This time, I’m going to review something that has a little more a cult following, that I may or may not be a part of. It’s a webcomic that’s a bit different from your classic “comic.” I’m talking about MS Paint Adventures.
MS Paint Adventures actually holds several stories. Andrew Hussie, the author/artist/genius behind MS Paint Adventures, decided he would try something different. He started with a general situation, and then took suggestions from a suggestion box on how the adventure should unfold. The first 2 attempts, Bardquest and Jailbreak, didn’t last very long and eventually died off. However, when he realized that most of the people’s opinions kinda sucked, he decided to only take the best ideas and then make up plot as he goes along. This created his first success, Problem Sleuth.
It begins with Problem Sleuth, an ace detective, who is stuck in his office. It then escalates through 22 chapters and approximately 1700 intense pages of antics and insanity to a climactic final battle with a demonic kingpin. After he was happy with his finished product, he took a break, but soon came out with another idea. This time with little or no outside influences. His creation was called Homestuck.
Homestuck is a story that begins with a group of friends wanting to play a popular online video game, but quickly becomes way more than they imagine when meteors start crashing down, and the game is responsible. The four friends then have to survive the game, all while being pestered by literal internet trolls, and being hunted by an unknown enemy. It’s still ongoing, and almost 3 times longer than Problem Sleuth. It even includes interactive flash segments, with an entire side cast dedicated to music and videos.
Though it updates erratically, it is still fairly often, and in large bunches. The cast is ever-growing and the many plot lines seem to intertwine and mix at different points in the timeline. At one point, Hussie literally puts the plot on hold and goes back in time to introduce 12 new characters. He even breaks the forth wall and inserts himself as some godly figure.
Though a tad confusing, and very overwhelming if you’re just starting to read it, I still suggest you give it a read. It has an addictive plot with lovable (in every quadrant*) characters. If you like silly, yet clever humour, I highly suggest this read.
*Troll love is complicated. I wouldn’t try to understand it unless you want to get confused.
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