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Run Freak Run: A Gothic Online Comic
– 215 pages of Run Freak Run!
– Chapters 1-9, plus the book exclusive “The one with the Mermaids”!
– Illustrations and posters-designs!
– “Making of”-material and our favorite articles from the blog!
– Chapters 1-9, plus the book exclusive “The one with the Mermaids”!
– Illustrations and posters-designs!
– “Making of”-material and our favorite articles from the blog!
215 pages, ebook
First published October 6, 2015
1 person is currently reading
36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 7, 2018
Lenore, Chuck, and I in the void here give four and a half blood sacrifices for this title, folks. It was damn good.
Here is the description provided by the Run Freak Run website:
"Run Freak Run is about a 17th century Inquisitor with superpowers hunts monsters, witches, and ancient beasts in the name of the Church, but starts having serious doubts about her employer and profession after the hypocrisy she witnesses."
Really, this comic is spectacular and spectacularly gay--well, lesbian.
The comic follows Inquisitor Two
(<- grumpy looking nun over here) through many exciting battles, humorous exchanges, heartwarming relationships, and hard decisions between loyalty and self-definition.
Our dear Inquisitor Two is a sarcastic, clever, and reluctant hero who only follows directions in a manner she deems fit. Which, obviously, leads to some disagreements with Her Majesty, Inquisitor Two's leash holder. Alonso is her sometimes comrade in arms. The Witch and gal pal is also endearingly passionate. Who doesn't love a relationship that starts off along the lines of "Die, bitch" and other (literal) curses (she's a witch what do you expect).
The comic is filled with simple yet elegant artwork. Just check this shit out! It's expressive and captivating.
The creatures are imaginative, the villains are sundry, and the resolution is amazing (No, I won't tell you how it ends, you'll just have to read it!). It all adds up to a wonderful read in just nine chapters--perfect for an afternoon or weekend binge read.
As much as I love and adore this comic (seriously, I do.) I feel no review is complete with out it's criticisms and no piece of creative work is without its faults. Thus, THE NEGATIVES.
1). It's too short.
No, wait, listen. I'm not just saying this because I wanted (desperately) more of these characters and this universe. This story could have only benefited from being fleshed out. There was so much to explore and every thing developed quickly. Which brings us to...
2). Events and conflict happened on a hair trigger.
"Mac, this is an ACTION comic, what do you expect, nitwit?!" I know, I know. But there's something to be said about build up. While jumping into action is a great way to hook readers, it shouldn't be used at every twist and turn.
3). The Main Boss Battle lacked.
For all its action scenes, it lacked a serious fight between our protagonist and antagonist. I was prepared for epic-ness and received epic-ish-ness (still loved it, mind you, it was still great.)
-1). It's fuckin' poetic.
This isn't a strike against the comic in anyway. It's a major plus. If their goal was to make an emulation of folk tales and fables by using poetic language, symbolism, and repetition, then they nailed it like an old school construction worker.
-2). "Enter Late, Leave Early."
There is a saying in the writing community--specifically screenwriting--that helps prevent drag or boring, useless parts: "Enter late, leave early." While I did say that they could have fleshed out the story and that some scenes entered too late, their exits were wonderfully placed. Throughout the entire comic I wasn't looking to skip ahead to the action or meat of the story. We are given all essential information right off the bat and are never given a long enough break to get bored.
So yeah, four and a half blood sacrifices from us three in the Void.
If you like dark and creepy (which, I hope you do because that is the main theme of this blog.), gay happy endings (again, this is a queer blog run by a queer Void creature.), and complex female characters then check out this comic at Runfreakrun.com.
If you like it spread the word. If you really like it, support the creators and purchase a print or pdf ebook copy of the comic (price is by donation).
This review is cross-posted on my blog: https://macwrites.wixsite.com/macabre...
