***Note to Moderators: If you don't like me posting a non-game review in the review section please alert me and I will post elsewhere. Also feel free to move the post if that is in your power***
Okay, disclaimer posted, on with the review...
Wait, background first!
So I read a great deal of Webcomics and have a tendency to be very enthused about some of them. I'll be endeavoring to post reviews of those I read and liked or disliked when I get the chance. If you have one you would like me to check out and review (or not) send me a message and I'll poke around a bit. Also, for a more in depth and exceptionally well written examination of Webcomics check out www.websnark.com, fantastic site updated infrequently.
So, PVP.
I only started reading PVP recently, about two weeks ago. It took me that long to get through the archives and up to the current point in the timeline. Webcomics come in different shapes and sizes (meaning having different topics and focuses) and many evolve over time. PVP and Scott Kurtz have done just that.
Let's start with the general impression. Kurtz is a funny dude, a very funny dude. His comics make me laugh out loud on occasion, which I don't do often, and that tells me he has the wit and delivery down. If you want to laugh this comic is going to make you. How it will make you laugh depends on which comic you read, but there are a lot of weapons in Kurtz's arsenal.
For one it was originally a straight gaming comic and a good one. Today it has evolved into a broader work, but gaming still holds the central pin in the wheel. The jokes are by a gamer for gamers and on point. All the cast members are gamers, but they are all gamers of a different type (or stereotype depending on what Kurtz needs at the moment) and blend together very well. Kurtz has done a fantastic job of making his characters believable in personality even though the comic is frequently unrealistic and fantastical in action. The situational-comedy humor is funnier than any TV sit-com because Kurtz's characters are hilariously more realistic than most. They all have flaws and traits that become quickly recognized and he writes them in such a way that they control themselves. You won't see a character react in a way he or she wouldn't based on what Kurtz has laid out as their modus operandi. More humor comes from the delicious fact that Kurtz also likes to mercilessly take shots at his critics (mostly nutty fans who email him) and organizations that draw his ire. He's good at it, you will laugh hard, especially if you play/played Ultima Online.
This comic, no matter the topic, is primarily a character driven one, which is fortunate because all the characters are good. As stated before, the characters themselves are all well fleshed out to the point they each need to be. Kurtz has supporting cast members that don't overshadow his main protagonists and actually act as true supports to the comic. I find his implementation of characters excellent, he doesn't make many mistakes. Plot is used as a vehicle for the personalities to inject their thoughts/feelings/attitudes into rather than having an overarching or overbearing central plot, with a few exceptions. The comic itself uses one-shots and projected story-lines to cover the things Kurtz thinks are funny or entertaining, but the real cherry on top is that you won't be caught hanging during a story-line with unfunny fillers or transitions. It is all very well done.
I'd like to conclude my praise for the comic with some personal favorite parts, no spoilers attached: Skull, Butler, Star Trek References, Kurtz's Dad, The General Lee, Pandas, and a willingness to do male/female humor that coexists with geek humor instead of acting in opposition to it. That last part may sound confusing, but read the comic and you will get it.
As for complaints. The revelation of one character's background seemed unnecessary and to not be particularly enriching to the overall story. Guest comics are mostly lackluster and occasionally infuriating because they don't have the pace/wit of Kurtz's work, but I dislike the guest comic, almost without fail, in all Webcomics so that is a minor gripe. Some plots become annual retreads, which is as close to tiresome as Kurtz ever gets. There are snags in the story-line-that-still-manages-to-be-funny pattern, but I would argue they are heavily outweighed by the humor around them and insignificant when compared to other Webcomics that have the occasional "look the author has a heart" speed bumps.
PVP is a humorous, and sometimes outrageously funny, comic that should be read by any fan of gaming, hilarity, and life in general. This is a popular comic for good reason people, it is magnificently done and demands your attention, don't ignore it.
Note - I realize most readers will be familiar with PVP already and probably don't need this review but I picked it to start because 1) I read it the most recently of the comics I read regularly and 2) I really wanted to say something about how truly great this comic is. Feedback related to the review in the form of constructive criticism, praise, and sarcasm is welcome.
Edit - Replaced "coup de gras" with "cherry on top" because "coup de gras" did not convey the meaning I wanted and I'm positive I spelled it wrong.
