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Homestuck Webcomic #6
Homestuck, Act 5 Act 1: MOB1US DOUBL3 R34CH4ROUND
636 pages, ebook
First published September 19, 2010
7 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Hussie
94 books434 followersAndrew Hussie is the creator of MS Paint Adventures, a collection of webcomics that includes Homestuck, as well as of several other webcomics, books, and videos.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
January 23, 2024
I really don't know what to say. I think I'm gonna have to go back and re-review each of these acts after a reread that I already see coming, because I am doing a terrible job.
STUFF I LIKE:
- This has a lot more interpersonal stuff than usual. It makes me very happy. I love Karkat's conversations with Kanaya and Terezi the most. I think the usual SBURB info-dumping is fun it just hurts my brain. Hussie is also really good at characterization.
- O:B <-- Shocked Karkat
- So. Much. Cool. Art.
STUFF I DONT LIKE:
-There are as usual lots of slurs. So many in fact that I gave up counting. Sorry about that. They branched out though this time. In addition to mocking mental disabilities, in this act, people also mock the physically disabled!!
-I am inclined to love Gamzee but the way that he talks strikes me as some weird Blackcoding that I can guarantee won't be done well.
-"incestuous slurry"
Words, words, words. Wurds werds wordz.
STUFF I LIKE:
- This has a lot more interpersonal stuff than usual. It makes me very happy. I love Karkat's conversations with Kanaya and Terezi the most. I think the usual SBURB info-dumping is fun it just hurts my brain. Hussie is also really good at characterization.
- O:B <-- Shocked Karkat
- So. Much. Cool. Art.
STUFF I DONT LIKE:
-There are as usual lots of slurs. So many in fact that I gave up counting. Sorry about that. They branched out though this time. In addition to mocking mental disabilities, in this act, people also mock the physically disabled!!
-I am inclined to love Gamzee but the way that he talks strikes me as some weird Blackcoding that I can guarantee won't be done well.
-"incestuous slurry"
Words, words, words. Wurds werds wordz.
April 11, 2025
I was really curious about how I would feel about several aspects of Act 5, with so much time and distance from the fandom, and it was definitely a mixed bag.
In the halcyon days of HS fandom, there was a real sense of needing to rush to get to the trolls, at which point the comic "got good". Looking at it removed from that, I did enjoy Act 4 more than Act 5 Act 1. That's not to say I didn't enjoy this Act - far from it - but stepping back from the action into introduction after introduction is definitely jarring pacing-wise.
I don't hate all the introductions at all though - the sudden advent of so many characters who all manage to be memorable and distinct really reminds me of why I used to rec HS to people wanting to up their character-writing game. HS is a real masterclass in developing a large cast without feeling stale or like you're constantly retreading the same ground. The amount of creativity on display is really something special, and rereading this Act reminded me how much I learned from it.
The art is gorgeous too - this was the point where the art & animations really started to come into their own, and the amount of visual storytelling done through the [s] pages really shines. I was also really struck by the use of colour this time around - not just through the theming of the trolls, but the way all the backgrounds and settings feel so cohesive and well designed. (Maybe just because I'm better at colour theory than last time I read HS...)
I was really curious if I would find myself feeling the same way as I used to about certain characters, and while some bothered me less than they used to, I definitely leaned towards the same favourites, and my dislike for one certain character definitely hasn't eased.
All of THAT mess aside, I'm still enjoying the reread. Looking forward to rejoining the original characters in Act 5 Act 2 and pushing forward with the story.
(Which, wow, I can not IMAGINE how people who skipped right to the trolls managed to process all of this...)
Also, the troll romance system is the smartest thing Andrew Hussie ever did without question.
In the halcyon days of HS fandom, there was a real sense of needing to rush to get to the trolls, at which point the comic "got good". Looking at it removed from that, I did enjoy Act 4 more than Act 5 Act 1. That's not to say I didn't enjoy this Act - far from it - but stepping back from the action into introduction after introduction is definitely jarring pacing-wise.
I don't hate all the introductions at all though - the sudden advent of so many characters who all manage to be memorable and distinct really reminds me of why I used to rec HS to people wanting to up their character-writing game. HS is a real masterclass in developing a large cast without feeling stale or like you're constantly retreading the same ground. The amount of creativity on display is really something special, and rereading this Act reminded me how much I learned from it.
