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Shifters Redux

Shifters (AKA Shifters - Redux) is a Web Comic created by Marie Tary in 1998.

The comic has been in various stages of publication and updates from that time until the present, including a long hiatus from November 2007 to July 2009. There was another long hiatus from late August 2007 to June of 2011 when circumstances were such that the author could resume updating on a weekly basis. Since this time updates have been regular with one a week.

The "Original Run" (beginning here) of Shifters, while conceived by Marie Tary, was initially a creative collaboration between herself and a writer named James Strocel. Tary herself wrote and illustrated the first two issues of the comic, bringing Strocel in at the third issue ("Tears of Blood" in 2001). Strocel continued writing for the series until the issue “Wolf’s Clothing” (in 2002) when creative differences between Tary and Strocel on the direction and content of the story forced a parting of ways. Ater this point Tary was responsible for both writing and illustration.

After this point in the "Original Run" several plot points and characters were scaled back or trimmed from the story altogether to bring it back into line with the artist/creator's original vision through plot but the problem of creative differences in the past writing remained such that it would have led to eventual Canon Discontinuity and many Continuity Snarls if the story was allowed to continue on it's course.

Rather than institute several improvised adaptations to this that would result in numerous Adaptation Induced Plot Holes, and instead of writing in a Reset Button by way of a Deus Ex Machina or similar device, Tary decided to institute a full Continuity Reboot with "Shifters - Redux".

While the overall plot arc remains the same between Shifters and Shifters - Redux the story and art are now under the sole control of Tary. Several characters and side-arcs have been eliminated or scaled back and as a result many background points relevant to later plot development have been expanded greatly to bring them into line with her vision. The overall tone is now much darker and grittier with less comedy and more drama.

Plot Summary

(Taken from the official website)

Shifters is the story of a young woman and her friends who discover they share a unique fate.

Set in the not-so-far future of an alternate earth, there are two worlds. The Waking World that people know, and the world of The Veil, which lies hidden in the shadows. The secret world of The Veil, harbors the monsters thought lost to time, secretly alive and well in the dark places of the isolated Shade City. The conspiracy to keep the knowledge of their existence secret, The Veil itself, has been kept, by force , for centuries under the careful watch of the races that form it. Silent wars of The Veil races have raged right under humanity's noses, and continue to simmer on and under the streets of Shade City. Currently the New Gen Vampires and Shifters have been silently escalating their long standing war, and the vampires have come up with a plan to win. But what they didn’t count on was the re-appearance of an ancient horror so powerful and terrible that it is only spoken of with whispered hatred, its name cursed.

Tropes used in Shifters include:

