Issue 236 Reviews

[Nimras]

Whew! I'm still plugging away - honest. I hope I can get to the series this week.

Comics:

Spooky by ghostkomorichu
The fifth box has to be my favorite, I love the expressions. Digniwhat indeed. About the only for me was where did the tails go? It may be just the angles, but does the Gelert and the Lupe not have tails? Other than that, I love the art style, very clean and simple with just the right amount of detail.

Something Has Happened by tdyans art by ssjelitegirl
Yey! A Something Has Happened comic! *glomps Tdyans* A very cute interpretation of the random event. (One of the useless ones at that.) No coffee in the morning could be considered a cause for war in some houses. *eyes parents* Art… I really like the Shadow Lupe’s and Grarrg’s expressions. The Tyrinnian Lupes (whose name I’m spacing on) tusks look a little unattached… but there probably isn’t a good way to place those.

Neopups Crossover by smockey11
I don’t know if it was just my computer being wonky or what, but it wouldn’t load the last row. I can see from the lines that there should be another box, but it won’t load after the “Err, ummm, hehe. Really? I donno…” From what I saw of the comic, it’s a very cute joke on the frustrations of the randomness of Faerie prizes. (Like my non-fighter Koko’s +2 strength this morning. >.< ) I liked the dreamy quality of the art style with the Faerie, I know it’s because of Paint and all, but it really just seemed to suit the joke. (That I saw.)

The Happiest Quiggle by nut862
For some reason, Quiggler’s expression in panel five made me nearly fall out of my chair. j:D It’s just so… mindlessly happy. Though I’m kind of afraid to ask what he glued to himself to get all those spots. I love how your art has grown since you started the Happiest Quggle comic series. WAY better than I can do. Than again, the first one was better than I can do.

Life With Virgos:2.0 by colormaster360
One wonders what that pet did to get on Sloth’s bad side. Though I’m still not entirely sure what the joke was supposed to be. I can interpret it a couple different ways.

Trigger Happy- Issue 1 by scarletspindle
Heh, I love how those pointless random events can at least be used for comic fodder. Doesn’t the Monocerous also eat Wockies? I really liked the expressions on the poor Jubjub. He really can’t do much other than some facial stuff, and it was nice to see some reaction in something that’s normally so.. unreactive? I do wish there were more changes in the Meerca and the Monocerous. Three panels in the exact same pose are a little monotonous.

Tailspin by cannonsmbt
Hee, I love his poses. Look at me! Buff! Fast! Put me down! Very easily recognizable for what he was trying to say. Nice pun on the “small” side effects. *grin*

NeoComp by chibikatza
Do you have a cat? It is a Calico named Mouser? I had to ask, everyone in my family has scars on their feet from that cat hiding under the bed and ambushing you in the morning. I think the only thing I’d want to add to this comic is the Niptor’s thought bubbles, something along the lines of, “The mighty hunter spots his prey… There is no escape…”

Island Babe and Friends: At the Beach by syas82301
I remember that Calvin and Hobbes comic!

WARNING: Paint Does Not Wash Off by hypergirl3030
Hee! The idea of someone trying to scrub the patches off a plushie pet is very amusing. j:P The poor pet is going to need more patching after it’s bath. I really like the Shoyru’s expression of longsuffering, but the bright white speckles across the owners face bothered me for some reason.

Neo Randomness! by kittyluvergrrl
Wow, it’s my house. Except in my house its two dogs and a husband. j:x The talking petpets is still bothering me. I guess I’m going to need more time to get used to it. I like the fact that the Gelert’s stripes stay more or less consistent though the comic, it’s amazing how it can stand out when they’re not. *grin*

Confusion Among Pets by ashley_golf_4ever
I see dead Meercas *cough* Okay, maybe not. It’s a very cute idea, though I do wish there was more detail. The Poogle floating in mid air is kind of distracting. I love the shading on the bodies though.

