We’ve seen some successful Kickstarters in our time, but Mac Smith’s recent campaign for a collected edition of his webcomic Scurry seems to have eclipsed all others with over $100,000 pledged – which is not bad for a campaign with an $8k goal! So what’s all the fuss about? With the first volume still available online we check out Mac’s story about a colony of mice as they try to survive in a dark and dangerous world.

Publisher: Mac Smith
Writer: Mac Smith
Artist: Mac Smith
Price: Free at scurrycomic.com

Our rating: [star rating=”5″]

Set in a post-event world, but told from the point of view of a colony of mice, Scurry sees a small community of rodents attempt to continue life as normal – searching for supplies while trying to avoid the menacing claws of local cats – as they await the return of the humans. However, when the colony reaches breaking point, a decision must be made as to how they should continue; will they wait for humans to return, risk death by following them to the city or risk worse and survive in the local woods?

While based on a seemingly simple concept – that of the day to day goings on in the life of mice – Mac Smith has expanded this initial idea to create a story that feels incredibly grand and epic in its scope. With the tone seeming like a combination of Ratatouille and Watership Down, Smith has built a world which feels incredibly filled out, yet still coming across as barely scratching the surface of what could one day happen in this immensely detailed story. The first arc has a nice pace, which suitably ramps up and scales back when the need arises. It’s an engaging, albeit slow burning read as Mac introduces the various characters like Wix, Pict and especially antagonist Resher, as well as using the classic webcomic structure of cliffhangers after every page to keep the reader coming back for more.

Of course, what sets this webcomic apart from others is the phenomenal artwork which Smith provides. With an incredible digitally painted style that is similar to that of Clayton Crain (but with more mice) every panel is breathtaking, with locales like the abandoned kitchen at the start or the woods later on looking incredibly atmospheric and even having a hint of a mystical feeling in places. The detail on the creatures themselves is unbelievably good, with all of them looking incredibly accurate but having just a little something more to make them have their own personality. The true standout being Titan, the sinister cat who torments our heroes, whose look gives off a vibe somewhere between monstrous tiger and a war painted warrior and is mesmerising in every scene.

When you start reading Scurry you can see why it has been so popular on Kickstarter as it is a truly fantastic webcomic which is more than worth your time. With an engaging story and sublime art coming together to make a truly addictive read, Mac Smith’s title more than deserves full marks, so get reading it now and be ahead of the pack when it ends up on everyone’s must-read list at the end of the year!