Goth Western: by Livali

An intentionally short webcomic is a rare thing, even rarer is one I like. Short stories have never really appealed to me. I like a nice long read I can sink my teeth into, but every rule has its exception and when it comes to my disinterest in the short form, that exception is the wonderful Goth Western by Livali. Quick, smart, and with a lot of heart, this is one webcomic I can never get enough off.

The Good

Goth Western is a feminist-queer-fantasy-western-romance comic, which, despite the title, does not actually involve any goths. While the genre may seem a bit jumbled, the comic itself has a simple yet excellent plot. When a dust-up in a saloon leaves the lover of a gun-slinging witch dead, a deal is made to bring the woman back to life. Soon the couple are on a quest to pay the price of the resurrection as they hunt down a gang of murderers set on attracting the attention of the couple’s benefactor. The adventure is quick-paced but with a startling amount of depth that left me genuinely sad at the comic’s short span. Interesting characters and a fascinating world combine to make the three chapter comic far more memorable to me than many of the long running behemoths out there.

Much of that praise belongs to Livali’s handling of the two main characters. Jack is a female bounty hunter with lethal aim as well as a worshiper of the god Millustra, a death god with a soft spot for love and lovers. Her soul mate (quite literally, post-resurrection) is Evelyn, a warm-hearted and courageous woman whose life as a saloon owner ends with a bang, inadvertently heralding the chance to truly live the life she always wanted by her lover’s side. They are without a doubt one of my favorite romantic couples in fiction, the short span of the comic helping to skip over the angst and drama so common to romantic plots and producing a fearless power couple whose escapades, while short, are all the more sweet for it. While Jack might be the more knowledgeable and lethal of the pair, it becomes pretty obvious pretty quick that Evelyn is no slouch herself, adding to rather than subtracting from Jack’s abilities and leaving them as real partners on and off the hunt.

The setting is also fascinating. Between the fantasy elements of the setting and the queer flavored wild west (complete with a town of lesbian bounty hunters) there’s a lot here to keep you interested. It’s hard to tell how far the setting actually drifts from the real history of the west, but if things are unclear here and there due to the quick pace the comic sets, it’s never in a manner that detracts from the fun, instead inspiring a genuine sense of curiosity that makes you wish the comic had a dozen more chapters to map it all out.

On the whole I also have to applaud how Livali handles the comic’s queer and feminist themes. Like any story with strong thematic elements, it could have been easy for the message to overwhelm the comic, especially given how few pages the author had to work with, but as a whole, both the undertones and blatant callouts are deftly handled without ever turning the comic into a collection of stereotypes and strawmen. The result is a story that could stand up perfectly well in an entirely heterosexual tale. That’s not to say that I could ever imagine trading in this wonderfully queer tale for a more mainstream version, but rather an observation that a good story should never have to rely purely on its themes to be interesting. And in that and most other regards, Goth Western does not disappoint.

The Bad

There’s not a lot negative here I can say about Goth Western. It’s not a perfect comic, but it is well written and tightly paced, not leaving much room for glaring flaws. I would have loved if it was longer, but in the same breath, I have to admit that the comic might have lost its charm if it was drawn out.

The main thing I suppose I could complain about is that the second chapter has elements that could have been cut out purely from the perspective of keeping the main plot tight, but (no spoilers) it was a fun detour and in keeping with comics overall story, not to mention given how much I complain about how short the comic is it seems silly to quibble. Beyond that, the art is primarily black and white, which might not appeal to everyone, through I personally enjoyed the aesthetic especially with the bits of red that are mixed in. Finally, I suppose it’s worth mentioning that the comic is violent with just a touch of gore here and there, but short of those who are really sensitive to such things, it probably won’t bother most readers.

Conclusion

Goth Western is a must read for fans of queer comics and westerns alike. Smartly written, quick paced, and deeply memorable, there’s a lot to love in this short comic. A solid five out of five easily purloined from a lad who normally prefers much longer tales.