The Continentals
Welcome to the eleventh edition of Under the Net.
I will be rating the elements of the book on a scale of one through five.
One is poor, two is mediocre, three is fair, four is good, and five is excellent.
Firstly I want to apologize to everyone that has been following my reviews for the long absence
from these pages. I also want to thank Frankie, for waiting patiently for my return. I was ill for quite a while, and then other commitments took over, but my duties here were never forgotten. I hope everyone is doing well. As I was roaming the wasteland known as the net, I found this delightful web comic series. It’s called The Continentals, and it’s about a group of established English agents investigating the murder of a high noble by a brutal murderer that, in some instances, people refer to as an apparition that appears before Lord Ashton and murders him. The case is being investigated by Mr. Smythe and Mrs. Fizzwig. The art is marvelous and has a
fabulous flow to it. The writing has a perfect flare, and the art have this etching quality that gives
you a great feeling as you read.
The Art
The art is done beautifully. I love the crosshatching and the feel of the art. It feels like they were
making pure etchings. Monique MacNaughton has a clear understanding of how to control the
page. The flow and the many silent scenes the book goes through are very powerful. I love the
usage of blacks, the weights of the lines, the thickness, and the varying degrees of brush strokes.
The art is very moving. Each character has a unique appearance; none of them have the same
facial features like some characters that may appear in other people’s books. All the characters
are special and very unique and that is one thing I purely enjoyed. The art was beautiful; it felt
like a true period piece, and it felt great and refreshing.
ART: 5 STARS
The Writing
Darryl Hughes has complete control of the written word, and I love how he writes the story and
gives this great voice to the key characters. He knows how to introduce the important characters
in the story, and how to stage the action and drama accordingly. This is the first work of the
writer’s I have read, but you can tell he is a seasoned pro when he is telling his tales, and he does
it very well with certain coyness. It is apparent that he is having fun and he loves his job. I love
how he has faith in his artist when they tell those silent moments in the story and how it moves
the story in a very swift, lovely manner.
WRITING: 4 STARS
Originality
The series is oozing with originality. It covers some beaten paths of being a Sherlock Holmes
mystery, yet it goes further and I like that it is a period piece that has a sense of mystery, L&O
mixed into the bag, along with that sense of dread for some of the characters as you go further
and further into the series. You can sense the drama, the action, and the sexual tension and I
totally love the little touches and the nods to previous creators and other similar works. It just
works and it comes together very nicely. The writing and artist have a perfect synergy together
and they work very well together, and are a perfect fit. I enjoyed the series and I am going
to make sure I keep an eye on this series. It is great to see that it has been picked up for print
distribution.
ORIGINALITY: 5 STARS
The Pros
The art is rich and has a very moody sense that pulls you into the story. You are taken on
this rollercoaster ride as you continue to read the book. I love how the pictures can carry the
narrative when there is silence, and you can view the story as it plays out and see the pieces
come together. The characters are very powerful as you go on this journey as mystery, horror,
and science come together, and it is perfect. I love the fully rendered art, how they have the
hatching creating the shadows, and the black and white washing over the page. It gives off a very
powerful image to the reader. The tag team of Darryl and Monique is a great combination, and I
give my props to the two for creating such an engaging and refreshing mystery book.
The Cons
I don’t have many cons. I just wish it would update more than once a week.
My Final Word
If you like Victorian era gaslight-type stories with a infusion of L&O mixed with a Sherlock
Holmes setting come to life, then this is the comic for you. The comic is a great dose of action,
comedy, and all-around wholesomeness.
The web strips update here:
http://www.webcomicsnation.com/moniquem/continentals/series.php
Enjoy folks!
Jake Estrada
Email me at estradajake@yahoo.com for website suggestions. Thanks.
Jake Estrada is a published author who holds degrees in Multimedia Design and Criminal
Justice. He is a father to three wonderful children and married to his beautiful wife, Beth. You
can find his comics at http://graphicly.com/estrada-media and other fine online
No comments:
Post a Comment