Goodbye Chains

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Goodbye Chains is a Web Comic by Alice Hunt and Tracy Williams. It details the dramatic (and comical) misadventures of thieving con artist Banquo White and his Communist (yes, you read that right) companion, Colin Lord.

Generally speaking.

It takes place in the American West, so there's frequent use of The Western tropes. (It is also an excellent example of Shown Their Work when it comes to the setting and its history). It sports a concoction of clever writing and great character interactions, especially between the two main characters, who are most likely ready to kill each other (at least from Banquo's end) as much as to support each other.

The comic can be read here. It has a sister site titled Venus in Points, "which is about Banquo and Colin if they were badly drawn cartoon doggies who die a lot." It can be read here.

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Tropes used in Goodbye Chains include:

• The Alcoholic: Colin, and more so Banquo, can be this at times.
• Alt Text: It can range from ridiculously hilarious to downright cruel.
• All Men Are Perverts: Just enough that Banquo sleeps with as many prostitutes as possible.
• Badass Bookworm: Colin is a Marxist academic who is also a great shot, and loves to make stuff blow up.
• Badass Longcoat: Banquo.
• Badass Normal
• Bandito: Banquo is half-Mexican.
• Bury Your Gays: Rare inversion. See Killed Off for Real below.
• But Not Too Foreign: Banquo's other half is Swedish. Cordelia fits this trope, too, being half-Ute.
• Cluster F-Bomb: Banquo has a very dirty mouth.
• Cross Dresser: Banquo. In a dream sequence. In a kimono.
• Did You Just Have Sex?: Banquo to Colin when he and Johnny made love; made all the funnier when Colin cried Banquo's name in the throes of passion.
• Distaff Counterpart: Cordelia and Bridget, humorously denied on their profiles.
• Dream Sequence: A 14-page dream sequence. That's about two months real life time. But it's mostly okay, considering we get panels like this.
• Fighting Irish (Played straight with Colin [1].)
• Gentle Giant: Played straight and subverted with Colin; he's a generally kind and sympathetic man, but can be Trigger Happy in sadistic glee when prompted.
• Genius Ditz: On certain very academic subjects, such as philosophy, Latin and engineering, Colin is quite the expert. On all other topics, including everyday competence at functioning in the Wild West? Ditz.
  • He is, however, a great shot. He just doesn't necessarily know when to shoot, and when not to...
• The Gunslinger: Colin's pretty damn good with the pistols.
• Hadaka Apron: Never mind how, but the comic shows it!
• Heroic Bastard: Banquo.
• Heterosexual Life Partners: Halfway subverted because Colin really is gay.
• Hidden Eyes: Colin's eyes are hidden all the time because he wears sharpshooter glasses, and because he wants to be cool and mysterious, as explained in the comic's notes page.
• Hidden Heart of Gold: Banquo only exhibits this to Colin, the only person he doesn't hate. Otherwise, he's an ass. Golden heart exemplified the best here.
• Jerkass: Banquo is this to a tee, taken to extremes with his Venus in Points counterpart.
• Killed Off for Real: Billy...and Banquo. Judging from the readers' reactions, no one saw it coming.
  • What about Ferro, the badass steed?
  • And now Danny, it would seem.
• Large Ham: Jude, whenever pretending something.
• A Man Is Not a Virgin: Banquo's character profile elegantly describes his marital status as "manwhore".
• Mountain Man: Johnny.
• Not Good with People: Banquo hates his fellow men...unless you're an attractive woman.
• Opaque Lenses: Colin always wears these.
• Outlaw
• Put Down Your Gun and Step Away
• Really Gets Around: Banquo. And we do mean "really".
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Colin seems ready to carry this out after Banquo's death.
• Scenery Censor: With word bubbles!
• Shirtless Scene: Nearly all the main male characters—much to the delight of fangirls.
• Shout-Out/To Shakespeare: Banquo is named after the character in Macbeth. Understandable, given that his mother was an actress who tried to groom him for the stage as well.
• Shown Their Work: Despite its comedic nature, the comic is very firmly grounded in the Real Life history of The Wild West, and the author will happily tell you all about it on the site's Historical Notes page.
• Soiled Dove: May, who only subverts this for Banquo, whom she hates. She took glee when he was about to be executed.
• Invisible to Gaydar: Colin, who harbors a crush on Banquo. It doesn't help that Banquo keeps calling him "pumpkin". Johnny is one, too, though "Bear" might be a better modern description.
• Stuff Blowing Up: Colin's preferred method of spreading the good news that is Marxism. Notably happens to a bridge of railroad tracks.
• Superheroes Wear Capes: Colin, during his dream-stint as The Comrade, sports a half-cape.
• Take a Third Option: Banquo and Johnny hate each other; when Banquo and Colin are forced to hide in Johnny's cabin, Colin declares they can get along or part ways. Johnny leaves.
• Too Clever by Half: Banquo.
• Walking the Earth: Err...America, at least.
• The Western
• The Wild West
• UST: Literally, on Colin's side. And Banquo's unresolved about something; not that Colin is helping the matter...