Webcomics: Reviews of Righteous, Zen and the Ephemeral, and American Barbarian - a podcast by Stergios Botzakis & Derek Royal

from 2017-10-09T11:54

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The Comics Alternative's monthly webcomics series is back, and for October Sean and Derek discuss three intriguing titles. They begin with Righteous, written by Kevin Sheller and with art by Joseba Morales and colors by Gab Contreras. This is a narrative with a curious premise: What would happen if suddenly, everyone decided to do the right thing? The story focuses on Daniel, a risk analyst who is "touched" by a mysterious entity and then realizes that his work demeans human life and decides to commit himself to helping others. And his attitude becomes infectious.

Next, the Two Guys discuss a very recent webcomic (beginning in May), Laurence Dea Dionne's Zen and the Ephemeral. It's the story of Moé, a young woman suffering from depression who decides to spend ten days at a meditation retreat. The narrative is in its early stages -- as of this recording, we're still in the first chapter -- but it reveals the various experiences and feelings that Moé goes through as she becomes acclimated to the retreat and its other participants.

Finally, Sean and Derek wrap up with an already completed webcomic, Tom Scioli's American Barbarian. One of the first things that grabs the guys' attention is the heavy influence of Jack Kirby on Scioli's art. Both the character illustration and the kinetic action in the comic bear the stamp of the legend, and not in a derivative way. Scioli utilizes this influence in a way that propels the action forward, providing a story that is reminiscent of Kamandi and Conan the Barbarian. The guys spend a lot of time discussing Scioli's art, but they also mention other webcomics on his website, such Princess, Final Frontier, and his brand new biography of Jack Kirby.

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