Comic:The Forsaken
From CGWiki
| The Forsaken | |
|---|---|
| |
| Artist: | James R. Long |
| Writer: | James R. Long |
| Characters: | Vlad, Zero, Cleo, Raven, Dorothy |
| Updates: | Once a week |
| Began: | February 1, 2007 |
| Ended: | Still running |
| Art style: | Comic book |
| Rating: | Web-14 |
| Website | Website |
The Forsaken is a web-based graphic novel set in the year 2033 on the eve of World War III. The main cast of characters are all hackers that exploit the global computer network, the Ultranet, in an attempt to make the world a better place.
Contents |
Plot
Welcome to the year 2033. While the world's superpowers struggle to control the next renewable energy source, megacorporations invest heavily into the latest iteration of the global public network: the Ultranet. The age of spatial emulation and synaptic interface brings with it a new realm of possibilities in the online social sector.
Virtuality. Simulated space. A hub of Interactual Venues that is sure to grow from a modest collection of games and fantastic lands into a thriving netropolis with millions of clients. At least, that's how the creator of Virtuality, Industrial Dynamics, sees it.
The only obstical that stands to threaten the finacial security of their costly endeavor is a guild of miscreant youths--a band of gifted hackers that call themselves the Styxers.
Chapters
Ch.1 : "Spatial Emulation for Dummies" (link pending due to current CG server troubles) Chapter one provides a brief look into virtuality starting with Vlad, a vampire captain of a pirate ship, and his tussle with a giant sea monster. Then it moves into Cleo's story and formally introduces more of the technologies behind virtuality. Wrapping the chapter up, focus shifts to Calib: a young magicuser in the World of Witchcraft Ivenue. Dorothy is the only common string bridging the three very different stories together.
Ch.2: "Hackmeet" (link pending due to current CG server troubles) The stark dichotomy between the real world and the virtual one is the main point of the first part of this chapter. Many factors, such as major economic depression, has transformed the face of most US metropolitan areas, changing them into dangerous slums.
Characters
Major characters
| Character | Age | Appearance | Bio/description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vlad | ?? |  | Within virtuality, Vlad frequents the Lost Sea Ivenue, where he takes on the role of a vampiric captain of a pirate ship known as the Sea Scamp. As the eldst Styxer, Vlad is also the most jaded and he genuinely grows tired of life of excess that Virtuality makes possible. Like the other Styxers, Vlad is a gifted hacker but his primary contribution to his guildmembers is his broad knowledge of virtuality, the Ultranet, and the world beyond. He is patient and levelheaded, which often puts him at odds with the younger, more fiery Styxers, Calib and Grim. |
| Dorothy | 22 |  | Relatively unskilled in the art of hacking, Dorothy is Raven's confidante and personal assistant. She is a self-proclaimed punk; she enjoys things like tattoos, loud music, wild haircuts, and combat boots. Her sense of humor has a sardonic edge sharp enough to irritate those unaccustomed to it. Being so close to the leader of the Styxers, she enjoys a certain level of impunity and speaks her mind without fear of reprisal. Her snide demeanor and opinionated comments rarely win the favor of her comrades, but Grim's softspot for Dorothy is fairly evident. |
| Cleo | 29 |  | Cleo is a founding member of the Styxers and her talents lie in communications, global networking, and application interface. In recent months, she has attempted to distance herself from the world of ultranet hacking by earning employment with the ultranet support section of Industrial Dynamics. The other Styxers don't know the true reason for her change of heart; she can't bring herself to tell them all that she's pregnant. |
| Zero | ?? |  | Even more of an enigma than Raven is Zero; an interactual ninja with twitch reflexes and a mystical blade that never leaves his side. His specialities lie on the neurological side of the ultranet--he is unmatched in his quick thinking, spacial processing, and cognitive acquisition. These traits allow him to move, think, and react faster than normal people...even in virtuality. |
| Calib | 8 |  | At eight years old, Calib is the youngest of the Styxers. His talent lies with writing precache hacks prior to entering virtuality. These applications give him the ability to use certain magic-like abilities while online. Calib can come off as cocky and impatient, primarily due to his youthful age, but he is also exceedingly loyal to his friends.
|
Minor characters
| Character | Age | Appearance | Bio/description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naamah | N/A |  | One of the three Succubae deckhands of the Pirate Ship: Sea Scamp. Naamah, Rusalka, and Lilith are dumbots; the lowest form of Artificial Intelligence. Dumbots are unable to do anything but react to input from a higher intelligence. |
| Rusalka | N/A |  | One of the three Succubae deckhands of the Pirate Ship: Sea Scamp. |
| Lilith | N/A |  | One of the three Succubae deckhands of the Pirate Ship: Sea Scamp. |
Background
The Forsaken is a precursor to a yet-to-be-published, Speculative-fiction novel by James Long, set 30 years after a devistating world war. It is entirely written, drawn, and colored upon his Dell Inspiron laptop using a mouse and a Wacom Intuos pen tablet for input. The greatest inspirations for his work came from Niel Gaiman's Sandman series, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, Radiohead: Kid A, Atwood's Oryx and Crake, and of course the thousands of individual, superhero comic books he read growing up.
Links
- http://jameslong.comicgenesis.com/ - The comic
- http://sweetjimmy.deviantart.com/ - James Long's online gallery
- http://forums.comicgenesis.com/viewforum.php?f=1001 - Official Forums
