I first found Twokinds at the end of 2017/start of 2018, and have re-read it multiple times. Each time I read it, I find new and interesting facets to the story as it progresses, more and more nuances and subtleties through it's extending lore. (And I have had a little help from the trope pages of this site, of course.)
Without beating around the bush, the comic does have a slow and stuttering start-the art is definitely rather rough and sketchy, and the writing is a little rushed at best, with a few spelling and grammar errors here and there. This can make reading the first six-seven chapters to be a bit of a rough ride. However, this can be excused, as the artist was only just beginning the comic, is self-taught, was, at the time, 17, and had little experience in writing.
And as slow as the start is, the seeds of the comic's later arcs are there. The racism, not just between other races and ethnic groups, but within them. Each character (or group of characters) represents different ways the racism can manifest.
Starting with the Basitin Island arc, the comic's art and writing takes great leaps forward as the artist becomes more skilled and confident in the themes, showing the devastating effects of following the rules of society blindly and without care or question, and the harm in prejudice between different groups within the Basitin Race. It also develops on gender identity in the case of Natani, and Trace and Flora's relationship is expanded on in how he treats her, and how it is wrong to make another person's decision for them in that regard.
Moving on to the voyage and flight arc, we look at how even the most racist or intolerant of us can change for the better through the Red-headed guy and his relationship with Raine, as he struggles to reconcile his attraction to her with her shapeshifting nature and his hatred of keidran. Meanwhile, Trace shows the power of Trust with Flora, and how we can overcome our prejudices, and Natani and Keith show growing confidence in as they accept who they are more each page.
The ongoing Edinmire arc also shows great leaps in the narrative, as the characters explore themselves more-Trace's determination to fix what he did wrong as Grand Templar, Natani's acceptance of their orientation and identity, Raine's growing confidence and her lessons in seeing her shapeshifting as an ability, rather than a curse, the terrible destruction greed and lust for power, combined with institutionalized tensions, can cause in the case of the Templars and Clovis...the comic really has progressed greatly since it began.
The Art, too, has steadily evolved, going from amateur drawings to panels that are on par with the best graphic novels on bookshelves. It's great to see both the writing and the art grow and evolve with their brilliant author.
In short, from an unsteady start with the first six or seven chapters, Twokinds finds it's voice and it's story, and tells a touching story as to how we can, and must, overcome the racism of all sorts that we see in society. Wherever it comes from, and however it manifests. It's a good comic, and I am very glad to have discovered it, even if only a number of years after it began...It's well worth the read. And each time it's read, one might find a new message that they missed, buried like treasure, waiting to be found...
A slow start that becomes a complex and well-rounded story.
I first found Twokinds at the end of 2017/start of 2018, and have re-read it multiple times. Each time I read it, I find new and interesting facets to the story as it progresses, more and more nuances and subtleties through it's extending lore. (And I have had a little help from the trope pages of this site, of course.)
Without beating around the bush, the comic does have a slow and stuttering start-the art is definitely rather rough and sketchy, and the writing is a little rushed at best, with a few spelling and grammar errors here and there. This can make reading the first six-seven chapters to be a bit of a rough ride. However, this can be excused, as the artist was only just beginning the comic, is self-taught, was, at the time, 17, and had little experience in writing.
And as slow as the start is, the seeds of the comic's later arcs are there. The racism, not just between other races and ethnic groups, but within them. Each character (or group of characters) represents different ways the racism can manifest.
Starting with the Basitin Island arc, the comic's art and writing takes great leaps forward as the artist becomes more skilled and confident in the themes, showing the devastating effects of following the rules of society blindly and without care or question, and the harm in prejudice between different groups within the Basitin Race. It also develops on gender identity in the case of Natani, and Trace and Flora's relationship is expanded on in how he treats her, and how it is wrong to make another person's decision for them in that regard.
Moving on to the voyage and flight arc, we look at how even the most racist or intolerant of us can change for the better through the Red-headed guy and his relationship with Raine, as he struggles to reconcile his attraction to her with her shapeshifting nature and his hatred of keidran. Meanwhile, Trace shows the power of Trust with Flora, and how we can overcome our prejudices, and Natani and Keith show growing confidence in as they accept who they are more each page.
The ongoing Edinmire arc also shows great leaps in the narrative, as the characters explore themselves more-Trace's determination to fix what he did wrong as Grand Templar, Natani's acceptance of their orientation and identity, Raine's growing confidence and her lessons in seeing her shapeshifting as an ability, rather than a curse, the terrible destruction greed and lust for power, combined with institutionalized tensions, can cause in the case of the Templars and Clovis...the comic really has progressed greatly since it began.
The Art, too, has steadily evolved, going from amateur drawings to panels that are on par with the best graphic novels on bookshelves. It's great to see both the writing and the art grow and evolve with their brilliant author.
In short, from an unsteady start with the first six or seven chapters, Twokinds finds it's voice and it's story, and tells a touching story as to how we can, and must, overcome the racism of all sorts that we see in society. Wherever it comes from, and however it manifests. It's a good comic, and I am very glad to have discovered it, even if only a number of years after it began...It's well worth the read. And each time it's read, one might find a new message that they missed, buried like treasure, waiting to be found...