Webcomic Wednesday: Ship Wrecked, Volume 3

Review by Séan Donnelly

Art by Iuli Niculescu and Hayley Mulcahy
Written by Aaron Fever

It’s been quite a while since we looked at Shipwrecked, the sci-fi comedy detailing the exploits of the venerable Intergalactic Spaceship Bowie…’s Accounting Department. It’s business as usual on the ISB. Well, almost: in addition to a new hairdo the character Aloe has been transferred to the security department where she tries to earn the affections of fellow security officer Sunayana. Meanwhile the accounting department casts around for a new member to fill the void.

As noted in the author’s comments below the page, these developments are biographical; between volumes two and three artist Katie Fleming departed for pastures new. Iuli Niculescu and Hayley Mulcahy have stepped up to the plate as artist and colourist respectively, and they acquaint themselves admirably. Niculescu’s linework is deft and lends the characters a sense of solidity, whether it be flesh, steel or a green liquid; the characters are all recognisable in silhouette, adding to this sense of grounded identity. Mulcahy’s use of colour meanwhile really makes panels “pop” from wide shots to smaller, more intimate scenes that employ savvy use of lighting and shading. Backgrounds will distort or shift colour to reflect the mood of a scene, as exhibited in the last two panels of this issue.

Artistic decisions such as these elevate the comic to one worth keeping on top of every week. Shipwrecked’s quality is not only consistent with its past issues but also persists in finding new ways to excite, charm and make you laugh through the day-to-day life of its crew, who not only drive the ship but the webcomic as a whole.