Questionable Content - A Great Web Comic

"Questionable Content" is a comedic web based comic started by J. Jacques over 5 years ago. The story follows a group of 20-somethings and their daily lives as they figure out themselves, each other and what they're doing with their lives. The main characters: Marten - a nice guy, if not a little insecure, Faye - a smarmy southerner trying to deal with past trauma, Dora - a hot coffee shop proprietor, Hannalore - a neurotic girl gripped by her OCD and other various compulsions, and a troublemaking anthro-morphic computer named Pintsize.

The Good

There is a lot to like about Questionable Content: the characters are 3-dimentional and believable. The writing is fresh and does not prescribe to the predictable outcomes that many writers find themselves stuck to. In fact the author occasionally breaks the 4th wall and pokes fun at writers that use bland and tired jokes or situations. The humor is often insightful, ironic, and sometimes just plain weird. Also, the comic doesn't try to become too big for its britches. Rather, it focuses on its under tones of intellectualism and Indie Rock and stays away from making political statements and annoying opinions.

The Bad

There are very few things I can say negatively about Questionable Content. One thing that can occasionally rears its ugly head is that some jokes are just so esoteric that anyone who is not a fan of the Indie Rock scene will be lost on the humor. Another negative you can find is that the jokes are often set up in a formulaic manner; one character might make a remark, which spurs a pun, and then in the final frame becomes some big joke. These flaws, however, have been fewer and farther between as the comic matures. And they certainly do not detract from the overall enjoyment of the reader.

The Ugly

The current artwork for Questionable Content is quite excellent. The characters are drawn in realistic (and sexy) proportion which lends very well to the comic's down-to-Earth motif. However, as new readers will discover, the old artwork is a far cry from the current. While some may see the author's early comic's art as "primitive" many fans view it with a certain level of nostalgic endearment.

The Verdict

Taking into account The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, I would highly recommend reading "Questionable Content" to anyone who enjoys fresh dialogue, snappy humor, and, of course, sexy cartoon women.