It seems to have taken awhile, but there are some truly high-quality webcomics out there on the Internet these days, and I look forward to reading my favorites. These aren’t just reposts of comics available in some newspaper or magazine, but ones whose natural habitat is primarily the web. You may have heard of some of these already; if not, you’re welcome. There’s so much to report here that I hope I don’t overload you. If so, just bookmark it and come back to work your way through them. They’re that good.

Unique in Category

How about that? First I say “categories” and follow that by a bunch of comics that are so unique they define their own category.

xkcd: Bills itself as “a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.” That’s about right. It’s one of those where the art is pretty lousy but the writing is absolutely fantastic. Here’s an example. In fact one suspects that the art is degraded purposefully in order to highlight the writing.

Dinosaur Comics: This one has to be seen, a lot, to be believed. Every comic in this collection—every single one—has exactly the same six panels. The only thing that changes from strip to strip is the dialogue. And it’s brilliant. It sounds like some kind of weird dare, and I suspect it may have started as one, but it’s legitimately funny and original. Here’s an example. If you read that one and assume I am deranged for thinking that’s funny, try this one. If that one didn’t make you laugh, maybe you shouldn’t keep reading this entry. And here’s a final proof that it’s not always so highbrow.

Perry Bible Fellowship: OK, we’ve talked about a couple of comics where the art is phoned in, so let’s dwell a moment on this one, where the art is incredible and one of the main reasons to read it. Like many comics where the art is the main draw, it’s hard sometimes to relate a funny one to someone else without simply showing them the comic. The artist, Nicholas Gurewitch, is able to emulate many different artistic styles and choose one that fits the gag. Here is one of my favorites, featuring the “Pillsbury-style” people that make up many of the strips. Here’s another brilliant one, this time done in an entirely different (and fitting) style. Or this one. As a former cartoonist myself, this guy makes me seriously jealous.

Single Panels

The noble single-panel form of yore with stand-alone gags. Particularly noble because it’s the kind I used to write.

The Joy of Tech: This one has been around for awhile but remains funny and relevant. The art style is usually something that almost resembles rotoscoping, and the comic has a higher-than-average number of Mac-related and Apple-related gags and in-jokes, but also has ones on general geekery and the occasional simply funny cartoon.

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal: This one gets the prize for most consistently getting me to laugh right out loud. Like this one. Or this one. Or this one. Or this one. Sorry, they’re like Pringles. I just can’t stop recommending them. Try another.

Sitcom-Style Strips

This is what most people think of when they think “comic strip”: several panels a day using recurring characters, sometimes with standalone gags, sometimes with little story arcs.

Sheldon: Excellent writing and excellent art. The more I read this strip the more I like it. What’s interesting about this strip is that it started out trying to have the humor come from some very quirky characters. Sheldon, the comic’s namesake, is a 10-year-old software billionaire who lost his parents and is being raised by his grandfather. His main sidekick is a duck who’s had an encyclopedia downloaded into his brain. And yet this is not what makes the strip funny, and the strip does not depend on this wack-a-doo premise for most of its humor. Like any great comic strip it’s got good timing and remains relevant. Like this one, which is basically standalone.

Joe and Monkey: Like Sheldon, above, but rather less grounded. What makes this one particularly readable is the character of Joe, who really is the monkey of the two. It’s like another take on Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes. Yes, Joe is a total idiot, but it’s the particular kind of total idiot he is that makes this comic so fun. He embodies something abominable about the spirit of this age, which is why it’s so great to see it incarnated where you can keep an eye on it. Joe’s around you. Joe’s in you. The art is wonderful, too.

You’ll Have That: a sweet comic about a young married couple, pre-kids. Kinda reminds me of Mad About You but it definitely has its own flavor. The art and writing are both quite competent. Not always laugh-out-loud funny but worth reading anyhow.

PVP Online: One of the longest-running and most successful webcomics. I’ve read that it owes a lot to Night Court for its structure and its characters, and I can see that’s true. It’s set in the offices of a magazine that reviews video games, though, which anchors it firmly in the 21st century and gives it its identity. The art has improved dramatically over its lifetime, and it remains solidly entertaining.

Ugly Hill: Fair warning, here. Many of my friends do not get why I think this strip is worth reading. Ugly Hill takes place in a world where everyone is a monster and wretchedness is the order of the day. What makes it funny to me, I think, is that the characters seem to be aware of this somehow, having some subconscious sense that somewhere else, things are and should be much better. I also think the art is fantastic.

Starslip Crisis: Great writing and competent art. What earns this one a place in my bookmarks is the completely original and genius storyline. In the future, Terra, having conquered everyone, fits out one of its warships as an art museum and sends it out to browbeat other cultures into recognizing Terran culture as superior. Think Men in Black crossed with Frasier and Star Trek. And the Improbability Drive from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Or don’t think that. Go read it and enjoy.

Sinfest: It’s hard to describe this one or why I like it so much. The author muses about human nature, religion, the mind, society, gender, and sex, in a way that often comes across as bawdy but is just as often subtle and brilliant. Clean, precisely drawn art, too, that is a real achievement on its own. Here’s an example. And another. There’s a particularly fun and still-developing story arc that started here. Also check out this one. And this one. This one too. And this. I gotta stop. How about with one of my favorites.

Overcompensating: Funny, weird, relevant strip about a redneck, a pothead, the Internet, and the world at large. Harder to describe any better than that, except to add that the little blog entry on the bottom of each one is half the goodness. Here’s a top notch sample.

Patches: More sweet than funny, but worth reading, with enjoyable art.

Serials

The Adventures of Dr. McNinja. Incredibly funny adventure serial. You really owe it to yourself to get sucked into this one. It’s important to start at the beginning: go to the archive link and start with the first story. I suspect that the author has a deranged friend who comes up with some of the premises and the author feels compelled to beat them into something which has enough coherency to be really gut-bustingly funny, mostly by just forcing the characters to keep obeying the rules set out in the beginning. Check it out.

Bohemian Drive. Start out at the beginning with this one and take it slow, because the author is updating it very slowly. But it will make a great book someday. A sort of interstellar road trip in a posthuman universe that is, ironically, still quite human.