I had first discovered O Human Star via a tweet several weeks ago – a LGBT science-fiction webcomic created by Blue Delliquanti (who had also contributed to Womanthology: Heroic and Smut Peddler).
Several things really drew me into the comic: Blue’s art is realistic, unique (characters don’t resemble each other because of the art style) and paints a very detailed picture of the world she has created. Secondly, the comic had been one of the winners for the 2012 Prism Comics Queer Press Grant, an annual grant awarded to webcomics that feature LGBT characters and themes, and is the only grant of its kind.
For me, this is incredible because I’ve found that few indie comics reflect fringe and otherwise non-mainstream themes, characters or creators. I’m often confronted with the same types of stories I’d find in mainstream comics, just independently published, which seems to defeat the purpose. So having a chance to be exposed to a webcomic that takes it a step further and tells a different type of story is truly refreshing.
Lastly, I’m a massive science-fiction fan, and have found it difficult to find a good sci-fi story (both online and off) that I could enjoy. Blue’s O Human Star fits many of my criteria wonderfully, and the emphasis on AI (artificial intelligence) is a delight because the conversation around what makes humans “human” and how to have a conversation around sentient technology is beyond fascinating.
A succinct overview of O Human Star is given on Prism Comics:
[quote]“O Human Star concerns Alastair Sterling, an inventor who sparked the robot revolution, finding himself alive sixteen years after his death in an advanced robotic body that matches his old one exactly. He also finds that his mind has been copied into another robot, in the form of a teenage girl, designed by his old research partner Brendan, who was also his lover. O Human Star follows the story of this unconventional family while also exploring Al’s lifelong discomfort with his gender and sexuality, Brendan’s reluctance to rekindle a relationship with the person he loves, and Sulla’s struggle to step out of Al’s shadow and form her own identity as a young woman.”[/quote]
The storytelling in O Human Star is relatively easy to follow because of Blue’s excellent use of color: red for the past, blue for the present/future. Each character has their own distinct personality, feeling fleshed out, which is wonderful since many webcomics I’ve read fixate on one-dimensional characters with linear stories.
O Human Star is a fantastic webcomic, and I definitely plan on reading it as it comes out each week!
Sounds like an interesting and important read.
Well you got my attention, saved the link.
I kind of wish you elaborated more on the "many" webcomics you have read. LIke specific examples or something that give me a better idea of what you mean by more complex characters in O human Star. I agree with everything you say, of course, but more insight from fellow comic-lovers is always a joy to read.