Optipess

…But the Damage is Irreversible (shortened to AiLBtDiI from now on) by artist David Hellman and writer Dale Beran feels somewhat like a forgotten secret among webcomics these days, but still, it’s one of my definite favorites, featuring exquisite art and fantastic writing. It has sadly been on hiatus for the past few years, with no signs of it returning any time soon, but the archive is full of brilliant gems that encourages frequent re-reading anyway. Actually, AiLBtDiI is one the comics I go to whenever I feel my own creative inspiration dwindling, as the comic is wonderfully imaginative, often thought-provoking and even strangely moving at times, and succeeds in sparking the readers imagination in ways comics rarely do. The random stories being told ranges from completely bizarre tangents, to heartfelt profound realism all the while being, more often than not, hilariously funny.

Also, if you want more of David Hellmans art, and let’s face it – why wouldn’t you, check out the fantastic downloadable Xbox360 (and soon PC) game Braid, featuring gorgeous art by Hellman. His watercolor backgrounds and fluid style really suits the gameplay of the time-manipulating platformer which received a ton of great reviews when it was released last year. But still, as great as the gameplay is, I feel it wouldn’t be half as successful if it wasn’t for the art, not to mention the fantastic implementation of the music as well. And in some way the game feels like a continuation of Hellman and Berans webcomic, as the premise and atmosphere of the game in some odd ways wouldn’t feel out of place as an installment of ALiLBtDiI.

So yeah, that’s two recommendations I guess, and both the webcomic and the game are literally jaw-droppingly good. No seriously, I can guarantee you will be picking up the pieces of your jaw at least at one point when reading the comic or when figuring out the puzzles of the game. Enjoy!