• Abandoned Area: Many sections of The Undercity, which also qualify as the subtrope Ghost Cities, as well as anywhere effected by the "Nuclear Incident".
• Above Good and Evil
  • Din Tau is a prime example of this trope as he doesn't care wether his actions are interpreted as 'good' or 'evil' as long as his objective is achieved.
• Admiring the Abomination
• After the End: A "Nuclear Incident" led to the creation of the MegaCities.
• Age-Appropriate Angst
• Alpha Bitch:
  • Holly Tate
• Ancient Conspiracy: The Veil
• Attention Deficit Ooh Shiny
  • Werebeasts in the Shifters universe are often subject to the drawbacks of their animal forms as well as the advantages.
    • Show in the "Original Run" by Holly Tate here
    • Shown in the "Original Run" by Ben Harkus here
• Badass
  • Din Tau
  • John Sterling
  • Maverick
• Berserk Button
• Big No:
  • Ben Harkus gives us one of these here after failing to catch Ferrah and letting her fall from a crashed plane that had been brought down by Maverick.
• Biological Mashup: Kinsmir - A mix of Vampire and Werewolf
• Bitch Alert:
  • Holly Tate
• Body Horror: Ferrah turning into a Kinsmir
• Break the Badass
  • The fight between John Sterling and Maverick (established earlier in the comic as a Badass) in the "Original Run" issue "Dogfight" shows this trope. While the battle is in favor of Maverick in the beginning John Sterling eventually goes One-Winged Angel on him at this point whereupon it becomes a Curb Stomp Battle in favor of John Sterling.
    • Not long after his Curb Stomp Battle victory John Sterling has this trope inflicted on him by Din Tau (beginning here in the same issue), thus shoing that Din Tau is also a major Badass
• Card-Carrying Villain: Maverick; literally, as seen by his costume.
• City of Adventure: Shade City and the other MegaCities, as well as their associated "Under Cities" in the Shifters Universe are prime for this trope.
• Complete Monster: Maverick
• Contemplative Boss: Din Tau
• Coolest Club Ever: "Club Estranger", as seen here (and several panels after) in the "Original Run", issue "The Other Team".
• Curb Stomp Battle
• Dangerous Workplace: Tartarus, in the "Undercity" is a very Dangerous Workplace.
• The Dark Side
• Dirty Business
• Eldritch Abomination: Kinsmir and Maverick.
• Fan Service
  • The character X from "Shifters - Redux" has become infamous for this. (See Underboobs below).
  • The "Original Run" of Shifters has many instances of Fan Service as well.
    • In the first page of the "Original Run", issue "Awakenings" you can see Ferrah in nothing but her underwear.
    • In the "Original Run" issue "Cat Fight" you get a rear view of a nude Holly.
    • Later in the "Original Run" issue "Cat Fight" you see Ferrah bare but for a covering of blood and shadow.
    • In the "Original Run" issue "Wolf's Clothing" there is a panel with Vicne of Vamp Squad PI in an open-backed hospital gown.
    • In the "Original Run" issue "The Other Team" there is a page with Ferrah barely covering herself and getting groped.
    • Later in "The Other Team" you see Ferrah in a very revealing corset, then in a more than 'sexy' club outfit.
    • In the "Original Run" issue "The Price of Power" Ferrah is shown displaying her (involunatary) vampiric power while nude except for being covered by shadow power.
    • Shown extensively in "Shifters - Redux" issue 3 (Nightmare)) where Ferrah ends up Naked on Arrival but preserves her modesty through Hand or Object Underwear. This also ends up showing Sideboob.
• Filler Strips: Several of these have popped up in the "Original Run" of the comic when disaster or circumstance has prevented the artist from updating on time or for special occasions such as holidays (such as this), "reader mail", or other extras.
• Finagle's Law
• Flying Dutchman
  • John Sterling
• Forbidden Zone
  • Much of Tartarus is considered a Forbidden Zone for most people but those that work there and the security forces.
  • Anywhere in the areas involved in the "Nuclear Incident" is a Forbidden Zone.
• Fourth Wall Mail Slot: Happens several times in the "Original Run" of the comic. An example can be found here.
• Fridge Horror:
  • The mark that appears on Kat, the effect it has on her, and the implication of what it means.
  • The backstory reveal of what part John Sterling had in the fates of the other Kinsmir, and the implication of what it means for Ferrah.
• Functional Magic
• Fur Against Fang: Vampires and Werebeasts in the Shifters universe do NOT like each other.
• The Future: Shifters is set in The Future. Though this trope is more Twenty Minutes Into the Future as the comic is set in 2034.
