Sorry for the wait folks, but Clash of the Webcomics is back! Here’s an interesting question: what if Ben 10 or Digimon had a soft R rating content wise? Vibe is a visually arresting and oddly poignant attempt to answer that, utilizing elements of various action cartoons and manga- and judging by some of the designs of the spirits, dare I say some JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure- with a unique interpretation of Hollywood voodoo.
Despite references to actual Loa, which are key spirits in the real West African Vodou faith, this is more along the lines of a mid 2000’s anime so far as its atmosphere, right down to protagonist Baron Bones’s improbable, Yu-Gi-Oh-meets-The-Weeknd haircut. Whatever happened between him and his barber would probably make for a good side story.
Baron isn’t anything like Baron Samedi from Live And Let Die or other, more malicious witch doctors in fiction. He’s young, so his heart’s an open book. That’s why he uses the abilities of three different Loas who act as “mons”- Jean Petro, a cat like creature who plays the straight man, a cigar smoking and appropriately swaggering Ogou, and the storm manipulating Agua to protect his hometown.
The four of them combat the corrosive and bad title “vibes” that consume various people, in the form of bizarrely but cleverly designed monsters. Baron has the power to turn his three vibes into magical weapons and armor to combat the ghostly creatures, thus freeing the victim from their negativity and whatever darkness presumably surrounds their souls.
Soon, Baron meets the towering Furio Mombasa, a more experienced witch doctor with his own deadly Loa who’s seeking the whereabouts of Baron’s sister Brigitte- a fearsome shaman in her own right. (And is it me, or is he a dead ringer for Woolie from the Super Best Friends?) Baron doesn’t initially understand what’s happen, but what does it matter to Furio? He’s got a job to do, he’s got to do it well- and that means giving the other fella (Baron) hell.
Baron and his new friend Sylvia inevitably get swept up in the ongoing conflict between Furio and Brigitte, with Baron desperately struggling to figure out and master his capabilities before the situation gets worse.
I can’t blame any Vibe reader if Dan Ciurczak’s artwork is the main draw for them, because as good as the story is it’s impossible to ignore the visual tour de force. The action can become overwhelming at times, though it’s not enough to spoil the experience. His figures are wildly kinetic and cartoony without coming sloppy or badly rendered, and his use of color gives everything a graffiti style atmosphere that reminds me of Jet Set Radio.
The various models for the Loas, their weaponized forms and the bad vibes could fit in perfectly with a Skylanders playset. The human cast, while well designed in their own right in an expressive anime style, aren’t any less weird looking, but they still fit within Vibe’s aesthetic.
Still, great artwork is never able to save a bad story or unlikable characters- just look at All Star Batman and Robin. And luckily Ciruczak, though fairly early into what I hope is a story that continues to evolve, has created a pretty fascinating universe with a strong cast so far. Baron is a fun shonen style leading kid, with enough of a bratty streak to keep him believable but still empathetic, especially regarding his continued search for Brigitte and his interactions with his aunt. That isn’t to say Furio doesn’t steal the show, though.
Vibe is an ideal webcomic for anyone looking for some Toonami style action and an entertaining and interesting cast, and also in my opinion one of the coolest looking on the internet today. If this every changing world in which we’re living is making you give in and cry, click here to get those bad Vibes out.