Digital Strips

If you think about it, an apocalypse would probably breed a lot of emo angst into younger people. That's what Katherine Lang's Soul to Call posits, and Avril and Eli represent different facets of one emo soul. It's not until an older authority figure comes in that the guys feel they can connect with a character. So it goes in a story intended for YA audiences, but one you should definitely see and read for yourself.

It's the pirate life for me, yes 'tis! Sailin' with my buddies across the blue sky, enjoyin' some ale, and singin' some tunes, that's the pirate life for Alynne and Gruff, with not a care in the world about the other, more sordid details that the life of a true scoundrel contains. The Pirate Checklist is Ashley Reed's optimstically cute take on a lifestyle that seems to be all fun and games and this comic is often just that. Set sail and for god's sake, don't kill anyone!

Yoshi did a bad thing and his self-imposed exile from the birthright of his kingdom will lead to horrible consequences for pretty much everyone he knows in Brothers Bond. But when you're rich and famous, you can run away whenever you want and everything will end up ok, right? Right? Hear our divided thoughts on the tropes at play in this fun tale (as well as a bonus story from Jason about the time he ran away from home) and then read it for yourself!

This episode is full of non-standard and more modern ways of reading comics. We check in on Evan Dahm's first foray into Webtoons with his reposting of Vattu, DC Comics' first Webtoon in Batman: Wayne Family Adventures, and Scott Kurtz gets a double exposure as we look at his short collaboration on Superman with Karl Kerschl as well as the comic that has temporarily taken the place of PvP, the cathartic Mort. Even after all of that, we still have time to get weird and geeky with Frankie Fearless, available only on Tinyview!

Jason took a quick look at Marvel's stab at a Webtoons-formatted comic with a couple of their Infinity Comics, where he found mixed success with the layout but plenty of entertainment value. The guys also review Awful Hospital, a fan's choice-based comic that is truly awful in the best ways possible. Jonathan Wojcik has weaved an Alice in Wonderland-like tale through a slimy, grimy looking glass that never ceases to amaze and terrify in equal measure.

We've all been there: school is going okay, but it could be better. Your friends have your back and everything is looking up, even though your mentor is haunted by thugs who want him dead. Then, he's murdered and the whole town, school included, is razed to the ground. So you befriend a simple bugbear and set out to find the truth. Right? Creator Kanekuo takes that premise and crafts a unique, detailed world in By The Book. Catch up with it while it's relatively young and listen to our scorching take.

Though zombie fiction continues to be an over-saturated portion of the entertainment industry, Hooves of Death by Sam Bragg is the first one we can think of that introduces unicorns and other fantastical being into the mix. There are relationships, there are betrayals, and there are horsemen of the apocalypse who apparently got lost on the way home. Hear our thoughts on this fun, harrowing tale and then be sure to check it out on Webtoons for yourself!

At the end of the day, and near the end of the world, all of life comes down to nerds and jocks. Creator Marko Raassina knew this and based his comic, Nerd and Jock, on the yin and yang of the universal balance between the two iconic archetypes. In this story, however, the two live in harmony and exist only to resolve and complete one another. It's cute, it's funny, and it's the friendship we should all strive for.

Ozzie's not like other vampires: she only drains demons because she's kinda fond of humans (certain ones, at least) and she really just wants to hang with her friends rather than fight the horde of otherworldly invaders constantly plaguing New Jersey. Eric Lide takes the millennial malaise and cranks it up for some hilarious characters and mind-blowing fights in Ozzie the Vampire, a raucous, fun comic you can really sink your teeth into!

Bryan is a traveling bard who is bad at his job. Servius is a slave who is better at that job. Rhiannon is a selkie girl looking for love and approval from her townsfolk. Aideen, her sister, loves a good fight and excels at hurling. Their dad, King Star Seal, is often high and gets lost at sea on the reg. If that cast of misfits and screw-ups don't make you want to read Oi! Tales of Bardic Fury by Daniel de Sosa, what would?

Murrz by Murrz is a journal comic like many others, full of joyful yearnings after pointless pursuits and enough Internet speak to interrupt your cat's poo-powered mind control. Hidden in the many updates of this kind, however, are more personal stories about the creator's family that will bring you that much closer to understanding and empathizing with another person's life in a way that other mediums just can't touch.

Can Miss Melee truly have it all: a loving family, the career of her dreams, and a superhero life that would make Bruce Wayne jealous? In this comic by Rob Johnson and Ariel Guadalupe, the titular character is lucky enough to have a husband that adores her and a daughter that wants to be her, but unlucky that her boss is secretly the big bad. Does that work out in the end? Listen to our review and then read it for yourself, true believer!

Everything about this week's comic, BaDoom by Sirk!, just screams life and excitement. Even the name is exciting! Journey the wasteland with our intrepid screw-ups, enjoy a Michael Jackson pun or two, and try to figure out just what the heck those worms are infected with. This story is fun, it's action-packed, and it's not safe to breathe in, so get that mask back on and join us!

It might be a return to the gloriously existential gag-a-day world of War and Peas, but Steve certainly never forgot about the robot hoping to be loved (how could he forget someone so similar to himself?). You'll find a lot to like the jokes creators Jonathan Kunz and Elizabeth Pich have in store for you here. Maybe just spread them out to avoid crushing, suffocating ennui? That way the antics of a slutty witch will always seem fresh and funny in your mind (but really, why wouldn't they?).

Journey to new galaxies with two buddies just trying to make rent with Tom 'N' Artie, a throwback comic to webcomics of old. Like Steve says, a massive lore dump isn't always necessary to have a good time with a story, and the titular duo proves it with a zany adventure full of even weirder creatures and plenty of explosions. Strap in and let’s go!

More like Everything is NOT Fine, amirite? Enter this twisted, sanitized world, created by Mike Birchall, where nothing is as it seems but everyone wants you to believe it is. Decide whether you want to keep asking about the dogs and what's in the basement or take on your job at the box incinerator and wear your suburban best to the next dinner party. Whatever your choice, make sure to listen to our review (and theories!) before reading this tense thriller for yourself!

For the wingless fairy godmother wannabe screw-up in all of us, there is Mari Costa's Peritale. Periwinkle does the best she can with what she has, but when her best really isn't that great, uncomfortable situations and awkward conversations ensue. Also, this comic confirms for us once and for all that cantankerous talking cats are scientifically hilarious. We've got all that and news about Cosmoknights Season 2. Climb a tower and take a gander at it all!

He's a plague doctor with a heart and he's a murderous robot sent from the future to save us from a deadly pandemic. Together, they are Doc and the Deathbot, and Steve Ogden is here to give this buddy adventure a sense of humor just a bit too edgy for the Sunday morning funnies (is that still a thing?). Hear our review in addition to news about Kill Six Billion Demons' Tom Parkinson-Morgan's RPG fun and the fourth season of Urban Animal kicking off. Now grab a friend and go have some hijinks!

If you love stories about Greek gods but want them taken just a bit less seriously, Jordan Holt's Theseus is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Jason likens it to the Greek pantheon through the filter of Napoleon Dynamite and Steve concurs. Don't miss the blog posts either, which are full of their own wit and wisdom, and aren't required reading to enjoy the story itself. Great work all around, Jordan, now work on those mountains.

Journey back with us to a simpler, more horizontally-scrolling, hornier time as we review the 2020 remake of Demian.5's 2001 classic, When I Am King. What do the flowers mean? Is that a camel or a dragon? Why is everyone having sex with everything? We had a great time trying to answer those questions and more in this episode!