Here is the description provided by the Run Freak Run website:
"Run Freak Run is about a 17th century Inquisitor with superpowers hunts monsters, witches, and ancient beasts in the name of the Church, but starts having serious doubts about her employer and profession after the hypocrisy she witnesses."
Really, this comic is spectacular and spectacularly gay--well, lesbian.
The comic follows Inquisitor Two
(<- grumpy looking nun over here) through many exciting battles, humorous exchanges, heartwarming relationships, and hard decisions between loyalty and self-definition.
Our dear Inquisitor Two is a sarcastic, clever, and reluctant hero who only follows directions in a manner she deems fit. Which, obviously, leads to some disagreements with Her Majesty, Inquisitor Two's leash holder. Alonso is her sometimes comrade in arms. The Witch and gal pal is also endearingly passionate. Who doesn't love a relationship that starts off along the lines of "Die, bitch" and other (literal) curses (she's a witch what do you expect).
The comic is filled with simple yet elegant artwork. Just check this shit out! It's expressive and captivating.
The creatures are imaginative, the villains are sundry, and the resolution is amazing (No, I won't tell you how it ends, you'll just have to read it!). It all adds up to a wonderful read in just nine chapters--perfect for an afternoon or weekend binge read.
As much as I love and adore this comic (seriously, I do.) I feel no review is complete with out it's criticisms and no piece of creative work is without its faults. Thus, THE NEGATIVES.
1). It's too short.
No, wait, listen. I'm not just saying this because I wanted (desperately) more of these characters and this universe. This story could have only benefited from being fleshed out. There was so much to explore and every thing developed quickly. Which brings us to...
2). Events and conflict happened on a hair trigger.
"Mac, this is an ACTION comic, what do you expect, nitwit?!" I know, I know. But there's something to be said about build up. While jumping into action is a great way to hook readers, it shouldn't be used at every twist and turn.
3). The Main Boss Battle lacked.
For all its action scenes, it lacked a serious fight between our protagonist and antagonist. I was prepared for epic-ness and received epic-ish-ness (still loved it, mind you, it was still great.)
-1). It's fuckin' poetic.
This isn't a strike against the comic in anyway. It's a major plus. If their goal was to make an emulation of folk tales and fables by using poetic language, symbolism, and repetition, then they nailed it like an old school construction worker.
-2). "Enter Late, Leave Early."
There is a saying in the writing community--specifically screenwriting--that helps prevent drag or boring, useless parts: "Enter late, leave early." While I did say that they could have fleshed out the story and that some scenes entered too late, their exits were wonderfully placed. Throughout the entire comic I wasn't looking to skip ahead to the action or meat of the story. We are given all essential information right off the bat and are never given a long enough break to get bored.
So yeah, four and a half blood sacrifices from us three in the Void.
If you like dark and creepy (which, I hope you do because that is the main theme of this blog.), gay happy endings (again, this is a queer blog run by a queer Void creature.), and complex female characters then check out this comic at Runfreakrun.com.
If you like it spread the word. If you really like it, support the creators and purchase a print or pdf ebook copy of the comic (price is by donation).
This review is cross-posted on my blog: https://macwrites.wixsite.com/macabre...
January 13, 2018
Rating: 2.3 / 5
Okay...so...you know that feeling when you expect one thing and it's an awesome yet reasonable expectation, but then the product that you're left with in reality is completely different from that expectation, but in a way that doesn't make any sense?
That about sums up my experience with this graphic novel.
To expand just a bit:
What I expected was a story about the hypocrisy of the Church and the brutality of its power in an Inquisition setting against innocent people accused of witchcraft, and how the main character who was a part of it all would realize this and try to escape and/or expose the reality of their actions, but at dire cost. Seriously, I know that there are novels that focus on this type of theme and story out there, but it was an interesting thought to have it gone via graphics, right?
What I got was a fragmented, nonsensical story that focuses on weird elements of the supernatural that, not only have no flowing narrative, but also have almost nothing to do with the Spanish Inquisition in its historical context. To say the least, it was disappointing, and not only departed from what I expected, but departed from all manner of reality or coherence in general.
