Rice Boy - Full Review

An Epic Fantasy Tale Worth Reading

In any form of entertainment, trying something new is a huge gamble. Production costs, distribution costs, or simply the cost of spending time on the project; there are a number of factors that prevent many potentially excellent creative works from becoming public. Webcomics offer a way for some of these more experimental stories and ideas to be expressed by their creators. Without the power of independent publishing, I very likely would have never heard the name "Rice Boy".

Created by Evan Dahm, "Rice Boy" has been around since 2006. Its deep and imaginative story has many elements that, admittedly, may have been a bit over my head. My own mental limitations aside, it was an amazing read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

"Rice Boy" starts off with a mysterious meeting between The One Electronic (T-O-E) and his associate Calabash discussing their recently departed "friend". It's all very dramatic in its vagueness, engaging readers almost instantly. The titular Rice Boy is a small creature whom we learn is potentially destined to fulfill a prophecy of which the details are also unclear.

What follows is an epic quest through a fantastic and surreal world. As the story progresses, it follows a number of different plots that interweave throughout. With over 400 pages told in a chaptered format, each chapter seems to focus on one thread of the story. The result is fast paced and dynamic storytelling. Much of the draw to continue reading comes not only because it is extremely well written, but because you're itching to learn more about the world and the character which inhabit it. Thinking about it now, I guess that counts as being "well written".

There are themes and motifs through out that, as mentioned above, I'm never smart enough to grasp on my own. Eyes and seeing seems to be a prevelant motif as does searching and self discovery. The images present in T-O-E's face alone probably have some meaning that I didn't recognize. In addition, there are certainly religious overtones as much of the antagonists' motivation and power comes from the worship he receives from his followers. The classic "Destiny vs Free Will" theme present, as it is in almost all works of literature that contain prophecies.

The art work is colorful and filled with unique creatures. The simplicity of some of the creature designs is countered by the beauty of the scenery and the depth of the story itself. I don't know what else to say about the art other than it works and I liked it. Not a very in depth analysis, I know.

"Rice Boy" was a treat to read, and I recommend it to anyone looking for an epic fantasy story. On occasion I couldn't help but be remind of a "Sandman" by Neil Gaiman; maybe with a lighter feel. A unique and fantastic mythology told in a world created from Evan's imagination. At 400+ pages you can breeze through it in a few hours. I suspect, however, that like me, many will want to read it again once finished. I myself plan to purchase the print version available on the site.

Also, it seems that Evan has been working on a series called Order of Tales that takes place centuries early, yet is not considered a prequel. I'll have to check it out and possible review it as well.