The following are the webcomics I read and enjoy, and look to for inspiration. All of them are warmly recommended.

Gunnerkrigg Court is quite the essential webcomic - the best I've seen out there so far. This comic combines an original setting (a city-like boarding school), elegant, simple art, good character development, average pacing, and some exceptionally tight writing. Plot dumps and text walls are non-existent - you're at home in Tom Siddell's world the instant you start reading. All long form webcomic artists should read and learn from this work.

Evan Dahm's stories in surreal settings are the only webcomics to rival the quality of the above. Rice Boy (which was completed a couple of years ago) is a journey through an utterly alien (and yet remarkably familiar) landscape, ripe with humour and emotion (see for instance page 207).

The second story, also finished, is the Order of Tales. It is set in the same universe as Rice Boy, but looks and feels more sober. The art and story is just as top-notch. The ongoing third story, Vattu, is a return to colour, and just as expressive as the preceding.

Famously being the first thing you see when you google "webcomic", Randall Munroe's xkcd is a sharp observation of internet culture. Unlike most comics I link to, this one is not story-based, but its intelligence and innovation makes it a must-read nonetheless. Make sure to visit the forums as well - an excellent arena for learned discussions of politics and science.

Girl Genius is one massive work. Set in an alternative, industrial-age Europe, the story is one of sprawling and diverse steampunk (although creators Kaja and Phil Foglio prefer the term "gaslamp fantasy"). The level of detail is excellent, the cast is enormous, and the settings are epically proportioned. The story can be slow at times, but characterization is strong all along. The Girl Genius archives are a real treat.

Rich Burlew's Order of the Stick is a webcomic set in a medieval world governed by rules similar to those of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing games. Thus, a rudimentary understanding of the concept would be an asset for anyone aiming to swiftly enmesh themselves in the universe. It is by no means required, however, as the story, characterization, and jokes/gags work very well by themselves. The art is based on stick figures, and it works.

Speaking of role-playing games, Darths and Droids by The Comic Irregulars is an attempt to make sense of the story of the later Star Wars movies (good luck!) by rendering them as games created/acted/improvised by a group of young role-playing gamers. A major reason for this not being a failure is the excellent work The Comic Irregulars has done with creating the "real-life" characters playing the Star Wars characters - each with a different playing style and consistent personality.

This absurd history webcomic of Kate Beaton is a rare gem. The art seems so simple, yet the historical characters are always recognizeable the way their faces are drawn. Hark! A Vagrant has rightfully gained much acclaim in a relatively short time.

The classic Megatokyo has for various reasons become one of the more controversial webcomics out there. Arguably, Fred Gallagher's story has gotten a little difficult to understand, and the humour has changed a lot since the earlier strips. However, Megatokyo was the first webcomic I read, and deserves a mention. Also, the art is phenomenal.

Easily the best and most sophisticated art you can find on the webcomic scene (that I'm aware of) belongs to Tracy J. Butler's Lackadaisy. The setting is one of 1930s Detroit with anthropomorphic cats. Added to the comic itself is a gallery of previews, tutorials and stuff. The inevitable price of all this goodness is a rather slow story progression.

That being said, the "best art" title must necessarily be shared with Zachary Braun's Nature of Nature's Art stories: 10%+, Secretary, the one-panel Pika, Lycosa, the surreal Wild Style, and the ongoing science fiction Solar System. Made with a powered-up version of Paint, the art has a highly unique, "rough" edge, while at the same time maintaining jaw-dropping realism. Consider for instance page 145 of 10%+. Add this to the fact that the plots come across as very deep and profound, with many layers of philosophy (mostly communicated through extreme martial arts).

Combining hard science-fiction and a sweet, innocent style, Freefall by Mark Stanley is a very pleasant and relaxing treat. The archive is truly colossal, and the story constantly goes out on tangents and digressions - the latest of these practically becoming the story.

Octopus Pie by Meredith Gran is probably the only non-fantasy/SF webcomic I'm linking to, but that should be no hindrance to plowing straight into its archives. The plots are tight and well written, with good characterization, organized in suitably sized episodes. The cast consists of a group of New York-based friends, involved in storylines that comment on - well, I can't define precisely what it is, but it feels highly familiar and contemporary. Read it, and you'll see.

Subnormality by Winston Rowntree consists of one-page stories, usually with a socio-political theme, often involving supernatural entities like demons or the Sphinx. They depict problems of our present society accurately, with consumerism and sexism as recurring themes. The comic is infamous for the walls of text that occur frequently, but one can just as often find the comic to go off in an opposite direction, like page 114.

A very pleasant read indeed is Deer-shing Helmer's The Meek. Getting to enjoy something like this for free is an experience that seems just too good to be true in our age. Lush of both colour and characterization, the comic seems to be on the verge of unfolding into a massive epic. I am following this comic with great expectation. Read it.

Romantically Apocalyptic by Vitaly S. Alexius (of Elfwood fame) renders the absurd adventures of a bunch of survivors in a post-apocalyptic city. The art is visually stunning, a combination of computer painting, photography and textures. The stark city- and cloudscapes contrast wonderfully with "The Captain's" inane comments and gestures - the sense of humour might not be for everyone, but it certainly is for me.