produced by Vitaly S. Alexius
worked on by many others
review by Danielle Morgan Racine
Conventions, perhaps one of the greatest ways to waste away an entire week or weekend. It’s a place where like-minded fans and artists of the geek culture community put down their hobbies and leave their nooks to socialize. It was at a convention that I met Meeshka, who was selling her husband’s art and books. I became so captured by the art style, how beautifully decrepit the scenery he often painted looked, and the way it looked with the apocalypse attire of the characters with some sort of goofy speech bubble. She told me about Romantically Apocalyptic and how it was a web comic, but also available in hard copy. After buying some posters, I went home and found it online.
http://romanticallyapocalyptic.com/0
Romantically Apocalyptic is a highly detailed web comic set in a dark apocalyptic dystopian world. It follows the story of Zee Captain and his squad Sniper, Pilot, and Engineer interacting with the wasteland that they are left with.
I am The Captain.
worked on by many others
review by Danielle Morgan Racine
Conventions, perhaps one of the greatest ways to waste away an entire week or weekend. It’s a place where like-minded fans and artists of the geek culture community put down their hobbies and leave their nooks to socialize. It was at a convention that I met Meeshka, who was selling her husband’s art and books. I became so captured by the art style, how beautifully decrepit the scenery he often painted looked, and the way it looked with the apocalypse attire of the characters with some sort of goofy speech bubble. She told me about Romantically Apocalyptic and how it was a web comic, but also available in hard copy. After buying some posters, I went home and found it online.
http://romanticallyapocalyptic.com/0
Romantically Apocalyptic is a highly detailed web comic set in a dark apocalyptic dystopian world. It follows the story of Zee Captain and his squad Sniper, Pilot, and Engineer interacting with the wasteland that they are left with.
I am The Captain.
The year is 20__ something something.
I stopped counting a while ago, and therefore not sure what day it is.
Humanity is virtually wiped out in a nuclear holocaust.
Me and my last squad: Pilot, Sniper and Engie, live in the wasteland ruins of tomorrow.
This is my story.
I am captain.
Vitaly S. Alexius describes the comic as "a high-detailed graphic novel that combines delicious servings of: end of the world / life in a dark post-apocalyptic dystopia, and twisted humour" Everything mentioned in this sentence is definitely accomplished. The leader of the squad, conveniently called Captain, is an extremely dramatic, possibly insane, self-centred source of constant comedic relief. He views the world as his, and everyone and everything he meets to be his too. It is ironic the way that there’s death everywhere yet the comic is so full of humour. For example, there is a frame where after discovering the film Titanic Captain recreates the scene where the lovers are pretending to fly on the ship with Pilot.
However, some of the story telling is a bit inconsistent and at times forced. Those who get into it for the story might be disappointed, it doesn't go as deep as it probably could have. There aren’t very many speech bubbles either, much of the writing is either below the image or in a passage below the entire page. It’s voiced, which is nice because you can listen as you scroll down the images, but it doesn't feel as immersive as it would otherwise. It feels more like a picture book than an actual comic. Your brain isn't working the way comics force it to, you’re just looking at pretty paintings that have a story behind them.
When I say pretty, I mean gorgeous. The whole comic looks like concept art. Every single “panel” looks like it could be a standalone poster and truth be told, I am obsessed with it. Some people have a problem with the way that this style is achieved. Alexius uses models that are photographed in high lighting in the positions he will want the characters to be in. Then, in photoshop, he paints over the models. With the environments he does the same thing with photos he takes of some actually abandoned or creepy areas. This method to me isn’t any less of a process of making art. I don’t think it matters if he didn’t draw the characters or setting by hand, they are his photographs and he still has to mesh them together in a composition that is functional and beautiful. He still has to play with the colour harmonies in order to get the right feel, and it is still gorgeous. There is a distinct use of colour. Lots of blues and greys, in other words, cold and dead.
