Deadpill

I reread through the whole comic. Ahh what can I say... I wish I had more time to comment in this comic. AshleeS really deserves more readers for Death Pill, one of her best comics at DD.

It's about a lady trying to get her husband back to life and thus running into all kinds of side problems including a demon spiderman and the Red Soldiers.

Let's talk about the art first. It's drawn manga style. I think it's a big improvement from the paint comics AshleeS used to do, in that the character drawings are more in proportion in the drawn style.

AshleeS has a habit of making the majority of her panels super close up, lots of faces, heads, and shoulders to head talking. It outlines her talent. She is an expert at drawing close ups for instance there are some really good expressions, especially in the eyes. I think that AshleeS has taken the anime/manga eye to another level of expression in the eyes, something you see in professional manga. I really like that aspect of her art.

These close ups can also be a weakness. AshleeS rarely has full figure(full figure meaning showing the entire character: head to feet) drawings of her characters (except when they are drawn super deformed.) There is nothing wrong with chibis. AshleeS does a good job of drawing chibis only when there is a humorous scene, which is really great because I hate it when comics have chibis just because the artist can't draw full figure characters. In the early chapters there was some more serious scenes with chibis that I was feeling a bit down about...but there is an improvement. I've seen some really good full figure drawings in the latest chapters.
Some of the latest pages are in color. I think AshleeS should stick with black and white personally. I love the shading in the black and white version. The color...I think it's too contrasting to the white background of the panels. Maybe I just don't like Johnney being green...
Lastly about the art, more backgrounds. That barn drawing was awesome. I know AshleeS can draw good backgrounds, she's just gotta do it more. There should be more non-chibi full figure characters interacting with the background. Gimme some FEET! Feet can be sexy too!

In summery of the art. Maybe just because it's kinda of a shojo(based after girl's manga) comic that there are so many really good chibis and close ups, but I want to see some more non-chibi full figure characters and backgrounds.

Awe the story. I really like the story. There is a good setup, backgrounds for every important character, all the motivations of the characters are developed, and a pretty good conflict.

Characters. I really like the designs and personality of the characters. They stick with me. Different from AshleeS's comic Dillan where she had a whole bunch of characters at once, she was smart enough to introduce the DP characters, a few at a time, with backgrounds after the main scene where they are introduced so that the reader will CARE about them.

Story with the art. I'm impressed by how well AshleeS has managed to sneak by drawing fight scenes by skipping over it and having a character explain it. Once with Johnny saving Franny from the angry pimp moneylenders. Second with Cecil saving Franny from the evil nurse and eating the jail guards. She at least did the fight scene with Cecil fighting Mee-Ran-Dah, Franny and Johnney. The only way an artist is going to get better at drawing a fight scene is to draw them. Try to have some non-chibi full figure fighting scenes at different angles like a shonen manga. AshleeS could make it amazing.

Now I might get into some spoilers so skip this part if you want to.

I was confused about Mee-Ran-Dah's father. He was abusing her? Incest?

The Red Soldiers... are they with the police or military of the country? I think it would have been a really good aspect to the story if the Red Soldiers were connected to Johnney's corrupted Police Force because then it would be linked to Johnney and Franny's flashback scene about Franny's hatred of the police and Johnney's desire to change it. There needs to be a little more setting/world development I think.

I'm also wondering how would the "Devil" be connected to all this. Why would would he be willing to make a insignificant little spider into a demon? Or if it's not the devil(Cecil said he sold his soul to the devil) who made Cecil in to spiderman?

So there are still lots of interesting things yet to be developed. Can't wait to see where this goes.

Ooooh, thank you so much for the feedback, Jilly. XD

I made more of an effort in Volume 2 with how the panels worked, and in Volume 3 I've sworn that I would focus more on body/feet shots, so the reader can get an idea of what they FULLY look like. And now, I'll add the promise of more backgrounds... though I can't say they'll be beautiful (haha).

