#muted
Writer and Artist: kandismon
Publisher: tapas.io
Review by Christoph Staffl
My last reviews concerning webcomics (Valentine, Eyes on me, and Ghost Lights) had very similar stories to tell. They are all about two guys (either with a troubled past or not) who grow closer and closer together the further the story develops. And, (mostly) inevitably they end up together. This destiny of the protagonists, if you want to call it that, is not the primary focus of all of these stories, though. It’s about the journey getting there.
Every character from those stories (or at least one of the two main guys) comes with an adventurous past, one way or another. Something they are hiding from others: be it an ability they do not understand, problems that accompany a coming out, or just a personality their counterpart has to explore further before he finds the soft, caring core. These individual aspects of each of those stories make them fascinating, and #muted fits perfectly into this concept.
Our main characters are Jasper and Kai. Jasper works in a library with his best friend, Emma. He is kind, generous, very supportive to people close to him, and he talks a lot. I think he enjoys being around people and doing stuff with friends. Other than that, I would describe him as open-minded and ready to try new things, which is a little contradictory to his shy personality. However, these flaws just make him more engaging and human.
Kai, on the other hand, is more difficult to describe. Rather than tell us about his central characteristics, we get to experience them in a series of silent panels at the beginning of the second chapter. It is one of the most memorable scenes I had the pleasure to read recently. Regardless, the most apparent feature of Kai is that he does not speak. Either by choice or because he is mute (as the title suggests), it is not entirely clear. I read some comments on Tapas and the readers there were also not sure about the origin of his muteness.
Either way, it is intriguing, because at first Jasper interprets his quietness as something based on his shy personality (and because Jasper is talking a lot). Later on, however, he asks him about it, and it is heartbreaking how supportive and understanding Jasper is. Kai’s disability is not a source of conflict, which is refreshing to read. Instead, the story seems to be about the challenges that come with this limitation. Furthermore, the fact that Kai does not speak is an excellent opportunity for the creator, kandismon, to get creative, regarding other forms of communication and telling the reader how the protagonists are feeling.
The drawings of the characters are very detailed, which works perfectly with their nuanced facial expressions and body language. I especially liked these details (e.g., on their jackets or accessories), because it adds to the authenticity. #muted has a lot of features inspired by manga, which gives the reader a good idea of how the characters are feeling, what they are thinking, and what their current mood is.
In #muted, it is not that important where the story takes place, except for two locations: where the characters interact with other people and their surroundings. But, other than that, the comic primarily focuses on the interactions between the characters, and how they react to certain aspects of the other one’s personality. Sometimes the panels entirely focus on Jasper and Kai without any background at all.
The Verdict: Read it.
Above, I mention a memorable scene in #muted and also that it is hard to describe Kai’s personality. When you start reading the comic, I dare you to at least read it to the beginning of chapter 2. There is a little scene (I think it’s just three or four panels) where you get to understand why Kai is behaving the way he does and why he may not speak (if it is by choice). It is a compelling moment, and I had to stop reading for a moment, to appreciate the message the creator just told me.
You can find the comic at tapas.io and support the creator at patreon.com
