"95 Gallons" takes the reader on a journey into the lives of a group of fish living in a large fishtank. The tank is a paradise at first, with everything they need being provided for them and all the fish living in harmony with one another. However, things start to change with the arrival of a new fish, the Tiger Barb. This megalomaniacal fish believes he is superior to the others and wants to become their ruler, and he begins his plans by making small changes to the community, shifting it from a paradise into a twisted parody of human society. The only one who seems aware of his meddling is a Black Skirt Tetra, but nobody seems to believe him...
This colorful and expressive comic is one continuous storyline that should be read from the beginning in order to follow what's going on. Even though none of the characters have names (they're identified by their species, like Angelfish and Pineapple Swordtail), they are still very distinct, and their character traits are strong enough that they don't even need names to be recognized. The interactions of the characters and the continuous nature of the story makes the reader care about the struggles of these fish and wait eagerly to see what happens next. You always know the Tiger Barb is up to something, but it's difficult to predict what it is.
The story and setting also contains a lot of social satire, comparing elements in our society with that of a paradise. It's the sort of thing that helps us to see some of the ridiculousness (and necessities) of our world and our behaviors through its parallels with that of the fishtank. In the creator's words, the point of the comic is "to see different worlds and ones not so different", and it accomplishes this. But even aside from the satire, the humor of the comic is maintained throughout with a mixture of sarcasm, bizarreness, and just plain laugh-out-loud situations.
"95 Gallons" is definitely an awesome, underrated comic; the colorful nature of both the simple but pleasing visuals and the characters themselves draw you in, while the story keeps you coming back for more.
... read it now!