The FUNN-e-PAGES: The Meek

At some point this week one of my favorite webcomic creators, Evan Dahm (Rice Boy, The Order of Tales, and Vattu), Tweeted about a comic called The Meek by biologist and comic, Der-shing Helmer. Now, when one of your favorites recommends something, it had better be good. Upon investigating I discovered that The Meek is worthy of high praise and even higher expectations.

The Meek (which just started its third chapter) is an online graphic novel set in a fantasy world much like our own, but way cooler. The story is in its early stages now, but Helmer is deftly setting up the characters and revealing the world bit by bit. Be forewarned: the first chapter contains a fair amount of nudity and is NSFW.

So far we’ve met Angora, a strange, naked girl who is on a mysterious mission to possibly save the entire human race from an evil spirit. Though we don’t know much about her origin, Angora definitely has some cool, nature-based abilities like the control of plant matter. She’s been bumbling along with Pinter, a cartographer and explorer who cares as much about his next drink then he does about anything else.

On the other end of the spectrum is The Emperor of the Northern Territories, Luca deSadar. A complex and fiery man, Luca carries the burden of guilt and anger over a war that has been over for some time. His wife, Phe, is a calm, diplomatic individual that often acts as Luca’s better half. In the second chapter, tragedy strikes Luca and he is pushed to the brink.

As I’ve mentioned, the characters are fantastic so far, and the little bit of the world we have seen is just breathtaking. But the real hero in this comic is Helmer’s absolutely exquisite artwork. Her figures are natural, her coloring and shading techniques stand head and shoulders above 99% of comics out there, and her paneling is divine. For an untrained amateur artist, the work presented here is simply mind-blowing. A good resource for new readers is the Meekipedia, which Helmer has created to flesh out the backstory of her world and characters.

I would say that the weakest part so far has been dialogue, with some of the scenes in the first chapter coming across as scatterbrained and a little forced. Rest assured, the problem fixes itself by the second chapter, and I expect it only to get better from here on out. So if you’re looking to get in on the ground floor of what promises to be an awesome comic, you owe it to yourself to check out The Meek. Like, right now. GO!

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