Broken Frontier

Bardsworth is showing slight signs of improvement on the artistic front. The characters in general seem better-shaded, better-rendered and overall better-detailed. For example, the wizard Fitzpot looks more like a canny old wizard than a guy with a beard taped to his face.

Of course, these are small steps in Bardsworth’s development, but art has never been Peter Tarkulich’s strong suit. Realistically, neither has story – the sinister Rayner’s interest in the main hero Mike, who is vaguely special in the magic world – it’s all been done before. Tarkulich does well with interesting characters – you can’t help but chuckle at the sight of a demonic man-servant named Francis – but even that’s not Bardsworth’s trump card. Instead, Bardsworth’s literal ace up its sleeve is a little harder to nail down than plot and character, dialogue and exposition.

The best name for it is nature. Charm and quirkiness work too, but ultimately come off as condescending for the level of commitment and determination Bardsworth has shown in the webcomic race. It’s funny, light-hearted yet real, and it gets across all these points without the slightest swear word. This, combined with a sense of gusto and hard work effort, have put Bardsworth somewhere on the first page of Top Webcomics day in and day out, even in the face of bigger, badder and better competition. Of course, consistent updates and incentives don’t hurt either.

Overall, Bardsworth is improving and I have a feeling it will continue to improve over the span of the coming months. We’re learning more and more about the mysterious, goateed Rayner (oh, he just has to be a villain, right?) and his interest in Mike. But as the layers of intrigue and suspense weave together, I hope the story doesn’t lose the heartfelt innocence which has been at the core of its online staying power.