Sunday, July 20, 2008

HIGH MOON: The Critics Take

It's been nearly two weeks since the dramatic conclusion of HIGH MOON, and now that the story has concluded, we have some real fantastic critiques from around the blogosphere.

The Webcomic Overlook
"High Moon emulates its Western forefathers by being sparse on words. Instead, it lets the art do the talking. Steve Ellis’ art is incredibly attractive, gritty and sleek at the same time. (He cites High Plains Drifter, Django, and El Topo as inspirations.) The attention to detail brings to life a secluded town where wooden buildings show signs of wear and where brothels look hazy and smoky. While the action scenes are some of the best you’ll ever see in a webcomic, High Moon can get downright elegant in its quieter moments." (read more)

mpd57
"This is the first Zuda competition winner to begin as a regular strip and how David and Steve managed to keep to the pace of the updates without any noticeable loss of quality I'll never know. This strip sets a certain benchmark in quality that future contributors would do well to consider before they sling their scribbles in the direction of Zuda." (read more)

Kleefeld on Comics
For those who haven't read any of High Moon, it's essentially a Western with werewolves and vampires. That kind of description, though, belies the nuances of the story. Yes, we've got some all-out werewolf/vampire fight scenes. Yes, we've got the mandatory silver bullet "solution." We've also got the classic rough, Clint Eastwood style, loner hero character. All the tropes you'd expect in a mythical horror/Western. But they're blended together in a manner that, I think, combines to form something new and different. I have to admit, though, that I'm finding it difficult to explain some of those change-ups without revealing portions of the plot that would otherwise prove interesting story elements to those reading it for the first time. (read more)

NeedCoffee

If you haven't checked out the story, then you should. I like it because it's deceptively straightforward. You read the first installation and say, "Yeah, okay, I see where this is going." And it involves werewolves and very large revolvers, so you don't mind that. But as the story progresses it goes somewhere else, then goes three blocks west of there--and it's good. I'm almost sorry it's over in sixty pages, to be honest. I felt it might have could have been pulled out a bit longer in places. (read more)

Broken Frontier
Exceptionally well-realized, High Moon is certainly one of the most prolific winners of the Zuda contest, and it’s easy to see why. While there’s clearly an abundance of the supernatural around every corner, the creators never let it overburden the mystery at hand to find a lost little girl. Every character is so fantastically realized from concept to design to execution, that’s its hard not to get lost in the pages. The story does grow a bit too convoluted in the final act, it still packs an awesome twist in the end. Like all the webcomics reviewed so far, High Moon is highly recommended. (read more)

The HIGH MOON team would like to thank everyone for making this experience so incredible. It's been a blast. Steve, Scott, and I will be at the San Diego ComicCon this coming week, so if you are there, please come by and say 'hello'.

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