• Ghost City: Several cities now located in The Undercity, beneath the current Shade City.
• Government Conspiracy: The Government is an integral part of The Veil.
• Hand or Object Underwear
• Healing Factor: Shifters, Vampires, and many other Veil races have an enhanced healing factor that enables them to survive what would be lethal damage to most normal humans.
  • Kinsmir regeneration is "off the charts".
    • Shown where Ferrah regrows her tongue in the "Original Run" issue "The Price of Power".
    • John Sterling regenerating his ear within seconds of it being torn off in the same issue.
• High School: The main characters of the comic are in the equivalent of High School.
  • Shown here in the "Original Run"
  • Shown here in "Shifters - Redux"
• Hulking Out
  • Ferrah after receiving what should be near lethal damage in the "Original Run" issue "Out of Control", seen here.
• I Know Your True Name
  • This trope is displayed in the "Original Run" of shifters here, where Raven states Ben Harkus' "Veil Name".
• Invisible to Normals: The majority of humanity doesn't know that Shifters, Vampires, or any of the other Veil Races exist due to the Ancient Conspiracy called The Veil.
• It Got Worse
• Involuntary Shapeshifter
• Killed to Uphold the Masquerade
• Layered World
  • Detailed in the "Original Run" issue "On Gossamer Wings".
• Living a Double Life: Most Shifters and Vampires do this, along with all the races of The Veil.
• Losing Your Head
  • Dream Gods such as Coyote don't appear to mind much about this. Shown in the "Original Run" issue "Surfacing" here.
• Love Triangle:
  • Ferrah loves Ben, who loves Alice, who appears to be attracted to Ferrah.
• The Masquerade: The Veil is a prime example of this trope. Punishment for breaking it can be very severe.
• The Masquerade Will Kill Your Dating Life
• Mega City: The comic takes place in Shade City, a Mega City that encompasses a vast amount of territory in the Pacific North West.
• Mental World
  • Ferrah ends up in her own one of these while hypnotized or dominated by a vampire's mental power. She also shows up there Naked on Arrival
• Murphy's Law
• Naked on Arrival
  • Ferrah ends up in this trope when she arrives in a Mental World after being hypnotized or dominated by a vampire's mental power, though she quickly employs Hand or Object Underwear seen here.
• No Place for Me There
• One-Winged Angel
  • The "True" form of a Kinsmir.
    • Shown in the "Original Run" by John Sterling here.
    • Shown in the "Original Run" by Ferrah Rolly here.
• Our Dragons Are Different
  • The issues "On Gossamer Wings" and "In The Company Of Dragons" show this trope.
• Our Vampires Are Different:
  • In the Shifters Universe Vampires are not truly Undead.
  • Explained in the "Original Run" issue "Blood Bonds" here and here.
• Our Werebeasts Are Different:
  • Werebeasts are not limited to wolves in the Shifters Universe. They can be any type of animal.
    • This is not limited to mamals.
• Our Werewolves Are Different:
  • In the Shifters Universe being a Werecreature of any sort is hereditary and has a genetic component. It cannot be transmitted by bite.
• Plausible Deniability
• Polluted Wasteland
  • Anywhere in the areas effected by the "Nuclear Incident"
  • Some parts of Tartarus in the Shade City.
• Rich Bitch:
  • Holly Tate
• Rock Bottom
• The Scottish Trope
• Sentient Cosmic Force:
  • The Forge as presented in "On Gossamer Wings"
• Shining City: Shade City, or any of the other MegaCities (Provided you're in the 'Upper' portion of them).
• Sideboob
  • Ferrah ends up showing this when she ends up Naked on Arrival in a Mental World after being hypnotized or dominated by a vampire's mental power.
• Species Lost and Found: Most of the races in The Veil.
• Spoiled Brat:
  • Holly Tate
• Supernatural Fiction
• Tempting Fate
• Toplessness From the Back
  • Shown here in "Shifters - Redux" when Ferrah arrives in a Mental World quite naked.
• Transformation Comic
• Twenty Minutes Into the Future: Shifters is set in the year 2034.
• What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
• The World Is Not Ready
• Underboobs
  • In "Shifters - Redux" a character named X is now infmaous for this.
    • See here, here, here, and here
    • And if you're wondering how she stays contained in that top, the Creator's explanation is in the comments here. "The shirt is made of Smart Fabric. A high tech textile of the future designed to hold you in ways that other materials simply can’t. Allowing for the type of wear you see here."
• Urban Fantasy
• Vampire Fiction