Welcome, dear readers, to the very first installment of WEBCOMIC MONDAY!!!! Every Monday, I will indulge the geeky side of myself, and hopefully you, by writing a review of a webcomic that I read. I will choose the order that they are reviewed in the descending order that they appear in on my internet bookmarks. The writers\artists of the webcomics will also be notified of the reviews via e-mail so that they can take a look at them if they wish. Pictures will be present, so never fear about that–you’ll be able to get a taste of the comics that way. With all of that said, let’s get on with the show!
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#1: Cat Legend
Written\drawn by: Katrina Santoro
Updates: Mondays and Fridays, with an occasional Preview posted Wednesdays
Rating: PG (action, some language)
Review spoilers: possibly minor
http://cat-legend.com
A boy and his family are burned in their house by villagers who believe that they have been “touched” by the plague. Their sad story might have ended right then and there, were it not for the boy’s sister–who was born with what could be interpreted as either a gift or a curse–and a strange stranger who stumbles upon their house in desperate need.
Thus begins the story of Katrina Santoro’s webcomic Cat Legend, an epic fantasy\adventure\drama\romance\comedy\action\all that good stuff. It centers around the anything-but-the-kitchen-sink life of Cat, his sister Libby, their friends, acquaintances, and even their enemies. There is never a dull moment in this comic, whether story, characterization, or art-wise. Though there are fast-paced periods and some points where the comic is more laid-back, for the most part they interconnect with each other and serve a purpose, whether for character development, plot advancement, or helping the reader understand\relate to a situation.
One of the things that I like about reading Cat Legend is, as you might have guessed, the story. It is totally unique and fascinating to follow as it unfolds. Santoro has all of the elements figured out (or else is very good at making you believe that she does); even if it is not so apparent at one point or another, she later surprises you with a big wallop on the head that exclaims, “See, I do know where this thing is going!” And then you have to exclaim back, “Whoah!” and keep reading in order to find out what else is going to happen.
Another likable element of this comic is the following the development of the art style. While the art at the beginning of the comic definitely shows room for improvement, particularly with layout design and integrating backgrounds and just the general environment, Santoro’s techniques quickly evolve, which is evident with continued reading through the comic’s pages. The comic began in 2003, and it really is cool to think about how much the artist has changed her drawing\coloring style as the years progress.
And then, there are the characters, that one element without which very few (if any) comics could ever hope to survive without. Each character grows to be fully realized and fleshed out, with continuous revelations of the main characters’ personalities, hopes, fears, dislikes, personal morals–and, of course, their pasts (or lack thereof). Most of the characters are quite engaging and each one is to be related to in some way–even the “bad guys.” One thing that I have noticed is that for some characters, their personalities at the beginning of the comic contrast somewhat to their personas later on. Take Sarah, for instance–when she is first introduced she seems, to me at least, to be more soft and slow to take in a situation than she is later on in the comic. With the comic’s progression and what is revealed about Sarah through actions, words, flashbacks, etc, I feel as if this is not so much an intended character development as it is Santoro not being that sure as to where she stood about Sarah’s core characteristics. As the story moves beyond the initial introduction, Sarah’s personality stabilizes, revealing itself to be more consistent and eventually setting the stage for her words and actions for the rest of the comic.
Something that I like about this characterization evolution\stabilization is that as the characters’ characteristics become more clear-cut, their outward appearances undergo make-overs, as well. Whether this is to make them appear more modern or just to bring out their personalities more is something that I can’t say with certainty.
An interesting element about this comic is how it periodically switches between the “past” and “present (1999)”. The whole comic is actually different stories being told by different characters, all conglomerated so that they form one big complete story. The past correlates directly with how the present came to be…. Only thus far in the story, the reader is left wondering exactly how and why this is. Santoro (also known as Moss) has left very few traces about how characters in medieval times suddenly are living, and adapted quite well to, the present….
In all, this comic ranks high on my list of all-time favorites, with plenty to offer in a variety of ways, and I hope you will take some time to read through it.
