Best Webcomics Ever (This Week) 1.8.12

Welcome back to another round of Best Webcomics Ever (This Week), where the comics are made-up and the opinions don't matter. Thanks for all the comments and suggestions, especially David from last week who made the "It Gets Better" joke. Well done, sir. Don't spend all those Internet points in one place. (BTW, say what you will about the Obama administration, I certainly do, but I doubt any other White House staff in history would have participated in a series of videos letting gay kids know that they're loved and supported.)

I'm really excited to talk about great webcomics this week, some of which I couldn't have found without reader support. So, let's get started!I want to kick things off with a couple of announcements. First, I wasn't able to feature The Loneliest Astronauts before it finished, but it's a fantastic webcomic worthy of your time. The creative team is shopping around the story to publishers, and I wish them the best of luck. To find out more about the series, read the ComicsAlliance review by Lauren Davis. Next, I've praised Bearmageddon here before, but you should really check out the latest update. If there was an award for Most Metal Webcomics, then Bearmageddon would slaughter the competition. Finally, I know there are publishers out there with a webcomic line, like Top Shelf 2.0, and I'm happy to review titles from places like that, should anyone know of a stand-out series.

And with that, my favorites from around the web this week are . . .

Scenes from a Multiverse

With a diverse cast of characters, excellent artwork, and a heaping dose of zany humor, Scenes from a Multiverse was easily the best webcomic to start off 2012. Strange and updated often, I've haven't been so quick to fall in love with a character like Horace Green, Scary Owl Lawyer since I stumbled upon Reginald from Nedroid. Read this webomics. Now! Wait! No. Not now. After you read this column. Yes.

Sarah and the Seed

If only on art alone, Sarah and the Seed should grab your attention immediately. Written and drawn by Ryan Andrews, the series is unsettling, yet childlike, and woven together beautifully. Out of all the ongoing webcomics happening in 2012, so far Sarah and the Seed is the one I'm looking forward to seeing progress the most. If you have the time, Andrews' previous work Nothing Is Forgotten is also well-worth a read.

Three Word Phrase

I've heard Three Word Phrase be described as the new Perry Bible Fellowship, and such a high comparison probably caused me to have a somewhat unfavorable view of the strip when I first started reading the webcomic. For those who aren't familiar with Three Word Phrase, it's not as good as Perry Bible Fellowship, but it's still a cut above most standard panel-to-punchline comics. Three Word Phrase doesn't break new ground, but its clean lines, thoughtful execution, and regular updates make it something worth reading on a regular basis. Plus, there are times, like the example above, when the strip hits a home run. Or throws a touchdown. Makes a slam dunk? The guy with the webcomics column isn't much of a sports guy. Shocking, I know.

Buttersafe

Don't be fooled by the simple art of Buttersafe and think it's another boring site unworthy of your attention. Although the webcomic rarely ventures outside stick-figure drawings, the humor is surprisingly sharp. And like Left-Handed Toons, the two-person creative team will likely keep the content fresh. Whatever the two gentlemen creating this series go on to do, I hope they continue to be funny and share their jokes with the rest of us in some form or manner.

Cyanide and Happiness

If you're reading this column, then you likely know about Cyanide and Happiness. The extremely simple strip updates consistently and churns out quick bits of humor that usually fall into the "snarky" category. Horrendous webdesign aside, and yes - webdesign matters if you're a webcomic - Cyanide and Happiness is absolutely a solid webcomics that will make you chuckle more often than not. It's also last on the list this week, so take that into consideration.

That's it for this week. Thanks, as always, for reading this column, and I hope you found at least one new series to check out. Please continue to leave suggestions in the comment section below. If you haven't seen a webcomic that you've recommended be featured yet, feel free to leave another note. I try to get to all the comments and emails, but there are hundreds and hundreds of comics out there, and I'm sure I've missed quite a few. If you're looking for past columns in order to find even more webcomics to read, please click here.