Line #52 DarkerAndEdgier/Webcomics


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9	* ''[[http://www.webcomicsnation.com/poyorick/botg/series.php?view=archive=10960 Breakfast Of The Gods]]'' is a DarkerAndEdgier and BloodierAndGorier use of breakfast cereal mascots. Tightly-written and exquisitely drawn, it's [=D&E&B&G=] at its finest. Frankenberry is a sadistic thug, Sonny the Cuckoo is batshit insane, The Trix Rabbit is a private investigator, Toucan Sam runs a bar and acts a lot like [[Film/{{Casablanca}} Rick]]. It's now completed.
10	* ''Butterfly'', an AffectionateParody of ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'', spoofs the phenomenon [[http://www.tencentticker.com/butterflycomics/2008/09/17/the-retcon/ here]]. The specific point of reference is Christopher Nolan's Film/TheDarkKnightTrilogy.
11	* ''Webcomic/CtrlAltDel''. The shift from "two game nerds on a couch" to "personal responsibility and miscarriage tragedy".
12	* ''Webcomic/DanAndMabsFurryAdventures'' started out as a very light-hearted comic that followed the everyday antics of Dan, Mab, and their friends and family. Later on, things like [[spoiler: Dan discovering that he is an incubus, Mab being involved in...something that she claims will kill at least two of her friends, a flashback revealing that on Dan's first adventure one of his friends was brutally killed by Dark Pegasus, and all of Abel's Story]] made it clear that ''DMFA'' is definitely a more mature comic than when it started. Though this to be expected, as the comic was started when the author was in high school, and so it's probably matured along with her.
13	* ''Webcomic/DistortionNuzlocke'' is this compared to ''Pokemon'' and some other Nuzlockes. The Pokemon aren't even real, and it contains a lot of violence and questioning sanity.
14	* In a May 2008 ''Webcomic/DominicDeegan'' strip, the title characters learns, to his horror, that his favorite comic is about to become Darker And Edgier... by {{retcon}}ning the hero into a demon. It's like making Superman Darker And Edgier by giving him a German heritage, a small mustache, and a great personal hatred of Jews.
15	** It was [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadowed]] at the end of the Storm of Souls arc. One of the cosmic consequences of breaking the storm was that many of the souls normally bound for Heaven or Hell ended up in the wrong place.
16	* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', the "Painted Black" arc is one of the darkest story arcs and as it came after the silly "Q&A #2" and the relatively light "Tam Eh Tedd" storylines its [[WhamEpisode impact was felt all the more heavily]].
17	* The superhero parody webcomic ''Emokid and Chemokid'' was initially dark comedy, but eventually became a suspenseful story with deep backgrounds and character development while still maintaining the odd sense of humor that only the writer of ''Webcomic/HeadTrip'' can provide.
18	* ''Webcomic/{{Erma}}'' has been dabbling in drama for a while though, but Spirit's Bloom is quite a bit darker than the rest. [[spoiler: Most notably, three innocent extras die very gruesomely toward the end, and Erma is revealed to be a key piece of a plot to destroy the world.]]
19	* The original material that ''Webcomic/ExterminatusNow'' is based on was 'The Grim Darkness', a project to make the ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'' comic universe GRIMDARK by blending it with ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''. According to WordOfGod: "...[[OldShame in reflection, one of the worst ideas I have ever had]]." The actual webcomic makes fun of it.
20	* Mocked in ''Webcomic/{{Fanboys}}'' when Paul claims that to appeal to their readers they will have to resort to foul language, gun usage, drug abuse and sex appeal.
21	* The [[Webcomic/TheAmazingDigitalCircusFreakshowAU Freakshow AU]] of ''WebAnimation/TheAmazingDigitalCircus'' is a dark and [[BloodierAndGorier gory]] AlternateUniverse, in which Caine and other members of the Digital Circus get infected by [[TheCorruption a virus-like string of code]], turning into twisted and distorted versions of themselves called "freaks". The only "good" members of the circus, so far, are Ragatha, Kinger, [[MultipleHeadCase the "sad" side of Gangle]] and Pomni, who's the newest member, and even then, they're still affected by the state of this CircusOfFear.
