A woman in a dystopian future dies and doesn't remember her lifetime. She's in the line to get judged in Hell when Lucifer pops up and says he's a big fan of her work, and offers her a deal: reap sinners for him so she can still be in the world of the living and to delay her eternal punishment. She ends up working with a former detective who knows the criminal element of the city for her to reap people they think deserve it.
It's a great drama about morality, and how fucked up people can get in bad situations. Along with one of the best versions of Satan I've ever seen.
I’m going to copy one of my old comments here, so some of the things I’m calling recent here are no longer recent:
I’ll start at the beginning. The first comic I was introduced to (by a friend in highschool) was Bob and George, a sprite comic using megaman sprites and characters. It was alright, but not spectacular. Next is Dominic Deegan, a webcomic about a seer. I recommend it, though it’s over now. The author is of that is currently doing Star Power, which is something completely different but seems pretty good for now. Moving on from chronological order, here’s a recommendation list, just the good stuff. I’m leaving out comics that were cancelled or appear to be dead before reaching a satisfying conclusion, though some of them are good too. In addition, there are some that appear to have disappeared off the internet and I have little memory of. Those will not be listed. In no particular order:
Freefall. Oft-Humourous Sci-Fi… Drama? The kind of Sci-Fi that really explores the meaning and consequences of certain kinds of tech (especially A.I.) from an interesting angle. Easily the oldest webcomic on this list, both in terms of its own age and how long I’ve been following it. It’s also one of the longest-running webcomics on the ‘net, so you’ve got a binge waiting for you.
Out-of-Placers. This one’s been going slow. Fantasy Drama of some kind that’s really giving you time to explore this world it’s been building.
Dan and Mab’s Furry Adventures (Primary Site, Katbox). A Furry Drama Adventure. Starts off genuinely bad. Try to read the first few pages to get introduced to the characters, but if you need to, skip to page 64 to get to the start of the first real story arc, which is also around when the art at least starts improving somewhat.
Project Future. This is, for all intents and purposes, a collection of fanfics for DMFA (above). If you liked that, you might want to read this next.
KiLA iLO. Sci-Fi Drama. Aliens visiting earth searching for something hidden there. Concluded.
Prequel. Fantasy (specifically TES) Adventure. Bends the format a lot, might be an acquired taste.
Radioactive Panda. Concluded. I can’t remember what it was about, but I can remember it left me wanting more from the author, which is the sole reason for this recommendation.
Schlock Mercenary. Corny Sci-Fi Adventure. Another long-runner, has updated very close to every day for 18 years, prepare for a binge.
Sue and Kathryn. Paranormal Humorous Adventure featuring a zombie and a wraith. By the same author as Selkie, it appears as a fictional kids’ show in that universe.
Skin Deep. Paranormal Drama/Adventure featuring a secret society of shapeshifting creatures.
Upvote for Gunnerkrigg Court, Ozzie and Millie, and Girl Genius.
I need to catch up on girl genius, but the other two I can attest to their quality up until now.
Definitely will be checking out the rest you recommend and another two I’d throw out there, although maybe a little too dragged out and have some controversy are Misfile and Questionable Content.
You’re taking me all the way back, eh? I’m surprised I don’t see Melonpool, Unlike Minerva, Dragon Tails, Nuclear Power, Kevin & Kell, Buttercup Festival, Applegeeks, Mac Hall, College Roomies From Hell, or any of David Willis’s works, given how much else our experiences overlap.
A lot of webcomics are a collection of independent, funny pages. This one’s actually a story about a kid who starts seeing ghosts. It’s crunchy, each character has a unique voice and they’re all nuanced. Lately, the artist/author has dialed back the amount of art on each new page by a lot and that makes me sad, but the story is still great.
I’ve been getting back into Something Positive recently. It’s a good one that’s been running for a long time. The author also has another one he recently started, Mousetrapped, which builds on the recently-public domain Steamboat Willie and incorporates other old-timey (public domain) cartoon characters.
Obviously Questionable Content. It’s still great, in fact it’s only gotten better with age, as Jeph has continued to grow and mature as an artist and a writer. If you’re getting into it for the first time, power through the first few hundred strips (as in, skim read as required), the journey is well worth it.
Gunnerkrigg Court is a fantastic modern fantasy adventure. Imagine a kind of really weird, really offbeat take on the whole “Kid gets sent to a magic school” genre. It’s one to read from the beginning (it has, like, actual plot and stuff), but the best possible “trailer” I could give is this one page from the start of Chapter 14; no spoilers, just a really good glimpse into what this comic is like. Friendly ghosts, goofy robots, and malevolent trickster gods abound.
Finally, I absolute have to recommend Seemingly Dark. Disclaimer; Jules, the writer and artist, is a friend of mine. That being said, I’d recommend this even if she wasn’t. Jules is an amazing artist, with a real skill for creating interesting, believable, and likeable characters. It’s a modern horror gothic noir about ghosts, monsters, and struggling with anxiety and depression (and lots more things besides; I’m probably doing it a disservice with so reductive a pitch). Anyways, I really do think everyone should give it a look.
(As an aside, all three of these comics prominently feature LGBT characters, for those of you who are looking for a little more representation in your reading life).
Yeah, I made a similar comment above. It starts slow, but hits a really good stride after a while. However, it felt like it ran it’s course years ago (felt like they kept making up more drama to keep things going) and it’s still going.
I’m caught up on the anime. I really don’t watch much anime anymore but a friend recommended it and I really like it. Speaking of which, have you heard of Faraway Paladin? It’s not THE BEST but it’s good enough. Very much “Lord of the Rings but anime” vibe.
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