Wednesday Webcomics: “R.A.W.”

R.A.W. by Miracles Art (Miraculous L.) contains memorable characters and compassionate storytelling. The story takes a well-known idea and expands on it in surprising ways.

At Believers Academy, Arcc is treated unfairly. His teachers and peers see him as monstrous. To Alona, however, he’s kind and beautiful. She doesn’t fear his physical scars. But her support isn’t enough to deter his peers’ harassment and torment. As long as he looks the way he is, his instructors and peers will continue their ignorance.

R.A.W. has me gripped from the first episode and I’ve been emotionally invested since. Yes, this sort of narrative has been done before (i.e., Edward Scissorhands), but this webcomic also includes a memorable cast and enough tension to keep the interest of miracles’ audience. Alona’s compassion and life with her family add dimension to her character. In between her defending Arcc from his harassers, we get acquainted with her friends, including Sophora and Kairis, and see moments with her family like her grandmother and her brother Christian.

What’s especially impressive is the creator’s effortless ability to humanize her characters. The story allows space for significant character interactions and development.

The character dynamics in R.A.W. are well nuanced. Subtle moments like how the school nurse treats Arcc are superbly executed. Miracles does an excellent job of conveying motives in less than a few panels without coming off as didactic. Even when Arcc needs serious help and cannot immediately rely on Alona, the way the school’s staff treats him says more about themselves.

As one of the webcomic’s main settings, the Catholic school in this story shows the corruption and hypocrisy from how it treats one of its students. And the story acknowledges that Alona’s kindness isn’t going to solve Arcc’s problems in the end.

R.A.W is available to read on WebToon.

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Follow Miracles Arts on Twitter and Instagram. You can support her on Patreon.

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Read more webcomics by Black creators here.

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For more great webcomic recommendations, check out our Wednesday Webcomics archives! You can find more about Black creators and their works on The Geekiary here.

Author: Bradda M.

Bradda M. currently lives in Virginia. He teaches ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) at a public school and spends his free time reading and watching movies each night with his partner. For The Geekiary, he writes about webcomics and SFF media.

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