is alright, some panels seem overloaded with lines and most of the better panels seem to be the ones where the inking's been toned down a bit. The color really fit the feel of the comic, which I really liked.

One thing really stands out for me, which is the storytelling ability of the art. You get almost as much story from the art as from the text, and both mesh very well. Keep doing what you're doing, because you're doing it great.

Characters: One of my favorite parts of the comic. I'll use the fat guy as an example. The art and the dialogue introduce him as a fat pervert in a dirty apartment, but the story lets you learn more and more about him. What was really enjoyable for me was when I realized that I had started viewing him as a female Chinese woman than a dirty fat guy, and you start to empathize with her and her situation and feel sorry for her when the final transition is about to occur.

Overall: Great comic. I'll definitely keep reading, especially since I can see the artist getting a lot better the longer the comic goes on.

This comic is really a mixed bag for me. On one hand, I'm extremely impressed to see such a complex subject being handled so well in sequential form. However on the other hand, I definitely feel that in some spots, the art and writing can drag on the story.

That isn't to say that either is bad, its to say that I'm HIGHLY looking forward to when the artist and writer hit their stride with the comic. The potential of this story is very high, and I really hope they stick with it.

Back to my issues with the art. This issue is a small one that is easy to fix with continued updating. My issue is the heavy ink rendering. In some images the ink rendering is so overpowering that it begins to distract from the solid color work. What's so crazy about this is that the inker is actually doing MORE work than he/she needs to do to get the desired effect.

Once again, I'm sure this will be resolved with continued updating.

The writing and balloon placement can also be a bit strange, making it hard to discern who is talking. However this is a common mistake seen in many webcomics. Since its so early in the series, I fully expect this to improve over time.

I also want to discuss the character "Chad". His dialogue is HIGHLY stereotypical and almost offensive. I certainly understand that many black characters in popular media talk and act like "Chad", but in all seriousness, you have a black character that seems to be a technology/communications wizard, yet he talks like a sixth-grader who flunked fifth grade English. Its clearly too late to change Chad as a character, but I'd recommend the writers to be more careful when writing minority characters. There's nothing wrong with using stereotypes in characterization, but overdoing it can be offensive to potential readers.

In the end, Anatta has so minor issues, but has great potential to be something special. Once its early kinks are worked out, we could be looking at something really special.

7.5/10

Story
I think the story is effectively mysterious, without leaving the reader feeling lost and stupid. The first pages really drew you into the story, which is important in any comic.
There are some spots that were slightly confusing, but I think it had more to do with the talk bubbles positioning on the page and the types of bubbles used. It would have been nice in the first few pages if the talk bubbles from the TV were a little more different from the regular speaking bubbles, just to give more of a clearer separation of the two.
I think the story has some amazing potential for some moral questions about mind and body as well as some fun CSI meets Sci-fi action.

Art
The art is a little rough around the edges, mainly in proportion, anatomy and structure in the people. The art has a very pleasing rustic style to the inking and colouring though that makes up for it.
The inking is awesome and creates great depth and very very good use of light and dark. I think that that really enhances the comic because the plot really requires the right kind of mood and the inking really does bring that out.
The colouring also, helps enhance the great use of light and dark, but I think where the comic shines is in it's inking. It give the comic it's style.

Overall
I'll be checking back on this comic. I think that even though the art is a bit rough, it has the potential to get better and the plot is interesting enough to have me wondering what'll happen next.
I think it's a very good comic!

Opening: Anatta gives a very impressive first impression. The opening pages drops the reader in the middle of the story and continues to slowly reveal details and plot as the reader peels away the story. The first thing that jumped out to me was the ability the author was able to play the sound of the tv with the buzzing of the telephone. It was extremely clever and well done. A great introduction.

Big Picture: Anatta is as stated by other reviewers, suspensful and addicting. The reader tends to want to continue to learn more about the main character and the plot. I found myself constantly asking questions as I read through the pages, which is a good sign that I was probably hooked. The author does a wonderful job revealing details slowly and has understood the craft of storytelling. The comic is still relatively new with a small archive, but it has shown that the potential of telling a great story is there.

Small Picture: The art style is a bit different that what catches my eye. The shading and lining is a bit more sketchy then what you will usually see. I prefer cleaner cut lines and bolder colors, but I am beginning to see the current art style does bring character to the story. The feel brings forth a "AEON FLUX" tone, so the art style's effect on the story still remains to be seen.
A plus as mentioned above is the use of panel and speech bubbles. I know a previous critic did not like the speech bubbles, but I personally think it is a very well done aspect of this comic. The panel size and placement allows the story to flow well.

Conclusion: Anatta is comic that successfully spins a tale of suspense in a science fiction world. The story is both creative and smart and should have no problems bringing more readers in as the story develops. Whether the panels are full of text and dialogue, or just images, the story is always told.

Intriguing story, effective art consistent with the mood of the story.

