I fucking love El Goonish Shive

[AcetheSuperVillain]

It's a webcomic. I love it. I want to share it with you.

Here's the thing though. The first official EGS comic was back in 2002, the art and writing were not fantastic at that time, but now, it is by far my favorite. There isn't a point in the comic where I can say "just start from here", because the story constantly builds upon events in the past.

So instead, here is the beginning of the most recent finished story arc, A Date at the Mall: http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=2023 If you like this arc, and want more EGS, it's definitely worth going back to the beginning and reading the whole thing. If you would prefer to take my word for it and avoid any potential spoilers, here is the first comic: http://www.egscomics.com/index.php?id=1

(And there will absolutely be spoilers in A Date at the Mall, XXXXX's entire existence is a spoiler, as is XXX's relationship with XXXXXX, not to mention Elliot's ability to XXXXXXXXX and why that's even a thing)

[kvier]

Now that I've archive binged the whole main strip (<cartoon>curse you!</cartoon>) and am now working on the alternates...

I swear I've seen Dan Shive's fursona somewhere else before, but I don't remember ever having read any part of this.

[AcetheSuperVillain]

It's pretty normal for webcomic authors or their characters to show up in other webcomics, since cross pollination a big part of how people find new webcomics.

So now that someone has read the whole thing, something I didn't notice the first time or several times I read through was

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

I think Noah is possibly the main universe version of Ellen's alien boyfriend from the dreamworld, or at least, he is the same species. There are a few panels when he is alone with Raven, Noah demonstrates prehensile hair, like Grace's "antennae". Noah's explanation that he is friends with Justin's Ex because they both have needs may hint at his alien need for physical contact, but not romantic desire.

Also, something new he said has me intrigued

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

When "Box" is explaining Sarah's new spell and why she shouldn't tell Mr. Verres about it, she explains that someone else with that spell was forced to work for the government. It makes me wonder if Agent Cranium surveillance spell is the same thing and if she is who Box was talking about, except that Box specifically said "he" and Cranium doesn't seem like she's being forced to do her job.

My favorite panel in the whole comic so far is this:

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

I'd love to know yours.

[kvier]

Uh, gosh.
All the recent arcs have had a moment ... or two or three ... that made me smile. And at least right now all the plot has kinda blurred together in a way that really requires sitting down with a Cliffnotes-style summary to have a chance of shaving down the several thousand strips (including the canon "NP" ones) to a singular favorite.

[AcetheSuperVillain]

Do you have a favorite character? I love Edward Verres (Tedd's Dad). Of the main characters, I'd go with Susan though, I feel like a very kindred spirit to her.

[kvier]

Susan is a relatively easy choice: she's both comparatively normal and yet has lots of juicy pathos in her backstory.

Elliot's parents are also delightful for their sheer unflappability.

[BunBun299]

This is my second favorite web comic of all time. I read it quite regularly. It does seem to get a tad too preachy at times, but I mostly over look that. I've been reading since way back in the Sister story arc.

Susan is my favorite character. Justin is probably my least favorite out of the main 8 cast members, largely because it took quite some time to do anything interesting with him.

[AcetheSuperVillain]

This is my second favorite web comic of all time...

What's #1?

-

I love the intro Dan just did for the next arc of NP:

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

Makes me excited to see what will happen.

If you do not yet share Dan's fascination with Change Blindness, there are several examples on YouTube, such as: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubNF9QNEQLA My first introduction to the concept was in Discovery Channel's Deception: Dating: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOuZuM238RM (That kind of sounds like the title of a hentai game...) Anyways, this covers a bunch of mentalism topics and there are some amazing demonstrations of change blindness.

[BunBun299]

This is my second favorite web comic of all time...

What's #1?

Sluggy Freelance

[Ansel001]

I have to say it is my favorite.

[AcetheSuperVillain]

so for a long time, I was like, UGH, this isn't as good as it used to be, but recently, I was like, YES, we're finally doing the Susan Diane encounter, then I was like, OH SHIT, vampires! we're finally gonna see Susan in combat, she's like the only character we've never seen in combat, shit, we've seen Ashley and Diane in combat before Susan, then I was like, NO, you cut away to a date with Elliot and Ashley! why would you cut away right now??? and then today I was like, OH SHIT, Ellen just (allegedly) V5'd Elliot during the date! this is gonna be hilarious!

so, hopefully Shive is getting back into the good shit.

(actually, wait, have we seen Sarah in combat yet? she met Box, but Box has been cast as less of a threat recently, and obviously they didn't fight, so I guess that doesn't count. oh, and I guess there was the magic card duel where she summoned OP Aludrakrala. anyways, either of those are more than we've seen of Susan, and her collection of spells is specifically designed for combat, yet never seen her in combat)

(also, sorry if that was spoilery)

[AcetheSuperVillain]

(in response to today's comic)

HOLY FUCKING SHIT

Did NOT see that coming!

It's time to rain hell down on Moperville...