NuTzlocke
“Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” ~Lilo & Stitch
Please note that the selection is based solely on my opinion. If you feel that a comic really amazed you this week, feel free to post about it in the comments!
Check out the Top 5 Comics after the break!
#1. NuTzlocke
I can easily say that not only is NuTzlocke one of the Top 5 Comics this week, but also happens to be one of the top Pokemon comics overall in my opinion.
NuTzlocke delves deeper into storylines than many comics, exploring the details of the lives of the various characters. This includes both Humans and Pokemon. The characters are hardly invincible, each of them with weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and flaws that define them. They travel through the world searching for something more.
I wouldn’t say it is a dark comic, but it can be a sad one. In the games, we know that Hugh holds a grudge against Team Plasma because they stole his sister’s Purrloin. This story takes that premise to the next level, making the tragedy all so much worse… and his quest all that much more important. You cannot help but become attached to these heroes. Nor can you help becoming attached to this comic.
#2. Play It Black
Fan Comics have many advantages over official Pokemon stories. One is that they can cover aspects of Pokemon that the creators may not necessarily want us to consider. In Play It Black, we see that demonstrated through Tamina as she hunts for her food. It’s not exactly a fun topic to discuss, but I do agree that surely there are some Pokemon that hunt and eat live prey, some of which might be other Pokemon.
What touches me about this update is the budding friendship between Tamina and Spinel. We can clearly see that they come from vastly different backgrounds, and have vastly different fears. Yet, thrown together by destiny, they forge a relationship that perhaps can stand the test of this adventure. It is a Nuzlocke, after all, and it will take their friendship, skills, and luck to survive to the end.
#3. Nerd Rage
If you haven’t heard about Pokemon Bank, you might want to check it out. Pokemon Bank is a new feature in which you can store up to 3,000 Pokemon online. Now not only can you catch ’em all, but you can keep ’em all too!
I have always been a fan of the Pokemon anime, and the Team Rocket Trio: James, Jessie, and Meowth. Yes, they can be real goofballs at times and definitely a bit incompetent, but they have been a part of the series since the beginning and are familiar to Pokemon fans of all ages. And I think the artist of Nerd Rage, Andy Kluthe, says it all:
While Iwata swears the service will be easy and secure, you can never be too sure — I think I know a few criminals who might run a heist on a virtual bank to get free Pokemon.
#4. The Burning Sky
You know why I think we love heroes? It’s because not only do they save the day, but because they do it to protect others. They are heroes because of their willingness to sacrifice and endure pain in the name of helping others.
And that’s why The Burning Sky makes this week’s Top 5 Pokemon Comics. Rin hears a call for help, a call for his aid. Yet he’s trapped by pain.
He overcomes that pains, evolves, and frees himself to do what he needs to do in order to save those he cares about.
#5. JHall Pokemon
Early on in the Pokemon anime, there was an episode in which Ash considered evolving Pikachu using a Thunder Stone. He desperately wanted to defeat Lieutenant Surge and thought that he would only be able to do it if Pikachu evolved. Yet he was conflicted, knowing that evolving Pikachu might not be what his loyal Pokemon wanted. In the end, Pikachu helped him realize what was the right course of action and together, they defeating Lt. Surge with their own skill and power.
It must be a million times harder for an Eevee to consider evolution as shown in this update of JHall Pokemon. Not only do they evolve through a variety of means, but they can also evolve into many different types of Pokemon. How would they choose or decide what to evolve into (much less if they even wanted to evolve at all)? What does an Eevee do when his trainer wishes to evolve him into a type he does not want to be?
The answer, I think, returns to that fateful episode with Ash and Pikachu. Work on the problem, the dilemma, together… and the solution will come in time.
Want more Pokemon Comics? Check out this week’s Pokemon Comic Feature!