What I do give the writers credit for is the nice drawings, but those weren't enough to save the story. In other words, aesthetics were emphasized, but storyline was lacking.
Okay...so...you know that feeling when you expect one thing and it's an awesome yet reasonable expectation, but then the product that you're left with in reality is completely different from that expectation, but in a way that doesn't make any sense?
That about sums up my experience with this graphic novel.
To expand just a bit:
What I expected was a story about the hypocrisy of the Church and the brutality of its power in an Inquisition setting against innocent people accused of witchcraft, and how the main character who was a part of it all would realize this and try to escape and/or expose the reality of their actions, but at dire cost. Seriously, I know that there are novels that focus on this type of theme and story out there, but it was an interesting thought to have it gone via graphics, right?
What I got was a fragmented, nonsensical story that focuses on weird elements of the supernatural that, not only have no flowing narrative, but also have almost nothing to do with the Spanish Inquisition in its historical context. To say the least, it was disappointing, and not only departed from what I expected, but departed from all manner of reality or coherence in general.
What I do give the writers credit for is the nice drawings, but those weren't enough to save the story. In other words, aesthetics were emphasized, but storyline was lacking.
July 3, 2018
Wow. This was hilarious! Two is definetely a nun I like and would like to meet one way or the other. She rocks! I'm not in love with the art, it's far from what I want to see, but it has its own charm by being basic and not as elaborated as other comics'. Will definitely give the opportunity to the other works of these people.
May 10, 2017
¿Pero por qué tenía que ser tan corto? :(
November 29, 2015
Artwork: 5 stars
Story: 3 stars
That specified, it likely doesn't come as a surprise I started reading Run Freak Run mostly for Kaija's art when the comic was only a few pages in online. The premise seemed promising, but it was most definitely the excessively beautifully stylized drawings that gripped me and made me stick to the story. Both the characters and their surroundings are sharp, clean, rectangular, and beautifully executed. It comes as no surprise this tag team of artists work as professionals in their personal life, though this particular work is their own separate project, done out of love for telling a story in both text and picture.
The story doesn't quite match up to the quality of its art, however. While not horrible conceptually by any means, the pacing seems somewhat lagging. There's a solid introductory chapter that wastes no time making the reader acquainted with Two, the main character of the comic. The second chapter, too, is very solid, putting the gears of the actual story we are about to be involved in as readers a-moving. However, the consequtive two chapters seem... somewhat pointless. Allow me to elaborate.
While poetic and pretty in its own way, The one with all the birds holds almost no significance to the story as a whole, what little significance it has being revealed only at the end of the story. Yet, it is a needless inclusion, and the ending could have done without it just as well. As it stands, it only gave me the pretty art I craved for when reading Run Freak Run. Perhaps the authors thought it'd confuse the readers to suddenly see a being at the end of the story that we never saw Two meet during the course of the story. But we are not shown everything that happens to Two, every minute, every day of her life anyway. It wouldn't have been a stretch to think she met the giant off-panel. An author can, and should be able to trust the readership and their capacity to imagine happenings that aren't necessarily explicitly shown. At the very least, this encounter didn't need its own separate little chapter. It could have been added as a sort of an epilogue to an earlier one. That is something I hope Silver and Kaija will take more into account later on.
The subsequent chapter with the giant wolf was even more pointless. It felt as though the author pair only wanted to include these things to add in elements they felt were merely cool, but which held no other apparent purpose than getting to replace plain old horses with something coooool, with fangs and claws, because whoa. While I paid no heed to the needlessness of these two short chapters when following this comic on a weekly schedule online, reading the story in its entirety from start to finish in printed form drew attention to how little significance it held to the story as a whole. Especilly considering that the comic isn't terribly long anyway.
The rest of the chapters seemed to tie together much better, and personally, I liked the ending. While there were some loose ends present, I don't think it's necessary to present a story that comes a full circle and then stops altogether. I like the way authors handled the idea there is a story to be told in this world they created even after the story we are told concludes.
