Best Webcomics of 2008
I realized that I neglected to mention webcomics (with the exception of BodyWorld and Jason Overby’s work) on my best of list or its accompanying reading list. Most of the non-web comics I read are single works. I read very few serials at this point (and those I do read are generally a long way in between episodes), so the reading experience of webcomics and the others are rather different for me. The evaluation process is different when I have an arc, an incomplete series of pages to work with. So, already rethinking my list, I’m adding some webcomics picks in no particular order:
—BodyWorld by Dash Shaw: Already on the previous list, but bears repeating.
—Succe$$ by Gustavo Turner and Karl Stevens: Tom just posted an interview with Stevens, and I’m delighted to hear that the recently completed “Succe$$” strip will be followed up by a new Stevens strip (whose printed Whatever from Alternative Comics is worth searching out, one of the comics I wish I had taken the time to reread this year). “Succe$$” is a realistically drawn, often hilarious strip about a bunch of young corporates working for an “eco-financing” firm. Mad Men’s Don Draper makes two hilarious cameos, and that’s all I should need to tell you. Originally in the Boston Phoenix, in print and at their website, you can more easily go through the whole series at the well-hidden website for the series: http://www.successcomic.com/.
—Finder #40 by Carla Speed McNeil: This part of the Finder series just ended at the end of the year. Another great Finder story that I hope will make it to print soon so I can more fully enjoy it (inked as opposed to the posted pencils). I’ve posted about Finder a few times in the past.
—Les Petits Riens by Lewis Trondheim: If you can read French it’s well worth following Trondheim’s diary comic blog. If not, you can always get the collected translations from NBM (volume two due in the next month or two, I think). My preferred autobio webcomic. I’ve posted a lot about Trondheim’s work in the past.
—Scary-Go-Round by John Allison: This long running strip continues to amuse and entertain. Allison seemed to pick up a lot of steam this year.
—The Lady’s Murder by Eliza Frye: I absolutely loved this short story. I wrote about it for ComixTalk earlier in the year.
—Blaise Larmee’s blog: I discovered Blaise’s work after he commented on one of my posts. The comics he posts to his blog are often fragments (or seem to be) but the images are raw and inventive. I have his mini to review one of these days. He’s got an infrequently updated serial at the Secret Acres site.
—Bluesy Face by Jed McGowan: I’m loving Jed’s style on this serial. I wrote about Bluesy Face here. Also about his short “Ritual of the Savage” in this ComixTalk column.
I’ll also take this time to mention my own webcomic Things Change, which finished up its third book this year. Book Four begins in the next week.