Don't Forget by blumaroocrazy21
I love the fuzziness of the Jubjub, he just manages to look like his hair is all standing on end. The “Have a nice day” is a nice touch, gotta keep out PR up, even if we’re inventing new interpretations of ‘deposit’.

Little Slipper by sabbypanda
That’s enough to give a little Gruslen nightmares for months. The contrast between the site picture of the chair and the drawn pictures kind of bothered me for some reason though. The joke is great though.

Why do some pets glow? by panther_puma
Oops. The look on the Plushie Angelpuss’ face is great. As is the smoke streams though the crack in the house. With so much detail on the Angelpuss, I’d really like to have seen a bit more in the background. Than again though, I’m a detail feind.

Star Gazing by pocky_of_doom
Hee! All these constellations we’re finding without knowing what they are… It’s so opposite than how they really work. *Grin* I really like the stunned look on the pets face.

Notions and Nonsense - Lemonade Stand by patjade
Ohh, I’m betting that Usul is a little brat. *grin* Very well done punch line. For some reason I was expecting something about an avatar or something where people would be falling all over themselves to pay it; so the comment took me by surprise. Ironically, my favorite art thing in this comic is the ice cubes in the pitcher. They’re just so cute. *grin* I also really like the Usuls neck ruff.

A Brief Easter History Lesson by bulbabean
Muahaha, the Snowager mugging the Easter bunny for his Neggs. I like the color splotches on the Cybunny’s ruff, but the Snowager seems to be levitating in mid air.

Spring is in the air by kleptie
Late spring snow? I like the artwork, the artist must have a pretty decent scanner to get that detail. I do wish that there was one more explanatory box, for exactly why it suddenly snowed, but that’s probably just personal preference.

OutOfWhack! by bluepen
I like the art, the Pteri is especially nice. The only problem is, I don’t get the joke. Did the Gelert splash him with water and short his circuits?

Time Flies... by leeloo18 Also by kevinneo1328
Oh dear! *laughs* Very cute, the miminalistic art style works well here. It reminds me of those old Far Side cartoons.

Something Has Happened! 2.0 by ravenatore
*looks up* So is this a sequel to Tydan’s Something has Happened series? I like the disgruntled, almost crazy, eyes Eryie has as he’s throttling the petpet lab ray scientist.

Purrplexed by tellybaka
Ack, more talking petpets. Were there always this many things submitted with talking petpets before that were just not getting accepted? Once again, my computer isn’t loading the last panel, so I’m afraid I’m missing the punchline. >.< I do like the slorgs mustache, very dapper. *grin*

Ouch! by howling_werewolf
Heh, appearances can be deceiving. Hell hath no fury like a baby Bori protecting her lolly. I love the faces in the second to last panel. It’s like Jaws.. Dun da… Dun da…

Plurr by a_random_user
Aww, very cute comic. The Donny line at the end was great. Hee! The only thing that bothered me about this comic was the random red lettering in the dialogue, it made my eyes want to read diagonally. I adore the look on the Poogles face… this little plushie jumping into its hip. *snirk*

I Don't Like My Plate...! by gr3y_soul
The woes of a bottomless pit, eh? *grin* I love the bow on the Usal’s tail… It’s just so long and flowy. The totally erect ears on the Aisha a kind of distracting though. Maybe add just a little bend?

Neopian Nobodies by me_like_juice
I don’t get it… was it asleep in front of a mirror? *scratches head* I do like the art though, the coloring in the flame was nicely done.

Zeh Cute One:// Philomads, has no Ads! : ( by glowing_banana
Hee! It’s funny because it’s true. *grin* I love her skirt, and the way the winner’s coloring and art style clashes so bad is great.

Ludicrously Odd by nyteviper
So, does that mean ghost pets don’t need to eat? *debates* Very cute idea and art. I really like the see-through-ness of both of the characters.

