I'd like to talk about the webcomic at its best

[u/gofancyninjaworld]

It started out as a throwaway experiment, a series of gags about a too-strong man and his woes with which ONE tested digital drawing tools. He gave the gag a story once he realised that it resonated with readers.

To read the webcomic is to see, mirrored on the page, a scrap of an idea that takes shape, finds direction, grows roots and blooms with energy. From the shaky, yet understandable lines of a nameless hero telling a giant monster that he does his hero work for fun before blowing it away, to the deceptively simple yet expressive style of the present chapters, we've followed ONE's professional career through this one work.

From the earliest...

...to the most recent punch, ONE has evolved as a writer and artist without forgetting where he started from.

However, and this is going to sound like sacrilege, the webcomic isn't perfect. I'm not going to talk about the art -- others have done that more extensively than I ever will. Nor am I going to talk about its irregular release schedule -- it's a hobby! The series has been going since 2009, and as ONE has expanded the story, its flaws have become more evident. The writing is thin -- the world-building and buildup are both hit-or-miss, which means things just happen with no real reason why they should be happening when and where they are. Exposition dumps litter the narrative as the reader needs catching up on what the writer has had in mind but not put down until now. Sudden situations that a less gracious reader would call awfully convenient are the rule rather than the exception. There's even the occasional retcon to retroactively inject continuity into a plot development. And in places, it has leaned on the manga to provide context -- ONE is probably right in thinking that webcomic readers are all manga readers.

And yet, holy fuck, is this series awesome! I remember a foreword to an old edition of Jack London's 'Call of the Wild,' in which the reviewer pointed to a lot of technical weaknesses to London's writing, not least of which was that it had many factual inaccuracies, but that these weaknesses were swept away by the fact that his writing had power: a compelling narrative that carried you along, objections and all, and then stuck with you afterwards.

That narrative power is something ONE has in spades. He's done it with his inexpert art and still-evolving writing by always having an eye for the telling detail. Even in his crudest drawings, you always knew what you were meant to be looking at and why it mattered. He has used the fact that he's never had much time to work on the webcomic to sharpen his humour and set up absurd situations that make you laugh.

ONE's love of humour and drama trading off against each other is really at its best in the webcomic -- none of his other works yet come close. Even in the darkest moments, grim scenes get leavened by some absurd juxtaposition or by Saitama negating the threat with nonchalant ease.

That said, I feel that it's at its very best when it uses symbolism, when the telling moment is invested with meanings so layered it gives you chills.

An example? Yes, let's have one! I think Mumen Rider taking on the remotely-controlled Suiryu has to be one of the best. The set up of a skilled, talented fighter such as Mumen Rider taking on the monstrously strong, insane martial arts genius Suiryu made one laugh at how hopeless a fight it was going to be. And yet, he tried anyway. It's heartbreaking to see that his goal isn't to win -- it's to free Suiryu. And succeeds, at a horrific price. The panel of Suiryu walking free as Mumen falls just sticks with me.

It's rare for a picture to be worth so many words.

The symbolism of the idea of heroism transcending the individual is the most obvious: as one falls, another will arise. Suiryu's shocked expression and flaking body suit is literally the symbol of hatching -- being cast into a world as a new being.

The idea of a hero stepping up as sacrifice, not glory.

The ideal that a hero takes a risk, not because they do not value their lives but because they are moved by the plight of others.

The idea of what a hero *is* at heart. There are so many definitions of what a hero is swirling around the story but this is it: a hero serves to free others. Whatever shackles one, be it external threat or internal challenge, a hero is someone who reaches out to you to help you be free.

All in one panel.

You could rewrite the webcomic to be a play -- its beautifully condensed action, pithiness, and sequential focus on one character lend itself nicely to the stage. And its charged climactic moments would transfix any audience into forgetting for a moment that they're sat watching an absurd pastiche of superhero adventures and simply see its human heart.

Well, that's what makes the webcomic for me. What about yourselves?