Sinfest, unlike the previous comics I have reviewed, is not an ongoing story, but a series of comic strips like what you’d find in the comics section of a newspaper. The subject matter of most of these strips involve religion, politics, and general observations about life. Despite two of these being hot-button topics, the comic deals with them in a non-preachy, lighthearted way without trivializing the issues. The cast includes a wide variety of characters, each representing an archetype. Monique is the modern girl, Slick is the self-proclaimed “pimp” who never seems to get lucky, and Squigley is an anthropomorphic pig representing self-indulgence. Other characters include religious figures, Ishida’s cat and dog, and others.

Ishida was once a penciller for Dark Horse Comics, so it isn’t surprising that his artwork was professional-looking from the get-go. Nonetheless, it has evolved from the beginning of the series. This may be the result of Ishida becoming more comfortable with the character’s designs. Every Sunday features a colored page. The use of color is like what you’d find in a typical Sunday newspaper – not terribly vibrant, but a nice break from the norm.

The website’s features are nice, but nothing out of the norm, but that’s okay, because the website that a comic is hosted on is not an integral part of the quality of the comic. It features a merchendise store, a forum, and the sparsely-updated blog of the artist.

The comic is updated daily. It is enjoyable for all audiences. The only thing I could find that could be offensive in this comic is mild sexual references.

Rating: B+

Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell takes place in the United Kingdom, where Siddell grew up. The central character, Antimony Carver, is in her seventh year of school, which is the equivalent of the sixth grade in the United States. Upon transferring to Gunnerkrigg Court, a boarding school that resembles a factory more than it resembles a school, Antimony makes friends with several other characters – some natural, some supernatural. The audience quickly learns that although the school is heavily focused on the sciences, there are many supernatural elements to the school, such as the spirits and mythology-based creatures that inhabit it and the alchemy symbols that can be found throughout the school. Over all, this comic has a fairly light-hearted, mystery feel to it.

The artwork has evolved over time, though it hasn’t so much improved as it has changed. It started out angular and cartoony, but the more recent pages have gained a slightly more realistic quality to them, though there are still several details in the backgrounds that are fun to pick out. The style and quality of the title pages are pretty much the same as the story pages.

The website isn’t terribly heavy in extra features. It has all the standard features of a webcomic website – profiles on the cast members, extra art, and a forum. The navigation is straightforward, with the links to all of the features on the main page. Unfortunately, access to page comments and most of the features are only accessible on the main page, but the main page is fortunately accessible from each page.

The comic updates every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. It seems to be aimed at children and young teens, but it is enjoyable for all audiences. Other than references to non-Christian religions, very mild violence and one tiny swearword that’s been cleverly censored, there’s really nothing in this comic that could offend anyone.

Rating: A