Shades - it's the end!
Well, to be more accurate, it's the half-way point. Today we reach a huge milestone in Shades - the last page of what will eventually be Volume 1 of a print version!

Sadly, if you've been following our news reports, you'll know that the latest instalment is also the last page we'll be posting online for a while. Harsho has unfortunately had to leave the project and so Shades will be on hiatus for a few months until the new art team can get things up and running again. On the plus side - this last page by Harsho is a real zinger!

The Spires - looking before leaping!
Meanwhile, I'm sure those of you who know your way around the BVC website have already discovered that we posted an update to our fantasy title The Spires on Monday without telling you. (Sometimes we're sneaky like that!)

We're out on the rooftops again for this latest instalment and Kolm is about to make a huge leap of faith. Quite literally!

Regular visitors to the BVC website will know that, for the past several weeks, we've been guilty of a little self indulgence. Yes, every alternate Monday we've been posting a little more of Prince Sashtan, a fantasy (*cough!*) "novel" I wrote at the tender age of eight or nine!

Set in the magical land of Tishma, it follows the adventures of a couple of child heroes as they enlist the help of talking animals and mythical creatures in an attempt to overthrow an evil king and restore the rightful heir to the throne. Okay, so it "borrows" (dare I say "copies"?!) extensively from C.S. Lewis's tales of Narnia but, hey - considering I was still in primary school, it's nothing if not ambitious and - in its own childish way - it is kind of fun!

This week we're posting the last two chapters of the book (Chapter 9 and Chapter 10) so, if you haven't visited Tishma yet, now's your chance to read the whole story from the beginning. Alternatively, if you have been following our heroes' adventures, jump straight to Chapter 9 now ... the party's just about to start!

The last time we looked in on The Spires we saw a bunch of politicians bickering. Will we find anything more interesting to look in on, this time?

Well, that depends. If you're the sort of person who enjoys watching a clueless detective, a seductive assassin and a surly huntress hanging from a three hundred storey building ... yeah, the latest instalment should be right up your alley!

You may have noticed, we've not been using this blog to advertise our updates as often as we used to. We've still been updating, but we're relying more on our shiny new RSS feed to let you know what we've been up to. If you haven't subscribed to it yet, just click that big orange button at the bottom there!

Anyway ... if you didn't visit the Broken Voice Comics website this week, this is what you've been missing:

Shades - mind the teeth!
As a certain pointy-eared super hero once said: "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!" Or, more to the point as far as Shades is concerned, a seven-in-one giant serpent-demon-spirit monster!

Yes, in the latest instalment, there's more snake on naked bald guy action as the Shaman tries escape with his prize intact!

Thy Will Be Done - the doctor will see you now ...!
It may not be quite as bad as going to the dentist but, let's be honest, none of us likes going to see the doctor. And, in E.C. Nickel's and Alexandre Lobao's SciFi comic Thy Will Be Done, people have more reason than most!

But we should think ourselves lucky. As you can see in today's instalment, if you also happen to work for these guys, there's no escape!

Shades - what made Boo the woman she is?
You probably know by now that, as well as appearing at BVC, Shades is also serialised at a couple of other sites on the web. At one of those we've been running a series of "character studies" explaining the thinking behind the character designs.

Now, since we've had some positive feedback to those, we've decided to run them at BVC, too. The first, a character study of Boo, can be seen in a special section of the Shades forum now. Take a look - there's some interesting stuff in there!

In true fantasy tradition, Jeste has been taking her companions' minds off their journey in The Spires, by recounting a tale of the woman who wants her dead. Sadly, she came to the end of her story yesterday.

But, looking at the next part of the journey, it's probably just as well. From here on in they'll really need to concentrate! Go join them in the latest instalment. A few words of advice, though - don't look down!

Shades - a death in the family ...
Dark times over in Shades at the moment. Ryan is obviously having difficulty dealing with the loss of his sister Becky.

But what of the other characters? How are they dealing with Ryan dealing with the loss of Becky? Well - there's only one place to find out ... Best go see the latest instalment now!


The Spires - turning nasty!
Meanwhile, The Spires updated on Monday, too. And you know what ... for a fantasy comic something's been missing recently. Sure, there's the small band of odd characters, and there's a quest (well, of sorts!) but a fantasy story needs more than that, right? Absolutely. It needs monsters!

Well, as it happens, that's just this week's instalment has - and not just another carrian, either. This one's big and ugly and ... oh, go and have a look. (If you think you're hard enough!)

