Catching up on reviews!

I haven't exactly made any secret of my love for Chris Onstad and Achewood (people who are actually Facebook friends with me, which is everyone on here, I guess, will note he's my only "inspirational person"), so giving this five stars shouldn't come as any surprise. You can make all of the accusations about Achewood dropping off quality-wise and I won't make a peep (I think it's peaked, too), but this is a shining example of the strip (is it a strip?) at its best. Onstad has his character voices down so tight, the art is spare but somehow perfect, and the jokes are magnificently executed. There's some fun back-matter type stuff to be had in the added bios of GOF champions of yesteryear, but the recipes section falls surprisingly flat for an Onstad production. My biggest quibble is that Dark Horse put a big 1 on the spine, which I think is bound to throw people as time goes on. ( )

The story itself is one of the many peaks of Achewood.

The extra material demonstrates, at its best, the very style that makes Chris Onstad the king of webcomicists. However, since it doesn't directly relate to my boys Ray and Beef, I find it a little hard to care until I enjoy its whimsy despite myself. ( )

Takes the Survivor concept, throws in some (yes, even more than is already there) testosterone, and creates a story that is a million times more funny and interesting than The Hunger Games. ( )

This guy's inane gibberish shows occasional spirit. ( )

Part of my quest to enjoy, or at least understand the appeal of, Achewood. So far: it's not taking. It has its moments but it's not eliciting any fangirl squeal fro me just yet. Not sure if I should keep trying or give it up. ( )