Bernard/Dragon Lady: Incredible work guys, really ambitious submission that clearly took a lot of effort, even if it couldn't quite get everything polished within the time frame. From the animations to the voice acting (!), it was a fun watch. Dragon Lady's animations (non-blue portions) were brilliant, very visually appealing and fluid. Bernard's bits (blue portions), while less focused on nuanced motion definitely got some good frames in, delivering on good action and the sense of placement in the environment. Bernard('s creator) did solid VA work too with DL. While some story portions and pacing could probably be tightened up a bit, and some things cut down to reduce scope, there's a lot here to enjoy.


Shin Chuckson: Mind blowing. I really want to put the focus here on the atmosphere delivered, as DOOM is obviously fun on its own, so the submission is the asset work. But nonetheless I'm really surprised at how well executed the custom portions of it were. Even just the swinging of Chuckson's pot as soon as things start off was perfect and so stylistically in line with Chuckson's creator's work. But the layout of the levels, the sprites, sounds, voices, were all stunning. I particularly enjoyed level, seeing everyone's bodies was a thrill, I really couldn't stop grinning the entire time playing. The delivery of the story was really well done too, going beyond just theming the game but actually presenting Carolyn's strife and Chcukson's efforts to defuse things. The final sequence was very heartwarming too, seeing the contributions of Chuck compiled together is excellent. Overall I'm really stunned at how much it delivered beyond just being playable.

Carolyn: Coming your submission after I finished Chuckson's had me concerned that it wouldn't really be able to stand up to it due to the obvious perks of interacivity. However my concern was unfounded as this really stood its own. Admittedly I was also somewhat concerned the length you were reporting might backfire, but it all came together excellently. Perhaps as I should've expected I found the delivery of Carolyn's plight more gripping here than in Chuchkson's (which was already very impressive). It really hit the emotional triggers it was aiming for and was a very entertaining read. It also avoided some of the occasionally confusing use of extreme paneling seen in previous rounds, and remains clear throughout while delivering punchy, gripping art. This really was a strong contender and I enjoyed it very much, easily Carloyn's best.


Sgt. Chadwick: I wish it managed to get completed in time, but it was very enjoyable nonetheless. The art is fantastic as usual, with great scenes and excellent characterization, even just through expressions and body langauge. The stylization of Alaisa is wonderfully fitting, and I just can't get enough of Chadwick's bastard grin. The story itself is still communicated well without dialogue, the only unclear bit is the presence of Mike and Kevin, in addition to the location of the setting (a false castle above the ring that Alaisa is living in?). This is such a strong entry, even in its incomplete state, that I think it easily would've won had it been able to get rounded out with speech (particularly with dialogue being one of your many strengths). I'm really looking forward to the rest of it and the good end you have envisioned (although it's hard to imagine Chadwick losing without outside intervention), but even as-is it's a great piece. The final panel is perfect.

Alaisa: Great work, I really enjoyed seeing Alaisa's flashback to life before. Rounds her out better and really makes the story feel fuller, I also just love their clothes. Alaisa is pretty endearing as a tough kid looking to prove herself and her young views on the world, a really nice matchup personality wise with Chadwick, and it's emphasized here. Chadwick in general is handled great, really feels true to his character and his facial expressions are hilarious. Lots of really nice shots too, from establishing the setting to the disconnect between Alaisa's current predicament and quiet past life, it's all really enjoyable. Alaisa's dialogue did occasionally feel a bit out of place to be coming from the mouth of a kid, but overall the writing worked well. The music choices were very fitting too.


Turtloli: Really nice art, with some neat animations, and I love how it picks up after Carolyn's fight and leverages the state of the stage from that. I liked how Bear and turtloli are almost more of having a friendly bout, sometimes not even focusing on the two of them being opponents, than a real match against one - it fits their whimsical natures really nicely. Bear is done well, very true to his quirky character and the two of them mesh nicely. Turtloli is a pretty curious critter but all of your work with her is really entertaining. Looking forward to side B.

Bear: The main plot point of Bear somehow stumbling his way into summoning an old one via one of his goofy schemes is a great focus. As usual Bear's personality is a pleasure, contrasting with his cuddly exterior his light-hearted scheming is endearing. His strategy even seems like a pretty good one, considering Turtloli's mysterious abilities, GM's meddling aside. It was unfortunately a bit hard to follow at times, particularly the beginning and how they wound up in their predicament, it took me a bit and some rereading to sometimes clarify what was happening. Nonetheless, Bear's style shines through, and with more polish I think it could've drawn out more of its potential.


Maiden 4: I'm completely thrilled with what you've delivered here, both just as a comic in general and with Pauline. The art is great, you've got a very appealing, somewhat classic, style, and I really really love how you adapted Paul to it. The story itself is great, a funny and exciting ride all the way through. I love the interactions between M4 and P, seeing more of M4's personality is a pleasure and I grow to like her more every time I get the opportunity. The
pre-fight sequence is fantastic, I wish I had incorporated a bit of downtime like that, but I love seeing more of both their personalities and their interactions with other contestants. The fight itself is awesome, and I've got to give credit to P for withstanding that initial bashing. Like I've said, the cross board bit is real clever, and a funny way to give Pauline a fighting chance against the overwhelming odds she faces. The climax of M4's desire for the simple normalcy Pauline represents that M4's long since lost due to circumstances beyond her control, is really awesome. Neat to see a bit behind mask (literally) too (and in Chuckson's entry, was very cool the way it was presented). It's hard to overstate how much I adore what you've done here, and I hope to see M4 more in the future (I've some goofy headcanon on her role in the original SAiNT to give her some material outside the prequel, but it sounded like from some comments she'll be getting revisited in the sequel?). Anyway, it was an absolute pleasure to draw her and I really enjoyed our matchup.


