Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 6/28/2019

Welcome back, Donist World Denizens! For those of you new to our site, I’m Donist, and I am joined by Donist World CFO the Reverse Obie* (my friends’ Boston terrier whose fur recently swapped colors) and by our marketing director/administrative assistant/party planner/Day Spa Darling Tulip (my dog, Reverse Obie’s sister). All right. Yes, I know. We vanished for a month, we came back and proclaimed we were back, and then disappeared again. The thing is that after the turmoil of the past few months, my Boston terrier executive team and I decided to take a holiday to Carmel to regroup and recover. We fully intended to write a “Friday Slice of Heaven” entry but we got a little too into relaxation mode and it just didn’t happen. Instead, we had a couple meals and beers at Yeast of Eden—a fantastic brewpub—and spent three glorious hours at The Refuge. Now, The Refuge is located in Carmel and has a gorgeous view of trees and hills and is a spa whose rules dictate no electronic devices, no talking, and no one under 18 years of age. With that, you get to alternate between eucalyptus steam rooms, dry saunas, cold and cool pools (more like so-cold-you'll-freeze-your-junk-off and it-feels-like-there-should-be-ice-cubes-floating-around), warm and hot pools, reading by a sun-kissed fire pit (umbrellas for shade if you like), or relaxing in a gravity chair to calming chimes. It was pretty amazing. Tulip preferred the steam room as Reverse Obie sweated out the stress toxins in the Sauna. I, however, preferred the gravity chairs where I dozed off to memories or running with Tulip in between the side of the creek and the bike path as the sun shone bright with Tulip looking back to be sure I wasn’t dropping too far behind. The day did us all some good. So, take a breath, let your shoulders relax, grab a tasty beer and some pizza, get ready for the next Spider-Man movie, sit back, relax, and afterward check out some great comics. Thank you for reading!

*Obie, through his dabbling in arcane magics mixed with ancient corrupt business practices, has had not just the colors of his fur switched, but a complete overhaul of his work ethic as well…I think I’m kinda okay with the mishap.

***Possible Spoilers Below***

Friday Slice of Heaven

Ascender #3

(Written by Jeff Lemire, illustrated by Dustin Nguyen, lettered and designed by Steve Wands, published by Image Comics)

Some great comics released these past two weeks but DANG if Ascender didn’t completely flip my dome. Criminy, this comic is the best. In this issue, Andy and his daughter Mila are on the run from Mother, the murderous witch who commands hordes of diabolical creatures, but there are also dire threats lurking in the woods. We learn the tragic event that befell Effy and also the value of having a good dog—even a robotic one—by your side. Nguyen’s watercolored art is even more lovely than usual, which is saying something, and the final page reveal had my heart racing and made me jump up and pump my fist in joy. The first chapter of this tale, Descender, is a must-read Donist World Darling of a series and this second act is already shaping up to be every bit its equal.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Little Bird #4

(Written by Darcy Van Poelgeest, illustrated by Ian Bertram, colored by Matt Hollingsworth, lettered by Aditya Bidikar, designed by Ben Didier, published by Image Comics)

Where Ascender made me gasp and then cheer, the penultimate issue of this miniseries that thoroughly took hold of me with the first issue also made me gasp…but there was no cause for celebration with the final few pages. Only a creeping sense of dread and the admission that I have absolutely no clue as to how things will go down, which is right where I want to be with this breakout post-apocalyptic story that depicts the perils of a terrifying theocratic society that is startling in its depiction by Van Poelgeest and oh-so-beautifully brought to life by Bertram’s masterful lines and Hollingsworth’s otherworldly colors. Even though it is almost over, you don’t want to wait for the eventual hardcover. Seek out the floppies and then double dip on the collection when it drops at the end of the year.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Conan the Barbarian #7

(Written by Jason Aaron, illustrated by Mahmud Asrar, colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered by VC’s Travis Lanham, published by Marvel Comics)

