Earlier today, I was sent a link by a young man by the name of Shaun Gardiner. I'm not exactly sure why he e-mailed me (whether it was through here, the Daily Comics Review, or my own site) but he requested that I take a look at his web-comic. I took a look at his site and let him know that I would be looking at the actual comic later, and while the site was nice-looking, I honestly didn't have high hopes for the comic itself, not having looked at anything else on the web-site at all. Not even the series synopsis. So later, after finishing some other odds and ends which needed to be completed, I sat down and checked out the comic.
Truth be told, I feel bad about calling it a comic: it's a full-fledged multi-media experience. From this point, there may be spoilers, but if you explore the site a bit before reading the comic, it won't be anything you haven't already been exposed to. As it is, I'd suggest not looking at anything else on the site pertaining to the comic, as the final few pages are perhaps better experienced when accompanied by the element of surprise.
This specific installment, which is just the prologue, lays down the plot: war is coming. The sense of foreboding is only enhanced by the prominent use of crows and the animation techniques used to display the panels, as well as the background music. The art (and I feel fully justified in using this term to describe it) is wonderful, stylized but with enough clarity that you're never lost about what's going on. The writing has a very poetic quality to it, but never crosses the line into pretentiousness. The background music (and this is likely one of the only times I'll have the chance to comment on the music in a web-comic) is very good and fits the visuals, but never overpowers them. The last few pages, though, are where the whole thing crosses the line from well-done and enjoyable experience to mind-blowingly fantastic. This is due to the coming of giant robots (or, as the comic refers to them, engines of war) whose appearance is more powerful due to their coming out of nowhere, and whose design is both beautiful and very menacing. They look like cathedrals, come to life to wreck havoc, and they're so detailed in every regard that even those who may get trod under their giant feet will have to appreciate their design before perishing.
Unlike a lot of things, "The Boy with Nails for Eyes" succeeds on several levels: the site design is nice (which is an important part of making a web-comic), the art is beautiful, and the music is worth listening to by itself (Gardiner has thoughtfully provided the means to do so). With these forces combined, "The Boy with Nails for Eyes" becomes what may well be one of the best web-comics (or web-comic experiences) to hit the Internet in a long time. The most amazing part is that Gardiner has done all of this (site design, animation, art, writing, and music) by himself. He is a very talented person.
So yes. While I entered without high hopes, I have left hoping that the next installment comes out soon. Not too soon, though, because it would be unwise to rush something as special as this. You can experience it for yourself here.
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