xylia

[Strange Ian]

Adorable is what we do best!
Well, that and random rambling.

What I'm wondering is this: Is the good doctor really old, or does he exist on some kinda different plane where time passes differently? It wouldn't be that odd, given that he lives in a constantly relocating room.

Assuming, of course, that he's known the other Claudes personally. I had the idea that he did, at least some of them. I think it's partly this page, it gives the impression that he's been there to see it all.

[Silvara_Dragontear]

Don't tell me about labels, I hate being labeld as anything. Yes precious we do hates them
Uh sorry about the whole Gollum moment, labels are just bad.
But I got to say I loved the fire pic, so pretty, and dr. A is so wonderfully mysterious.
And S.I, Nosewraith? Thank you for that lovely picture in my head. I can see it now a bunch of nazgullooking creatures with big noses with orders to bring back the perfect nose to their boss who is a gosth that don't have a nose.

[Ceridwen]

Everyone knows that part of the fun with webcomics are for readers to make their own theories, wheter they are completely rooky or not, and for the author to lean backwards and snicker at said theories

[hothotpot]

Wow, you all are on a really strange path here. Verrrry interesting. But strange. Oh well.

(FWIW- The eyes are all wrong.)

Well how you could possibly expect me to look at a little detail like his eyes with that giant schnoze!?

Also, I knew that wasn't it at all, I just wondered if anyone else had had the same thought. Figured it was unlikely...my thoughts generally tend to be a little out there!

[Hagar]

Oy, I joined this late... so much work this week...
Just popped-in though to say GREAT PAGE BARB! Love skeptical Claude- so young, so wrong, short nose and unaware...

& guys, about the Dr.=Claude=Charlie old-version-teaches-young-version thing- WHAT? that's just... what???
I don't get it...

[BarbJacobs]

Everyone knows that part of the fun with webcomics are for readers to make their own theories, wheter they are completely rooky or not, and for the author to lean backwards and snciker at said theories

Very well said!

I think that is the MOST fun. ^_^
At least for me.

ONe good thing about me having little free time is that I cant draw and post spoilers like I used to...

Aw.
~B

[Elle]

You'd litter the images with chicken feather photoshop brushes, I KNOW YOU WOULD.

[Aerin]

BRING ON THE CHICKENS!!!

[Henrike]

Heheheheheh...late! But better late than never.....Been away for some time but that doesn`t mean I`m not reading every single page! They`re awesome Barb, I loved them!! The disappearing study (mystery!!) cute little Claude, the sketches (wow, I love them! It`s like Claude is reading an awesome storybook, I want one!) the profile of dr. A.... It`s all very very good! Can`t wait for the next page.

And S.I, Nosewraith? Thank you for that lovely picture in my head. I can see it now a bunch of nazgullooking creatures with big noses with orders to bring back the perfect nose to their boss who is a gosth that don't have a nose.

Which you could be right about since Sauron is actually an eye....I bet he would kill for a nose like that of Dr. Ambrosia OR Claude!
Seriously, you guys make me fall of my chair laughing!

Ambrosia being the former incarnation of Claude, teaching his younger self eternally?

Eternally? That would be a nasty job....being stuck with yourself for ages trying to teach yourself stuff....
Not really something I`d vote for.

Personally I think that Dr. Ambrosia is from Azloe. He has to keep an eye on the different Claude`s and make sure he will go and find Xylia (or something....) and finally do his task, quest or whatever he has to do to save their world.

[canterrain]

Yeah Yeah. This is really. Really. REALLY. Late.

For those of you who noticed my absence. (Hi Barb! Oh wait you knew I was going to be gone!)... I'm back. I was moving. Consolidating two apartments into a third apartment is fun. Yeah. Really. ... wanna come help? PLEASE?

Ahem. On Topic. I didn't get to really do my somewhat editor like thing for Barb (No preview! Just wrong..) for the last two pages, so you benefit as I will write my thoughts here for once!



I said this a lot with Talismen. I love it when Barb throws out the panels. It makes it really hard to review in some ways. Cause I can't just say "Panel 1." But dang it looks good. Panels are boring. This is spice. But bear with me as I'll try to make it clear what I'm talking about.