22	* In ''Webcomic/TheHaresBride'', Creator/EmilyCarroll's adaptation of the fairy tale of the same name, the hare is more menacing and monstrous than in the original tale. In the original, he attacks the straw dummy by hitting it on the head. In this comic, he takes on a more monstrous appearance before tearing apart the dummy with his limbs and teeth. There are also some implications that the girl may have been InvitedAsDinner.
23	* ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' has several points where it gets darker and grimmer: playing a ''VideoGame/TheSims'' [[JustForFun/XMeetsY Meets]] ''VideoGame/EarthBound1994'' game causes TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, when we learn that AnyoneCanDie and [[spoiler: winning the game won't save them]], when EldritchAbomination[=s=] are revealed to be real, when we meet the Trolls and ''their'' CrapSackWorld ends, and when Rose has started to ScrewDestiny with a passion, aided by the aforementioned abominations. Fortunately it never gets ''too'' dark:
24	-->'''[[color:#b536de: tentacleTherapist (Rose):]]'''[[color:#b536de: I'm not actually trying to caricaturize a grim sorcerer.]]\
25	'''[[color:#b536de: TT:]]''' [[color:#b536de: There's still a perfectly intact piece of my mind which realizes how ridiculous it is to be flying across rainbow oceans with a couple of magic wands and a salamander in a little cowl.]]\
26	[a bit later]\
27	'''[[color:#0715cd: ectoBiologist (John):]]''' [[color:#0715cd: maybe later, i will drop by your planet again and rescue you, thus breaking the spooky spell put on you by your nefarious, shadowy masters.]]\
28	'''[[color:#0715cd: EB:]]''' [[color:#0715cd: that way you will stop being so]] [[LampshadeHanging grimdark and ominous, and basically completely off the deep end in every way, as is now painfully obvious to anyone with a brain.]]\
29	'''[[color:#b536de: TT:]]''' [[color:#b536de: [[ShipTease Swoon!]]]]
30	** As soon as Rose [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=005543 actually goes grimdark]], things seem to take a turn for the worse. It even leads to the [[spoiler:Author Avatar]] [[http://mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=006711 getting killed]].
31	** Act 6, being post-Scratch and as such more conducive for the kids to be battle-hardened and able to beat the game, is much darker than its mirror, Act 1. Dirk and Roxy are the only humans left 413 years in the future, Betty Crocker rules the world, the ICP were presidents and Guy Fieri the Antichrist. Post-Scratch Jade got stabbed to death by the Condesce's 2x3dent, PS Dave brutally beheaded the ICP, and PS Rose stabbed Fieri's eyes out with needles and rode his body down a waterfall of blood. Then they died brutally to the Condesce. Hell, at one point, Dirk {{Portal Cut}}s his own head off in a ThanatosGambit to save his friends, two of whom had been impaled through the stomach by an inescapable, planet-obliterating weapon. To reiterate: HE CHOPS HIS OWN HEAD OFF. Kids and fun.
32	** So for a long while, getting killed only meant you got to live out the rest of your existence in a dream bubble with all the other dead people. You could be happy there. Nepeta finally got a version of Karkat to be with, Equius got Aradiabots, a version of God-Tier Tavros was happy and flying free... but then, in [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=007161 [S] Caliborn: Enter]], we see that Lord English, hinted to be the final Big Bad of the series, has the ability ''to destroy the dreambubbles.'' He is literally killing dead people. Also, his younger self, Caliborn, escapes his prison by ''gnawing his own goddamn leg off, complete with gratuitously-spurting candy red blood.''
33	** Then [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/GAMEOVER/ [S] GAME OVER.]] occurs, killing off damn well near a good chunk of those who managed to survive any of the above events. [[spoiler: Good thing John has his CosmicRetcon powers at that point.]]