Lustless: Saucy stuff, but surprisingly doesn't push the line of modesty too much in the visuals, and so many pairings too! The pre-match team interaction and bellbody intervention was fun, I like the broader scope and continuity it gives to the comic. I've really grown to like lustless as a character despite her unusual premise, and this comic enforces that. Some really good lines too, SRU's bioncile comment (and Lustless' hilarious response) was great, I really liked Dex's "don't let it go to your head" panel as well. The match itself is fun, and does justic to both characters, giving each a moment to really show their stuff (and damn Dex seems to have a mean hook). The fight ends in classic Lustless style, and it's fun to get a glimpse into GM's powers too.

Princess Dex: It may have melted your wings a bit but you did a great job nonetheless. I love how Princess gets depicted here, her enthusiasm and intensity is really charming. The commentary from the teammates is great too, and I think it's all very fitting for each of the characters. The art is appealing even if it had to be rushed, with a bunch of cute panels and a good conveyance of what's going on and the action of the fight itself. The conflict was well done, and I found myself feeling for both characters, Dex trying save Lustless' reputation, and boost her own, was a clever way to spice up what might've been an otherwise normal fight by introducing some character drama. Dex's good natured personality shining through, even with perhaps her ego staining things a bit, was very nice. The universe ending fight at the end was fun, even if the the early stages of the fight were more interesting before the power levels exploded. I really liked the ghosts of everyone afterwards. The effort you put in is clear, and I think, even if it couldn't be fully polished, was worthwile - great work.


Clown Girl: Cute work for a cute clown. I like Boberon prancing after her, and the clown car summon is great. The entry is short but sweet and I like the hinting at clown girl's wider universe.

Boberon: Very happy you were able to get something done despite what happened, and honestly I wouldn't even know something had gone wrong. As sad as it was for your portion to get cut off when I was against you last round, I'm a big fan of your approach to things. Made up on the spot or not, Boberon is an entertaining character that is really a good fit for this kind of event. The animation does well to leverage this and is really well executed too. The shot of the impact going through the bridge is awesome. As seems to be his style Bobern doesn't waste time and ends things quickly, and even in that short span the good quality of the drawings, animation, humor, and action are all there.


Punished Berlo: Sometimes to make a spaghetti you got to squash a few tomatoes. Don't know much about Berlo but his reincarnated form certainly pulls few punches. It's a quick strip, but gets the point across, as brutal as it may be.

Tammy Mato: Nice work, I'm glad you pushed further for this one, it definitely shows. The wider story elements of the shady cigar smoking con man and Tammy's efforts to try and prepare for her fight are a great idea. They add a lot of character to the entry and make it entertaining. Punished Berlo's a pretty simple character, and I think is effectively lobotomized after reincarnation, so I'd his limited portarayal works here. The combination of Tammy's gear is slick and gives a nice dramatic ending.


Scrimblo: Really sorry to hear the files were lost, software really sucks sometimes. Even worse the entry looks like it would've been really great, the first page and a half look great, really cute Tea Party panel there too. Lot of fun expressions and the cartoony exaggeration is really great. I like Amy's smug look too, although unfortunately I'm at a loss of what is about to transpire in the coming panels, but visually it looks pretty cool.

Amy: Like I said, I'm glad you decided to stick with it despite your frustrations. Ultimately it's more about the art made anyway and yours is a pleasure to have. Even with the time constraint of starting later, I think you've actually done a great job. It isn't polished, but the idea behind the strip is a good one and produces an adorable alliance between Amy and bizarre critters that are scrimblo and co. I liked seeing Amy checking her lack of signal, something I'm sure she's done many times this tournament to no avail. Her apathy to the match itself is funny, and fitting considering it's hard to imagine her opponents posing much of a threat (apart from perhaps the phoenix, but for a demon I'm sure it still isn't much). Again, I love the promotion of Amy to the trio's leader, and taking Turtoli's lunch money is hilarious -- honestly those three are probably better off this way than chasing someone who doesn't even know they exist. Cute Balkari cameo and a very sweet ending panel, love to see Amy's smile.


Vivian: Sounds like it was a pain to get over the finish line but it worked out great. The comic was really awesome, with great action, wonderful art (particularly expressions of both Viv and Jed, ESPECIALLY Viv). Admittedly I hadn't quite gotten taken by the charm of Vivian yet, but this entry definitely pushed me over the edge. Lots of funny dialogue and intense combat. You really treated Jed well, he looks real cool throughout, even considering the rather overwhelming odds of Vivian's powers, I'm pretty impressed he managed to survive the whole thing and only lose to a ring out. Seeing Vivian's conflict is a nice development of character, and I really liked the forms we got to see throughout, espcially in full action like they are here. Overall great work, Viv really got to shine here, literally at times too.

Jed: Cool stuff, lots of neat action and a fight between the two that shows off both of their strengths and weakenesses well. The combat is cleanly executed and easy to follow throughout, and some good lines in some places, like the face side by side survive/hunt panel. Glad Jed decided to hold off on his trump card to make things interesting, got a lot of good stuff out of it and it was fun to root for him as he tried to handle Vivian in what I imagine is his more "traditioanl" style. If he gets out of this I wonder if he'll keep Viv's flower corpse on his window sill as a memento.


Bodycount: Brilliantly done, the art is beautiful and the writing eloquent. Took a reread to get the summoning from the ring to within bodycount, but it otherwise delivers its eery storytelling well. Vormio's unusual style is done justicl and Alexis' somewhat haughty grace is a wonderful contrast to the beast he fights. Really enjoyable read from pretty much every aspect. Love the final page, but there are loads of fantastic shots throughout.