The one suggestion that I'd offer is that I think the comic would benefit tremendously from a wider variation of shot angles per page. Give this piece of literature a look (it's a good and quick read):

http://www.animationmeat.com/pdf/televisionanimation/strybrd_the_simpsonsway.pdf

Granted it's written for tv storyboarding, but you can use the same concepts for planning your panels.

Anatta is a thrilling story with alot of potential in all areas for a most excellent comic :)

Lets start with the story, the strongest point of the comic! At first glance, not being one for sci-fi action stuff, I wasn't sure whether I would really enjoy Anatta. However, unlike a lot of science fiction/fantasy esque comics, although the story of Anatta is very much focused on the bizzare technology (where people are able to swap bodies for a particular amount of time, it has become illegal) it makes full use of the emotional effects such technology might have on the characters, rather then just featuring it because it is cool! There would be nothing wrong if the story was like this, but it is important to point out to non sci-fi readers that this story is very engaging on a number of levels, to all kinds of readers!
So, as said before, the story, right from the start, is engaging on a personal level. As the story delves deeper into this strange technology, we also get to delve into an emotional story which was really quite sad (in a good way!). Along with this, the story is also very exciting- there is murder, trouble with the Triad, and charismatic characters right from the start. The story has really made the most of the world and characters, making an interesting narrative on many levels.

Artwise, I dont have many complaints either. The pages are very nicely paced, almost cinematic. Right from the first page you get an atmosphere, and things move along and different paces depending on where the story is at, completely adding to the experience, there is a very nice flow. The artwork is detailed and realistic, but also expressive, the artist is able to show feeling perfectly. The colouring is atmospheric, the scratchy line work appealing as well. Every now and then the characters can be a little off atonomy wise, but it really isnt noticable, especially when you are engaged in the flow of the comic.

Overall, honestly, it is hard to find anything in this comic to complain about, it lives up to its hype! If there are any little things that are a bit off, they are hard to notice as the comic and story flows nicely. The story is engaging and interesting on all levels- emotional, interesting characters, exciting story, interesting science fiction, making it accessible to most readers of all tastes. The art is nicely paced and easy to follow, go and read :)

I would like to thank everyone for taking so much time to write a review for us! We truly appreciate everyone's input and take everyone's suggestions under serious consideration.

The issue of inking is definitely something I am working on. I understand my shading totally needs work. Right now I am trying to learn to focus on being expressive and have a better scense of design through my lines. I am going to try to shade much less with this comic. Don't worry, the art will improve.

I was going to complain about the shading, at first... but it seems clear upon reading the entire thing that there's some experimentation going on. Some people are distracted by that, but I find it fascinating; seeing the evolutionary process as it happens is just an extra dimension to the comic that I actually enjoy.

My single biggest complaint is that I want to read the rest! The ideas are well-introduced, but we just barely touch upon them before I hit the end. It's nerve-wracking. There are so many questions, and so many ways they could be answered. The storyline is excellent, the artwork complements it well, and the sense of cinematic composition is strong. I'm particularly impressed with the background design, which is the weakest area of many comics.

I'm massively impressed. Another 8/10.

You have no clue how much I enjoy this comic!!

Artwork: The art apeals to me soo much, What is not to love? You have interesting character design, unique machinery, and fantastic use of all your techniques.
Lineart: Seamless and imperfections are rare. Consistently the best ive seen in most comics and amazing thought input.
Colouring: The colouring is really well done as well. I think I like the colouring better than the line art due to the fact that I just like colourful things! Hardly ever any line skips. Seems proffesional to me ^^


Story:

Utterly unique I think. Well implemented and Very readable. I enjoy the yakuza like chinese mafia. I love that you have a world political statement and story while not shoving it in our faces. Sooo little I could complain about I love it too much ^^

Lettering is well done and no reason to complain.

Overall: Oh My Gosh I love it ^^ I am a active reader now! <3 fan


Score: How could you not love this o...o

CDarklock, I am glad you understood that we were still (and to a degree still are) exploring with our shading techniques! I am also very happy that you liked the cinematic composition since much of my imfluences are from movies and TV shows.

Esyntha, we are very happy that you enjoyed it so much! We tried hard to not have the political issues be too "preachy".

Thanks everyone for the reviews!!

This comic is awesome.

The first thing that drew me in was not the fantastic illustration and the amazing coloring (both of which I will gush over later) but something that I'm suprised hasn't been mentioned yet - the articles.

Yes, for those of you who haven't checked Anatta out yet (and why are you waiting?? go go go), the creators use the ingenious vehicle of fake articles as a way to help us better understand the world they've created. I thought this was very, very clever.

The first time I saw something like this (that I can remember at least) was on the website for the film Memento, and again for Nine Inch Nails' "Year Zero" album. I don't know if these were influential on the creators, but either way this is a very interesting method, and I can't wait to see what else they come up with in this department.

Now. Once I was reeled in by this, I started from the beginning, and I was absolutely blown away. FANTASTIC coloring. Not only is it clearly skilled, but it's so befitting to the mood, which unfolds right away in the form of interesting dialogue, which leads directly into the highly intriguing story (which reminded me of Strange Days a bit, I love that movie!).

