Webcomic Spotlight: Wayfarer’s Moon
Violence, magic, and sexy half-elves... what more could a girl want?
I first discovered Wayfarer’s Moon at Seattle’s Jet City Comic Show. I had the reaction many people have, according to writer Jason Janicki: I squealed “Ooh, a fantasy comic!” and bought a copy of the trade on the spot, after getting it autographed, of course.
As a fan of both fantasy and comics, I’ve never understood why there isn’t more crossover. I was naturally excited to find a well-drawn fantasy comic with a serious story, not just a series of gags involving elf stereotypes.
The immediate story focuses on two very different female protagonists, the young innocent Lily, and the mysterious, cynical half-elf Iri. Lily finds herself alone in the world, trying to survive, and Iri is traveling the land, using her unique blend of stealth combat skills as a sort of special agent. The two women end up traveling together, and Lily soon becomes Iri’s apprentice. While the initial story mainly focuses on the two women and their adventures, we are soon shown what else is going on in the world of Lachryn.
Far away from where Lily and Iri are traveling, there are political machinations brewing. The girls’ lives have already been affected by current events, and it looks like they will only become more involved as they continue to travel together. Along with the schemings of human and elven royalty, there is also Haith, a non-human shape-shifting spy whose motives are unclear.
While there is plenty of drama and plotting to be had, it is not often completely obvious who the bad guys are. The two protagonists often question themselves and their own actions, and characters that do dastardly deeds are often sympathetic in the next scene. Even though it is a fantasy world, the characters have more depth than a lot of sword and sorcery stories where the enemies are pure evil, and mowed down without a second thought.
Wayfarer’s Moon stands out, mainly for the detail and quality of the overall comic. The story and dialogue are well written, and the art, drawn by Leigh Kellogg and colored by Leah Rivera, is colorful yet realistic, which suits the sometimes brutal fantasy world. The two girls’ personalities play off each other well, and even early in the story you see their potential to learn from each other. The women are actually treated as characters, not just standard mold “females.” Granted, there are occasional gratuitous cleavage shots, but it doesn’t distract from the fact that they are people, not just boobs. The boobs are just a bonus.
With a good blend of interesting characters, action, and political intrigue, Wayfarer’s Moon is a great fantasy webcomic and deserves your attention. Grab the volume 1 trade, and keep up with the story every Tuesday and Thursday.
If there’s a webcomic you love that deserves more attention, let me know at ashleycook at nerdtastic dot org
