Sunday 24 April 2016

The color of magic: Vibe


The first thing that hits the reader when reading this webcomic is a jarring gorgeosity of color.  It hits the retina in shock-waves. The underlying design, the meta part of the webcomic is likewise a glistening intensity, a virulently cartoon sheen that is almost aggressive in its sense of purpose.

Dan Ciurczak has created a world where loa help certain humans. Loa are manifestations and aspects of elements and perspectives within Haitian vodou. The reader is propelled into a world where spirits can interact as distilled emotions. Bad vibes coalesce and have to be dispelled by witch doctors like the cocky protagonist, Baron Bones.

It's self-aware and reflexive, occasionally too much but overall this florid playfulness and frenetic pace is reminiscent of Corey Lewis' Sharknife, a westernized 'henshin' transformation comic. There are certainly times where I would have preferred a slower pace.

One issue is perhaps the characters and 'about' sections being empty. It's just a small thing but frankly the first chapter is somewhat confusing. I can't help recalling Megatokyo's infamous refusal to provide additional information.