LSFTL Vol. 1: Love Sucks For These Losers

As soon as I happened upon the first chapter at allthingsbeyond.com, I had pretty much resolved to buy the volume and support this project however I could. That said, I'm happy to say that getting the volume and reading the rest of the chapters blew away any expectations I may have had. I did like that right around Chapter 3, and especially Chapter 4, there was a noticeable bump in the quality of the art, which had started out fairly strong to begin with. But as much as the art and the battles drew me in, I have to say the writing and characterization made me stick around. First there's Jay, the laid-back kid who's into anime/manga, , smoking, philosophizing, and mostly being the only sane(ish) person, his little sister Lois, the human firecracker, and his buddies Maino, Clifton, and Danny, whose bonds run thicker than blood. Of course there's also the girl who's so gorgeous he can't breathe around her, Tori. Everybody has a Tori, so it's all too relatable. The charactershave been more or less established, but I like that any deviations in character are shown as hiden depths as opposed to out of character nonsense. SO even though I came and stayed for th E-Cell madness, I stayed because I got attached to the characters, and the story being woven.This manga is chock-full of references, but I like that they don't distract from what's going on in the foreground as well. The author is clearly a 90s hip-hop head as well as a Nujabes fan(R.I.P), and it show in the aesthetics. Even with all the madness going on, the theme of unity and putting God firstshine through, and that's what makes this 5 stars. Man, I only see things getting sharper and better moving forward. All the best.

Well. Where to begin?Super powered high schoolers getting in fights, drinking, smoking weed and girls. Ahhh, Middle and High school memories (minus the superpowers. And drinking. And weed....and girls. ._.).The story starts off with the high school student Jay Parker, his homies and his younger sister. Starts off showing them hanging out in their school from hell (as most public schools are), with everything going swell till Jay bumps into a fake Goku….and it all goes uphill from there! :DThe characters are hilarious and accurate of how some of my peers would act in a manga setting. Their “self-awareness” of the story and the tropes (exaggerated displays of emotion, OP characters, monstrous displays of strength, Tournament arcs, etc.) within is something that sets the story apart from most American attempts at manga. It shows that including parodies of popular pop culture icons within the world can be entertaining if pulled off properly. The urban humor and anime references is something that almost everyone can relate to in someway. If you’re an otaku, you’ll get it. If you went to highschool, you’ll get it. If both, you’ll REALLY get it. If neither, and you get none of the humor….have you been living under a rock?I like the pacing, and while I feel that some may complain that the conversations between characters may tend to drag on, I feel that it's necessary for early chapters so that the reader can become familiar with all the important characters. Personally, I love how you’re taking the time to explore the characters, setting and themes of the story and its genre and I think others will appreciate it too. I can't wait to learn more about the squad and more of their E-Cell abilities, and the possible abilities of other students within this school.I’ve also noticed that some scenes were censored or altered (John getting kicked into the car where a dude was…messing with his girl. And C’s comments towards Lois). This may be a good move for putting the story for download/purchase. Even though the story is rated M.And as one creator to another, I love how the chapters are filled with subliminal shout outs to other artists. It’s a really nice gesture to your friends to show that you support them in your work, and it’s one the perks of self published writing; you can do whatever you want. Reference other work, include cameos and give others the exposure they need.Now for some criticisms.Back to your artistic freedoms, when referencing other characters, works or people and the fourth wall breaks. While it’s a cool thing to do, I wouldn't abuse it. Things like that can break the immersion and make the reader realize that they’re reading fiction. You don't want to do that. You want your reader to be completely engrossed in your work. Make them feel as if they are inside the story, but watching the events unfold in third person. Reminding the reader that they are indeed reading a fictional story can break that spell. Every once in awhile, have a character that reminds the squad of “A Pimp Name Slickback” from Boondocks, but don't have them say that he’s from that show. Get what im saying? Keep it subtle and not obvious. You want to keep the flow as smooth as you can.I’d recommend to pick up the pacing on later chapters. Unless it's for plot and character development, get from point A to point B as efficient as you can.That's it! Few criticisms if any right?....For now at least. LolLoved the story and I can't wait to see more of it bruh.Keep writing, stay creative, stay inspirational and most importantly…~Stay B.A.o.S

A True testament ones reality of what they see and understand, presented in a easy to look at, clear to see, comic/manga art form. Amazing read for any 90s baby or new gen brotha of any corner of the world.The ideas are well presented and story very fluid with enough action, jokes, cameos and gems to keep you from setting it aside before you finish. The character art style is very clear cut with a uniqueness distinguishable among other artist. Motion is well depicted and fighting with a sense of realism despite this being more supernatural based.The backgrounds do give a more news paper comic vibe with their simplicity and occassional flat angles, however this also makes it easier to follow and does not make you feel lost as to the characters wearaboutsCant wait till next volume. I know it will far exceed my expectations. I highly reccomend thisTo any reader and hope to see it in other languages aswell.

Pragmatic Dialogue. Unique Art Style. Funny Playful References at Iconic Anime Characters, We All Know & Love. "LFSTL" was really creative, very diverse and very surprising - I lOVE that I could relate to some, most, if not all of the characters in some way & I absolutely love that the hero was African American - I finished this brilliant manga immediately because it was that good. Were there mistakes? Yes, little ones here and there but nothing big.All in All I absolutely lOVE this story and I will most likely reread it over and over until Volume 2 comes out :D

Im familiar with the type of storyline in alot of manga ive read but i very much like the urban taste to it. Very interesting to see the story progress.