The Mark is a WildeHopps (Nick x Judy) fan-comic, drawn and written by Koraru-san.
"It's something like a ritual. Some animals share their essences as a sign of belonging. It's a bit primitive, but a huge demonstration of love.
Although it isn't surprising that you didn't know: it's only something that only predators usually do.
More easily... it's like giving an engagement ring."
- Benjamin Clawhauser
Judy Hopps, being a bunny, is naturally prey, so of course she wouldn't know the rituals concerning predator's ways of love. However, this is a bit of a problem because the mammal she likes is her partner on the force... who happens to be a predator.
π¨π¨π¨ SPOILERS AHEAD! π¨π¨π¨
If you don't want anything spoiled for you
before reading this review, read the comic now!
⚠️ Demographic Recommendation: No One Under 18 π
I feel like the themes that this comic explores isn't for children.
There are a few obvious indications toward this recommendation: blood/gore (mainly through cuts gashes on the account of the violence, but also a dead body here and there), cursing/swearing, drug use, and a good chunk of this comic exploring various sexual theme(s) when not furthering the blood and gore.
Now, for the sake of honesty, I will say that they don't explicitly show the sex: this comic isn't porn. Hell, I'd say that with the way sexual themes are handled, it reminds me of K-Dramas in a way, just way more sensual with a hint of anime flamboyancy in it, which is actually quite normal in fan-fiction. However, the timing of the sex is definitely within the fornication territory.
Despite encroaching into that, there is an unspoken theme of sex (fornication or not) handled respectively by the mammals we're supposed to be rooting for, so that's a plus, I suppose.
Nonetheless, my synopsis remains the same: I wouldn't recommend this comic to anyone under the age of eighteen and/or seriously immature, especially about sexual themes. If edgy, sensual gore happens to be something up your alley, then I would recommend this comic to you: I will get into later about my explanation.
☆ Design/Drawing
As the comic cover will show, the drawing style isn't top-notch stuff.
There aren't many backgrounds, and when there are, it's only enough background to give you a rough idea of where the individual(s) in question are. It's recommended that you see the movie first in order to have a better context to where some things are. Even then, there are some places that have no real context to the movies.
However, as information suggests, this comic was made in 2016, and the more recent art suggests that Koraru's art has progressed nicely. You can even see notable improvements over the course of the comic. You'll see what I mean should you decide to read it.
½ Grammar
All in all, the grammar was relatively easy to follow. The pronunciations weren't perfect and there are a few remarks that seem outside of the voices of the characters, but all-in-all I was able to read the comic without too much confusion of the point that was trying to be made. It is exactly because I was able to follow the comic is why I give a half-rating instead of no star at all.
According to the information in the comments, there's another individual who looks over the grammar, so huge props to them for putting in the work to make sure that it's easier to follow.
★ Storyline
As I've said before, Judy really likes Nick, and that's made pretty obvious to the viewer in the first two chapters, sometimes with a funny hint sprinkled in here and there. Even though she's handled animals ten times her size, given her job, she's having trouble telling Nick how she really feels about him: not as a partner or a friend, but as a potential lover.
We find out later in chapter three that Nick actually feels the same way about her, but it's complicated because he instinctively wants her under his cool-boy facade, and nonetheless afraid that one wrong move will make Judy want to leave his life forever.
Thus, as far as relationship dynamic goes, they are the type who are pining for each other, but both are kinda dense about it because they are used to each other. Thankfully, there's another different-species couple that helps them along with it, mainly Eliot.
If the mascot of WildeHopps isn't Eliot, I don't know what is.
Getting back on topic, I believe that there is more saying than there is showing. Given, there's a bit of both, but one shows up far more than the other. Instead of just showing what the bad guys are doing, we're told what they are doing most of the time, and the showing element takes its time into showing its head later in the chapters, but even then it's mostly showing.
However, given the nature of the comic itself, if they did it the other way around, then I'm pretty sure that this comic would have gotten a stronger mature rating.
Anyway, because they told more than they showed, I would say it was pretty easy to follow. I wouldn't even call it deep: it's personal, which is all fine and well, but any depth is from the what simply hasn't been revealed to the reader yet.
I would argue that this comic is more emotional, sensual, and dramatic than deep. Does it serve the story that it's trying to tell pretty well? Yes, I would say it is, but there really isn't a deeper theme to the story other than (maybe) "true love" since marking is the indication of a soulmate. To put it plainly, marking another mammal, at least to a predator, is a really big deal, which is why it serves well into the tension of the story.
The only other thing about the story is the comedy. There is a bit of comedy, and as far as easing off the tension goes, I'd say it wasn't too bad. Most of it came from Eliot or the extra pages though: if you've read the comic, you know what I'm talking about, and why I say that even the humor has an anime element to it. There's a good reason why he's a good WildeHopp mascot.
½ Personal Opinion(s)
Just so I don't repeat myself, I'll summarize my feelings to this: it's generic, but generic in a sensual, bloody way... I have reason to believe that edgy would be appropriate for this situation too, given the natural aura that this comic gives off.
I look forward to more from this artist, as making a comic at all, much less being so close to completing it, isn't an easy thing to do. There are plenty of extra pages that don't have any direct influence on the main plot, so I'm getting the impression that the artist really enjoyed doing this.
Please understand that my synopsis might differ from other's personal opinion: there is a chance that this combination of bloody, sensual edge might be something up your alley. There wouldn't be a whole lot of content for it in the fan-fiction communities if it wasn't something that somebody enjoyed.
