"The Secret Origin of Finn Smulders:" Felicia Day's amazing web series about a group of gamers has started a group of comics, detailing the lives of each character in the group, usually as a prequel to the show's events. This time, we get to know Simon, better known as Bladezz, the youngest member.
Summary: We open to the team performing a quest dealing with picking up poop. I'm going to have to check with my MMORPG guy to see if this is a legit quest... seems like it. Bladezz doesn't help much and just attacks Vork. Cutting to the real world, Simon and his sister, Dena, are fighting in the den over computer use. We also discover that their divorced mother is on a date with a new guy, Collin (Yes, with two L's), which of course is a huge issue. Collin is a photographer and in need of a model for a new meat ad campaign, and thinks it would be a good chance for he and Simon to bond. I'll jump the gun here and say that Dena is the best character in this whole thing: "When you say 'photographer' do you mean in the style of Leibovitz, Maplethorpe, or Value-mart Photo Center?" The next day at the studio, Simon could not be more miserable, but we do get some brilliant dialogue:
So its got that going for it. A bright flash from the camera and Simon passes out, waking up an hour later at home. Apparently, while being recited "Ozymandias" by his sister, another side of him took over and he is a natural model. Once looking upon his works, and despairing, Simon is grabbed by his mom that he has landed more modeling jobs. After Collin begins taking all the credit for the shots, and wanting anonymity, Simon comes up with a new name: Pseudonym Twain. This is called stupid and rightly so. So, then he finds his actual modeling name: Finn Smulders. Soon after, Collin decides to move in, leading Simon to leave the house with his computer and move into the garage. Hopping online at 3 in the morning, he only finds Vork online, who is being a bit more active and friendly, boasting that Vork is doing fantastic in looting dungeons and killing skeletons. We can clearly see that this might be the birth of the Vork that we know in the series, and as funny as the comic is attempting to be, it has a moment of clarity:
Vork is about to tell Bladezz about this experience when Bladezz cuts him off and they fight skeletons until dawn. Waking the next day to find his sister messing with him, he begins to fight her and the fight is broken up by Collin who then attempts to ground the two of them. Taking Vork's advice at the next photoshoot, Simon becomes Finn Smulders completely, and fires Collin, which makes the executives walk out, but upon showing some pictures his sister took of him, they change their minds and hire him personally. Dena drops a Game of Thrones line, and then Collin goes off on Simon, telling him that he couldn't wait to get rid of the kids and send them to live with their father. Cue mom's entrance and harsh breakup with Collin. The three of them head off into the sunset to get some Cheesybeard's. That's a lot better than dinner time at Lil' Batman's house:
High Points: Of course the writer of the show "gets" the characters here, and its no surprise how it all ends. The arts pretty good in most places. Great dialogue.
Low Points: Its really predicatable, and there are places it seems like were just there for filler
Verdict: A-. Its a good read and if you're a fan of the Guild then you will thoroughly enjoy this piece.
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