Phantomarine is an ongoing webcomic by Claire K. Niebergall. It starts with a recently-deceased Princess Phaedra negotiating with a death god for her life. The death god is a shapeshifting being known as Cheth and can take on the form of any who have died in the sea. We also follow the story of Pavel, an adventurous and determined boy who was bitten by a sea ghost. I won’t spoil any of the story, but I will say that it’s good and explores fantastic spooky themes, mixed in with an exciting world. Niebergall’s artwork is colourful and full of life. The facial expressions, sense of movement, and palettes are consistently well done. When I read this comic, it feels like watching a high quality animated film, like The Iron Giant. And, like a lot of graphic novels and comics that I’ve read, I hope that it gets correctly and successfully adapted someday.
If you’re interested in mythology, character design, and a good story that continues to be updated, then I strongly recommend Phantomarine. Plus, the physical copies that I’ve gotten a hold of were to professional standards – better than some mass-produced comics in fact.
Phantomarine website: http://www.phantomarine.com/
