WEBCOMIC WEDNESDAY REVIEW: Isle of Elsi

It’s hotter than hell outside, but inside there’s air-conditioning and great webcomics. Hello, everyone! I’m Aaron, and I’m back again to bring you your next favorite digital read (hopefully)!Â Please, if you have any feedback, leave it here in the comments or contact me on Twitter (@Sully_Writes). And as always, if you have or know of a webcomic that you’d like to see reviewed, reach out and let me know!

Creator: Alec Longstreth
Webcomic: Isle of Elsi

Summary: Isle of Elsi is the story of Rex Jargon Junior (or R.J. Jr. as he is called by his friends) and his quest not only to find out what happened to his father and save their quaint town, but to find a place where he belongs and where his unique skills of punning and wordplay can be of use to him.

Story:Â There is a deft simplicity to the story in Isle of Elsi that is fascinating. The plot twists are somewhat predictable, and the characters fall into well-established niches. However, despite this, the comic is very hard to stop reading. The book is justÂ fun to dig into, and the light-hearted jokes (though often groan-inducing) still manage to bring a smile to the reader’s face. At least, they did mine, and I’m not even a big fan of pun-based humor.

The dialogue in this webcomic is especially refined. The characters each have their own voices, and speak in believable ways. This is something that many comics, much less webcomics, much less children’s webcomics, struggle with. Err, well… Excuse me. I meant “All-Ages” comic.

Art:Â Isle of Elsi has a great narrative, but its art is no slouch either. Alec uses a very simple and clean style that really pops on the pages, and the expressions display wonderful acting. Nothing is especially dynamic or ground-breaking, and it isn’t the sort of art that you gawk over. It’s just so consistentlyÂ good, and it fits the story so well that it’s hard not to love it. This is definitely an instance where “simple art” does not equal “bad art.”

Conclusion: Despite the joke earlier, Isle of Elsi really is a comic that anyone of any age could enjoy. I know that I certainly did. But, if you’re looking for a fun adventure comic for a kid? You cannot go wrong here. I look forward to more wordplay from Alec in the future, but in the meantime, I have to give Isle of Elsi…