ComicWorm Speaks!- Cloudscratcher

Behold the Comic Worm!

In this special review for Bookworm Speaks! Instead of reviewing a published book, we will be looking at an up and coming webcomic that Bookworm has read. This review will still follow the established formula from other reviews but it will be reviewing a web comic not a novel.

So, let’s begin…

Comic Worm Speaks!

Comic: Cloudscratcher

By Cody Baier, Sam Cosentino, and Kevin Markey

The Story:

Cloudscratcher takes place in a world populated by anthropomorphic animals where civilization is built above the clouds on the tips of mountains. The story follows a ragtag band of freedom fighters waging war against a ruthless empire whose goal is total domination.

The Good:

Given the source of inspiration, it is unsurprising that, particularly in the first chapter or two, the artwork can come off as little flat. Thankfully, the characters are dynamic enough in the expressions to feel very authentic, and the artwork is just enough that it looks a like a good cartoon and not trying to be anything more. Although, considering the amount of creativity in this comic, Comic Worm hopes that the artwork will get even better over time.

Where the comic truly shines is in what many would say is the most important thing in any writing: The characters. Even they have yet to be fully explored, they already feel very authentic and relatable. There is so much heart put into the writing and artwork that the characters all have distinct personalities and traits.

Felix, the jovial mechanic

Captain: The distant but loving commander

Jacque the Swine who harbors deep anger towards the conquest of his nation

Many comparisons can be made to the Second World War in regards to this character as well as the setting, at least towards the technology and overall culture. The German occupation of France

Even the antagonists to the Cloudscratcher crew are thoroughly developed.

Borzax the main antagonist, comes off as a generic, tough guy baddie, probably the most cartoonish character of them all, but as time goes by you can see there is a bit more to him than meets the eye, he displays other emotions other than “evil laughter villain” consistently.  The same goes for the rest of the serpent characters. While the antagonists, they are not shown as sadistic killers. In war, it is common to demonize the other side, particularly the villains but this is avoided. The serpents are shown as just being people doing what they feel is best. Some of them even express doubts of the direction their nation is going. Again, a reference to the Second World War in German resistance to Hitler. The serpents have families and can appear to be pretty decent, except for the racism, which is touched upon in a few scenes. Considering this comic was inspired by children’s cartoons the temptation to do that would be very great. Thankfully, the writers are careful to not completely vilify the serpents.

But all of this fails in comparison to the main antagonist and villain of Agathoth. This is one of the best villain Bookworm has ever seen period. Agathoth has the impression of a wounded veteran turned college professor, but he is actually a sadistic sociopath with very little regard for life. Even though the reader can’t hear his voice, it can easily be imagined that he talks about dissecting a living subject or murdering an entire family as easily as if he were talking about ordering lunch. That fact that he looks and sounds so gentle makes all the more menacing. The fear that all the other characters feel about him is extremely tangible and truly illustrates the power he holds. Even though the artistic style can come on as flat at times, he is illustrated in such a way, especially the smile, combined with the lighting, he comes off as the most threatening person in the room. Comic Worm can’t wait to see more of him, but not too much…for fear of diluting the character.

The Bad: There is very little that can be considered wrong with this comic. One main point is that the characters can seem a little one dimensional at times but this is likely due to the fact that the comic is still in its first few chapters and the characters have yet to be fully explored. Given the wide variety of characters, it will be expected for them to become more fleshed out as the story progresses.

Also, there is the problem of the setting. The sky world setting has been done before but that’s not the problem, the problem is in the ways the various nations are described. They are all self-explanatory…Swine Nation, Canine Nation, Feline and so on. This is not so bad in of itself but it can come off as a little lazy. What is truly lazy, is how every nation is exactly the same. Clothes , language and overall feel are very similar overall. This comic’s style borrows from the Diesel punk motif and Diesel punk is a style reminiscent of the era between and just after the World Wars. At that time, the homogenization of nations was starting to get underway involving technology and fashion but in spite of that more effort could be spared to make the nations distinctive, inhabitants aside.

The final flaw is more of nitpick but Comic Worm is going to speak anyway. A challenge in media that involves anthropomorphic animals is the depiction of wildlife. The reader sees a character eating a hamburger, but in world (like Cloudscratcher) where cows walk and talk, what is that hamburger made out of? Most of the time, the issue is avoided all together and the only wildlife displayed are birds and insects that are the same as in the human realm. In Cloudscratcher, this avoided as the creators depict several varieties of animals that are clearly not of Earth. Unfortunately, the animals are extremely bizarre. Perhaps the intent was to add its unique style but sometimes trying to hard to be unique can backfire when you’re trying to appeal to a general audience. In any case, they are rarely seen and that’s probably for the best.

Final Verdict:

Cloudscratcher is a unique and wonderful comic. It strikes a careful balance between child friendly source material and surprisingly mature themes. The characters are wonderful and the story lines action packed. Can’t wait to see more.  Please don’t abandon this comic like so many others.

Five out Five Stars.

http://www.cloudscratcher.com/index.html