It’s weird sometimes, how certain adventure can transform
into another. How maybe a trip to a grocery store can turn into you picking up
some new clothes, or maybe in a more nostalgic example, how going to school can
turn into a field trip. I think the best example of this is life, however, as
simply by going through it; you can experience so many things. Fitting then,
that today’s treasure sort of relates to our last one, Christopher – The Storyof a New Father. “What might that treasure be?” You may ask. Well it’s none
other than:
Link: FINN
Style:
Comedy, Four-Panel
Updated:
Weekly
I suppose I should be clear when I say that these two relate
to each other; I mean it in a sense. For all I know the creators of each of
these comics aren’t aware of each other, but that doesn’t take away from just
how well they fit into a puzzle. Finn is the tale of the titular character and
his friends, as they go through the trials of life, and more, the tribulations
of being in a relationship. Partnered by a blurb of text that takes up a bit of
space below each page, it aims to offer a look into the world of dating,
without pouring in a tone of angst. With that noted, let’s go into detail, and
see what it is that makes this web-comic today’s treasure.
Story
The story, as stated before,
follows the life of Finn and his friends as they go through the trials of their
relationships. Since it goes for more comedy than it does drama, there aren’t a
lot of angst filled moments, none in recent memory in fact, and the conflicts
tend to be brief. When you have many series that paint the difficulties of
being in a relationship as huge whirlwinds of misunderstanding, you might expect
Finn’s betrayal of that formula to be a bad thing, but in actuality, it is not.
Frankly, I can’t give a true analysis of why the author chose to do this, but
if I had to guess it’s because each storyline (used loosely here, because of
their brevity) tends to serve the purpose of being a conversation starter, as
well as a means of entertainment. It is not uncommon to find web-comics where
the creator uses the author notes to talk to the readers, but Johnny Nguyen
is the first whom I’ve seen using it like a soapbox, and using his comic to say
“This is what we’re talking about today.” It’s an interest interpretation of
the term “Show don’t Tell.” With instead of telling us the topic of the day
with just a title, he shows us it, with what his characters go through.
Characters
Speaking of what the characters
go through, it seems like a good moment to talk about how they are established
and developed. Being a comic about not just one relationship, but multiples,
each character has their own personality, making them outwardly good. There is
a grand sense of camaraderie when you see the characters hanging out and or
talking to each other, and it really gives the idea that when it says it’s a
webcomic about relationships and friends, it really means it. Sadly, there are
some problems I have with the characters. Problems that harken back to the
story, mentioned above. As stated, it doesn’t really go for angst, and conflict
is often brief, so outside of those brief moments, we don’t really get to see
the characters out of their normal mood. As I initially read through, I was
expecting a vaster storyline goes in depth with the character because of how much they're
emphasized in the banner, and as I finally caught up, I found myself slightly
disappointed. Nevertheless, the characters remain very good, and developed
enough that you don’t just use the art to tell them apart. That of course brings
up to our next subject…
Art
As we happen upon art, I find
myself without much to say. Drawn in a minimalistic manner, often emphasize by
the lack of capital letters in the author’s note, Finn boast very
simplistic art despite the author’s ability to draw in much more detail. This
of course, isn’t a bad thing, as once more, this is a very comical comic and putting
detail into the characters would make the atmosphere very out of place. Despite
its simplicity however, Finn is no stranger to art evolution, starting with rounder details at first, before settling into a more angular style.
Atmosphere
Finally, we come to the
atmosphere of Finn, and it comes across as very friendly. Suitable for a series
that goes for comedy first, the true contrast from the light tone doesn’t come
through till the author’s note.Toning
down that friendliest when it needs too, even when you do see disputes between
the characters, you aren’t left with a feeling of vitriol or disdain.
Now as usual, be sure to follow
the creator Johnny Nguyen on twitter @finncomics, and like it on facebook.com/finncomics to
show your support. Till next time, I must roam the digital road again, so be
sure to check on my own treasures at The Ward.
Till next we meet…
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