Comic Review: Runa

On the planet called Jard, roam hundreds of interesting creatures and different races of humanoids. Of the races that live there, include the rare and elusive multimorph. A shape-shifting species that can transform into any animal and inherit their abilities. A girl named Runa, a multimorph who has been separated from her parents - is on a quest to find out where they are and what happened to them.

"Runa" 

Created by Dane Rahlmeyer, Patricia Pamula, 

Noah Whyler and Marc Schmitz 

Notice: The purposes of the following review are meant to be honest and critical. My desire is to give positive and helpful feedback for the sake of the creator. Their passion, hard work, and creativity are always important to convey in any review.

 First Impressions

While browsing Webtoon - looking for something good to read - I happened upon a newer comic called Runa. It was recommended to me by the website and I was drawn in by the vibrant colors and the design of the main character. I discovered that a team of people were working on this series together as opposed to a single person. Dane Rahlmeyer (author), Patricia Pamula (pencils and coloring), Noah Whyler (pencils and ink), and Marc Schmitz (lettering). As of writing this review, the comic currently has 2 chapters and was published last year in 2022. It has garnered over 80,000 views, 3000+ subscribers, and has a 9.58 rating on Webtoon.  

Review

I mentioned how striking the art was earlier, so let's begin by discussing that aspect. First of all, the designs of the humanoid and animal species are great. They each look unique and reflect the personalities of the characters well (A friendly hero, a shifty-eyed cat, a tough wilderbeast, etc). Visually, it reminds me of a French Animated Series called Wakfu.

The background art is just lovely. It has a very simple look but it works with the cartoon style that it is trying to go for. I am a fan of all the different colors that the artist used and the variety of alien flora and fauna. The Mecani Ruins feel ancient and mysterious and the man-made structures suit the style of the comic. 

The paneling was certainly different. At first, I was confused by the breaks of random coloring in between each panel. And then I realized that they were carefully placed brush strokes that are meant to complement the coloring in the panels. It was pretty to look at but I did not know why it was there - as it distracted me from reading at times. 

Luckily, the creator of the comic happened to send me a PDF version of the comic and I was able to see that the design layout was intended to be different from the Webtoon version. Perhaps because of the Webtoon verticle formatting, it made it difficult to transfer the horizontal comic into a verticle one. I know this is a thing because I have had issues trying to transfer a comic into the Webtoon format myself. Suffice to say, I actually had an easier more streamlined reading experience looking at the PDF version (the picture below) as opposed to the webtoon version (the picture above). (And the high-definition graphics of the PDF looked better on my screen...No offense Webtoon)

 I did have one last issue with the paneling layout though. There were a couple moments in the comic where I wasn't sure where to read. For the most part, it was a left to right (top and down) reading experience but at times it changed right-to-left. I would say that these were the only issues that I had with the comic as a whole.

Next, let's discuss the story and the characters. I find the story concept good! There are plenty of obstacles that the heroine has to deal with which keep me on my toes. And the pacing is good for when things need to slow back down. The side characters such as the monkey aliens and the hunter underlings are perfect for the small roles that they are supposed to play. 

Durgan, the wilderbeast-inspired character, is your good standard villain. He leads his small group of hunters called the "Seven Swords". Durgan reports directly to a group in the shadows (who are even more menacing and mysterious). I am definitely interested in learning more about who they are and what their intentions are besides making a fortune off of Runa.

The captain of the flying jellyfish ship (cool idea by the way), has not revealed his name yet, so for now I will call him Captain Whitebeard. Initially, Whitebeard seemed like a temporary character who would not make a second appearance. But I am glad that he did - as he seems to be the only character who has the best intentions for Runa at this time. I like both his outside rough demeanor and his hidden soft side!

 Pio, the rabbit-like humanoid stands out from the other characters as far as his intentions are concerned. I won't reveal what he does - to those of you who haven't read the comic yet, but I will say that he has become a favorite of mine with his cool and intelligent attitude.

Lastly, Runa the main protagonist is fun and feisty. I love her drive to find her parents and the fact that she is so strong even when she is all alone in a dangerous place like the "Murder Jungle". She makes the most of what she can and is able to take care of herself. Very easy character to get attached to. I love her abilities as well! Shape-shifting is a neat power on its own and can prove very versatile in desperate situations. I didn't find any issues with how she or any other character was portrayed in the comic. They were all great.

Rating

After reading and analyzing this comic, I would give Runa a high rating of 9 for its artwork, its story, and its characters. But because the formatting and direction issues made it slightly difficult for me to get a smooth reading experience, this is my official rating.

8.5 out of 10 (Good)

In Summary

Runa is a well-written story with lovable characters and beautiful art. Its lighthearted humor and whimsical adventures are perfect for older children or those of us adults who love feeling like a kid again. Since the comic only has 2 chapters, it would certainly need a handful more in order to be turned into a full-blown graphic novel. But if enough chapters are created, I believe this comic would be a great addition to any book publisher's shelf.

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I hope you enjoyed my review!

You can find and read Runa the comic on Webtoon! Be sure to check it out and leave the creators a nice comment! --JR Sketcher

https://runacomic.com/