So, how about that Underworld arc!

I'm seeing from the posts and comments that a lot of people have mixed-to-negative thoughts on this arc. Apparently the general fan reception to this arc also caused views and Patreon subscriptions to go down, which... yeah, that's bad. Honestly, I fully understand why the arc got the reception that it did. Here's my take on the matter: it was always going to be a tall order getting an arc like this to work.

Arcs where the characters go to a completely different setting with a new cast of characters are difficult to pull off, since you have to spend some time developing both. If the arc is too short, the characters and setting end up underdeveloped, leading to the plot feeling rushed. If the arc is too long, the comic risks abandoning other plots and settings that fans might be more interested in (for example, the love triangle). And cutting between multiple plots can make the comic confusing to read or even tonally dissonant. Instead, the comic tries to split the difference between the two lengths, but that just makes it so that it inherits both of their problems.

Look, I don't like being negative to a comic I love so much—and still do, don't get me wrong! I'm not going to quit over one arc. This was definitely the logical direction to take the story in, I love some of the individual scenes and Syd and Heru certainly tried their best to make it work. But I'm not entirely sure they succeeded. You've heard the issues from other posts, so I won't go into detail, but yes, some of the characters are underdeveloped, there are still many unanswered questions and the ending goes by far too quickly. At least we get to see the regular cast again, I was starting to miss them.

Syd, Heru, if you're somehow reading this, I wish the both of you nothing but the best. Please keep trying and don't be discouraged!