Broken Frontier

Smaller collectives have been the trend in the webcomics world of late. A few years ago, one would either find a comic striking out on their own, or entrenched with one of the "big names" such as Keenspot or Modern Tales.

More recently, though, small groups began to band together, out of common interest or friendship. Some were merely like-minded and successful creators who wanted to pool their knowledge and resources for their mutual benefit.

Koala Wallop has been brought together by a shared inclination towards genius and an desire to share an unparalleled sense of wonder with the rest of the world. Koala Wallop is not here to make jokes or tell stories - Koala Wallop is here to blow your mind.

---

Dresden Codak begins as a collection of strange little tales, each one delving into some curious concept, often rendered in beautiful and dynamic colors. Then Kimiko Ross enters the picture, and it jumps from a collection of amusements to a world of sheer brilliance.

(You may have noticed this review is exceptionally enthusiastic. Do not expect this to let up, and do not allow it to deceive - each and every exclamation of enthusiasm is one hundred percent heartfelt.)

While the light amusements continue, it's Kimiko's tales that evoked a sense of hopes unravelled, thoughts transformed, dreams remembered. Some strips are triumphant, others filled with heartache, and others still merely explorations in metaphor and philosophy. Even when they seem to come out of nowhere, they are always clearly recognizable as a work of genius when they appear.

Currently Mr. Codak has taken a step forward into the brave new world of continuity, and is telling the story of Hob. I'm confident we won't be disappointed.

---

I Am A Rocket Builder is a different comic than it used to be.

Not so long ago, it made use of the Internet as few comics do. Five different storylines proceeded at once, following the adventures of witches, birds, librarians and rocket builders. Some strips were interactive, enjoyable exercises in animated comics.

But that has gone away. The entire story was razed to the ground so the author could move onto something completely different. This is, on one level, a sad thing - the previous story was an intriguing one. On another level, however, it is a chance for a whole new realm of fascinating things.

The new comic has only begun. It seems to deal with the future, a world much like ours and much unlike it, and rockets, and life, and space.

---

Perfect Stars is a strange comic. Many of the strips are not my cup of tea: a touch too disdainful, to truly work for me. But the ones that do... work altogether well, sad and beautiful at the same time. This is not a comic so much as a poem given color and form.

Surreal and yet somehow familiar, the comics range from bitter looks at the world around us to glimpses at occasional happiness - but they are never simply ordinary.

---

The Secret Crocodile Adventure Club starts out as a collection of images. Images of crocodiles as many things... conductors and droogs and death. These are each a unique figure in the club, all with their own drives and ambitions, hopes and dreams.

All, it should be noted, are crocodiles.

We proceed from their introductions, into small glimpses of their lives. These are not stories so much as snapshots, and while much of the humor comes from the simple amusement of crocodiles engaged in the art of adventure, it can easily go into more standard fanboy fare.

Year Two brings with it a story of the Prince on the Mountain - it begins with Shang-Chi, the deadliest crocodile on earth, punching his way through an "insolent mountain." It concludes with Shang-Chi beating down the earthly incarnation of peace and enlightenment.

The Secret Crocodile Adventure Club may not be for everyone. Each strip tends to be an exercise in absurdity - and with each strip being an exploration into unusual possibilities, it is no surprise that the comic can veer from genuinely clever crocodilian adventures to simply random - and ultimately meaningless - activity. But whether exceptional insight, it features crocodiles engaging in all manner of hijinks, and isn't that enough?

---

Rice Boy is the newest addition to the collective, and is clearly one that easily fits into the fold. It is self-described as "an exercise in surrealism" that "evolved into a wandering psychedelic epic." Unlike the rest of the community, this comic is out to tell a full-blown story, and that gives a focus and drive that the others lack.

Do not think that makes this comic tamer, however. Our tale begins with a unique individual - T.O.E., The One Electronic, a robotic man whose television face draws upon a world of classic films to portray his expressions. He is joined by Calabash, who appears to be a humanoid bear.

The two of them are immortal beings, so long as they continue their mission from God to find the one being who will fulfill an ancient prophecy.

That individual may well be Rice Boy, who is, at heart, nothing more than his name implies.

The story remains surreal from there. It is an epic tale, and has a Miyazaki-esque feel to it - both in terms of the fascinating and unique characters throughout the story, as well as the grand and profound feel of the quest itself.

The Second Book of the Life of Rice Boy has ended, and the third is primed to begin. I'll warn you now - once you start reading the archives, be prepared to finish in one sitting. The characters grab hold, and never let go.

---

Minus is almost indescribable.

The premise is simple - Minus is a young girl who is essentially omnipotent. She lives her life like most children... save for adventures through space and time, trips to the spirit world and magical undersea kingdoms, fun with robots and dinosaurs and... well, anything that seems fun to her.

She seems equally capable of having fun just playing with her friends as she does playing with her (animated) food. She uses her power as whims come to her, but she still listens to her parents when they tell her to do her homework. She is a child with magical powers that don't stop her from being a child.

Which tells you what Minus is about. But that doesn't tell you what the strip is. Imagine if everything you willed happened. No limits. There might be consequences - but you have the power to put them right.

Imagine...

That word alone defines this strip. Minus doesn't sit and plot out how to use her unlimited powers. She simply uses them to bring her imagination to life. The world every child runs through in their mind - for her, the only difference is that she can make it real.

Imagine...

One can dream of all manner of awful consequences coming from a child with unlimited power. They manifest in the strip from time to time - some people might meet horrible fates they don't truly deserve. What Minus does without even thinking about it can change an entire life... even if she does often put things right. But while there are moments of melancholy, Minus doesn't have room in her paradigm for true sorrow - she is a child, and she will continue to play. So she wills it, and so - consciously or not - shall it be.

Imagine...

There are few emotions this comic does not touch upon. Most of the strips bring a smile to one's face from seeing the boundless enthusiasm of a child with an entire universe to explore. Some have a far more serious tone - though the humor, the joy is always there. Some not only make one think, but are captivating, an entire story told over a handful of pages, with an emotional impact. Each page is a world of color, the art calling forth a sense of innocence and wonder.

Imagine...

Calvin and Hobbes was one of precious few comics that transcended the newspaper experience, a star of hope amidst a sea of mediocrity. Webcomics are not in as dismal a state as the strips in the paper, but Minus is to them what Calvin and Hobbes was to the strips in print.

Minus is the sum of what Koala Wallop is all about, providing not just realms of untamed wonder and fantastic amusements... but an inspiration to the rest of us to find that wonder in the world all around us.

Imagine...

---

P.S. from T: No Daily Read today, because this review gives you all the readin' you can handle. Some of these I knew of before this review-- all of them are worthy of Daily-Read status-- so go ahead and click 'em now.