GC Review #5: Order of the Stick

hustlertwo

The Order of the Stick (posted 6-28-06)

At first glance, Order of the Stick might not seem like it has much to offer. It's one of a hoard of comics based on the Dungeons and Dragons style of role playing, and one with a rather.....minimalist art style at that. But if you get past initial impressions, and delve a little deeper into the strip you'll find it's an incredibly humorous and engaging strip, arguably one of the finest webcomics around.

To start with, we must address the characters who make up the Order's cast. From the bloodthirsty halfling Belkar to the virtually useless bard Elan, the unexpectedly intelligent melee fighter (and de facto group leader) Roy Greenhilt and the androgynous and rather angsty wizard Vaarsuvius, all the characters are amusing plays on the standard stereotypes found within most RPGs. And this is not just true for the heroes who make up the titular Order of the Stick; every villainous chimera, friendly sylph, and impatient shadowy menace the crew encounters along the way is imbued with more wit and personality than the entire casts of many lesser strips.

Unlike most comedic strips, OotS is very storyline-driven. The bulk of the strip has dealt with the Order's quest to stop Xykon, though there have been several side plots as well. Thus far, all the storylines have been done with skill, staying true to their gaming roots while still managing to be fresh and engaging, even for those without much experience with the RPG genre. This is something that's true for the strip as a whole; though it continues to be a gamer strip first and foremost, OotS is still rather accessible even for those readers who don't know the difference between a glaive and a guisarme (such as myself, for example). There's enough broad humor here to appease the masses; for every crack about a failed Spot check or the uselessness of Feather Fall, there's also jokes about man-boobs or overzealous copyright lawyers.

The visual aspect of Order of the Stick is a somewhat precarious one to address. The stick figure style does work for the strip, and often enhances the humor, so it is a success in that area. However, it's still unlikely we'll be seeing any of these strips hanging in an art museum somewhere. Ultimately, it might not be especially pretty, but it still manages to be a benefit to the site, and if nothing else it is a rather gutsy style to use for a webcomic.

So I must conclude by saying I heartily recommend Order of the Stick to anyone interested in some great belly laughs and an engaging storyline populated with a variety of colorful characters. And if you're deep into the D&D gaming scene, well, you absolutely can't miss this one, it's likely to become one of your absolute favorites. I give OotS a hearty 9 out of 10 Suizys: do yourself a favor and read the entire archive. You'll be quite glad you did.

Rating: 9 out of 10

_________________
"Never underestimate the predictability of stupidity."