I decided I'm going to throw my hat into the review thing, except I'm a bit different from everyone else.
I actually be giving you a vote score on your comic when I do. This will include a review of the comic as your comment.

However, I won't actually begin reviewing until a couple of weeks from now, so that way everyone can get caught up and construct a somewhat sizeable archive.

While nobody is spared of this fate (I'll be making my way around the site), if you'd like to get to your comic quicker, post here and I'll get to them first when I finally begin.

So who wants a review with an actual weighted impact?

Reviewed Shagy Comics:

http://www.drunkduck.com/Shagy_Comics/?p=1172

Bring them on people.

rating:2

While your idea had potential, the execution was severely lacking.

I can't really grade on art, but the use of sprites against photos pleased me, just not enough to make up for all the bad jokes and just sheer half assed feeling of it all.

I know that was your goal, you wanted to make something bad, and you succeeded on a phenomenal level.

But bad is bad, no matter how tongue in cheek it's intentions were.

Fair enough, however I suggest you post when you have a sizeable body of work up.

http://www.drunkduck.com/Arararas/

Arararas reviewed:

http://www.drunkduck.com/Arararas/?p=1970

Score:2

Started off simple, and rather amusing, but soon went bad, very bad.

Once again, can't grade on the art because it's non-existant.

Your entry for Randal's contest started off, honestly, as being rather nice, however after the first few pages you began to resort to your standard style of sillyness and non-sequitor.

One suggestion would of been to keep up with the slice of life racism you were exibiting earlier, because tetris blocks being racist is inherently amusing. You lost it when you decided to make them bomb the church and then go to heaven/hell. You had a certain form of subtlety going, and you lost it, completely.

Also, keep an eye out for spelling mistakes, because I spotted one or two.

So the first few pages were funny and clever enough to save your from earning a one.

Could you copy and past your reviews in here as well Hpk?
It would make a really interesting forum topic. I reckon it should have a sticky as well.

Sure, I'll post them here.

I'll also ask Eggbert to sticky it.

:D Excellent.

Part of the review requires me leaving a score on your comic.

I can't really do that on comic-gen. :P

Here it is at Druck Duck you crazy little monkey!:
http://www.drunkduck.com/Return_of_the_Exile/

If you have the time, I'd like to get your FULL opinion.
http://www.drunkduck.com/Divisible_by_Zero

If this is the only way I'm going to be able to squeeze some advice out of you, then so be it:

http://teo.spiderspawn.com

There's a comment box right on there. Or, if you're some kind of DrunkDuck elitist:

http://www.drunkduck.com/Try_Everything_Once

Soon the advice squeezing shall begin... and trust me, you will be squeezed. Squeezed like fresh, sun-kissed Florida oranges.

~IJ

Return of the Exile reviewed: http://www.drunkduck.com/Return_of_the_Exile/index.php?p=4902

Rating:4

Where to begin...

First, the art to this comic is, quite frankly, beautiful. In all aspects, this comic could be the best looking on Drunk Duck, and it also features some amazing panel work, quite clever and fresh on a consistent basis. Some art elements that can be focused on or improved are often times in this comic (and most others, actually) are the backgrounds. While for the most part, they don't detract from the foreground elements and character art, sometimes the difference and contrast style-wise between the parts in a single panel can be somewhat jarring.

A good example of this is here: http://returntodonnelly.comicgen.com/d/20051101.html

While the backgrounds are quite lovely, they seem to be much more fuzzier and softer than the rest of the art on the page, While the coloring is spot on, and gives a sense of foreboding and doom and gloom, the lack of hard lineart tends to bug me a bit. This is most noticeable in panels 1 and 3. Where the characters feel sharper and harder than the backgrounds, even though they really shouldn't.

An example of this fuzzy background work being used to great effect is here: http://www.drunkduck.com/Return_of_the_Exile/index.php?p=4211

The reason it works here is because of what an odd, dreamlike feel the page required. The reason it didn't work on the last page with the amazing blacks and greens was because being that it's such an amazingly dark, powerful page, things should be clearly defined, not just blurred.

As I said, in some cases, this method of yours works, so my recommendation is to strike a balance between the foggy, fuzzy backgrounds, and the sharp defined environments. This world is an amazing looking one, and it should look it's best at all times, you'll be amazed how much background detail can fully flesh out a world, in a single picture.