And in reply to your spoilers

(Spoilers):

Mee-Ran-Dah's father Q: Pgs. 65-67 of volume one, and page 28, volume 2, panel 2... make what you will of it. Whatever makes you less queesy, unless I can somehow show it without a RATED R approach.

Red Soldiers and Cecil's body will be explained. ;)

But the latter will take a while longer. *winkwink*

Again, I love you so much. <3

Now I'm motivated to start posting Volume 3 pages... more characters, more background for older characters, and a lot of fighting!

--AshleeS

Story: Original. Pretty out there storyline tbh, but not the weirdest plot I came across. I was drawn from the start, took me a while to start following the flow of events but all in all it was an enjoyable ride.

Art: This put a smile on my face. One of them comics you "want" to review. Features are highlighted, easy on the eyes, each pannels made me think masterpiece with details flowing if not 100% harmoniously then pretty damn close, and you can see improvement as you read on. I love it.

9/10 :)

Awww, thank you very much for the review, Agham!

Story

There was just a bit too much reading for my tastes. I like quick, little blurbs of text. maybe one page scattered that has some larger blocks, but I like to pace through quickly.

However the story did seem interesting in concept. But I started catching myself speed reading, then skimming, then skipping.

That could just be my short attention span. I hate long movies also.

Art

Overall pretty good. I did start to feel like I was looking at the same pictures over and over again. Which is heads. I would really like to seem some more variation in the pages. I did think vol 1 looked more interesting then vol 3.

Some pages had some interesting angles and some had backgrounds. I like seeing these more and would like to see more of that then the talking head syndrome.

SlideStudios
Story

There was just a bit too much reading for my tastes.

.... >_>, Um.... thanks...? (I've never had 'too much dialogue' as a negative, lol)...


But you know, if you don't like lots of dialogue, I'd prefer you don't read it--it'll ruin the manga for you, and I don't like it if reading it is a chore for readers. I want you to enjoy it to where you're not skimming! :(

Art

I did start to feel like I was looking at the same pictures over and over again. Which is heads. I would really like to seem some more variation in the pages. I did think vol 1 looked more interesting then vol 3.

Hopefully you mean 'vol 1 looked more interesting then vol 2' (which I entirely believe is true *sweat*), because volume 3 is only 10 pages into the book. O_o,

But otherwise, yeah, I plan on using variation in volume 3. I did a lot of volume 1 during summer vacation, when I had the time to intricately map out cool perspectives. Unfortunately, school seems to suck some of the time away, but I promised to make volume 3 more thought-out, with more angles and fight scenes. XD

Some pages had some interesting angles and some had backgrounds. I like seeing these more and would like to see more of that then the talking head syndrome.

*nodnod* *scribbles down info* *thumbs up!*

I hope you'll take the time to read it all slowly someday. :)

Thanks for the input!

