Hello!

So today, I am delighted to be kicking off one of the new features for the blog – Webcomic Wednesday. Its a format of storytelling that I’ve dipped into on and off over the last couple of years, and always wanted to find the time to write more, and now seemed like the perfect time to take that step. For this first one, I also wanted to take a look at a webcomic that has been on my periphery for a while, and that is The Wastelands.

“A world left empty from its Gods as the mortals struggle to continue living with poisoned lands, corrupted guardians and abandoned temples.

Following the lives of Rahu; a nomad who believes one god has cursed him, Kyror; the last prince of the Great Creator Goddess’ land and Amy; A young woman who doesn’t belong.

Will Amy find a way home? Will Rahu find the god that cursed him? Will Kyror discover what happened to his land and are the gods truly gone?”

The Review:

The Wastelands is an ongoing webcomic, and consists of a prequel chapter: RAHU and then the main comic. It is a fantasy that plays with the idea of an apocalypse/post-apocalyptic world (without the zombies), and it draws inspiration from a variety of cultures and mythologies including Mongolian, Tibetan, Mayan and Aztec and brings those influences together with a beautiful (and developing) art style and engaging plot.

I discovered this creator firstly through their fanart so I already knew that I liked their art style and use of colour, and The Wastelands has taken that appreciation to a whole different level. While, much of the webcomic is black and white, that in no way detracts from their style – and in fact I find that there is something more enrapturing about that more simplistic style. That is not to say that the coloured pages are anything but beautiful, and Rahu the prequel chapter is stunning! Petitecreme has achieved a wonderful balance between detail and simplicity, both in the art and the lettering which makes The Wastelands so easy to follow that you can just focus on the world and story without having to try and decipher what else is happening on the page.

The world building is done through a combination of exposition and art, and for the most part it feels very natural, and where there are info-dumps they are short and done in an engaging way, and to be honest I loved this world so much, I wouldn’t have minded if it was more heavy-handed. I loved the different aspects that she wove together, from nomadic people, to the Kingdom and the various fantastical elements, and even better because this an ongoing series, and the world is still growing and expanding.

There are a few mistakes here and there with the writing, but never enough to detract from the story itself, and as much as I love the world-building, it is not The Wastelands only strength. The plot – which starts with a girl waking in a different world – hits the ground running, and goes from there, with twists and turns, surprises and plenty of action and quiet character moments. It always left me wanting more, and immediately clicking onto the next chapter. This is paired with unique, interesting characters that we get to see grow throughout, and I particularly love Kyror (and Xanu).

Overall, the Wastelands is a beautiful fantasy world with an interesting plot and engaging characters, and an art style that I can’t get enough of.

Links:

Website | Tapas | Patreon | Ko-fi

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Please do check out this amazing webcomic, and if you can support the creator and share her work that would be fantastic!

Rowena