34	* Formerly LawfulStupid Cale, from ''Webcomic/LookingForGroup'' has certainly come a long way since the comic started. Due to the influence of [[TokenEvilTeammate undead warlock]] [[OmnicidalManiac Richard]], cynical companions Pella, [[ActionGirl Benny]], and [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Krunch Bloodrage]], and the fact that his new Kingdom was [[spoiler: PoweredByAForsakenChild]], Cale has become far more flexible with regards to his morals, and smiles when he sees an old foe intimidated by Richard's undead townsfolk.
35	* ''WebComic/MagickChicks'' has always had a more dramatic narrative than ''WebComic/EerieCuties'', in general, even though both comics are PG-13.
36	** As of Chapter 15, [[CerebusSyndrome it's become noticeably darker]] once [[spoiler: Cerise]] [[FaceHeelTurn turned evil]] and not only [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/girls_who_resisted betrayed her friends]], she decided popularity was worth killing for - [[MassTeleportation by banishing the student council]], [[UncertainDoom whose fates remain unknown.]] Though she claims to have sent them [[spoiler: [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/crossing_the_styx into a volcano]]]]!
37	** Which was soon followed by Melissa's mother, Dakota attempting to kill [[spoiler: [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/super_secret_melissa_origin_time_go!_-_chapter_17 her other mom, Anastasia]]]] in the following chapter. [[http://www.magickchicks.com/strips-mc/the_perfect_weapon Except it didn't work.]]
38	* Occurred in ''Webcomic/AModestDestiny'', around the third story arc. Up to that point it was a lighthearted and humorous fantasy spoof. Then came "The War of Fate" arc, which was much more darker and serious, such as the female lead considering getting an abortion.
39	* ''Webcomic/NightTerror'' 2 is far darker than than the one that came before or after it, largely due to the [[GodOfEvil Boogeyman's greater involvement.]] Fitting, for the (canonically) last entry in the series.
40	* ''WebComic/TheNonAdventuresOfWonderella'' parodied the idea [[http://nonadventures.com/2011/02/05/joke-and-mirrors/ here]], when Jokerella tried to invoke this trope.
41	-->'''Hitlerella:''' ''Every'' villain goes through this. You want to be taken more seriously, so you get some edgy new outfit, maybe make a demonic pact to score some evil ambient lighting. It all seems like a great idea at the time. But in six months, all you'll have left is your shame and Halloween contact lenses.
42	* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': While the comic has its fair share of darker moments, the prequel book ''Start of Darkness'' manages to go further than the comic. Genocide and the murder of one's family is just the tip of the iceberg, culminating in a tragic DownerEnding where Redcloak [[spoiler:senselessly kills his own brother to further his own plans.]]
43	* ''Webcomic/{{Qxlkbh}}'' [[ParodiedTrope parodies]] this trope in [[https://qxlkbh.github.io/86 qxlkbh 86]] which proudly announces itself as the "DARKER AND EDGIER VERSION". [[ExactWords True to its name]] the comic ''is'' darker, and also edgier due to a lack of anti-aliasing; Baseball Cap even trips over an edge.
44	* ''Webcomic/SamAndFuzzy'' parodies the trope [[http://samandfuzzy.com/archive.php?comicID=414 here]]. And then again [[http://samandfuzzy.com/archive.php?comicID=1031 here]]. And then manage to further parody the second parody [[http://samandfuzzy.com/archive.php?comicID=1125 here]]. Sam Logan does not seem to like this trope.
45	* In-universe in ''Webcomic/SandraOnTheRocks'': The developer Tristan ''tries'' to do this to Carmen Chamelia (in-universe, an old-school video game heroine famous for her amusing changing powers), giving her a depressing backstory, changes the game to include extremely gory violence, and dresses her in an outfit so skimpy that, when modeled on a living human being, literally needs to be taped to her body. This ends quickly.