--Ashlee

I have to open this review by saying that I don't feel like I "get" this comic.
I think this is because I am not a big manga fan and so a lot of the way the story is structured does not really grab me.
But A few things, both good and bad, did leap out at me.
I found the initial exposition rather odd.
Why introduce the bandaged man in his undead state and then have another character explain what this all means?
I think it would have been much more effective to either start with the man alive and SHOW how he came to be this way! (Or at least show it in flash back), rather then dryly having someone list this information off. Is this sort of thing normal in this world, because the way it was handled made it all seem oddly mundane. Actually showing how this all came about would have immediately given the characters more depth and made what was happening seem a lot more interesting.
Speaking of the bandaged man, he looks very cool and I greatly enjoyed his arrow firing revolver!
The insane spider demon was also very cool looking (freaky anus like mouth in the stomach was delightfully horrible).
The spider demon also has one of the best back stories I have heard in a long time.
"You squashed me as a spider so I sold my soul to satan to come and kill you!"
Remarkable! I love it!
Also, stitching himself together with spider webs is a cool touch.
But again, the way the character was introduced seemed rather weak. The heroes are walking along and he just randomly jumps out and attacks them.
Again, is this sort of thing supposed to happen all the time in this world?
I think the main thing this comic is missing is a narrator! I want someone to just tell me what it all means, because I don't feel I have a grasp of the world the characters live in. Is it meant to be earth? An alternate earth? Another world entirely? The future? The present? I find I'm really not sure.
Also, I am not certain if this comic is meant to be serious or funny.
The spider demon back story was funny, but him getting shot in the eye and stabbing the bandaged zombie full of holes seemed serious and grim. But then the chick flings him around on a chain and he gets cheese grated into bits!
Now killing someone with two giant cheese graters is awesome, but it does set a rather silly tone!
Then later a chick is being tortured and is having her fingers smashed with a hammer! Again, not funny at all!
I feel this comic needs to become knock about comedy fun or a serious, grim, disturbing tale, because going from slapstick and giant comedy manga heads shouting to people getting tortured and gross out body horror just jars.
The art starts out reasonable, but seems to improve a lot as it goes along.
It is typical manga, but competently done.
One of the big pluses for this comic is the page lay outs, which are really elaborate and imaginative, with lots of close ups and overlapping images.
I feel this comic needs to lay down firmly what it is trying to do and what sort of story it wants to tell, because so far I just haven't been able to grasp what sort of story this is meant to be.

Awwww, can't a grim story have some odd humor? :/

This is a humorously grim manga. Or a grimly humorous one.

Haha, I'll try to explain my terrible beginning. The way the comic is set up is to slowly feed the readers information. It keeps them interested in wanting to know why things are the way they are; it keeps them reading more. This comic is still young in realistic standards, and I haven't got to the rest of the backstory, but if I'd started with the backstory, the mystery would've been gone.

To me, anyway. But I'm pretty bad with comics. I started this one when I was 13-14... So I didn't have a lot to go on.

If stuff like this happens all the time in this world? Well, judging by the responses of the characters, yes, it does. XD It's semi-explained with the Kaigan Forest explanation section in Vol. 3.

The only other thing I can tell you is manga is weird. -_-,

My manga is... very weird. :x

Alright, here's my review for Dead Pill listed according to these simple categories: :spin:

ART
The stroke has blend of manga-influenced and the author's own original style. Using pencils for shading effect is a great touch, giving a great impact & dark feeling while reading through the pages. :) Camera angels are handled pretty well, except that sometimes I wish I could see the the full figure of certain characters. :( Actions scenes could use some improvement where the speed lines can look quite messy.

STORY
Something I like about the comic is the romance element, Johnny & Franny are not one of those typical lovey-dover couple. 8D And some manga-ish humor are fun to read. And the we can see very different set of characters through out the comic. And some of their designs are excellent. ;) Plus, I love the colored chapter cover done for this comic.

EXTRA
I'm unable to tell what is the exact genre of this comic. Either it is a thriller, super-natural or adventure. Perhaps the author intended this- a comic with mix of genres. :kitty:

AshleeS
To me, anyway. But I'm pretty bad with comics. I started this one when I was 13-14... So I didn't have a lot to go on.

Then you are truly talented. Be proud. :whistling: I only started drawing stick figures at 13. :nervous:

OVERALL
Amusing comic worth checking out for mystery fans. B) I give it a 3.5/5

For a 16 year old, this is exceptional. And I don't usually give compliments like that. I say so, not only because some of the drawings are really great but more importantly your ability to draw complex facial expressions and tell stories. Sure, there are times when you use a bit too much exposition, some of the transitions are a bit weird but there are also times where you show maturity in the story telling. For example, I really liked how you began the story. It showed the relationship between Fran and her husband very well. I really like how you try to show that Minnie is trying to be light-hearted. However, the drawings could have been done to reflect the atmosphere and the content much more. The tone needed to be more grey and slightly more gloom.

