The main character of Namesake is Emma Crewe, a young woman from Toronto who doesn't read, or watch TV, or even have the internet at home.

Other characters include Ozma and Emma's best friend Ben, as well as a society of Namesakes called Calliope, and their enemies the "Rippers" who have sold their own names.

[1] The creators described a frustration with modern adaptations of fairy tales and an exhaustion with "grimdark" retellings, and said that they started planning the story in 2008.

Lawson also praised Melançon's art, saying, "Her faces are stunningly expressive" and that "when Emma first lands in Oz, everything is black and white except for her purple blouse and the yellow brick road.

"[1] Reviewing the comic for io9 in 2013, Lauren Davis said that while "webcomics about secret societies of people born to mystical powers are a dime a dozen, Namesake benefits by treating its own lore with surprising depth and creating a beautiful (if revisionist) picture of Oz."

Davis called Namesake "a complex tale of magic, family, loyalty, and yes, the importance of names" and said that "Melançon's artwork, which bears touches of Victorian and Art Nouveau illustration, is gorgeously suited to this fantasy world."

[3] Reviewing the comic for CBR.com in 2011, shortly after it started, Brian Cronin said that "Heaton has really made Emma a fully realized, well-developed character" and that "Melançon has a very appealing art style", and said of the plot it "has built up somewhat slowly, but it is really picking up steam in recent weeks.