Due to the fact there isn’t much text within the actual “panels” much of it feels like aspect to aspect and moment to moment transitionally. This enables you to take in the vast environments Captian in the squad visits, and in a way does feel like photography. It also adds a certain peace over it all, there isn’t much urgency making it easier to appreciate the humor. It feels very “Yeah, this is what the world is like, so what?” (Especially the way Captain befriends skeletons). Because the main characters are all wearing mask, it is also fun to point out which of them would be similar to a certain member of your friend groups. It’s very easy to fit yourself in one of their rolls. For example, I, Danielle Morgan Racine, would very much be Zee Captain.
Romantically Apocalyptic is just overall fun. If you go into it light heartedly without expecting anything I think most people would find something to enjoy. There’s something quite charming and entertaining about watching a group of grown men, some more insane than others, dressed in full gas war attire in a dead world turn out to be a group of manchildren discovering everything, arguing over what’s left, and annoying each other. It’s gorgeous, It’s funny, and it is a light read (or listen) if you’re in it for fun. The downfall, is if you’re in it for a serious engaging plot you won’t find it in the story you see on the comic itself. For that you have to go searching the archives of the internet where analyses have been made and questions have been answered.
I stopped counting a while ago, and therefore not sure what day it is.
Humanity is virtually wiped out in a nuclear holocaust.
Me and my last squad: Pilot, Sniper and Engie, live in the wasteland ruins of tomorrow.
This is my story.
I am captain.
Vitaly S. Alexius describes the comic as "a high-detailed graphic novel that combines delicious servings of: end of the world / life in a dark post-apocalyptic dystopia, and twisted humour" Everything mentioned in this sentence is definitely accomplished. The leader of the squad, conveniently called Captain, is an extremely dramatic, possibly insane, self-centred source of constant comedic relief. He views the world as his, and everyone and everything he meets to be his too. It is ironic the way that there’s death everywhere yet the comic is so full of humour. For example, there is a frame where after discovering the film Titanic Captain recreates the scene where the lovers are pretending to fly on the ship with Pilot.
However, some of the story telling is a bit inconsistent and at times forced. Those who get into it for the story might be disappointed, it doesn't go as deep as it probably could have. There aren’t very many speech bubbles either, much of the writing is either below the image or in a passage below the entire page. It’s voiced, which is nice because you can listen as you scroll down the images, but it doesn't feel as immersive as it would otherwise. It feels more like a picture book than an actual comic. Your brain isn't working the way comics force it to, you’re just looking at pretty paintings that have a story behind them.
When I say pretty, I mean gorgeous. The whole comic looks like concept art. Every single “panel” looks like it could be a standalone poster and truth be told, I am obsessed with it. Some people have a problem with the way that this style is achieved. Alexius uses models that are photographed in high lighting in the positions he will want the characters to be in. Then, in photoshop, he paints over the models. With the environments he does the same thing with photos he takes of some actually abandoned or creepy areas. This method to me isn’t any less of a process of making art. I don’t think it matters if he didn’t draw the characters or setting by hand, they are his photographs and he still has to mesh them together in a composition that is functional and beautiful. He still has to play with the colour harmonies in order to get the right feel, and it is still gorgeous. There is a distinct use of colour. Lots of blues and greys, in other words, cold and dead.
Due to the fact there isn’t much text within the actual “panels” much of it feels like aspect to aspect and moment to moment transitionally. This enables you to take in the vast environments Captian in the squad visits, and in a way does feel like photography. It also adds a certain peace over it all, there isn’t much urgency making it easier to appreciate the humor. It feels very “Yeah, this is what the world is like, so what?” (Especially the way Captain befriends skeletons). Because the main characters are all wearing mask, it is also fun to point out which of them would be similar to a certain member of your friend groups. It’s very easy to fit yourself in one of their rolls. For example, I, Danielle Morgan Racine, would very much be Zee Captain.
Romantically Apocalyptic is just overall fun. If you go into it light heartedly without expecting anything I think most people would find something to enjoy. There’s something quite charming and entertaining about watching a group of grown men, some more insane than others, dressed in full gas war attire in a dead world turn out to be a group of manchildren discovering everything, arguing over what’s left, and annoying each other. It’s gorgeous, It’s funny, and it is a light read (or listen) if you’re in it for fun. The downfall, is if you’re in it for a serious engaging plot you won’t find it in the story you see on the comic itself. For that you have to go searching the archives of the internet where analyses have been made and questions have been answered.
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