Terton (Quenminese comic)
| Terton | |
|---|---|
 Cover of Volume 1 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Cosecant Peridot (15 December 2021 – present) |
| Schedule | Monthly |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | 15 December 2021 – present |
| Main character(s) |
|
| Creative team | |
| Created by | Lục Quang Triết |
| Written by | Lục Quang Triết |
| Artist(s) |
|
Template:Comics infobox sec/formcatTemplate:Comics infobox sec/genrecat
Terton is a Quenminese webcomic series created and written by Lục Quang Triết, and illustrated by Ngô Tuấn Bình and Trần Tuyết Xuân. The chapters are serialized monthly in Cosecant Peridot's Rực Rỡ Monthly imprint and their webcomic platform Saturday Webry from 15 December 2021 to the present day. The publisher also allocates the chapters into 10-chapter volumes, with 25 volumes currently released. Recently, Bearcat Animations announced on 3 December 2023 of an upcoming animated adaptation that will be released in March 2024. The story follows a female TERTON unit and her team as fugitives from their corporation and government in their desire to expose a nefarious plot against the population of a futuristic Quenmin.
The comic series has received positive reviews from critics and readers alike, and quickly became popular in Quenmin. It received the 81st Next Comic Award from Fiction Fantastique for best web comic series in 2022, and the Space Ring Award for best science fiction comic in 2023. Critics attribute the success to its well-written characters, setting, an intriguing take on the cyberpunk genre, and its commentary on mass surveillance, fads and trends.
Plot
The series is set in and around Quenmin in the 2060s, where urban sprawls and vacant lands dominate the geography of the country as a consequence of nuclear war. Scientific advancement flourished despite the post-apocalyptic circumstances, which gave rise to cybernetic implants, advanced genetic and medicinal practices, advanced maglev trains and sophisticated artificial intelligence and software; alongside is the increased safety of implants and a stylish trend of implant exteriors resembling animal features. On top of this, a new government named the National Stability and Restoration Council administered the country's remnants as a directorial republic. To further consolidate their power and instill an authoritarian take on public safety, the government collaborated with a prominent corporation named Kearsage Technology Solutions to produce Project TERTON, which is a program that enables human females to covertly survey the citizenry to be point of effective intrusion with the assistance of AI-powered implants and software tools, and a special medicinal substance called the Terton Compound that strengthens and accelerates mental abilities. One day, a unit designated TERTON-0038 discovered a plot by her company and the Council to proliferate among the population subtle and sinister means of making them more subservient. This included covert, premature sabotage of implants and the mass distribution of the Terton Compound derivation that conditions them to be unconditionally satisfied with the status quo. Assisted by her software engineer and medical assistant, they escape their facility and evade by means necessary the company and government in order to prevent the conspiracy from taking effect.
Production and release
The first instances stemmed from Triết being inspired by the current trends in technology, and several cyberpunk stories and animations. He then obtained idea for certain characters having animal-style techwear for concealing cybernetic implants from a mobile gacha game which involved shipgirl characters having artificial animal features. He then got together with colleagues from his workplace Ngô Tuấn Bình and Trần Tuyết Xuân at a café and pitched about it being an interesting fad. Despite the latter two commenting that it "sounded ridiculous" at the beginning of his conversation, his further illustration of this trend proved interesting and reasonable for them to start work. Around two days later, Triết then stumbled upon a Tibetan Buddhist book, and happened to discover the term tertön. The definition of the term and its connected functions drove him to conceive Project TERTON, and significantly affected the initial storyline for the comics. In his interview with Fiction Fantastique, Triết reflected that stumbling upon that term was a "stroke of immense inspiration that tore a huge rift for myself and the plot."
The series is serialized by Cosecant Peridot since 15 December 2021. It is both published on a monthly basis on the company's comic magazine Rực Rỡ Monthly and webcomic platform Saturday Webry. The company also releases printed volumes containing 10 chapters each since 27 April 2022 under Rực Rỡ Comics.
Reception
Terton received positive reviews, and subsequently received the Next Comic Award from Fiction Fantastique for best web comic series in 2022 and the Space Ring Award and best science fiction comic in 2023. Critics appreciated the series' take on the themes of mass surveillance, government intrusion, political ambition, and the role of fads and trends. They also gave praise for character development and a new perspective on cyberpunk technology. Critics from the science fiction magazine BrainTube noted the TERTON project as a "unique take on surveillance technology" and the animal-esque features for implant as "interesting method of concealment" and "appropriately cheap," despite being "distracting sometimes."