What We Reading: WEBTOON

Happy Sunday my lil' anxious peeps. How we all doing?

Been a minute since I let y'all know what I've been reading. Figured I catch y'all up a lil.

Lately, I've been a bit of an unfocused funk. It's been hard to hop up into a book and finish it. So it's been a lot of books on my To Be Read list, a list that just keeps growing. But I have been able to clear a bunch of comics. So I'm just gonna share some of my favourites that I have read, been reading, need to catch up on, or want to read. Plus it's I have them spread across platforms. So let's hop into it.

Let's start it off with my OG comic platform WEBTOON by Line. They have so many options. Initially, it was more of a platform for your creatives but lately, they've been creating original comics and alongside the uploads. They pull from that discover pool sometimes and offer a great platform for upcoming comic artists and storytellers. So without delay here are some of my comics on there that I am consistently recommending:

Lore Olympus - OH MY GOODNESS WHAT A MAGNIFICENT ASS STORY. Rachel Smythe has created a stunning and engrossing ass world. From the artwork, the characters, the plot. The Greek myth of Hades and Persephone has been told so many times before but there's something about this retelling. Just the modern way in which it is told. She has a way of humanizing even the shittiest of characters, but it's only one universally hated character and with good reason. I will tell anyone wanting to start a comic but not sure where to start, to start right here. Also now is the perfect time to read, and re-read. And look out for the easter eggs Madame author leaves for her readers, always a lil foreshadowing she drops for us to see.

Midnight Poppy Land - This bad boy was originally on the discover page. I definitely got drawn into this one because of the artwork. Lilydusk is that artist when it comes to drawing fine ass male leads. (See Asura's Bride, also on WEBTOON). But I stayed because of the storyline. So imagine my joy when this baby got moved over to ORIGINALS. The move meant that the story had to restart but now more folks got to fall in love with my favourite, scary tattooed, gangsta teddy bear. And lil main bubble on innocence was just a character you wanted to protect from all the darkness lurking around the corner. This one can be a bit of a slow burner at times but it'll have you on the edge of your seat consistently.

Gourmet Hound - If you love stories about food and lovely art, this one is for you bbys. Gourmet Hound is now complete so you don't gotta be sitting and waiting around for updates but this a favourite of mine because the lead is such an adorable and loveable person. So many little lessons that I love and the little food facts at the end. Everything about this story is subtle but leaves a big impact on the reader. Plus the artwork is so soothing. Like does that make sense?

Super Secret - LOOK AT THIS CUTE ARTWORK! What a precious little story this was. This story is also currently completed. It's a sweet, slightly secretive, and nice little fantasy element to it. This story takes you on a journey. Though I felt that ending was lil lacking to it, could've packed a nicer lil punch but it completed and complimented the path the story followed. 

The Devil is a Handsome Man - Lemme tell y'all bout this story. It will take you PLACES. You definitely need to focus on this story or you miss important plot or story information. The comic is currently on hiatus so you have enough time to start it and re-read it so you catch all the information you can. Plus that artwork, it PERFECT. It hits all the right notes, the artwork and the story have so many bits you gotta catch and pay attention to. Definitely worth the read and I cannot wait for this one to come back.

Hooky - This coming of age comic is so beautiful and fun. What starts off as a light and fluffy little comedic adventure, slowly morphs into a story of growth for the ages. The adventures our little witch and wizard babies take all started off simply because they missed the bus to school. Experience what happens as the sibling duo begins to learn more about the world around them and the issues they will face. Joined by a collection of diverse friends from different backgrounds, they show us what a little faith and friendship can do. The artwork makes even the darkest moments feel light. But don't get it twisted it is not all fun in this comic. This is definitely a fantasy adventure, but you will fall in love with our little rag-tag team of friends.

Ghost Teller - If you've ever wondered what a ghost would consider a scary story, this one is for you. Ghost Teller is a collection of mini-stories that are each told by different ghosts. If you don't want to sleep at night this one is for you. Initially, this story was completed, but it was so popular they brought it back for another installment. The artwork and the stories all of them are the fodder needed for a good scary story. I had to take a break from this one because whew, it's rough. This one is definitely a walking trigger warning but ughh you can get so invested. From the story to the after-story moments with all the ghosts. The moments with all the ghosts do provide some levity at times too.

Ecstasy Hearts - I'm pretty sure this was my very first WEBTOON. I was definitely drawn in by the artwork for this one. But I stayed because I love a good soap opera-ish story. The twists, the turns, everything about it just keeps you on your toes. It's like a K-Drama in a comic. Heck, when it ended I wasn't even sure if that was really the end. I had to re-read the last couple of chapters over. But what an adventure this took me on. We loved to see it.

There are so many more stories I could share but I figured I start off with the ones that really pulled me in or got me obsessed for a nice quick binge session. 

WEBTOON is currently free on the Apple App Store (I have an Apple product, so I'm not sure about other devices and places it could be located). They do offer in-app purchases for when you find a story you like, they offer the option to read ahead called a FastPass (such a dangerous game to play with that damnned Fast Pass). It also looks like they will be adding more paywalls shortly (July 26th is the date I've been seeing on the app, it could be earlier than that). But for the most part, the comics are free to read, all you gotta do is sign up for it.

Let me know if you have any additional stories I should maybe check out or any recommendations you'd share with new readers. No new playlist this week but I do have a reading playlist that I'll embed for y'all to take a listen to.