Despite my grumblings about the pointlessness of the two shorter chapters in the beginning half of the comic, I must emphasize that this was a project the authors put forth out of simple joy of doing it. You can still read it for free on Run Freak Run's website, you can purchase it as a paperback or a pay-what-you-want digital book, if you wish to support the work of this duo. I chose to get the paperback, because for me it is the more lasting, pleasurable option, and because I wanted to be sure to give my support to great artists whose work I've found to be an inspiration.
Keep on rocking, Kaija and Silver. I'll be waiting for your future projects with interest, and I'm sure you have improved in many ways during the course of working on Run Freak Run!
Story: 3 stars
That specified, it likely doesn't come as a surprise I started reading Run Freak Run mostly for Kaija's art when the comic was only a few pages in online. The premise seemed promising, but it was most definitely the excessively beautifully stylized drawings that gripped me and made me stick to the story. Both the characters and their surroundings are sharp, clean, rectangular, and beautifully executed. It comes as no surprise this tag team of artists work as professionals in their personal life, though this particular work is their own separate project, done out of love for telling a story in both text and picture.
The story doesn't quite match up to the quality of its art, however. While not horrible conceptually by any means, the pacing seems somewhat lagging. There's a solid introductory chapter that wastes no time making the reader acquainted with Two, the main character of the comic. The second chapter, too, is very solid, putting the gears of the actual story we are about to be involved in as readers a-moving. However, the consequtive two chapters seem... somewhat pointless. Allow me to elaborate.
While poetic and pretty in its own way, The one with all the birds holds almost no significance to the story as a whole, what little significance it has being revealed only at the end of the story. Yet, it is a needless inclusion, and the ending could have done without it just as well. As it stands, it only gave me the pretty art I craved for when reading Run Freak Run. Perhaps the authors thought it'd confuse the readers to suddenly see a being at the end of the story that we never saw Two meet during the course of the story. But we are not shown everything that happens to Two, every minute, every day of her life anyway. It wouldn't have been a stretch to think she met the giant off-panel. An author can, and should be able to trust the readership and their capacity to imagine happenings that aren't necessarily explicitly shown. At the very least, this encounter didn't need its own separate little chapter. It could have been added as a sort of an epilogue to an earlier one. That is something I hope Silver and Kaija will take more into account later on.
The subsequent chapter with the giant wolf was even more pointless. It felt as though the author pair only wanted to include these things to add in elements they felt were merely cool, but which held no other apparent purpose than getting to replace plain old horses with something coooool, with fangs and claws, because whoa. While I paid no heed to the needlessness of these two short chapters when following this comic on a weekly schedule online, reading the story in its entirety from start to finish in printed form drew attention to how little significance it held to the story as a whole. Especilly considering that the comic isn't terribly long anyway.
The rest of the chapters seemed to tie together much better, and personally, I liked the ending. While there were some loose ends present, I don't think it's necessary to present a story that comes a full circle and then stops altogether. I like the way authors handled the idea there is a story to be told in this world they created even after the story we are told concludes.
Despite my grumblings about the pointlessness of the two shorter chapters in the beginning half of the comic, I must emphasize that this was a project the authors put forth out of simple joy of doing it. You can still read it for free on Run Freak Run's website, you can purchase it as a paperback or a pay-what-you-want digital book, if you wish to support the work of this duo. I chose to get the paperback, because for me it is the more lasting, pleasurable option, and because I wanted to be sure to give my support to great artists whose work I've found to be an inspiration.
Keep on rocking, Kaija and Silver. I'll be waiting for your future projects with interest, and I'm sure you have improved in many ways during the course of working on Run Freak Run!
October 26, 2015
More of a 4.5 stars rating, . But I rounded it up because I loooved the art and the main character.
Wish it was way, way longer.
Wish it was way, way longer.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews