April 3, 2011 | Filed under blog , featured and tagged with fantasy , feature , Karen Howard , link , war of winds , webcomic
This month’s feature is of the first work, The War of Winds Webcomic. The story follows Talon, a young thief who got a lot more than he bargained for when he stole a seemingly harmless trinket from a dying woman. What appeared a simple bauble turns out to be The Key, a mysterious and dangerous item that may demand more of Talon than he is able to give. As for Vrin, his pragmatic (and occasionally possessed) sister, she has enough problems of her own without dealing with Talon’s poor choice in larceny targets. Not that she’s given much choice, as The Key is being hunted down by a daunting number of frightening and intimidating characters, including the abrasive Ravar.
The image above is in homage to my favorite chapter, in which Ravar and his former teacher, Ehranah, journey through Talon’s mind and memories. It’s one of several intriguing bits of world building and concept exploration that Kez employs, and I felt this chapter had a fantastic mix of character growth, plot weaving, suspense, action, and visual goodies.
For those of you who love the process of webcomics, in which the reader can witness the evolution of a creator as well as a story, this is a particularly interesting read. TWoW’s original form was a novel, and at first the transition from pure prose to comic form was a little clunky. However, Kez has embraced the strengths of the media and constantly challenges herself in her work. There are few people I have found that grow so much as both writer and artist through the creation of their webcomics. It is simply an astounding journey to follow, and I have a feeling that TWoW is only just beginning to scrape the surface of the tale it has to tell.
Of course, if fantasy isn’t your bag, KEZ also has What it Takes, a post-apocalyptic martial arts survival story. If you’re a webcomicker yourself, her blog Winged Wolf Studios is also a great resource.