Edit 2 - Image added.
Okay, disclaimer posted, on with the review...
Wait, background first!
So I read a great deal of Webcomics and have a tendency to be very enthused about some of them. I'll be endeavoring to post reviews of those I read and liked or disliked when I get the chance. If you have one you would like me to check out and review (or not) send me a message and I'll poke around a bit. Also, for a more in depth and exceptionally well written examination of Webcomics check out www.websnark.com, fantastic site updated infrequently.
So, PVP.
I only started reading PVP recently, about two weeks ago. It took me that long to get through the archives and up to the current point in the timeline. Webcomics come in different shapes and sizes (meaning having different topics and focuses) and many evolve over time. PVP and Scott Kurtz have done just that.
Let's start with the general impression. Kurtz is a funny dude, a very funny dude. His comics make me laugh out loud on occasion, which I don't do often, and that tells me he has the wit and delivery down. If you want to laugh this comic is going to make you. How it will make you laugh depends on which comic you read, but there are a lot of weapons in Kurtz's arsenal.
For one it was originally a straight gaming comic and a good one. Today it has evolved into a broader work, but gaming still holds the central pin in the wheel. The jokes are by a gamer for gamers and on point. All the cast members are gamers, but they are all gamers of a different type (or stereotype depending on what Kurtz needs at the moment) and blend together very well. Kurtz has done a fantastic job of making his characters believable in personality even though the comic is frequently unrealistic and fantastical in action. The situational-comedy humor is funnier than any TV sit-com because Kurtz's characters are hilariously more realistic than most. They all have flaws and traits that become quickly recognized and he writes them in such a way that they control themselves. You won't see a character react in a way he or she wouldn't based on what Kurtz has laid out as their modus operandi. More humor comes from the delicious fact that Kurtz also likes to mercilessly take shots at his critics (mostly nutty fans who email him) and organizations that draw his ire. He's good at it, you will laugh hard, especially if you play/played Ultima Online.
This comic, no matter the topic, is primarily a character driven one, which is fortunate because all the characters are good. As stated before, the characters themselves are all well fleshed out to the point they each need to be. Kurtz has supporting cast members that don't overshadow his main protagonists and actually act as true supports to the comic. I find his implementation of characters excellent, he doesn't make many mistakes. Plot is used as a vehicle for the personalities to inject their thoughts/feelings/attitudes into rather than having an overarching or overbearing central plot, with a few exceptions. The comic itself uses one-shots and projected story-lines to cover the things Kurtz thinks are funny or entertaining, but the real cherry on top is that you won't be caught hanging during a story-line with unfunny fillers or transitions. It is all very well done.
I'd like to conclude my praise for the comic with some personal favorite parts, no spoilers attached: Skull, Butler, Star Trek References, Kurtz's Dad, The General Lee, Pandas, and a willingness to do male/female humor that coexists with geek humor instead of acting in opposition to it. That last part may sound confusing, but read the comic and you will get it.
As for complaints. The revelation of one character's background seemed unnecessary and to not be particularly enriching to the overall story. Guest comics are mostly lackluster and occasionally infuriating because they don't have the pace/wit of Kurtz's work, but I dislike the guest comic, almost without fail, in all Webcomics so that is a minor gripe. Some plots become annual retreads, which is as close to tiresome as Kurtz ever gets. There are snags in the story-line-that-still-manages-to-be-funny pattern, but I would argue they are heavily outweighed by the humor around them and insignificant when compared to other Webcomics that have the occasional "look the author has a heart" speed bumps.
PVP is a humorous, and sometimes outrageously funny, comic that should be read by any fan of gaming, hilarity, and life in general. This is a popular comic for good reason people, it is magnificently done and demands your attention, don't ignore it.
Note - I realize most readers will be familiar with PVP already and probably don't need this review but I picked it to start because 1) I read it the most recently of the comics I read regularly and 2) I really wanted to say something about how truly great this comic is. Feedback related to the review in the form of constructive criticism, praise, and sarcasm is welcome.
Edit - Replaced "coup de gras" with "cherry on top" because "coup de gras" did not convey the meaning I wanted and I'm positive I spelled it wrong.
Edit 2 - Image added.