While your art succeeds on amazing levels, unfortunately, the story is less dazzling. My guess as to why it doesn't grip me is because of how closely it follows specific archetypes, but without much variation. So the entire run through the archive, I felt the feeling of, "been there, done that". I rarely felt a nostalgic joy for these elements either, because when archetypes are done right, you don't realize they're archetypes until further analysis. As I read through, I kept seeing and making connections to other literary works, while this isn't entirely a bad thing... The fact I am remembering other great stories shows that you have the basics of good fantasy down, however, it doesn't offer up enough differentiation or freshness to stand out that well and that is a problem.

So, the art can go virtually unchanged, and it would still be excellent, but hopefully you'll take my thoughts on backgrounds and apply them to your work.
As for the writing, you've got a solid fantasy story down which entertains, but unfortunately doesn't stand out entirely well to me. Maybe it's just being to familiar with these elements and scenarios, or maybe there aren't enough twists and shocking moments... in any case, do try to do something amazingly creative and unseen, so that even I take a moment and go "wow, that's something you don't see everyday."

So, um. Yeah, don't kill me.

Why not do Funbox? Huh?

WHY NOT?

www.funboxcomics.com

Or, if you feel like ducking it:

www.drunkduck.com/FBOF

HPK, I'll take you up on that. :-D

Detective Fork's current storyline is here: http://www.drunkduck.com/Detective_Fork/index.php

His past adventures can be found starting here:
http://www.detectivefork.com/kill1.html

Thanks!

Dude, Commander Keen rules.

Barb
Thank you for the review hpk- I appreciate your insights and the time you put into it.

Backgrounds have long been a weakness of mine, I will be the first to admit. Gaussian blur = Barb is lazy and doesnt feel like drawing. At least sometimes. ;-) Now I have been called on that.

As far as the archtypes, yes this is true, I guess I set it up that way to try to overcome them. If that makes sense. "Here's some standard characters- but what if this..." Apparently I havent pulled it off 100%. I do know that to the fans of the series, the characters are pretty well loved.

Thanks again for the review...Now off to draw backgrounds. Blech.

~B

Well, I assume they're well loved because they tap in on all the right aspects. My only suggestions was honestly to take them even further in a way. :)

But gaussian blur is a good tool, even I have used it too much. :D

Oh, if anyone wishes to pay me back eventually for my reviews, artwork would be nice since these things take a while and a lot of re-reading.

Or you can wait until my comics go up for reviews and have a field day. :D

Wow, I didn't think anyone was actually going to do one. I'll need to figure something out, it's among other things I need to do, (DD Book, Nightgig Book, upcoming series I'm writing, a few websites, Dash of course and adding a link to Barb's comic on the Dash site somewhere.)

I have a fantasy character of my own actually, that might be interesting to see drawn.

Not conventional fantasy in any sense though. Comes with the territory. :P

I have a crazy idea, if you wish to make me suffer for my reviews, when I'm ready to have my comic reviewed, I'll post it here, and you may all review/score/comment it.

So I'm essentially screwed over with low numbers, but it's my payback for dishing stuff out, right?

I'd like a review, my comic is Final Fantasy 3.1 .

I would like to know what you think of my comic.


http://www.drunkduck.com/The_Pure_Soul

I'd really appreciate some feedback for mine. Warning though: it's manga ^^; And it does go from right to left...

http://www.drunkduck.com/Dammit_I_Changed_Again/

Thank you very much for your time.

I too, wish to have my comic reviewed. It's not manga or a sprite comic. It's not really an "American" style comic. Wow. I have no idea how to classify my comic.

FYI, hpk hasn't been able to come online for awhile, according to Nightgig. So, he's not ignoring us. :-)

I'm looking to be insulted for my poor artwork and shoddy storylines. Check mine out!

Robot Chuck would be honored by a review.

You can be honored and cry at the same time, right?

http://drunkduck.com/Robot_Chuck

Just keeping sure you are all filled in, I am without an internet connection right now, so reviews are a bit... impossible.

So when I get back the thread will be opened and again and I will review every comic in this thread.

So sorry.

No problem , HPK! Man, I know it sucks to be without an Internet connection.

http://www.drunkduck.com/The_Planet_Closest_To_Heaven/

Don't review until I'm done with chapter 9. (Maybe 3 weeks from now. 6 more pages...) There will one full story ark to review.