Top Webcomics

Everyone has a webcomic these days. Having grown up devouring the comics pages of newspapers and the book versions of various comics, I have quite easily transferred my obsession to the virtual comic strips of the modern world. Now, I find myself swimming in an endless sea of funny and not-so-funny artwork drawn and scripted by people from all over the world. Not all of them are worth reading, and there are a few that I've abandoned altogether. So today, I'd like to make a few recommendations for those who are looking for something new to read online and would prefer to be entertained.

One of my favorite webcomics, and one of the best in my opinion, is Questionable Content (http://www.questionablecontent.net/), by Jeph Jacques. The dialogue is witty and sarcastic, but the characters never lose their realism, and it's easy to feel the depth of their emotions. The artwork is clean and easy to look at, and Jacques is improving his style all the time, not that there's anything that needs improvement. Questionable Content is a prime example of a comic with deeply emotional and complicated storylines that still manages to squeeze a joke into nearly every panel. And the jokes are not only funny (fall-off-your-chair funny, as a matter of fact) but also appropriate to the characters and situations. And there's not a fart joke to be seen.

In fact, the sheer intelligence of the banter in QC might be intimidating if it weren't for the self-deprecating and easy manner in which they are often delivered. I guarantee that you'll run into at least one reference a month that you'll have to google in order to fully understand it. (I love learning this stuff, by the way!) For those who love fast-paced dialogue and humor and characters who are 3-dimensional enough to feel like your best friends, Questionable Content is the perfect webcomic.

MegaTokyo (http://www.megatokyo.com/), by Fred Gallagher, moves a bit more slowly, but that's only so you can savor it. Drawn like the best manga in the world (that's Japanese comics, for those of you unfamiliar with them), this webcomic will draw you in through simple, honest characterizations. The characters who populate the world of MegaTokyo are brought to life by artwork that flows like a field of grass in a stiff breeze and by dialogue that flows like familiar conversations with friends. They're more often sad than funny, but the depth to which the reader feels that he knows them allows for in-jokes and more personal humor that a long-time reader will appreciate most. The storyline takes a variety of twists and turns.

There's a dichotomy that exists in the world of MegaTokyo, allowing true-to-life situations to thrive alongside bizarre fantasy elements that underlie everything without stealing the show. When a character reveals that she has what appear to be supernatural powers of some sort, it doesn't seem outlandish so much as natural for her. And when another character talks about the psychology behind fandom and why he delves into it so deeply, he speaks for all the anime freaks, video game nuts, and manga nerds of the world. It's easy not only to sympathize with these people but also to feel as if they're reading your mind using it to paint a beautiful picture.

For more lighthearted humor, albeit a bit on the psychotic side, check out 8-Bit Theatre (http://www.nuklearpower.com/latest.php), by Brian Clevinger. This clever spoof of the Final Fantasy universe (that's the original Final Fantasy, of course, not the ones with the fantastic CGI cutscenes) is perfect for hardcore FF fans. It makes fun of everything from NPCs with only one line of dialogue to the endless and pervading nature of sidequests. The story is long and winding, just like Final Fantasy, but the characters are peerless spoofs of themselves, including the maniacal and bloodthirsty black mage and the dumb-as-a-box-of-rocks fighter. The comic is sure to remind you of all the things that were so ridiculous about the original FF games, and all the things you loved about them too. That includes the unrealistic graphics and the predictable plot points, in all their 8-bit glory.

The perfect comic for video gamers is Ctrl+Alt+Del (http://www.cad-comic.com/comic.php), by Tim Buckley. This one is just plain fun, with a gamer of every type represented fairly by a character in the comic. If you're a gamer with an Internet connection, you may have heard of Wintereenmas. Well, that off-the-wall holiday was invented by CAD. This comic is to video game webcomics what Peanuts was to the Sunday pages. The sheer number of video game references will have you excited about it, and the utter randomness of the plots and dialogue will have you struggling to keep your seat. The artwork is fun and crisp, and the characters are sympathetic, if a bit similar to other gaming comics. Even people who don't play video games but know someone who does will find this one hilarious.

Like MegaTokyo, there's a fine line in El Goonish Shive (http://www.egscomics.com/), by Dan Shive, between the realism of the characters' relationships with one another and the bizarre plot points they encounter. In this case, however, they seem to be actively seeking out the more fantastic elements of the story. It's all in fun, though, and the unique situations they get into are tempered by the everyday problems they have to deal with. The look of the comic is decidedly cartoonish with a slight anime twist (check out the big eyes). And the stories are addictive; you'll keep coming back just to find out what's going to happen next. Rather than punchlines, the humor of EGS is found in its characters and the problems they have to deal. It's like a sitcom with a brain.

Order of the Stick(http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0001.html), by Rich Burlew, is a D&D fanatic's paradise. Chock full of funny puns and jokes based on the role-playing game, it somehow manages to create unique characters out of the stock players that are usually found in Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. The humor is never-ending and plays on both the characters' personalities and the messed up situations they get into. The artwork is oversimplified, but that's part of its appeal. The overall style of the comic fits the story so well that it's easy to forget that the drawn characters have only sticks for arms and legs. Burlew isn't afraid to branch out a little from the normal D&D plot and characterizations, either. Some of the most humorous situations occur when the players have found themselves outside of their element.

User Friendly(http://www.userfriendly.org/), by J.D. "Illiad" Frazer, is one of the oldest webcomics out there. It's also one of the funniest. The storylines are as random as EGS, and the characters are unique individuals. Much of the humor stems from computer jokes and terminology. If you're not 1337, or at least computer literate, there are some things you'll probably have to look up in order to get the joke. But it's worth the extra effort, and the strange goings-on that the characters involve themselves in are funny enough on their own. Frazer doesn't shy away from poignant moments in the story, either. He just usually resorts to using two particular characters to express them. The artwork isn't Rembrandt, but it's improving every year, and the humor more than makes up for any deficiencies in the appearance.

Another warhorse of webcomics is Penny Arcade(http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic), by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins. This one takes its humor mainly from political commentary and satire. Partly because of this and partly because it's been around for so long, PA is often the butt of jokes in other webcomics, but even the people who make fun of them love them. Their humor can be harsh, but it touches on everything from video games to MP3s. The art has always been bright and fun, and the two main characters are well-drawn, both literally and in the sense of individual personalities. Those who are easily offended would do well to steer clear of this one, but if you have even a passing sense of humor about the world of politics and consumer electronics, you'll find it to be one of the funniest things on the Internet.

For frenetic action, adventure, and humor, look no further than Girly(http://www.go-girly.com/go/1), by Josh Lesnick. The plots are crazy, and most of the characters are beyond that. The art looks like classic comic style, and the stories are anything but. But the characters are unique and sympathetic, and the reader learns new things about them all the time. The scripts seem utterly random, but no sidenote or sidequest is ever forgotten and will likely be resurrected when you least expect it in order to propel the plot or the characters to some new height of humor and/or insanity. It's hard to keep both feet on the ground when reading this one, but you'll be laughing all the way up.