Tiana
2009-01-06 06:02:55
I don't usually give high numbers, because all in all, I've found that most comics do indeed have faults. Union of Heroes does have faults, but it's also a very good comic.
It stands out in amidst its brothers and sisters: it's a photocomic that's actually really damn good. It's outstanding for a photo comic. Rather than using photography as a crutch, it's using it to tell a realistic superhero story, occasionally with animation, that brings the characters to life as, well, photographs. And I don't think it would have worked any other way. Where most photo comics flop, it has actors with expression, it has artistic panel layouts, it's like watching a movie--just without the sound. And with its special effects and story, it's as good as any superhero movie out there.
Sure, it's corny. It's like an old superhero story with all the cliches of superheros and time travel/parallel universes combined. But I read through the entire archive in one day and found myself clicking the next-comic button and muttering to myself that there was no more.
It's a GOOD photo comic. It stands out. It's colorful, artistic, and flavored with expressions that only real people can make. Sure, it's a bit cheesy. It's melodramatic and over the top and that's nothing special. It's no unique plot--omnipotent guy, power over metal, the obligatory girlfriend... yet, it's done very well. It reminds me of a mixture of various superhero stories combined with Back to the Future, almost.
But, for all its cheese and for being a photo comic, it's catchy. It caught my eye, and I read through it happily and cared about the character's plights. And it'd get a four if it had stuck with its cheesy plot. But now it's starting to get interesting.
Union of Heroes uses photographs well to tell a story. It has a witty and compelling cast of actors. It uses animation well. It has a German version, and there aren't really all that many foreign webcomics. The dialogue is a bit awkward at times, I'm fairly sure it was translated from German and though the translation's done very well, occasionally it has a few issues that make it less than smooth.
But... it takes photography to a new level and makes a comic that's almost a movie. The cheesiness is laughable and funny. And I've rarely seen animations work in a comic, but it works for Union of Heroes, it only adds to the feeling that this ought to be a movie with a dramatic soundtrack and voice actors. It's occasionally funny. It's the kind of comic that would appeal to fans of superhero movies.
I do like the site design, it's very simple and to the point, and it gets all of the clutter out of the way in favor of the comic, which is right up front.
So, in short. 4.75. I'm rounding up here, because it does have a few flaws. I'm not a fan of how their speech bubbles are done and the characters aren't the most original. They're just very well done cheese.
It's endearing and hooking. I didn't stop reading until I reached the end of the archive. Enjoy this comic: it's a gem of a photo comic. It stretches its medium and though the story's 'just a superhero comic', it's fun to read and fun to look at, expressive, and the site presents it perfectly.
The time has come... for HEROES! From Germany! I hope you'll enjoy this comic as much as I have.
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2009-01-06 06:02:55
It stands out in amidst its brothers and sisters: it's a photocomic that's actually really damn good. It's outstanding for a photo comic. Rather than using photography as a crutch, it's using it to tell a realistic superhero story, occasionally with animation, that brings the characters to life as, well, photographs. And I don't think it would have worked any other way. Where most photo comics flop, it has actors with expression, it has artistic panel layouts, it's like watching a movie--just without the sound. And with its special effects and story, it's as good as any superhero movie out there.
Sure, it's corny. It's like an old superhero story with all the cliches of superheros and time travel/parallel universes combined. But I read through the entire archive in one day and found myself clicking the next-comic button and muttering to myself that there was no more.
It's a GOOD photo comic. It stands out. It's colorful, artistic, and flavored with expressions that only real people can make. Sure, it's a bit cheesy. It's melodramatic and over the top and that's nothing special. It's no unique plot--omnipotent guy, power over metal, the obligatory girlfriend... yet, it's done very well. It reminds me of a mixture of various superhero stories combined with Back to the Future, almost.
But, for all its cheese and for being a photo comic, it's catchy. It caught my eye, and I read through it happily and cared about the character's plights. And it'd get a four if it had stuck with its cheesy plot. But now it's starting to get interesting.
Union of Heroes uses photographs well to tell a story. It has a witty and compelling cast of actors. It uses animation well. It has a German version, and there aren't really all that many foreign webcomics. The dialogue is a bit awkward at times, I'm fairly sure it was translated from German and though the translation's done very well, occasionally it has a few issues that make it less than smooth.
But... it takes photography to a new level and makes a comic that's almost a movie. The cheesiness is laughable and funny. And I've rarely seen animations work in a comic, but it works for Union of Heroes, it only adds to the feeling that this ought to be a movie with a dramatic soundtrack and voice actors. It's occasionally funny. It's the kind of comic that would appeal to fans of superhero movies.
I do like the site design, it's very simple and to the point, and it gets all of the clutter out of the way in favor of the comic, which is right up front.
So, in short. 4.75. I'm rounding up here, because it does have a few flaws. I'm not a fan of how their speech bubbles are done and the characters aren't the most original. They're just very well done cheese.
It's endearing and hooking. I didn't stop reading until I reached the end of the archive. Enjoy this comic: it's a gem of a photo comic. It stretches its medium and though the story's 'just a superhero comic', it's fun to read and fun to look at, expressive, and the site presents it perfectly.
The time has come... for HEROES! From Germany! I hope you'll enjoy this comic as much as I have.