Particle Fiction is a monthly webcomic by writer/artist David Wynne in the tradition of 2000 AD (Sort of). It describes itself as 'a monthly comic book that just happens to be online' and is in some ways an attempt to bring a more traditional style of comic books to the webcomic medium.Currently consists of
Volume One:
Issue #1 - Eye Of The Tiger
Issue #2 - Ideasman
Issue #3 - Scorched Earth
Issue #4 - Ideasman 2: The Mite of God
Issue #5 - The Complex
Issue #6 - Ideasman 3: Skeleton Vanguard
Volume Two:
Issue #7 - Ideasman 4: Personality Clash
Issue #8 - The Catch
Issue #9 - Scorched Earth 2
Issue #10 - Ideasman 5: Ideasman and the Cataclysmic Plot Device
Added Alliterative Appeal: 'This archipelago of aerodynamic architecture is the arena for the crazy cacophony of creatures and cultures from the multitude of multiverses to meet in a melting pot of madness!'
Air Vent Passageway: Justified in that the tunnel Gray uses to escape is a maintenance and observation tunnel.
Alien Invasion: Summarised in the first page of Issue #3, Scorched Earth - and of a Type 1 variety.
All Psychology Is Freudian / Freud Was Right: Thoroughly inverted. Freud is so fed up of his psychology not being taken seriously than he unleashes the monstrous representations of Superego and Id by incapacitating Ego, who normally controls them (as per his theories). In a sense, Freud Was Right, because the versions exist between the realities, but clearly he didn't consider himself right enough.
And the Adventure Continues: At the end of the first Ideasman, he's called to the Museum of Unnatural History to deal with an escaped Black Hole. Little did we know that he would be truly returning for another adventure in Issue #4. And #6. And #7. (And who knows how many more?)
As You Know: Issue #4 opens with Ideasman's bosses saying 'So, let's go over the mission one more time...'
Ascetic Aesthetic: The Complex definitely is made of this; almost reaches White Void Room within the cell - where there are only doors and the people strapped to their crosses.
Aside Glance: After the woman in The Complex has been woken up, she stares at a bemused (or terrified) looking Gray, first seeming to look straight at the reader, repeating just one phrase.
Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever: The theme of Issue #7 - except that they're giant representations of psychoanalytic phenomena.
Decompressed Comic: Issue #5 focuses on the visuals, as it mostly occurs in silence.
Deliberately Monochrome: To an extent. Though the colour cover of the trade paperback is awesome.
Dem Bones: The titular Skeleton Vanguard of Issue #6.
Doesn't Like Guns: In some times and places, this is admirable. In the Scorched Earth, Mike being this is something of a problem for Dawn who could do with an arsenal to defend him and his family.
Dirty Cop: The Big Bad of Issue #1, the infamous Eddie Bradshaw. (No relation to Carrie).
Disproportionate Retribution: The theme of Issue #6 - the I.D.E.A. is taking disproportionate retribution on Flatulax.
Dissonant Serenity: Sunrise definitely has this, still more so when she explodes a villain with her psychic powers.
Distracted By The Quantum Vibrosphere: Ideasman starts Issue #4 not listening to his mission briefing on account of standing on a platform above what is apparently "The Outer Crust of Reality."
Downer Ending: Rey's loss of innocence at the end of Issue #8
Easily Thwarted Alien Invasion: Inverted or Subverted depending on whether you think two panels are enough to set up an expectation of the humans winning in Issue #3.
Exposition Beam: When Gray touches the socket of the implant on his back, he's hit with an overwhelming rush of images that might serve as this if they made any sense.
Fluffy the Terrible: Played pretty straight: The dragon is called Fluffykins.
Frameup: The hurried plan for the cover-up in Issue #1, needing The Tiger to Clear Their Name.
Freudian Couch: Ideasman appears on one in the cover art for Issue #7.
Freudian Slip: The classic joke appears. Being the Institial City in the Gutter between dimensions, this summons Freud's actual mother. Ironically, this plays into the Freudster's very own Mummy Issues, which may well make this a Freudian Excuse. Yes, it's no surprise that this issue hits every Freud trope there is.
Grappling-Hook Pistol: Ideasman sets his lasso to this (pretty convention for him) mode to lasso the dragon Fluffykins and thereby become a Dragon Rider
Greed: The motivation for the murder and cover-up in Issue #1.
Hellhole Prison: Despite the transparent-able doors and automated guards, The Complex is a Hellish prison, crossing over into Room101 territory
Hello: Significant as Gray's only spoken dialogue in Issue #5.
Heroic BSOD: Gray's reaction to seeing the tantalised prisoners reaching out for each other.
Higher Tech Species: The aliens in Scorched Earth are this; and even more so once they've destroyed humanity, ignoring them as being 'like ants to them.'
Hyperspace Arsenal: Given that the Interstitial City is in-between dimensions, it probably makes sense that Ideasman can have I.D.E.A. Control beam him all sorts of equipment.
Impending Doom P.O.V.: Played with in Issue #9 - Dawn can see the biker gang on the horizon and knows it's only so long before they come after her.
