Formatting

So I've seen a few people reviewing things here, but all of them seem to lack that luster of people complaining. Personally, I think when you give an author too much leeway in reviews, it makes people look a lot better than they are, and people end up expecting more than they get. To be honest, I don't expect anyone to read these, but I need something to do and reviewing comics is something I've wanted to do for some time now. I'm not going to only review the popular comics, and I won't skim the lowest rims of TWC and BCX for something to complain about. I'll give healthy spotlights to all sides of the spectrum, but mainly stuff that interests me (see note about not caring if anyone else reads these). So let's get started and I'll let you watch me complain. Before I begin though, I'd like to point out how I plan on doing this.

I put out one review by each deadline I note at the end of the last 'planned' comic. My first comic was 'Twokinds', which I noted at the bottom I'd have an update by Sunday. The corresponding comic review (the non spontaneous/unrequested one) will have another day you can expect the next one by. I may update sooner, but I give myself time because I don't plan on missing my goals. I hope to put out about one a week, but I will take requests and review the comic of anyone who asks for it via e-mail.

On a similar note, if someone would like to see me review someone else's comic, I'll look into it, but I won't guarantee anything. I will review any comic, but I prefer it to have built up an archive, because I feel comics need time to develop and refine before they are reviewed. (See notes in my review, an example of a relatively new comic I reviewed.)

If the requested comic is not too long and I think I will be able to do it without interfering with my other, planned review, I will try to do it immediately or as soon as possible. Doing a request/spontaneous review will not count toward my weekly planned review.

Requests for reviews may be directed to SidewinderReviews@gmail.com.

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TITLE: Self Explanatory
DATE OF REVIEW: This is vital. Things change over time. Check this, and if you don't think my complaints are up to date, give me a yell and I'll update said complaints.

Misc. Info *This comes first because it doesn't effect my grade.
URL: Main Page URL Here!
Author: Self Explanatory
Other Works:
Started:
Number of Comics:
Voting: If the main page of the site has a link to vote on a comic list, those lists will be listed here. I use abbreviations, so it will be something like "No", "TWC", "BCX and TWC", etc.
Incentives: Only if voting is a yes. N/A if not. Will be a yes or no if they give COMIC RELATED incentives.
Incentive Updates: How often are incentives updated? Again, only if applicable.
Genre: Key words for the type it is. Action, Drama, Steampunk, etc are good examples.
Rating: G - Good for everyone, PG - "Cliche Parental Guidance": Just a slight step up. Nothing severe. T - Teen, might include some graphic violence or the occasional sexual content. MA - Mature Audiences. Lots of blood, gore, sex, etc. I know I mix and match rating systems.
Notes: This section is actually usually for me. I will probably say why I picked it and any comments I have before I begin.

Art
Coloring: Black/White or Color
Style: Manga, American, Unique, etc
Effort: Based on the cream of the crop, how 'good' does it actually look. Let's be honest: Some comics are great but have poor art. I can live with that. Having simpler designs makes things look better. This is a spot where I complain about simple designs.
General: Any other notes. Interesting stuff about art, or general tongue-lashing.

Story
Background: Brief, one sentence summary of the comic. What I consider to be the most important part of any review.
Complexity: Some people like things that are face value. I'm not one. Is the story creative, unique, and actually more than people talking? One-shot comics won't do well here, but comics that have a storyline and use one-shot canon fillers should be okay.
Continuity: Does the story flow, or is it always something unrelated?
Clarity: Is the story clear? Can you tell how it got from point A to point B?
Substructure: Yes/No
Draw: Does it make you want to keep reading?
Overall: I'm going to be honest with you. This is the only area I actually care about. For that reason, I'll be complaining a lot here if I get the chance. The story is important.

Upkeep
Update: Two numbers here. One will be how often they SAY they update, the other how often they actually do. Bear in mind that this changes every now and then, so keep an eye on the date I reviewed.
Site Design: Is the site navigable? Does it look good?
Comic Navigation: For best results, have a 'next', 'previous', 'first', 'latest', and a 'search'. Bonus points for story navigation or random.

Metascore
Art: Graded against the cream of the crop, in my eyes. If it's being sold in comic book form with that same art, it is probably doing well here. Scored out of 5.
Story: Again, graded based on some vague approximation of 'merit'. I want to reserve the top scores for the most entertaining stories. I don't choose by genre and I try to keep an open mind, as all should be complained about in equal light. Scored out of 5.
Upkeep: This is probably based more on statistics than you'd think. Really it's a balance of scores I have set that each comic gets for achieving certain goals. For instance, if it has the buttons I consider prerequisite, it will get the points for that. This is a compiled score. Scored out of 5.
Final Grade: This isn't an average, though it borrows heavily from each. This will be end merit. Expect a lot of 3s. There a lot of GOOD comics out there. For better scores, it has to stand out and be more than just GOOD. Scored out of 5.

So there. If you want a review that has a better outlook on comics, read one of the other nice reviews here. There's a dedicated team willing to give friendly advice. I'm willing to be the ass who shows people what they need to fix. I grade on scales of 5 and I don't give the 'recommendations' (such as 'trash', 'read', 'follow', 'only if you're into this stuff', etc anymore because I realized that while it is indeed my place to judge, I can't make a solid recommendation for everyone, and % of 100 scores are too specific. What is the difference between a 84 comic and a 89 comic? Don't ask me. I can definitely tell you the differences between a 4 and a 5 though.) I plan on putting out a lot of 3s, and hopefully never more than a couple 5s. I hope I haven't read that comic yet.

So I'll hit post now, and then I'll post my first review tonight. What fun.