Another Webcomic Review:
As mentioned in some past posts, I’ve been looking for interesting, imaginative webcomic projects both as a personal education in what works for this new storytelling methodology and also because…well, hell, they’re just fun to read!
I’ve recently fallen in love with Lost in the Vale for this very reason. I’m charmed by the fact that this is a husband-and-wife creative team (my little married heart swoons with joy at the thought) and as a pair they bring a fantastic sense of dynamism and humor to both the story and the art.
At only 17 pages so far, it’s hard to make broad, sweeping statements about plotline, pacing, etc., but the character development is already strong, and I find myself checking back frequently, hoping for new pages. Their site is user-friendly to new readers (“Start Reading” is a button that should be mandatory on all story-driven webcomics).
I’m enchanted by the medieval tone of the art as well: the hint of woodcut texture in the shading and highlights is a nice light touch. The scenery and setting are something any fan of Tolkien would recognize, but it doesn’t feel like a re-tread of Lord of the Rings or any of the other major medieval-fantasy epics. It’s fresh, it’s light-hearted, it’s got spunk. It’s a must-read—and bookmark. Keep those pages coming, guys!