Improbable Taxonomy Skills: I mean, how can Ideasman figure out it's an Insecuritree so quickly? He gives a quick textbook description of the plant, which is printed in a more academic font.
Improvised Weapon: Gray uses the heavy electrical cable that had been keeping him sedated to break down the door of the cell.
Legitimate Businessmen's Social Club: Mulligan runs a nightclub on Mars in Issue #8 that is well known for being his headquarters, not that he needs to hide it.
Literal-Minded: The issues featuring Ideasman, has a universe built this way, including a literal Wall of Text.
Made a Slave: The breakdown of society in Scorched Earth has led to the more common presence of slavers.
Magic Carpet: Flatulax has one, and it is what starts all the trouble.
Open Says Me: Gray achieves this, with a certain amount of collateral damage.
Our Dragons Are Different: Ideasman calls it a 'big scaly chicken.' It certainly looks and breathes fire like a dragon. And if you find yourself flying with scaly wings, breathing fire at humans, you might be a dragon
Please Wake Up: Lisa says this to Mike as he is unconscious or dead in Issue #9.
Plot-Driven Breakdown: Admittedly justified, Ideasman's communicator is disrupted by the Mite in Issue #4. This following the line from his boss "So long as you keep in touch, you'll be fine."
Pokémon Speak: A serious use - the woman in The Complex only repeats the phrase 'Will you?' to Gray. It's unknown what action she's asking him about.
Rule of Symbolism / Multiple Demographic Appeal: Issue#7 - Giant clay-like wild monster fights smarmy super hero because their average human brother hasn't got them under control. Oh, and their names? Id, Superego and Ego. The whole motivation of the villanous Freudster was that modern psychologists and people in general don't take his theories seriously. Puns and commentary on the evolution of psychology!
Later in that issue, there's a bit of Fridge Brilliance as Ideasman restores ego to full size and strength by puffing him up with compliments.
Punchin' Judy (Ideaswoman) in Issue #7 is a shout-out to violence-laden children's puppet show Punch and Judy.
Smoking Is Cool: Try and tell me that Rey from Issue #8 isn't cool. This does after all come from a man nicknamed 'The Pied Piper of Lung Cancer'.
Something Completely Different: Although this basically happens every issue, special note goes to Issue #8 which is more an illustrated prose story than a normal comic book issue.
Stock British Phrases: Gladly lacking mostly in this genuinely British work, there appear a number used humourously in Issue #6, notably 'Blow me down and call me Petunia' (which is structurally common), and Bloomin' (in the more peculiar context Bloomin' Undead).
Stun Guns: Ideasman's blaster has it, along with many more esoteric functions.
Super Team: Ideasman calls for backup in Issue #7 and gets Ideaswoman Judy Punchowski and Ideascat Tibbles McCoy.
Take My Hand: In Issue #8, whilst he does want to escape the cop, Rey does his best to keep him from falling.
Take That: Ideasman: 'Control, what the hell was that thing in the last cage?' Control: 'The one with the body of a lion, and the head and wings of an eagle? That was a griffin.' Ideasman: 'No — I know that one —! I mean the one with the body of a slug, the head of a pig, and an anus where its mouth should be...' Control: 'That's a Nick Griffin.'
Thought Caption: Gray, being trapped in a prison with no sane companionship, spends most of his time thinking in this way, and only rarely uses speech bubbles.
Torches and Pitchforks / Fantastic Racism: The refuge town at the end of Scorched Earth #2, perhaps wisely, hates Freaks. And of course, Dawn is traelling with a cute 5-year old who can melt people's heads.
Unfortunate Names: Flatulax the Malodorous. It may well be accurate, but it is unfortunate.
Unhand Them, Villain!: In The Hook, whilst Rey has not wanted to kill the cop, just escape him, The Don Jake Mulligan has no qualms about pushing him to his death.
Unsound Effect: In Issue #2, EXPLOSION, followed by BLAST, DETONATION, ERUPTION and CONFLAGRATION.
Words Can Break My Bones: Hellvetica and Thesaurus Rex together are almost unstoppable thanks to their power over words.
A Worldwide Punomenon: The opening of issue #6 has Ideasman's badge, which is marked Access All Eras.
Wrecked Weapon: Fluffykins makes light work of the Hands of Boom.
Writing for the Trade: Mostly averted. Ideasman is episodic, and Dawn Garrett has yet to be returned to, though more stories are said to be planned.
Written Sound Effect: Conventional ones from the dinosaur in Issue #2, as well as the more unconventional Zammow! for Ideasman's blaster. Later, when Ideasman sets his blaster to italics and strikethrough, the Zammow appears appropriately formatted.
Zoom / Eye Open: The opening of Issue #5 mixes this with Flash Back and Dream Sequence, eventually zooming in onto the opening eyes of Gray after decades of sleep.
is a monthly webcomic by writer/artist David Wynne in the tradition of 2000 AD (Sort of). It describes itself as 'a monthly comic book that just happens to be online' and is in some ways an attempt to bring a more traditional style of comic books to the webcomic medium.Currently consists of
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