ConFUNded - In School by vhgvoov
Hee, all those things you never think you’re going to need to know. *grin* I love the agonized expression on the Aisha, maybe I’m just mean though. *grin* The only real thing that bothers me about this comic is the Kougra’s lower jaw in the second box. Don’t ask me why but it kind of drew my eye away from the rest of the comic. On the other hand, I love the Gelert’s expression in the second box, you can tell she’s yelling at him. *grin*

The Perils of Poking by voodoodollee Idea by swedish
I love the art in this, all the colors! Turmy’s (because I can’t spell his whole name) expression in the Roar panel is great, as it the face of the Meepit in the last one. Expecially for such opposite emotions. Poor Poke though.

Having Problems by v1cnt
Why yes I am. *cough* Oh, the comic. Fear the red Neggs. They have big teeth and will kill you. It’d be pretty cool if they had a similarly scary graphic for them in the game, instead of such an innocent looking little happy red Negg. The Meerca looked a little awkward in the picture, but I think that had more to do with the head – on running angle than anything else. The drooling Negg was a funny touch, with all those sharp teeth.

Evil Feepit #8 by fmoura_98
I love the Gelert in this comic. All of her poses were so nice. Same with the Jubjub’s eyes. So big and green *is hypnotized* I’m noticing a popularity with Gruslens. My spotted one Smallodon approves. *grin*

The Callahan Files by caloriemuncher
Hee, another “it’s funny because it’s true” comic. I love the parent/owners expression of “you have got to be kidding me”. I also really like the detailing of all the games/toys/crafts around the room and on the floor.

The Average Neopian by boygirl333
When I first saw the name, I thought “Ridergirl333” I must be getting tired. I’ve always like the Mutant Kacheeks though, so this comic really didn’t make sense to me. I’m probably biased though. I do like the detail on the Kacheek though, especially his head/brain folds.

Faerie Festival by sissy_sugar_queen
The Dung Faerie! Or a Fire Faerie who never showers. Very cute concept, and I like the art. Very easy to tell the faerie’s apart, even on the distance panels. *grin*

[Deleted]

The third part of the series was for the most part predictable but still a lot fun. Penelope is adorable 'til the very end! ^^

All in all, a very good first series, Luau! ^^ I'd love to see you do another one next time or perhaps a short story?

Thanks for the review, Belle. I've already got another series in the works (I just can't seem to write a short story! That's next on my to-do list. ) and the only thing I need is to edit it. I don't think its ending is so predictable.

EDIT: I haven't done any reviews yet! I've been so busy! Oh dear...

[Dan]

I don't mean to be greedy, but if anyone else has time to review Part 1 of my series, that would be wonderful. Thank you.

[Nut]

Here's a couple of short story reviews to keep you entertained. Psycho, Nikki, Isaac—I will get to the articles. And Luau, I promise I’ll get to your series. ^^;

Short Story Reviews

[glow=blue,2,300]Starry Starry Night[/glow]
Ooh, wow, this is a lovely story! ^^ The format keeps the reader filled with intrigue, reading on just to see how all the events come together. The narrative voice throughout much of the story is very good, telling the story in a suspenseful tone. Iliria is an interesting character, and I too would have liked to see more of her. ^^ Your description in the first two paragraphs is beautiful, though for a story’s opening it would have been better to see a bit of Iliria’s character as well. I like the little description at the beginning of the first “100 years previously” section.

As others have pointed out, all the jumping around in time was confusing. That format, however, is what makes this story unique. Perhaps it would have helped to make it clear where and when things were happening after each break in the story. You say when we go back in time, but not when we return to the present. Maybe adding something like “The ocean, present day” whenever we switch back to Iliria would’ve helped. n:) If it had been me, I would have put the “100 years previously” lines in italic or bold to make them stick out from the story, rather than hanging brackets on the ends—the brackets look a bit like technical guidelines that don’t belong in the finished story.

I was confused when the Darkest Faerie showed up halfway through the story and became the narrator. Until that point, I had assumed that Iliria was the main character, and there had been no hint that this was a story about the Altador plot, so it was just a little surprising. Despite all this, this was a very good story—it was consistent, and had some lovely descriptions. ^^ I enjoyed it—I think it’s one of your best pieces!

