Battle Creek, NE
Created by Mike Steele
Art by Julia Philip
Battle Creek Comic
Release Date: Ongoing, Weekly

I’ve read webcomics about time travel, space ninjas, rampaging monsters, elves, orcs, Einstein, and heartbreaks. The Web has presented comic creators with an interesting new landscape. Tumblr, WordPress, and everything in between have guaranteed that if any aspiring creator makes a comic, it will get digitally published. Whether anybody reads it or not is a different story.

With this new creator-owned digital dynamic, webcomics and the ideas supporting them are, pardon the adage, a dime a dozen. This means the introduction of webcomics obliterated any preconceived notions behind the theory that there is such a thing as an “original idea.” It’s all been done before, detectives with drinking problems, goblins who like to knit, we’ve seen it all and our attention spans are ever-dwindling. So, now the question is — how does a webcomic really stand out among the tidal wave of daily digital comics?

The answer, as Mike Steele and Julia Philip have shown with their webcomic Battle Creek, NE, is character; good ole fashion character.

Battle Creek, NE is a webcomic that, so far, has proven itself to be completely charming. The story of a struggling band thrown into outrageous circumstances (in this case an intergalactic battle of the bands) isn’t necessarily a new idea. Working in the same vein, I can think of two fictional bands, “Dethklok” and “Sex Bob-Omb,” who have been thrown in semi-similar circumstances. None of that matters though, because Battle Creek, NE takes something old and wraps it in a shiny new package of likable characters and easy-on-the-eyes artwork.

It’s tough to review this webcomic accurately as it is still relatively new. However, among the pages that are currently up, Battle Creek, NE shines as a webcomic with lovable leads and a solid understanding of pacing and dialogue. So, while you are wading through the rising tide of webcomics determined to find a good read, maybe swing over to Battle Creek, NE and dive into something new.