[webcomic] Gunnerkrigg Court by Tom Siddell

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

I was first aware of this webcomic when it was mentioned by Neil Gaiman in his journal. I was rightaway fascinated, but had no time to explore the site thoroughly. I came accross it again when it was nominated for the Clickie Awards at Stripdagen Haarlem 2006, an event where I wasn't paying attention that it's Tom Siddell who went up the stage and - being the only nominated webcomic creator attending - received the award for the winner (photos from that event can be viewed here). I have also announced the URL of this webcomic to my contacts here, but only recently (finally!) found the time to sit and read the whole sequel.

The main character is Antimony, a girl who just entered Gunnerkrigg Court boarding school. Antimony has this cool, composed face (which will have more expressions in the later chapters), and nothing can really surprise her. She's always calm and is very polite to everyone. She befriended Kat, a genius classmate whose parents are science teachers at Gunnerkrigg Court and therefore (sort of) knows her way through Gunnerkrigg estate. Gunnerkrigg itself looks more like an abandoned giant factory in an industrial area than a boarding school, separated only by a very long bridge from a gloomy forest.



Since day one, Antimony has been faced with a strange event: a second shadow tagged her along. This first episode tells how Annie (Antimony's nickname) helped the shadow pursue its desire by using a self-assembled robot. The second chapter is about how Annie and Kat fulfilled their mythology class assignment with a surprising appearance of Basil, a misunderstood minotaur. Chapter 3 introduced Reynardine, who got wounded and fell on the roof right on top of Annie's bed. Annie's teacher Mr. Eglamore was also involved in this occurence. More about Reynardine in the later chapter; it didn't end here. The fourth episode is about a science fair, presenting two strange girls from another tower. One is always snarky, another very timid and quiet (I got a feeling that the snarky girl isn't a real person -- anything is possible at Gunnerkrigg Court!). The next episode has a unique setting; instead the usuall darkness, the panels are showered with lights and bright colors. This part expresses Annie's loss and her longing for her parents. Chapter Seven reveals the story of Annie's parents, told by Kat's parents and Mr. Eglamore. This episode also brings back the earlier characters: Reynardine, the shadow and the robot from the first chapter, who caused Annie to fall off the bridge outside Gunnerkrigg. The last chapter presents Annie's findings at the bottom of the cliff (she survived, thanks to Tic Toc birds). The story doesn't end here; there are more characters being introduced and most probably intertwined with stories of the past that we're not told yet.

I was fascinated all over again. The graphic is fresh, the atmosphere a bit dark yet somehow sweet. The story is interesting, especially for those who adore myths, mystery and fantasy, with bits of humor in the details - and it is presented in a way that I like: in short chapters. Not to mention that there is a bonus page at the end of each chapter, which tastes like a refreshing condiment. There is already a printed version of this series available (self-published) but, unfortunately, the European edition is said to be inferior and therefore is not recommended. Five stars for Gunnerkrigg Court, which is perhaps the only webcomic that I have enjoyed immensely!

The webcomic starts here, feel free to go there and read it yourself: http://www.gunnerkrigg.com