[glow=blue,2,300]Orbulon and the Queen of Mystery Island[/glow]
Glee! I’d been hearing about a sequel to Orbulon Has Landed for a long time, and I was curious to read it. You did not disappoint me. In fact, I think this surpasses your original Orbulon story by a mile. ^^ The humor comes naturally—really, practically every paragraph is packed full of lines you just have to laugh at!—and the story flows very well. Your voice throughout is great for the story—you tell it in such a matter-of-fact way, yet your narration in any part of the story fits the characters and the piece perfectly. I love how you manage to tie each break in with the previous bit, so it flows smoothly and the change of perspective doesn’t seem detached. Jhuidah and Orbulon are both characterized excellently. I absolutely love Orbulon’s character! ^^ He’s just such an adorable bumbling little alien that gets into trouble without knowing half of what’s going on. He’s so much fun to read about!

The story has a great opening hook. The reader is drawn in immediately. The idea of the scam is really clever, too. I almost felt sorry for the poor exploited Tombola Man, with Jhuidah using him like that, but then again I guess he’s in on this too. n:P I love how Orbulon kept unintentionally bumbling into Jhuidah’s way. Faerie anger is a hilarious thing to watch. *grin* I adore the whole Deserted Tomb sequence! The Lizark is so cute—you’ve got to love little things that try to be scary and fail at it. ^^ Its Lizark talk is adorable—“Tuk tuk!” “Too-ree!”—and Orbulon’s perspective really completes the section. The final two parts of the story, with Jhuidah running her cooking pot scam and Orbulon upsetting the whole thing, was hilarious! The mental image of a bald Jhuidah flapping wildly around in the air is priceless. XDD And Orbulon’s thoughts as he sees the volcano are terrific. You did an absolutely marvelous job on this story!

I can’t really think of anything wrong with this piece. It’s a work of art, it is. ^^ Um, lessee… I’ll be really picky and say that someone who hasn’t read Orbulon Has Landed might feel a little lost with the first few sentences when Orbulon’s introduced, but considering this is a sequel, that doesn’t really matter, and the reader will learn about Orbulon’s character soon enough. So… yeah. Excellent job! n;D

[Nut]

ssjelitegirl said:

Something tells me that one reason for this board's length is Psycho's all-NTWF list. You know how the review threads usually go... people start requesting, the list grows slowly and by the time everyone has requested and start to think of reviewing, the previews board already runs in. It all takes a few days, y'know, and not everyone has the interest of keeping a constant eye on the list, seeing if it has grown or not. *raises hand* I say we should keep compiling 'em all-NTWF lists. So much more convenient ^^

You know what... I bet that's it! n:D Brilliant, Psycho! n;) All-NTWF lists from now on is a good idea. ^^

nimras23 said:

The Happiest Quiggle by nut862
For some reason, Quiggler’s expression in panel five made me nearly fall out of my chair. It’s just so… mindlessly happy. Though I’m kind of afraid to ask what he glued to himself to get all those spots. I love how your art has grown since you started the Happiest Quggle comic series. WAY better than I can do. Than again, the first one was better than I can do.

Roffle! XD Thank you for the review, Nimras! ^^ *glomp* That fifth panel has been getting a lot of good reviews. n;D Quiggler didn't glue those spots to himself--Sparkler did it as an April Fool's prank--but according to Komori, they're islandberry cereal bits. XD My art has improved quite a bit since I started, hasn't it? *admires new comics* Especially when I started doing the comics again after that long dry period. I guess that's something to be proud of. ^^
Thanks again! ^^

[Deleted]

Twenty Terrifying Items of which to Beware

Another list article, but a very enjoyable read. I can tell you put a lot of research into this. Good job on making the items all different categories and not just food and books or just furniture and food. I loved all your random lines and clever tie-ins (like the birthday present). I think that’s what makes articles like these either fun or boring.