The art is gorgeous too - this was the point where the art & animations really started to come into their own, and the amount of visual storytelling done through the [s] pages really shines. I was also really struck by the use of colour this time around - not just through the theming of the trolls, but the way all the backgrounds and settings feel so cohesive and well designed. (Maybe just because I'm better at colour theory than last time I read HS...)
I was really curious if I would find myself feeling the same way as I used to about certain characters, and while some bothered me less than they used to, I definitely leaned towards the same favourites, and my dislike for one certain character definitely hasn't eased.
All of THAT mess aside, I'm still enjoying the reread. Looking forward to rejoining the original characters in Act 5 Act 2 and pushing forward with the story.
(Which, wow, I can not IMAGINE how people who skipped right to the trolls managed to process all of this...)
Also, the troll romance system is the smartest thing Andrew Hussie ever did without question.
February 19, 2024
one of my formative memories of reading this section, the first time i read homestuck many moons ago, was hitting the end sequence, seeing the final page of earth, and being absolutely blown away. this emotion still stands today.
act four and act five (part one, lol) are, i would say, the point where homestuck starts getting legitimately *good*. acts one through three are funny! they are almost more funny than substantive, though, and this is where you start getting that balance of substantive and funny in a way that is just so exciting. the trolls introduction is fantastic! fandom misinterpretation of these characters has made it difficult to remember exactly who they are.
im liking karkat so much more this time around. he's legitimately hilarious and a compelling character!! so interesting that the first kiss in this entire messed up comic with all it's silly absurd romance sideplots is aradiabot and equius -- i maintain the opinion that SHE SHOULD HAVE KILLED HIM FOR PROGRAMMING HER WITH ROMANTIC FEELINGS. THAT IS SO MESSED UP. not a single romantic interaction (in *any* quadrant) reads as healthy to me -- which is so interesting and i wonder if it's intentional!!
feferi breaking up w/eridan as soon as as they enter the medium is probably more funny to me now than ever before. go queen!
i would love an entire comic focused on the troll's sgrub session. i am glad it is shown abbreviated in this comic, because oh my goodness is it long enough and honestly it's just an inciting footnote to a grander adventure, but wow are the few bits we see interesting!
anyways! on to act five act two. yeehaw!
act four and act five (part one, lol) are, i would say, the point where homestuck starts getting legitimately *good*. acts one through three are funny! they are almost more funny than substantive, though, and this is where you start getting that balance of substantive and funny in a way that is just so exciting. the trolls introduction is fantastic! fandom misinterpretation of these characters has made it difficult to remember exactly who they are.
im liking karkat so much more this time around. he's legitimately hilarious and a compelling character!! so interesting that the first kiss in this entire messed up comic with all it's silly absurd romance sideplots is aradiabot and equius -- i maintain the opinion that SHE SHOULD HAVE KILLED HIM FOR PROGRAMMING HER WITH ROMANTIC FEELINGS. THAT IS SO MESSED UP. not a single romantic interaction (in *any* quadrant) reads as healthy to me -- which is so interesting and i wonder if it's intentional!!
feferi breaking up w/eridan as soon as as they enter the medium is probably more funny to me now than ever before. go queen!
i would love an entire comic focused on the troll's sgrub session. i am glad it is shown abbreviated in this comic, because oh my goodness is it long enough and honestly it's just an inciting footnote to a grander adventure, but wow are the few bits we see interesting!
anyways! on to act five act two. yeehaw!
September 16, 2025
We gotta kill Equius with Hammers
Homestuck finally gets to formally introducing its breakout characters the Trolls and explains their silly alien lives.
While it jumps around a bit this act explains their relationships with one another pretty well and sometimes flashbacks to their backstories and fights, it does it in a way that feels more understandable than the previous chapters have.
It also helps at this point the reader understands Sburb and how the game works so when the Trolls start playing you better grasp what’s going on.
It’s fun stuff, the writing is very funny and the art rules, I love that Gamzee is a Juggalo for like no reason it’s so stupid.
Great chapter of the story, explains allot of loose ends after the previous acts and sets up Lord English as this crazy unbeatable villain.
Homestuck finally gets to formally introducing its breakout characters the Trolls and explains their silly alien lives.
While it jumps around a bit this act explains their relationships with one another pretty well and sometimes flashbacks to their backstories and fights, it does it in a way that feels more understandable than the previous chapters have.
