The Story
When Julia Keiser joined the Beistad Colonial Police, she never wanted anything more than to give back to the city that had raised her. Beistad may not be perfect, but as a coastal metropolis under the aegis of the Tenshen Empire, it came pretty close. All that changes when a chance encounter drags Julia into a plot of crime and corruption on all levels of society, all swirling around a kidnapped heiress and a car trunk full of money. Can Julia find the truth and, if so, make it public?
Semi-Auto Semla is an ongoing webcomic aiming to emulate the works of crime fiction. From Gunsmith Cats to Snatch, it aims to provide a tale of dangerous criminals, action-packed violence and a bit of fan service on the side. In general, the comic aspires to be safe for work, but hinting at stronger themes from time to time. Currently, one full volume has been produced with a second already in the works. Side stories will also be available for purchase on the store page!
The World
Semi-Auto Semla takes place in a world that is like our own, but different. It contains no fantastic magic or marvelous technology, but instead aims to be a work unto its own by way of its unique history. To this end, it has been designed from the ground-up to mirror historical trends and movements, but based on the principle that all people are equal regardless of race or ethnicity. As such, it stands to reason that had initial conditions such as resources and environment been different, our world history would have followed suit.
Map by: HardwayBet
So while the continents and the nations are different, you will find mirrors and analogues of real life all over the place. Care has been taken to make these new nations feel real and interesting, from the small to the great. Beistad itself is just one example of this: As a city, it mirrors Hong Kong under British colonial rule. But the difference is that Beistad is a Scandinavian-inspired city under an empire mirroring that of Imperial China and that the citizenry stands on equal footing with its Imperial owners. We hope to explore more of this world in the future, both in the comic and its spinoff material.