There may have been one too many “But that’s my opinion”/”That’s just me,” but I’m nitpicking here.

At the end, you’ve built up your whole article to THE MOST TERRIFYING ITEM. And then you do a really good job setting the reader up for the Evil Fuzzle. But then you don’t go through with it. “This daunting fuzzy little creature is one of the most menacing Neopian items ever created. I believe the Electric Evil Fuzzle looks most frightening because the lightning strikes seem to add a glare to the intimidating face, but of course that is my opinion!” The tone in the second sentence is completely different than that of the first (and that of the first is the tone of the paragraph). The first tone is forceful and very dramatic, a good choice for this article. The second tone is passive and informative. This is the most terrifying item in Neopia! I would have taken the “I believe” out of the sentence as well as the “that is my opinion” at the end.

This is nitpicky as well, but I think it takes away from any article to say, “I hope you enjoyed my article” or anything along those lines. Your last two lines would have ended the article very nicely by themselves.

You’re developing your own voice. Every time I read one of your articles I can hear more of you coming out and less of the stiff, informal voice they teach us to write in in grade school. A good, entertaining read.

[nikki]

Thank you for the review Luau I never catch these things when I'm reading it myself but when I see reviews, I see the same things, haha. I'm glad you liked it overall and I'll pay attention to the "That's just me" stuff next time

[Deleted]

The Neopian Review: A Guide to Fine Dining

I read this while refreshing my stupid blob at the Restive Tomb, so I'll try to wake up first. Stupid blob, give me bandages!

This is another well-researched article. I don't know how much of this you made up and how much you researched, but the accuracy of the prices alone impresses me. I can't even get into Kelp.

Very informative, well developed reviews of the different categories of these two restaurants. Your imagery makes me feel like these restaurants are real places I could go and would want to go.

Since I really am not interested in these restaurants in general, the article dragged a little for me at times, but your language and imagery pulled me back into the article almost immediately and for that I commend you. It's hard to keep me entertained on something I know little about and usually care little for.


Overall, a very informative, well-written article. I was glad you didn't pick a favorite at the end.

[Deleted]

And Luau, I promise I’ll get to your series.

Yay! I'm going to get to Dan's, too. Just not tonight. The stupid blob is wearing me down.

[Patjade]

I really appreciate all the reviews on the Notions and Nonsense strip this week.

Hu worked hard on this a month or so ago, and originally had it as a horizontal layout. She redid it for me and she submitted it. Later, I made a thumbnail for it and submitted it, getting the "rejected for too many good entries" Neomail. Finally, it was accepted 2 weeks ago and printed this last week.

Hu did a good job on it, using BRD as an Usul (having a Lab Rat pays off), since she had trouble with getting Saralonde (the typical troublemaker) drawn.

Now, as for my infamous subtitles; I always submit a subtitle to go with my entries. There are several reasons for that:

1. The NT editor doesn't have to think one up.
2. The subtitle I submit generally will enhance, confuse, or be another joke in itself.

It's fun coming up with subtitles. They tend to amplify the effect of most of my head-scratchers and groaners.

[Belle]

Same here, Luau, same here. -_- Refreshing + me = Chaos. This is why I don't restock and don't feed Kads.

Anyway...

Article Review

The Neopian Review: A Guide to Fine Dining by physcoticdancer

This a very well-written article that I enjoyed a lot! ^^ I wish it could have gotten a custom picture with both restaurants on it, though. The old Golden Dubloon picture just doesn't do your article any justice.

First of all, good work on the research! Your article is so full of details and I can't get enough of them! This article has a sort of "real" review feel to it perhaps because of how the style of writing you used here. At the same time, it has a short story feel to it, as well, because of your vivid descriptions.

The only thing that bothers me a bit is the length. ^^ Although I did have fun reading it, there were some points where I felt restless (I think it was at the pricing thing) because I felt like it was going too long. I would say that some readers might have backed out of reading your article because they were daunted by the length. This could have been served as a two-part article series, instead.

