Broken Frontier

If there’s one comic, I really need to read more of, it’s Brat-halla. Focusing on Norse mythology and classically illustrated in a cross between John Romita Jr. and Calvin and Hobbes, Brat-halla has a lot of things I look for in a webcomic – mythology, class, and of course, humor. The webcomic, written by Task Force 1 scribe Jeffrey Stevenson and artist Seth Damroose, offers a satisfying dose of pint-sized Viking goodness.

When I last looked at Brat-halla, the webcomic was hitting the aftermath of a truly epic climax. Now, the story finds the young Norse god and his companion in the middle of a quest and offers a better glimpse of what the webcomic reads like on any given day. The answer: consistently hilarious.

Most webcomics use what I’ve called the hook to lure readers back time and time again. The hook usually works by focusing all the momentum of a scene into a single meaningful climax – whether in suspense or humor. The good thing about Brat-halla is the use of humor throughout the strip. Sure, there’s often a comical ending at the hook, but there’s often just as funny quips and one-liners before that all-important hook.

While the website is well-designed and easy-to-navigate, there’s not a lot of information on the characters. Considering how long and complex the storylines have gotten, this does present a bit of a challenge for a new reader. And since this is a questing webcomic, with many of the characters all filled into a group of some sort, it’s often tough to know all of the characters’ names, especially if it isn’t referenced in the strip itself.

Overall, Brat-halla is an exceptionally well-done webcomic that brings out professional quality update after update. It’s no wonder the webcomic has achieved consistent placement on Top Webcomics for so long, as it offers one of the most accessible and vibrant depictions of Norse mythos since Marvel first drew up Thor way back in the Silver Age.