10 YEARS OF THE BF SIX TO WATCH! Kry Garcia’s Guide to the Oblivion may not have been reviewed as yet on Broken Frontier but it’s certainly made its mark here with the 2023 BF ‘Six to Watch’ artist’s digitally-delivered epic winning the Best Webcomic category in last year’s BF Awards. A deserved accolade for a series that has, in a very short time, established itself as a witty and inventive piece of fantasy storytelling.
Guide to the Oblivion is as much focussed on the mysterious titular kingdom of Oblivion as a “main character” as it is our protagonist, the young adventurer and scribe Blacksheep. On her deathbed Blacksheep’s Nana charges her with the task to bring back someone (or perhaps something?) from the Oblivion, a realm with mysterious qualities that can addle the brain, and one that is home to a whole host of strange, magical and often dangerously mischievous creatures.
As her quest progresses Blacksheep will encounter shapeshifters, changelings, monstrous arachnids and devious fairies within the woodlands of Oblivion as she is constantly tested by the forces that lurk therein. Her greatest tool for navigating its dark depths being a list of rules that Nana has insisted she live by to survive.
Webcomics, of course, have to play to an audience via a very different method of delivery and Garcia’s episodic approach of semi-standalone ministories that nevertheless build up the overarching story arc of Guide to the Oblivion ensures the reader is given both a narrative hook with each update but also a satisfying and accessible (generally two-part) tale. Garcia is also adept at sowing seeds for future follow-up, allowing the reader to discover this world alongside Blacksheep while engaging in a wider world-building mission by introducing us to wider documentation and witness testimonies about these lands.
Garcia’s art has a clarity of presentation that nevertheless is consistently inventive in approach. Page compositions are impressive throughout, not merely in term of illustration but also in how she manipulates panel structures and layouts to reflect the themes, pacing and tones of each sequence. This is more than another fantasy quest storyline; it’s also brimming with clever plot twists and a premise that allows the reader to feel intimately invested in Blacksheep and her family. Get subscribing to this now. You won’t be disappointed.
Kry Garcia (W/A) • Self-published
Review by Andy Oliver
2024 marks the tenth year of Broken Frontier’s ‘Six to Watch‘ initiative. Look for articles throughout the year celebrating the work of those artists who have been a part of the programme.