So, what does happen to children when they're torn away from their parents? Well, in the fantasy comic The Spires they're locked in a cell where other shady types offer them ... well, let's just call them "substances".

Fortunately that'd never happen in the real world, would it? Would it? Oh, well, forget that and escape into the fantasy of the latest instalment at Broken Voice Comics. But do remember - if you are offered anything while you're there, just say ... well, you know!

Or, to be more accurate, one particular woman. If you've been following the fantasy webcomic The Spires you could be forgiven for thinking the Lady Jeste is just a disagreeable little socialite, indulged solely because of her elfin good looks and her insatiable sex drive. Oh, and her ability to kill people without the slightest hint of remorse, obviously.

But that's only the tip of this particular iceberg. Look in on today's instalment at Broken Voice Comics and you'll find she's about to start revealing just what made her the woman she is today. I'm not saying it'll help you like her. But, well ... at least you'll begin to understand her!

The last time we visited The Spires, we looked in on Jeste's old adversary, Jamyl, leaving our heroes in the snug warmth of a tavern. Or at least a tavern type place. With a decidedly odd new companion.

But over at Broken Voice Comics we don't like our heroes to get too comfortable so, in the latest instalment Jeste and and her companions are on the move again. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Well, not unless you happen to be scared of heights!

Last time we looked in on BVC's fantasy title The Spires, we met a new character. Well, it's all change this week. Look in on the latest instalment at Broken Voice Comics and you'll be able to catch up with an old character we haven't seen since ... oooh, way back in Issue 1!

New characters, eh? Nothing but trouble! Take Kolm, for example, the new character introduced in The Spires at Broken Voice Comics last week. Does she wait to settle in?

No. In today's instalment she's already picking a fight with one person and starting to make plans for the manipulation of another. Of course, the "other" being Jeste, she's not exactly averse to a little manipulation, but that's beside the point. Go see if you can sort them out, would you?

If you visited the Broken Voice Comics website on Monday, expecting to catch up on the latest developments in The Spires, you'll already know the page wasn't there. Sorry, guys.

You'll also know, however, that BVC did promise to have the latest instalment up and running before the end of the week and you know what? It is (just!) So, go see it now - it's got a new character and everything!

You know how it is ... some people just don't seem to be able to relax unless they're pumped full of alcohol or exotic narcotics. It's true in the real world and it's just as true in the fantasy world of The Spires. Well, it's true for most of the races, anyway.

For slythes like the Lady Jeste, of course, it's entirely different. As you can see in the latest instalment at Broken Voice Comics, it's when the drugs start wearing off that they really let their hair down!

Okay, you've seen something of the world of The Spires now. You've seen where laws are made, where assassinations are carried out and where carrian are hunted. So what's left to see?

Well, quite a lot to be honest but, most importantly, in today's instalment you can finally see where you can go to get a drink. (Oh, and mine's a pint!)

So, after a well-deserved holiday, Broken Voice Comics is back and open for business! Now, I could tell you all about what happened during our week in the one corner of France not deluged by rain (yes, we even saw sunshine!) but you really just want to get straight back into Hunted, right?

I thought so. Well, you're in luck. The latest instalment of our favourite little vampire tale might just be the best yet (so don't forget to take your garlic!)

Wheelings, dealings, veiled insults, half-promises and not so subtle threats. Yup - that about sums up politics in The Spires. Oh wait ... no, maybe that was politics in real life.

Well, whichever it was, go read the latest instalment at Broken Voice Comics now, and then you can make up your own mind. Which, let's face it, is more than any politician will ever let you do!

I know, I know - since we launched Issue 2 of The Spires at Broken Voice Comics all we've given you is one pell-mell action sequence between a sexy female assassin and a huge bat-winged monster, when what you really want is more meaningful discussion between podgy politicians, right?

Well, as it happens, you're in luck today as the latest instalment picks up the story from where we left Governor Arkan at the end of Issue 1. Fans of pudgy politicians everywhere, rejoice!

In the real world, we're all in favour of biodiversity and allowing nature's natural predators to thrive in the wild. Take one step into the world of fantasy adventure, however, and we're all only too happy to root for the deaths of dragons, wargs and all manner of nasty beasties. Like the carrian in The Spires.

I mean, sure it's a steely-eyed, flappy-winged killing machine but so are sharks and tigers, right? (Well, except for the flappy wings, obviously). Anyway, while you're pondering that, you can go read the latest instalment online at Broken Voice Comics. If nothing else, it'll satisfy your blood-lust!