Can’t get enough Rick and Morty in your life? You’re not alone. Well, you probably are alone, and you’ll definitely die alone, but maybe you won’t feeCan’t get enough Rick and Morty in your life? You’re not alone. Well, you probably are alone, and you’ll definitely die alone, but maybe you won’t feel so lonely with your boon companions Rick and Morty there by your side. Perhaps they’ll distract you from the realization that your meager existence is meaningless, in the grand scheme of things. That you’re nothing more than a bag of meat, sitting on a rock in outer space, completely insignificant in the face of the cosmos. That there’s no escaping the crippling, soul-crushing loneliness that’s slowly devouring you.
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But hey, if you do feel compelled to cling to even the most fleeting moments of joy in your otherwise endless cycle of torment and pain, check out this comic—it’s a nice companion piece to the show!
To avoid any continuity issues with the TV series and fully exploit their artist license the creators of the comic cleverly chose to follow a Rick and Morty from a parallel universe. Although from what I’ve read, they have since abandoned that not so clever strategy, instead choosing to portray the “off-screen adventures” of the original Rick and Morty.
Even though this volume followed an alternate version of the duo, the dialogue felt spot-on. So it was virtually impossible to read this without hearing all the character voices in my head—which is one neat trick if you ask me. That fact alone made it worthwhile, even when some of their adventures were lackluster.
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My biggest complaint is that they tried to cram too many stories into a rather slim package, so the storytelling often felt rushed. Hell, half of the issues even had a tiny four-page Summer or Beth adventure squeezed in at the end. I would have much preferred a single story arc, stretched over the entire volume, to all those snippets, but maybe that’s just me. ...more
FreakAngels was a free online comic series which ran from 2008 to 2011 and comprised of six volumes in total. Considering the volumes were only arbitrFreakAngels was a free online comic series which ran from 2008 to 2011 and comprised of six volumes in total. Considering the volumes were only arbitrary breaks in an otherwise continuous storyline, I chose to only review that initial volume. The quality was consistent throughout, so I issued the same 4 stars to all but the finale, which, in my view, was underwhelming. Due to said finale, and hindsight being 20-20 and whatnot, I believe those 4 stars for the rest of the volumes were a tad bit generous. Let me try to explain why.
The premise was intriguing, “23 years ago, twelve strange children were born in England at exactly the same time.6 years ago, the world ended.This is the story of what happened next.” But it never developed into the epic story I had envisioned. The FreakAngels spent more time bickering among themselves, than focusing on the bigger picture. Each assumed a fairly stereotypical role. Some helpful—mechanic, engineer, doctor, salvager hunter, watch tower guard, gardener, group historian; some harmful—sexual criminal, mind controlling outcast; some somewhere in between—free love enthusiast, free spirit wackadoodle. And then there was my personal favorite, Kaitlyn, AKA Whitechapel police.
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Who had her very own torture chamber holding cell!
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Not only did the FreakAngels fall into these generic roles, but half of the group wound up falling in lurve with one another, which led to some added drama. Most of the group’s energy though was aimed at puzzling out the outcast’s nefarious plans, putting the pervert on lock down, and preventing either from wrecking any more havoc on the innocent civilians caught in the fallout.
The art had a workmanlike quality to it. It was serviceable, but not all that creative or original. There was a basic, straightforward layout with muted colors. Some of the faces looked weird, when laughing or shouting, and it oddly appeared as though the doctor lady was sporting a pencil mustache in various panels. There was nothing really poster worthy here, is what I’m getting at. Things did improve somewhat in volume 5, by tossing some vibrant colors to the mix. That’s also where the storyline began to come together.
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On a positive note, the FreakAngels’ powers were pretty awesome, and it was clever how things steadily escalated over time. I thought that part of the story was brilliantly executed.
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And, the storyline itself was fairly consistent from volume to volume, unlike a few other series I’ve read. *cough* Saga *cough* The group dynamics were well reasoned, and I enjoyed most all of the characters. There were some great moments of levity throughout, most often provided by Kaitlyn, whom I found to be very amusing.
Bottom line: Although I’m adjusting my ratings down to 3.5 stars for volumes 1-4, I’ll stick with 4 stars for Vol. 5, due to the uptick in the artwork, and then 3 stars for Vol. 6. Overall, I would still recommend the series, but it wasn’t as epically awesome as some of the other graphic novels I’ve read, such as Locke & Key.
If you’re looking for a post-apocalyptic story, FreakAngels is definitely one worth considering. Read the entire thing for free right here: http://www.freakangels.com/?p=23...more
This very well could mark the end of my journey with Saga. If so, I’d just like to pause for a minute and say, “Thanks for the memories.” We shared soThis very well could mark the end of my journey with Saga. If so, I’d just like to pause for a minute and say, “Thanks for the memories.” We shared some good times, you and I. As they say, you’ll never forget your first. So, thank you. Sincerely. But, I’m afraid it may be time to go our separate ways.
As I sit here and reflect, I can’t help but wonder how could something that once seemed so fresh have grown so stale? What happened to that fun little adventure I fell in love with? The artwork is still as beautiful and vibrant as ever, but where’s that witty dialog and that colorful cast of characters that once seemed so intriguing? When did this glorious space opera devolve into this rather pedestrian soap opera?
I realize there was always that rollercoaster feel to the narrative. While the odd volumes were hurtling down hills and rolling through corkscrews and loops, the even volumes were slow hill climbs pushing the story forward. However, this time that hill may have been too steep; the wheels have nearly ground to a halt. It’s all just so . . . incredibly boring.
I do know one thing for certain. It doesn’t help reading this story one volume at a time, especially these filler volumes. It’d be like picking up a book, reading the dullest chapter or two, then setting it aside for a couple of month, before you carry on. It’s makes no sense whatsoever, so I will end that practice right here and now. More importantly, I need to wait and see if this Saga actually reaches a conclusion, because I have no interest in an endless soap opera. Sadly, that wait will no longer be all that difficult.
The looming presidential inauguration has me scrambling to bone up (heh) on all my apocalyptic reading—forewarned is forearmed. O.O Considering ★★★☆☆½
The looming presidential inauguration has me scrambling to bone up (heh) on all my apocalyptic reading—forewarned is forearmed. O.O Considering I've read exactly one pitcherbook or "graphic novel" (a term coined by all those comic book nerds to sound like a grown-up) all year, I figured this was a nice place to start. Plus, I'm a little behind on my 2016 Reading Challenge, and completing this series will credit me with six books read. Now that's a win-win right there. ;)
"23 years ago, twelve strange children were born in England at exactly the same time. 6 years ago, the world ended. This is the story of what happened next."
This was a free weekly comic series which started back in 2008, and concluded three years later (Yay! No endless Saga soap opera here). The story, as you guessed it, revolves around those twelve strange twenty-somethings in a post-apocalyptic, flooded London. They're called "FreakAngels" for the weird physic powers they all share. Powers which are, at first, reminiscent of Sense8, but later shown to be much more robust.
I don't want to spoil any story elements, so I'll leave it at that. The artwork is not the greatest, which was probably due to the grueling pace they maintained, but the story is fairly intriguing.
Shockingly, all my friends, so far, seem to have rated this one properly. All those who've read it have loved it. Which begs the question, why aren't more of you reading this? It's still freely available online for God's sake!
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