Your greatest stength is in your dedication, passion and diligence. Never lose that. Keep going. Take some life drawing classes or draw people in real life more (especially bodies) and you will be brilliant.

Personally I prefer the art in Deadpill than Somewhere in Silence. I understand that you are trying to be more clean and professional looking but there are way too much photoshop effects on Somewhere in Silence. The drawings of Deadpill is way more genuine. It's a necessary step to expand and experiment with new techniques but remember to recognize what your strengths were and integrate it.

Keep going.

pacing
the central chuck of the story has a fairly descent flow thorugh i believe the beginning could do with a little work. some elements such as the parts with nana and minnie were too time consume for it to be at the beginning and parts that really could of benefitted from the time such as johnny untimely death were too short.
The action scene though are done pretty well and are interesting enough to keep the reader wanting more.

storytelling
i think it flits back and to from humor to serious too quickly and too often with breaks up the flow and makes it a bit choppy.
The central plot is easy enough to flow, get johny his life back, but there are alot of unanswered questions such as, what time period is this set in? is it in our world or another? answers i believe that will be answered in the future of the series

characters
the two main character have a good relationship between one another and on a good starting point for character development, only time will tell on how this development will progress and how these encounters and futures ones will effect them. A good example of the current development is franny's remorse for the spider demon.

art
very well done, the characters are defined enough through out, good grasp of shading and body form! things can only improve from there!

conclusion
as the comic progress theres alot of improvement overall, and with each pages theres continued improvement!
it set in good stead an excellent comic enjoyable for most readers with a dark sense of humour!

Thanks for the input, fellas! ^_^

I love input.

Opening: I'm typically not a big fan of manga style comics, but Dead Pill has a very unique and quirky story and plot that kind of draws you in if you give it a chance. I was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of pages, but found myself thankful that there was such a volume of work available to allow me to develop a more accurate opinion.

Big Picture: The main theme/plot of someone trying to bring back a loved one can easily fall into a cliché mode that will turn readers off, but the art really draws you in, and encourages you to give the storyline more of a chance. Once you become involved in the storyline, the storyline breaks out of any mode place upon it.
The tone of the comic is a little bit scattered This can both be a strength and a weakness to Dead Pill. I found myself a little confused as to what tone the author was trying to set. I approached the comic initially with a serious tone, perhaps a fantasy world feel. Then I started to sense humor and comedy and the art itself turned comedic and cartoony in certain panels. It was a little difficult for me to find the tone or niche that this comic was fitting into. As the reader continues with the story, they will realize that perhaps this comic doesn’t need to fit in any definition. As described earlier, this quirkiness of the comic becomes a strength, and the comic eventually creates a feel of its own. Once this is established, the character development and relationships thicken and the comic develops very well.

Small Picture: The art is manga style and is quiet detailed. I found myself impressed with the amount of time that must’ve went into each panel. It looks to have been drawn in pencil in the earlier volume and really cleans up nice by volume 2. The art is a true testament to the author’s improvement in art. By the third volume, you really feel like you are reading professional manga. I found it hard to focus at times because of the black and white coloring mixed with the high detail. The art used LOTS of close ups early in the comic, and I found that very distracting. The close-ups may have been the biggest criticism in otherwise very impressive artwork. I would love to see this entire series done in color, I’m sure it would clear up any confusions that might be due to the high detail and the black and white colors.

Conclusion: I was very pleasantly surprised at this comic series. I did not read the entire series in one sitting, but had to break it up into pieces since it was so long. But I was eager every time I returned to continue this story, which is definitely a sign of a good story. The improvements on the story and art is very gradual and I didn’t realize it until writing this review just how great the art has become by the last panel. Hats off to a world and story well crafted by Ms. Sherman. I actually look forward to reading the next page that will be posted, since I am now quite involved in the story and its characters.

OMG, thank you so much. ;_;

You're a sweetie!