It also helps at this point the reader understands Sburb and how the game works so when the Trolls start playing you better grasp what’s going on.
It’s fun stuff, the writing is very funny and the art rules, I love that Gamzee is a Juggalo for like no reason it’s so stupid.
Great chapter of the story, explains allot of loose ends after the previous acts and sets up Lord English as this crazy unbeatable villain.
October 19, 2017
SO GOOOOOD. It's been ages since I saw most of these characters!
Ok but seriously, Act 5 Act 1 is really good. The time-jumping is, though confusing, really clever. My only complaint is the lack of flashes. At the same time though, that made [S] Make her pay that much more satisfying once it showed up. Anyway. The introductions to the trolls are done in a really good way. Also, the foreshadowing was A+, like always. The setup for the retcon is... strange to see, but so cool.
Ok but seriously, Act 5 Act 1 is really good. The time-jumping is, though confusing, really clever. My only complaint is the lack of flashes. At the same time though, that made [S] Make her pay that much more satisfying once it showed up. Anyway. The introductions to the trolls are done in a really good way. Also, the foreshadowing was A+, like always. The setup for the retcon is... strange to see, but so cool.
December 3, 2022
Over 600 pages in which the original characters have all been benched in favor of 12(!) new ones. Somehow they all are fully realized and distinct from one another in pretty memorable ways, which is an undertaking unto itself. I'm subtracting a star though as many of the characters have quirks in their vernacular that make them distinct that in practice that are also a huge hassle to read for pages and pages. So many pages of letter/number substitutions!
March 27, 2024
I just realized that Homestuck is probably where my love for multimedia comes from. Huh.
As long as this webcomic is and it certainly doesn’t need to be longer, I still mourn the fact that we get so little from the troll’s session. The things I would give for Feferi and Sollux to have actual conversations here.
Anyway. All of the characters are introduced so wonderfully. It’s quite impressive how distinctive they come off, and how quickly you start to tune out the typing quirks.
As long as this webcomic is and it certainly doesn’t need to be longer, I still mourn the fact that we get so little from the troll’s session. The things I would give for Feferi and Sollux to have actual conversations here.
Anyway. All of the characters are introduced so wonderfully. It’s quite impressive how distinctive they come off, and how quickly you start to tune out the typing quirks.
October 10, 2019
It's a bit of a slog, but Hivebent's grown on me.
September 11, 2020
a bit confusing to follow, but good
February 5, 2025
I am so attached to these little guys
September 29, 2025
NEPETA MENTIONED
June 2, 2017
It took me ages to get all of the new information straight in my mind. There was some serious note-taking being done with this act, I'll tell you that. Because not only do you have to keep track of the plot, but Act 5/1 here introduces the twelve trolls, who ironically are actual trolls. And then there's the various tidbits about troll life, which, while interesting, tend to be confusing. Like troll romance. Gah. Or bluh, maybe.
At least this act had the decency to keep all of the timey-wimey nonsense at a minimum.
That's right - this act made me make a Doctor Who reference. And I don't even watch Doctor Who.
That being said, I really did enjoy the thought put into the trolls as a whole. Their life cycles, their culture, their...breeding habits. They were an interesting race to learn about. And I'll be honest - I spent a good five minutes helplessly giggling over troll Will Smith.
The overarching premise of 5/1 is the story of the trolls' Sburb (Sgrub) session, and how they came to the point where they started trolling John and the others. With the occasional flashback to what, for the first half of the act, is simply known as the role playing accident.
To go any further into the plot than that would be to invite lengthy explanations of troll society and that whole romance mess. I sat through it. Twice. I'm totally with Spades Slick on this one. I'm not going to go into it, except to say that the romantic quadrant system was a brilliant move - as Nepeta's wall drawings showed, the shipping possibilities are endless.
It's an interesting premise. There aren't technically love triangles, because trolls recognize the place for several variations of "love" in their lives. Yet there's relationship drama in regards to various unrequited loves. So many unrequited loves.
I'm also trying to figure out what exactly the hierarchy is. It's dependent on blood and evolution level, I suppose, since the blue blood sea trolls are higher ranking than the land dwelling blue bloods. But I was never too clear on how the rest of the hierarchy plays out. What are the lower bloods? Green? Brown? Teal? And then there are the few outliers. I don't know whether I'm disappointed, or glad that there was no wall of text explanation on how exactly that works.
