Zuda November 09

Quality art across the board this month. Even the fluffy entries are well drawn. There are two that really stand out. First…

Brother of Bronze Hammer

by Andrew Alexander

Great line work on this entry. The lack of color gives it a dusty, post apocalyptic feel. There is an interesting effect created in the splash on page 7. It shows the main character leaping through the air towards the beast bear, but the way the feet are drawn and the lack of background, it could also be viewed as the character kneeling before the beast bear onslaught. It might not have been on purpose but it has a Escher quality to it.

Brother of Bronze Hammer by Andrew Alexander

The lack of backgrounds is a problem for this piece. The opening is in the desert which is fine for being sparse, but the last part moves into a city and still feels like it is in void. Background would have destroyed the illusions on page 7, but before that they are necessary to gain some atmosphere.

The story has something to offer and placing this in an unfamiliar world intrigues me to read more.

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In Maps and Legends

by Niki Smith & Michael Jasper

Another entry that has an eye pleasing style and sense of character. The the character poses are done well and feel natural . I can’t get over how well the body language moves each scene and conveys dialogue. This is a big deal. It is annoying when a comic has to spell out how a character is feeling or restate whats happening in a panel because it may not be concisely drawn.

In Maps and Legends by Niki Smith and Michael Jasper

The story is light teaser material with the promise of big things to come. In Maps and Legends has my vote.

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Model Student

by Joe Bowen

It’s hard to leave this entry alone because it received just glowing praise in the comments section on Zuda.

Model Student is about a kid who fights everybody and now he is enrolled at his umpteenth school and this time he has to behave. He restrains himself from punching the douche bag teacher. He holds back from destroying the first kid who says to him, “Hey, aren’t  you that kid who fights everybody?” Then enter the jock who is dating the hottest girl in school and that’s the last straw, he has to fight him. You would completely hate the main character, except that he exists in a world where every character is detestable. At that point you feel sympathy for him because if you lived there, you would want to punch everybody to.

Model Student by Joe Bowen

Remember he has to make this school work out. Good thing he found the inspiration that he needs, the hottest girl in school. Of course I assume  there are other merely beautiful girls and the mid level pertty girls, and the butter face girls and on down the chain. I like that women are rarely portrayed as people in comics. The only thing missing is another female character that is the second hottest girl in school. She would have different color hair, you know, so we could tell them apart.* Then our hero could agonize over which he should date.

There is a nice twist at the end of this one. Just when you thought our hero couldn’t be more of an unlikable douche bag he becomes a snitch for the man.

*Take note from any Archie comic or Spider-Man Blue. Spider-Man Blue is great story where Peter Parker can’t decide who he wants, Mary Jane Watson or Gwen Stacy. Lucky these characters already had names when Jeph Loeb wrote this, because hair color is the only other trait distinguishing these women from one another. After six issues Parker still can’t make up his mind, red head or blonde. Tough choice or just flip a effin coin or sleep with both of them or wait till somebody kills one of them.

November win prediction:

In Maps and Legends takes the win despite a battle with Model Student.