46	* From the third chapter of ''{{Webcomic/Sarilho}}'' on, there's a decidedly darker tone, in sharp contrast to the initial lighthearted mood of the comic.
47	* ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'', with a first chapter typical of MagicalGirl stories, and things going downhill as of the second.
48	* ''Webcomic/{{Sonichu}}'' started out with Chris-Chan's poor attempt at making a crossover between ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' and ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}''. In the last three issues, we've seen [[{{Squick}} his electric hedgehogs have sex]] [[FetishRetardant in graphic detail]], [[AMillionIsAStatistic Chris murdering trolls by the hundreds]], and Chris [[MinorInjuryOverreaction torturing people in the most inhumanly brutal ways possible for... making fun of him online.]]
49	* Spoofed by the StickFigureComic ''Webcomic/StickmanAndCube'' in [[http://www.drunkduck.com/Stickman_and_Cube/index.php?p=271281 this strip.]] The cartoonist announces that he is making the comic "Darker And Edgier", gives the characters new {{Wangst}}-ridden backstories and sums it up by saying that "basically everyone's just going to shoot each other and swear a lot." At which point Stickman says "Oh, HELL no." [[http://www.drunkduck.com/Stickman_and_Cube/index.php?p=271661 The characters later get back at the cartoonist for this. With extreme prejudice.]]
50	* The ''Webcomic/TeamFortress2'' comics go from the offbeat BlackComedy of the games to a wacked-out dramedy with surprisingly solemn moments scattered throughout. Despite these changes, It never loses the humor throughout its run.
51	* ''Webcomic/VoldemortsChildren'' gives the appearance of being substantially darker than ''Franchise/HarryPotter''–the comic opens on a high-security prison deep below the Ministry of Magic–but later pages dial back the darkness due to [[PragmaticHero Hermione Granger's]] deep considerations of morality and clear unwillingness to permanently harm villains whom she believes can be converted or captured non-lethally. In some ways, this works as a [[SubvertedTrope subversion]] of fan works being darker than source material.
52	* ''Webcomic/{{Walkyverse}}''
53	** ''[[Webcomic/RoomiesItsWalkyJoyceAndWalky It's Walky!]]'' becomes this compared to ''Roomies!'', with the plot now shifting to an epic Superhero tale about saving the world from aliens which [[CerebusSyndrome gets even darker]] with GrayingMorality and an [[AnyoneCanDie an increasing number of characters dying in battle]].
54	** ''Webcomic/DumbingOfAge'', on the other hand, despite having far fewer deaths, goes even ''darker'' than ''It's Walky!'', [[AdaptationalMundanity with the fantastical elements removed or subverted]], a world of BlackAndGrayMorality with the characters now more [[AdaptationalJerkass bitter]] and [[AdaptationalAngstUpgrade broken]] versions of their former selves, and a bigger emphasis on themes of Depression and Trauma. By book 6, the comic makes ''It's Walky!'' look like the DenserAndWackier ''Webcomic/{{Shortpacked}}'' by comparison.
55	* ''Webcomic/WapsiSquare'' has certainly gotten much darker and edgier since it shifted from a slice-of-life comedy, to a supernatural drama; dragging in themes of suicide, human sacrifice, manifesting personal demons, and a [[ResetButton looming quasi-apocalypse]].
56	* ''Webcomic/WeaponBrown'' is ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'' (and other cartoon characters) made ludicrously grimdark and set in TheApunkalypse.
57	** There was also the student film "WesternAnimation/BringMeTheHeadOfCharlieBrown" by future ''[[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Simpsons]]'' writer Jim Reardon, which involves the Great Pumpkin hiring the kids as hitmen to kill Charlie Brown in gruesome ways, eventually he snaps and goes on a killing spree.
58	-->'''Charlie Brown:''' (in a [[Main/TheAhnold thick Austrian accent]]) [[Main/BondOneLiner Happiness is a warm Uzi.]]
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Context DarkerAndEdgier / Webcomics