In Caught In The Web, we set aside the printed funny books temporarily to delve into the world of digital and web comics. Here we 'roundup' a selection of releases that have recently launched into cyberspace.
THE RISE OF THE ANTICHRIST #1
Writer: Betvin Geant
Art: Kay & Milton Das
Matt C: With a title like that it’s not hard to guess where this series is headed, but exactly how the Antichrist will rise isn’t quite certain at this point since we’re practically locked in a mental hospital with a patient having religious delusions, while scripture fills the captions that run through each panel. And it’s a pretty effective, concise descent into madness, rendered with restrained abandon, as facial features get contorted through insanity. There’s clearly a larger design in the background, and while that may mean it skirts towards The Omen territory at some point, overall it’s a good tonal indicator of what may be on the dark horizon. 7/10
TIME WARRIORS #1
Writer: Guy Hasson
Art: Juan Manuel Almiron
Matt C: A batch of fresh recruits ready to die for the cause. Only, while they will die, thanks to some funky time-travel trickery, they’ll be back in the past with memories of what they experienced in the future prior to their ‘demise’. There are familiar hints of other well-known sci-fi tales – the recent Tom Cruise movie Edge Of Tomorrow springs to mind – but writer Guy Hasson takes elements that could be clichés and fashions them into something with a bit more spark than the rather generic title would have you believe. There’s a nice twist that opens out the possibilities for future instalments and enough of the world the narrative’s playing in is kept purposefully vague to ensure there’s plenty of reasons to come back for more. The characterization’s solid and the art from Almiron possess a powerful sense of expression and emotion. After an impressive opening salvo with Wynter, the latest effort from New Worlds Comics appears to be following a similar trajectory towards widespread acclaim. 8/10
ECCENTRIX #1
Writer: James Maddox
Art: Rob Dumo & Nick Wentland
Matt C: It’s difficult to get new superhero concepts out there because the big hitters are so ingrained in the public consciousness, but dammit, that shouldn’t stop anyone from trying! So thanks to Maddox, Dumo and Wentland for not only trying but succeeding in getting a new idea that doesn’t feel like another retread of familiar archetypes. Okay, so there are archetypes in the mix, but they’re secondary characters as the star of the show is Zipman, a ‘strange visitor from another world’ of sorts, although don’t let that description fool you into a comparison. Zipman clearly sees himself as fighting the good fight, but how he goes about that suggests a certain misinterpretation of basic morality, which is causing discord amongst his fellow superheroes. The jokes generally hit their mark and the design of Zipman himself is wonderful (especially outside of costume!), the incongruity between his appearance and the more realistic approach employed elsewhere adding to the effect. There’s no reinvention of the wheel here but there’s enough interesting manipulation of familiar tropes to make this stand out from the pack. 7/10
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