MOST: a webcomic review

Synopsis Review

MOST  (updated each Monday) is the odd title of a webcomic written, drawn, colored, etc. by eighteen-year-old Richard Nyquist.

Before you ask, I've searched in vain for an explanation of the name, but so far haven't really received one.  I suppose the basic idea is that just as "most" is a superlative word, the two teenage superheroes (Ion and Echo) upon whom the comic focuses are also superlative.  

Nyquist makes clear that his protagonists are fairly new to the super-gig, describing his work as "kind of a coming-of-age type story."  The first two issues seem to be tracing an arc of how the boys will handle  being "left in charge" of crime-fighting in Skyhill City, when its premiere superhero Safeguard departs to "another corner of this galaxy" to intercept an emerging (but unspecified) planetary threat. 

In addition to shared Christian convictions that come through in the wholesomeness of his work, another thing I appreciate about Nyquist is his homage to the classic comics format.  A prime example is his inclusion of a "letters page" following his first issue.  Yes, it's nothing but a reformatting of emails and blog post comments...but there's just something about it that warms my heart and takes me back to being that little kid who had the world at his fingertips and hours of fun ahead of him anytime his parents dropped a mere 75 cents for an escape into superherodom.

MOST is a colorful, fun adventure with bombastic battle sequences between our bantering heroes and their dastardly foes. And while Ion and Echo aren’t the most skilled or powerful guys on the block, they’re not going to let that stop them!

If you're looking for a light, fun, wholesome superhero comic this is a good option.  This comic is available to everyone for free, but it does cost time and money to produce. If you find something you like here, consider tossing a few shekels into Nyquist's Patreon account in gratitude.
 

Sustainability - 2

Despite the fact that the comic is only about seven months old, Nyquist has kept up a pretty consistent posting schedule.  This leads me to believe the sustainability of this comic at least deserves the original rating I gave to Miss Melee. 

Language - 5

Thanks (I assume) to Nyquist's Christian convictions, the language in Most is very clean and kid-friendly.

Violence - 5

The "violence" in here is so mild and cartoon-y I don't really think it's worth worrying about. (Nyquist's homage to the old Comics Code Authority seal--inset in the upper right corner of the cover image--proclaims itself a "graphic novel without graphic violence." Unless you thought the old Filmation stuff like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was too violent, you won't find anything objectionable here. 

Sexuality - 5

Again, I can see no reason to worry about inappropriate sexual themes/imagery here.  I'd have no hesitancy about letting my kids read this.

Political Leanings - 3

Though two issues may not be enough to get a full picture, thus far Nyquist doesn't appear to be pushing any identifiable political position.

Morality - 3

I feel like the "3" rating here deserves some explanation.  It's not that there's any bad morals being promoted in Nyquist's work.  Rather, it's just that there's not a lot of overtly-expressed moral messages.  Personally, I much prefer that to clumsy self-righteous moralizing.  This is a sensitive area and one in which "less-is-more" is a solid rule of thumb.  

Bottom line:  I appreciate Nyquist's light touch here. 

Artwork - 1

The sole weak spot of Most is the artwork.  I hesitate to write that sentence, as Nyquist is doing everything himself (and his artwork is still a sight better than anything I could produce).  Doing it all alone and maintaining a weekly posting schedule could very well be creating constraints that keep him from bringing his "A game."  My unsolicited advice would be that Nyquist look for an artist to bring on board, allowing him to focus his energies more in terms of crafting his story arc. 

Storytelling - 2

With the caveat that I'm evaluating the storytelling with only one issue complete, I can say that it's acceptable...but not great.  Honestly, that may be coming...especially if (as it appears) Nyquist's adopting the model of unrolling stories slowly over an arc, it could well be that the richness of his tale simply hasn't been revealed yet. 

Overall Rating: 3.0