The Door.

The door sports a plaque now. (or maybe it just wasn't visible because of angle the page before) I think I can just barely make out what looks to be a Dr. Ambrosia. But there is a line beneath it. And I admit extreme curiosity as to what the line says. Historian? Storyteller? Mystery Man? (No wait, Ambrosia can disappear even when people are looking..)

Said door now sports a keyhole where it did not before. Not sure if this is a mistake or on purpose. I'm curious if it is on purpose again. And even moreso when I begin to wonder... why -would- Dr. Ambrosia need a key and to lock his door? What does he need to keep out? ... or in?

The narrative suggests that the door poofs. And reappears in another place just as instantly. (And aw... I'm feel so complimented. But clearly this isn't a plain white door. And no void. >>) And that it's 'always in a different place.' But I have to admit, the floor suggests otherwise. Or else Charlie/Claude frequents places that tend to have black and white checkered floors. Always possible.

I like the little scene of Charlie and Liz. Charlie definitely looks enraptured in a tale, much like the expression you'd see from someone watching a really good tv show. His eyes are always so striking, and I think that's what everyone loves most about young Charlie. Not just the color but how big they are. Innocent. Sometimes I'm not a fan of the eyebrows though. When they're drawn with such a bold outline. Compared to say.. the silhouette of Dr. Ambrosia which you can see the bushiness of and edges, Charlie's seem less.. real somehow.

Liz pleases me. I'd swear she were looking right at me. And I like that she is fuzzed out a bit to suggest perspective.

But ah.. the old Timey stuff. This is the real Meat of the page as it were. What's somewhat tragic is.. in the effort to get out of the prologue without spending a hundred and fifty pages on it alone (or more!) we lose out on these very neat looking stories. And so many questions are left unanswered. Is that Xylia on that balcony thing in that fire? Who are the kids? Claude's? Or was he just being a hero and saving people from fire? How did the fire start? Is this a certain famous fire (there's more than one of those come to think..)

And Claude sword fighting! Who's he fighting? Why's he look... angry? Yeah that's the expression I'd say. Angry with maybe a mixture of excitement? Perhaps it's adrenaline. His pose here looks a slight bit off somehow, can't quite place what though. Maybe the placement of the sword/guard or his arm. But the coat. The coat is what I'm interested in. It's reminiscent of a civil war style dress style. But I'd place it more of a nobleman's buttons and shirt. So is this a noble duel? Or is Claude in another war? I think I want to see his other arm though. It just seems.. missing.

And Xylia. Yeah she is in this! Now, lemme say. I have loved the little borders up to this point. The whispyness (is that a word?) have really added a.. touch.. to the idea of storytelling sort of thing. The images from Ambrosia's lips. But using Xylia's wings as a border too? BRILLIANT. And they look so perfect. And Xylia looks.. ethereal. Solid. yet part of my almost expects her to be translucent. I'm not sure I like how her jaw connects into her ear. Maybe it's the hair line. I wasn't able to even quite get that the reason her neck looked so thin was because of hair. But it kind of came out. But I like the face So much. It's very... faerie like. If that makes any sense. Especially the eyebrows. I disliked the straw eyebrows at first. But they've really grown on me and sort of make the character in a way.

Yet my favorite touch of this page is easily the silhouette of Dr. Ambrosia. well it's more than a silhouette. But it's sort of one. I think this touch really completes the idea of him telling the tales one by one to Charlie. While Charlie, none the wiser, listens with rapt attention about his own deeds. I think the choice to make him dark but let some of his features be visible (as opposed to no darkness or actual silhouette) was an excellent choice. Especially the slight glow in his eye. And the little tufts of hair that peak out from his beard and mustache. Very nice touches.

Overall Barb accomplishes alot with very little. And makes me ask SO many questions. There are, I think, less panels in general in Xylia than there are Talismen. (And I hate to draw comparisons, since these comics are as different as night and day). And I think I was telling Barb this, but it's actually a good choice. She's managing to get more done, pay attention to detail, and even move the story at a nice pace.. without trying to cram as much as she can into a bunch of panels and... lose something for the lost focus.

Bravo. Excellent page. See you in the next review.