Created by: Aran Froggatt & Kyle Kenny Cody
Artist: Aran Froggatt
Format: Online webcomic
Genre: Sci-fi
Chapters: 18, ongoing
In an intergalactic colony of religious warriors, lives a character known simply as ‘The Knight’. Summoned by the ArchDruid, he is assigned a mission that will help save his people but at a great cost. This is a story filled with numerous species from across the galaxies, including the humans living on Earth, alien technologies, a religious cult looking to expand their followers at whatever cost, and two species that are about to collide under unusual circumstances…
The story begins just as our lead character is assigned to a mission, which, due to his heroic efforts and devotion over the years, is delegated by the head of his religious order. We are introduced to a colony of extraterrestrials, their starship travelling throughout the galaxy on a religious crusade, a clear analogy to what happened across our world just a few centuries ago. Each of the colonists on board the vessel is devoted to their religion, but ‘The Knight’ has to undergo life shattering surgery in order to carry out the mission. This leaves him beyond scared knowing the consequences of his sacrifice. It opens up a new approach to the story, encouraging future character development.
‘The Knight’ is a veteran warrior amongst his community, having fought against many tribes throughout the galaxy, in the name of his God – Triberus. His actions and ranking are seen as admirable amongst his fellow worshippers, but there seems to also be some who think the opposite. Meanwhile, down on Earth, we have two flatmates whose personalities could not be more opposite from each other. We have Kyle, the alien loving mooch, who is an unemployed ‘free spirit’. He also, unfortunately, lives like a slob and regularly dodges the rent. His housemate Aran holds a steady job and seems to be constantly on edge, especially with regards to Kyle’s behaviour. However as we can see in the comic, Aran has allowed for Kyle to stay in their shared house for a long period of time without paying the rent, covering both shares for quite a long time, but has yet to actually kick out his freeloader. This could be due to the fact he does not want to be alone in the house, or he simply has not had the time to clear up the situation. This may lead to a clash in the future.
Regarding Aran, his job also has its own annoyances with his boss overlooking all his work and passing it onto his son. This seems to suggest there will be a grand confrontation between Aran and his boss in the near future.
Back in the midst of space, ‘The Knight’ is appointed a mission to destroy a creature they once thought they had annihilated. Knowing both where it resides and the danger involved getting close to it, Knight must undergo an experimental surgery in order to gain the upperhand in his mission, which will see him looking towards the humans of Earth for assistance. Where this story will lead is still unclear, as I would like to see how Knight will meet both Aran and Kyle, although this currently published chapters hint at plenty of action to come.
Arkian has so far managed to capture my attention, with the sci-fi orientated artwork presenting interesting character designs, including a number of alien species. However, it was the script and the characters that really pulled me in; how a mixture of alien species, all bound on one ship, have devoted themselves to the one religion. It actually took me aback, as I had not encountered this idea before. The advanced technology of their society has allowed them to understand how to alter DNA, thus changing the biological and physical appearance of those that join their religion, assessing their strengths and putting them to work in a specialised sector. The artwork is clean, well bordered and detailed. It is certainly original when it comes to designs, but includes knowing nods to numerous other shows/books/games. For example, a character similar to Mad Moxxi from Borderlands appears on the pizza van on page 7; a clear nod towards those inspirations and hobbies close to each of the creators.
Arkian is co-created by two Cork lads by the names of Aran Froggatt and Kyle Kenny Cody. Childhood friends with a shared passion for comics, they fell out of touch, and reconnected one night over a drunken phone call. Driven with the sudden need to create a comic, the pair worked for months on end in order to devise a solid plot, history, designs and world in which this series would take place. I came across these two comic creators whilst attending Brocon last month, where they were sharing the news of their work. New chapters are usually released once every three weeks, with Chapter 19 hitting the website soon. Since the beginning, Arkian has had a loyal following, which is set to rise even more as positive praise of this series hits the ears of more interested comic fans.
Arkian is still in the early stages of its story, but is set to pick up some real pace very soon as the action is about to get underway. Make sure and check out their social media links below, as well as where you can read this on-going webcomic for yourself. If you love sci-fi, extraterrestrials and alien loving room-mates, then check out Arkian. If none of those things is your cup of tea, check it out anyway!
Overall: 8/10
http://arkian.thecomicseries.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ArkianComic/
https://www.instagram.com/arkiancomic/