At least this act had the decency to keep all of the timey-wimey nonsense at a minimum.
That's right - this act made me make a Doctor Who reference. And I don't even watch Doctor Who.
That being said, I really did enjoy the thought put into the trolls as a whole. Their life cycles, their culture, their...breeding habits. They were an interesting race to learn about. And I'll be honest - I spent a good five minutes helplessly giggling over troll Will Smith.
The overarching premise of 5/1 is the story of the trolls' Sburb (Sgrub) session, and how they came to the point where they started trolling John and the others. With the occasional flashback to what, for the first half of the act, is simply known as the role playing accident.
To go any further into the plot than that would be to invite lengthy explanations of troll society and that whole romance mess. I sat through it. Twice. I'm totally with Spades Slick on this one. I'm not going to go into it, except to say that the romantic quadrant system was a brilliant move - as Nepeta's wall drawings showed, the shipping possibilities are endless.
It's an interesting premise. There aren't technically love triangles, because trolls recognize the place for several variations of "love" in their lives. Yet there's relationship drama in regards to various unrequited loves. So many unrequited loves.
I'm also trying to figure out what exactly the hierarchy is. It's dependent on blood and evolution level, I suppose, since the blue blood sea trolls are higher ranking than the land dwelling blue bloods. But I was never too clear on how the rest of the hierarchy plays out. What are the lower bloods? Green? Brown? Teal? And then there are the few outliers. I don't know whether I'm disappointed, or glad that there was no wall of text explanation on how exactly that works.
October 23, 2015
WOW.
This was ... no words.
When the Act 5 started, I thought I was going to put only four stars, because Andrew Hussie took away my babies for more than six hundred pages! And I missed them so much! But in return he gave me twelve totally amazing characters that I loved. The trolls.
Like always, he started with that silly beginning where he present the characters and do silly stuff with them. But then...the story started to get confusing and AMAZING AND TOTALLY OH MY GOSH! I couldn't believe my eyes! And the soundtrack...THE FUCKING SOUNDTRACK!
AND HOW BOTH STORIES CONNECTED AT THE END...All that I was thinking in that moment was: Homestuck is the best thing I have read in my life.
I can't wait to read Act 5 Act 2, they told me is gonna be sad. And that I will cry.
But about Act 5 Act 1, I am gonna put 12 STARS! ONE FOR EACH TROLL!! Okay no, that is not posssssible :cc
But anyway, this was just perfect. PERFECT :33
PS: I am so confused.
This was ... no words.
When the Act 5 started, I thought I was going to put only four stars, because Andrew Hussie took away my babies for more than six hundred pages! And I missed them so much! But in return he gave me twelve totally amazing characters that I loved. The trolls.
Like always, he started with that silly beginning where he present the characters and do silly stuff with them. But then...the story started to get confusing and AMAZING AND TOTALLY OH MY GOSH! I couldn't believe my eyes! And the soundtrack...THE FUCKING SOUNDTRACK!
AND HOW BOTH STORIES CONNECTED AT THE END...All that I was thinking in that moment was: Homestuck is the best thing I have read in my life.
I can't wait to read Act 5 Act 2, they told me is gonna be sad. And that I will cry.
But about Act 5 Act 1, I am gonna put 12 STARS! ONE FOR EACH TROLL!! Okay no, that is not posssssible :cc
But anyway, this was just perfect. PERFECT :33
PS: I am so confused.
April 17, 2020
I was wondering why my sister wrote stuff down when reading Homestuck, and I only realized why when I reached this act. Yup, it's time to take out a pen and a paper and take some notes in order to not get lost in the amount of details given. Twelve more characters are introduced, and a bunch of complex shit about the Troll world and how it works. I took away a star for the first half of the act, when it was just too much for my brain, but once I got the hang of the different characters and their personalities, I got so hooked! Looking forward to read the next part.
October 23, 2015
i skimed lesser for this troll arc
cuz trolls
there's 12 of thm with complicated troll shits
and i have my likes and hates
and i cant believe it i'm hooked to this now so near to my big final exams
scheiß
cuz trolls
there's 12 of thm with complicated troll shits
and i have my likes and hates
and i cant believe it i'm hooked to this now so near to my big final exams
scheiß
June 12, 2015
This was a lot to take in. This is when the trolls are all introduced. It gets extremely convoluted and confusing. But it's worth it.
February 6, 2021
I really want to know how I read this in a day
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