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Webcomics Review- Ardra
mood: 
angry
angryTo be honest with you, I'm not really sure what to make of this one. I like the premise- brilliant female scientist and single mom with two brilliant little girls. It's got potential to be a good story- but that's about where it stops.
I can identify with the kids- one is crazy and causes trouble, the other is cynical and was probably born thirty. They're the kind of answers to Calvin and Hobbes that I'd like to see in the papers. Sometimes, the strip gets a bit preachy and political, but that's forgivable.
But the adult protagonist I'm having trouble with- name one female scientist that treats her kids as a science experiment (even more unbelievable that they're OK with this). She's totally unbelievable in other ways, too, like the fact that she got a sperm donor and a surrogate mom to both carry them and take care of them for the first year of life, rather than... you know. In fact, the author of the comic leads the reader to believe that she's never even begun... you know... the normal way. Can you identify with that? I can't- and I haven't even done "the normal way" yet.
And yet for as tough and no-nonsense as she seems to be, she breaks down in front of her kids' dad's wife because she's worried she's not doing right by them (if you feel that way, you're probably not and you should probably change something, then!) But it all magically ends up to be OK, and nothing changes. I understand that comics are the realm of the absurd and impossible, but you've at least got to make your characters have some kind of depth- right?
There's quite a bit about this comic to like- the art has improved since the inception, largely due to the author hiring a cartoonist (*shrug*). It's got a couple of good one-liners, and the running gag about squid ink is worth showing up for. But as far as a review, I'm going to go with, "Doesn't live up to its full potential." And that's really kind of sad.
And almost all parents feel at one point or another as though they are not doing right by their kids. Its just part of being a parent. You have hopes and dreams for your kids, but you also have a lot of fears that you are perhaps not doing the right thing. I don't know any parents that haven't cried and wondered if they were doing right by their kids.
And the "not doing right by your kids" thing- that was handled so clumsily. I mean, three panels and it was over. I guess that was the point I was trying to make :)
Generally there is a resolution in a handful of panels. Plus I'm sure a lot of people might agree with you. :)
I must agree, to a point, with your problems with Ardra. I really haven't developed her character as much as I'd like. Part of the problem is, I've made her background a bit too detailed.
As for the reasons she hired a surrogate, and got a sperm donor...at the time she only really thought in purely scientific terms about this experiment. Also, Ardra lacks self-confidence, thus the feeling that a sperm donor was the only way to, ahem, "get the neccessary materials", so to speak.
Because of her mother's cold and critical nature, Ardra didn't have much of a nurturing instinct. Plus, she was a bit of a pampered rich kid, so she didn't want to go through childbirth, change diapers, or do any of that "messy stuff", so she hired the surrogate. But she was still very hands on with the kids in the first year, making sure that they received an early education. I really need to get off my lazy butt and start on that "Origins of the Experiment" storyline, huh? If I had, I wouldn't need to tell you all this!
Anyway, I originally wanted to tell this story from the viewpoint of an intellectual woman who was sheltered and rather unequipped to handle the "real world", but slowly became more comfortable...but the kids, Lenore in particular, took an early stranglehold on the comic, and have yet to let go.
As for the kids being comfortable with the experiment...well, Lenore is, because it's something that makes her unique and kind of freaky, which she relishes. But Eileen has more than once expressed misgivings about the whole thing. If I remember correctly, the comic you mention with Ardra crying was in response to Eileen...and was supposed to show that Ardra isn't always cold and emotionless. Guess I failed in that regard!
But again, thanks for the review, much food for thought here!
Aha! Yes, yes you do! That would make so much more sense, and I really look forward to it. There's one thing to not change diapers but still spend time with your kids, and there's another entirely to have a nanny raise them. I guess what concerned me about the storyline in question was the fact that if things happened the way I read them, Ardra didn't get the chance to bond with the kids when they were babies. But if she was there a lot, that makes much more sense.
And another thing, Ardra didn't strike me as lacking self-confidence. It takes a certain amount of self-confidence and bravery to get the education that she has, to have kids, to travel, to move away from home, be as assertive as she is, etc. Maybe that's why I got so weirded out over that storyline in the first place.
Holy Crap you did!!! You've told me stuff that goes back to Ardra's Great Grandma I believe o_O :P
Hi, Fesworks here, the "middle artist" of Ardra, I guess. Moreso Editor and Webmaster now. I really like the review, and I agree with much of it. A lot of what you address as problems, I think, also stem from the "never made a comic before, but here it is" presentation... because its true :P . I'm sure some hindsight refining and such could make it better, but that time has passed of course.
I do like the concept and I think it has some really good potential. When I was doing the art, I had some good ideas for the character and the stories, but I was really not a good artist for what the comic demanded. So I'm glad Trevor came back :D
So now, Jason write the scripts, I look over them and inject my ideas and some suggestions, and we roll them out to Trevor, who's been doing a great job of bringing it to life! Not to mention regular updating! :P
We hope to improve the comic and characters, and kick some butt!
This is actually something Fes and I have discussed, so I was wondering about your take on it.