Fsi Comics

My own experience with webcomics is not nearly broad enough to make a definitive list like that. As I said, I read a couple of long-running webcomics many years ago from the authors’ own sites. Since then, the rest of the webcomic scene has exploded and moved to a host of new platforms. Maybe I’ll check some of them out.

But also it’s a product launch. There was a lot of work put into this comic and in order for it to be worth it, it’s going to need to get a lot of clicks, a lot of subscriptions and a lot of buzz in order to be worth it. So, it’s probably been optimized in a number of ways for maximum shareability and to show off a new style that can get put on prints.

So, the commercial undertow to every creative decision in webcomics is simply that the same focus groups that other comic creators use to test out storylines and scenes etc would indicate that going to a valley (a low point in the story) would be best for focus groups. Then, the backgrounds could be rather pretty, for desktop wallpaper type shots which generate traffic. And the reason to go to a valley would also be that the art would look nice in print on t-shirts etc for a new art style which would sell prints.

This series gets way too much serious discourse for what it is: silly adult comics. To me, the best one is the one that will get you to laugh (snort) against your will. An early one of mine was a very long story set up around a broken washing machine of great import. There was so much commitment to making the reader get why this story mattered that it was sort of impressive. But no, these aren’t meant to be scrutinized as literature. They’re all short, crude, and mean to make you laugh. Ranking them is all a waste of time but fun for those who have read them all. I wouldn’t recommend the later ones that look more like generic comics. The series has its biggest charm in the earlier ones with the most peculiar energy of all. That’s just my valley of favorites though.

So, from a writing craft point of view, Nemesis is a high-concept pitch: ‘Batman as the Joker’. The original 4 issue miniseries fully explores this concept. Subsequent sequels and crossovers will essentially rehash this premise in some form or another. So the most efficient way to read Nemesis would be to start with the original concept in its purest form.

The very best introduction to “Nemesis” would be the first four issues of the first miniseries written by the original creators. This story has a clear beginning, a compelling middle, and a satisfying end that perfectly encapsulates the very high concept of “What if Batman was the Joker?” ‘Reloaded’ is a fun second serving of the same song and while the crossovers are all very cool and deliver their own unique twist on the ‘Nemesis’ concept – kinda like hearing a few lines from the song ‘Nemesis’ used in a different artist’s track – they don’t deliver the full concept in as pure a form as the original miniseries.

Marvel occasionally offers Marvel Comics for free on their official app and website, including for a limited time a free copy of ‘Tales of Suspense #59’. Many educational resources also offer up a comprehensive online archive of comics. Whilst options that are completely free to download are extremely scarce, it’s always possible to trade digital copies of the same issue with other comic book collectors via Discord communities – and remember to get them from official, legal sources to support the creators of the work.

I've got a neat way to lay this out that kept my weekend binging from turning into a confused mess. If you want the definitive reading order for 'Dross', start with the main run in publication order — that usually means issue #1, #2, and so on — because the creative team builds character beats and reveals across issues. If 'Dross' is collected into trade paperbacks or volumes, those are often arranged by story arc and are the easiest entry points: read volume 1, then volume 2, etc. When a crossover or mini-series pops up, treat it like a detour: read the issues that directly tie into the plot immediately after the main-issue breakpoint that references them, but don’t worry about variant covers or reprints — they rarely change narrative order.

If you run into single-issue one-shots, origin stories, or specials labeled as 'annuals' or 'extras', check whether they’re listed as prequels or side-stories. These are best enjoyed after you know the characters — unless the special is explicitly called 'prelude' or 'origin', then feel free to read it first for context. I also use fan-made reading guides and the publisher’s official order (if available) to double-check. Digital storefronts sometimes mis-sort issues; always verify issue numbers and publication dates.

Personally, I like alternating between trades and single issues depending on my patience level: trades for lazy Sundays, single issues to savor cliffhangers. Above all, follow the numbering and publisher notes — they’re there to save you from narrative whiplash — and enjoy the art, because in 'Dross' the visual pacing is half the story. I still get a kick out of spotting tiny details on my second read.

So people are still searching for this? I thought that creator had been long forsaken by all in a bygone era of discourse. Huh.

Webtoon. I wrote that title so you’d read this piece about the act of reading Webtoon comics. Yes, the vertical scroll is perfect for building to suspense and comedic moments. An artist can use the length of the scroll to control the pacing of a scene. For example, a reaction panel can be placed just off the bottom of the screen so that the reader has to scroll down to see the character’s expression in that moment. If a comic were online and all the panels for a page were displayed all at once or the comic was read horizontally page by page click by click then the comedic moments would not be timed as well. The medium is the message and ‘Mi Casa Es Tu Casa’ is a Webtoon comic designed for a specific Webtoon size “canvas” and so it must be read on Webtoon in order to get the full intended experience of the comic. Any other format would be a watered down or compromised version of the work, much like watching a wide screen movie pan and scan to fit a smaller old TV.

In reverse order, ‘Fox’s Day Out’ is a beautifully simple and sweet little side story that reads perfectly as a one-off volume once you’ve read and fallen in love with the main series. However, as a first point of contact with the Fox world, it is a dismal, weightless read. I first attempted to read ‘Fox’s Day Out’ months ago and was utterly stumped and in the end bored by it after three chapters or so. The Fox in question simply went round with a bunch of babies and Fox’s observations of them were largely sort of random and not really all that sweet.

So learn from my mistake and save yourself the bland first impression. The side story is a complement to the main story, not an entry point. It’s a collection of pleasant artwork made even more pleasant because you already love these characters and understand their history. The main story is where you need to build your foundation – the pay-off for reading the fluff spin-off is so much sweeter.

Old comic sections are often stored in the university digital journalism archives of defunct newspapers. Some are available on public terminals on campus for non-students to access. I found an incredible amount of very early ‘Family Circus’ in the ‘Chicago Tribune’ historical archives at my local big city library branch. Seeing them in their original setting with advertising and other comics of the time was a really great cultural glimpse into the past that you wouldn’t get from a separate image file.