I realize I keep mentioning possible influences, but I want to stress how original I think this comic is as well. Deep philosophical thought is injected into futuristic sci-fi with painfully human characters to express it; this is great stuff, and I don't think any fan of sci-fi comics should miss out on it.

Of course, it's not perfect. Dialogue gets a smidge over-the-top once in a great while, and the occasional heavy inking which has been noted already, but considering how young the comic is (46 strips at the time of this review) these are minor flaws. The comic has yet to really hit its stride, and when it does I think it's going to be huge.
4.5/5

If you want to be hooked from the beginning...

Well that's what happened to me at least. The overall concept is a good one: people can jump from body to body, which opens all sorts of possibilities.

Artwork wise it's good. The characters have kind of a rough feel to them, but they're getting better as the story progresses. The backgrounds and splash pages are what makes this comic.

Writing wise I would say it's above average. The plot is very interesting at first, but then it drags on a bit. I'd like to see some more action, and events take place, but who knows what the writer has planned. I have a feeling they're setting up a lot of twists for down the road.

Overall I'd give this comic a 8/10.

Art
The art is fantastic first of all. Better than most of the drawings you see on here. The angles can be rough at times but the quality of the shots make up for that. The style fits perfectly with the story.

Writing
The story gets off to a great start, and engages you right from the beginning. The story does not seem like you could guess the ending either. Although the story drags at times, it still keeps you guessing and makes you want to know what happens next. The pacing is done fairly well and the dialogue is interesting but seems flat at times.


Overall:
I would definitely come back to see how this plays out!

Art:

The art it is really cool,if it´s draw like an american comic,I don´t see any errors on it,but the draws needs more volume.

Script

I am not so convince,I don´t see the plot there.

Anatta is a rare gem in the webcomic world. It is a complex, sci-fi thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat through every page. The level of quality, both writing and art, is superb and is rarely found in this type of media.

The story takes you for a mind-bending ride through a near-future world where people are able to transfer their minds into the bodies of others. The main character, Alex, is introduced to someone who does this for contracts found through the black market and managed by her friend Chad.

While there might be some benefits to being able to place your mind in someone else’s body, there are obviously going to negative consequences. The beginning of this story has our main character taking a contract to switch minds with a seemingly “fat” guy. Things aren’t as they seem, though, as she discovers that the fat guy is actually a Chinese woman on the run from the mob. From here things start to get pretty intense as Alex takes a brutal beating from the mob guys even know they scanned her mind pattern and are aware that she/he is not actually the person they are looking for. Alex and the woman switch back just in time for the mob members to finish their job, which sends Alex into a federal investigation regarding the murder.

The story is written well and works symbiotically with the art to form one cohesive piece of work that will immerse the reader into the world of Anatta. As complex as the story is, and is sure to become, it is paced well and very easy to follow, but does well to add hints in dialogue that remind the reader that there is much more to this story than what has been seen or read so far.

The art is equally compelling, with beautiful inks, digital effects, and wonderful colors. The inking varies in some panels, adding extra crosshatching, which might take some readers out of the moment as it seems to be done randomly, but I personally think that it adds a certain flair and keeps things interesting. While the changes in inks are random, they fit well with the art and story and never took me out of the moment. Panels and pages that depict the actual mind transfers are also very well done with cool blue hues covering faces of people who are being mind swapped, giving the reader the sense of this unreal dimension not seen by the average person. The style and layouts of this comic are also magnificent, with screams and dialogue perfectly integrated with the art. Sometimes the creators focus on the artwork and tell the story with nearly no dialogue or text, while others are almost devoid of artwork but instead littered with long strings of text bubbles. Both work perfectly, and it is hard for the reader to differentiate between the two as they are reading because the story and art work so well together.

I actually found it hard to stop and leave comments or ratings at the bottoms of pages because I was eager to hit the “next” button and continue the story. This is not something I frequently have a problem with as I browse through a comic’s archives, and it definitely says a lot about this story. Other than leaving ratings, the only other time that I was distracted or taken out of the story of Anatta was when the creators randomly placed a three-page teaser for another comic they are working on based on little red riding hood. The teaser was very interesting, creepy, and presented very well, but I was more eager to see what was going on with the story I was reading. Bottom line, this is a great webcomic with a fantastic story and equally impressive artwork. Any DD reader looking for something fun, fresh, and exciting to read should start here. You won’t be disappointed.

At first glance I have to say I wasn't that impressed with the artwork. But don't finish reading my review there. The story line is incredibly controversial. The plot created a world of it's own. Yet you can imagine that it could truly occur due to the rise of technology.

Artwork wise. At first like I said, I wasn't that impressed. But as the pages went through shading got more experimental. Drawings improved. Overall you can see an inmense growth in art skills.
Character wise. I love the personality confusion in Alex. The fact that you can tell she feels she's losing herself, leads you to understand what she's going through. And follows the whole theme of the comic.
So in conclusion. Improving artwork was a plus. Storyline probably the best thing overall. Was a great read. I actually went through it all during work lol.
So good job and keep it up.