Also, I would have liked it if you chose one of the restaurants in the end. I know you shouldn't pick favourites and it's important to be impartial but I would've chosen Kelp in a heartbeat. This has nothing to do with me being a Water Faerie. Really. *shifty eyes*

All in all, I loved this article! Hope to see more of your articles in the future.

[Belle]

Twenty Terrifying Items of which to Beware by lassie_nikki

I read the title and automatically thought, "Uh oh. List article." But, really, I shouldn't have thought that way especially since I've already read a lot of your wonderful articles (that fall under "list" and yet, aren't lists, at all!).

Yet again, you showcase your penchant for details. And, man, what an imagination you have! I wish you had put the Spooky Toilet at a higher position, though, because it certainly scared the heck out of me. I also agree with Luau that the last two sentences could have been omitted but it's just a minor thing. What's important is that you're getting better every time! I can't wait to see what you'll come up with next (yet again)!

Really not much I can say. ^^ Keep up the good work, Nikki!

[Deleted]

The Neopian Review: A Guide to Fine Dining


It may have done better if the scintillating aroma and taste of the restaurant's famed dishes were somewhere in the leading description.

I wasn't too fond of the point-by-point-persuasive-essay-to-be-turned-in-first-thing-tomorrow format mildly flecked with personal caveat for such a piece. It should be a bit more forceful consistently. Sometimes it seems as if some of the points are up for debate.

At some points the article is "The sailors are generally happy to be on dry land again..." They're generally happy, but by how much does this strengthen the point of high spirits? How many sailors? How happy are they? At other points it is contrastingly "The chefs of Kelp hail from all over Neopia, bringing in the finest ingredients from their homelands". Not generally the chefs, not generally the finest ingredients, but the chefs and the finest ingredients. No extra adjectives or adverbs.

"may be", and "depending on" doesn't make a strong enough point. It's either this or that, everything or nothing. If there's a variation, state the variation.

"Can be" in the phrase "as can be expected" (which appears twice in the article) weakens the point. It "can be" expected, but is it to be expected?

Perhaps my biggest complaint, after re-reading it, is not the awkward sentence, but the variable strength of the sentences.


The food? Remarkably aromatic - I'm watering at the mouth. The atmosphere? Phantasmic ecstasy - I'm sure I had a hi-def surround sound smell-o-vision entertainment system around here somewhere. The service? Interactive tutorial (probably not what you were going for, but that's the best in my book).



And I was only aware of two Fontaine sisters.

[Deleted]

The new NT comes out tomorrow and I'm determined to get caught up before then.

Jobs You Should Never Do

I should just put in my siggy "I don't like list articles." However, what make this one more enjoyable and others in this same issue less enjoyable is your detail. When writing a "list" article detail and humor are the most important things to keep your reader going. I also like that your list is relatively short.

One nitpicky thing: on the last job I would say the final job or finally instead of another job. This makes it sound like there will be more and, of course, policeman for Defenders of Neopia is the end of the article.

Good choice of jobs, making them all over the map and all different sorts of work. Your details keep your reader, well, reading and it has its funny parts without trying to be funny. Nice work.

[Deleted]

Starry Starry Night

Very good description! It caught my eye immediately. I think you have a knack for choosing the right word to describe what you want to say. There were several times when I thought, "Good word!"

You set the story up beautifully and draw the reader in. I think your style of telling the story a little disconnected piece at a time is very interesting and you did a great job keep the story clean while playing with time. That's hard to do.

You chose a certain way of speaking for your characters and remained true to it. That's hard to do as well.

The only criticism I have is I don't find the first person perspective effective in this story. In a longer story, you may be able to play around with perspectives and so forth, but for your short story I felt that jumping around in time was enough busyness. I didn't see a reason for the Darkest Faerie to be in first person as opposed to Iliria, either.

Great story. It's great that you managed to work time so well and still keep the story understandable. And, like I said before, your descriptions are wonderful.