There are three or four Conan related titles currently hitting the shelves every month(ish) and although I’ve heard good things about them, I’m currently only reading the one that restarted it all: Conan the Barbarian. Every issue has been outstanding so far with pretty much standalone tales of our favorite barbarian's adventures with the exception of a couple pages here or there of a witch’s brood's attempts to kill the Cimerian. Here, Conan has “rescued” five lovely women from their lives as sex slaves after a substantial payment to their former captor. But what does Conan mean to do with his new purchases? You’ll have to read it to see in this fun, thrilling issue that combines the mystery behind the barbarian’s motives with a deeper glimpse into how he thinks and who he is. If you’ve been on the fence about reading this exciting reboot, then rest assured that it is solid proof of Aaron’s deep love and knowledge of the character and that you definitely need to purchase the soon-to-be released trade.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Guardians of the Galaxy #6

(Written by Donny Cates, illustrated by Geoff Shaw, colored by David Curiel, lettered by VC’s Cory Petit, published by Marvel Comics)

Cates’s phenomenal work at Marvel is what lured me back to the House of Ideas. I loved Thanos Wins and his run with Ryan Stegman on Venom has been nothing short of heavenly, so picking up Guardians of the Galaxy was a total no brainer. In this issue, the moment the Guardians have been dreading is about to come true: the resurrection of the mad Titan, Thanos. Hela and the Black Order stand at the brink of success and a difficult decision must be made. I love this series, especially given that nearly all of my favorite cosmic heroes flow in and out of its pages, but I will say that…things…get resolved a tad too quickly for my liking. Regardless, this comic is a heck of a good time. The trade gets released in August.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

X-Men Grand Design - X-Tinction #2

(Everythinged by Ed Piskor, published by Marvel Comics)

Piskor set out on what I thought to be a nigh-impossible task for himself when he decided to take decades of crazy continuity spread across hundreds of issues and condense it all down into three, two-issue chapters (that there is six issues for those doing the maths) that would summarize all of that material into something that not only made sense, but captured the thrill and fun of reading the issues back in the day. He knocked it out of the freakin’ park. Couple this with the fact that he did EVERYTHING on this series—including the design and the selection of the aged-looking paper—and you have something special, something the likes of which we most likely won’t see for some time to come…unless, of course, it’s whatever it is the man decides to tackle next. If you haven’t been picking up these monumental issues, then the three oversized trades are definitely the way to go…unless Marvel agrees to put out an omnibus of the whole shebang, which I really hope they do. Please! Please! Please!
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

That about does it for this installment, Denizens, but there were a few other, older things I read over the past two weeks that I think I will save for another day. Have a great 4th of July and get out there for some Spider-Man: Far from Home action! See you next time.

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 6/28/2019

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 6/14/2019

Welcome back, Donist World Denizens! For those of you new to our site, I’m Donist, and I am joined by Donist World CFO the Reverse Obie* (my friends’ Boston terrier whose fur recently swapped colors) and by our marketing director/administrative assistant/party planner/Still Adjusting Tulip (my dog, Reverse Obie’s sister). Phew! Okay, Denizens, we’re back after missing a month. After a whirlwind of selling our place, buying our new place, dealing with shutting down utilities and starting up utilities, securing insurance, contracting movers, moving from one place to another, lifting heavy boxes for three days straight, getting rid of furniture no one wants (hurts my heart), cleaning old places, changing mailing addresses everywhere, restocking food, packing and unpacking, trips to the dump, trips to Alpha Thrift, and tons of paperwork, we are finally in our new home and I finally have a moment to talk about some comics. Since we’re pretty far behind, I’m going to do a rapid-fire burst of the comics my puppy executive team and I have read over the past month that we think you should know about. So, take a breath, let your shoulders relax, grab a tasty beer and some pizza, get ready for the next Spider-Man movie, sit back, relax, and afterward check out some great comics. Thank you for reading!

*Obie, through his dabbling in arcane magics mixed with ancient corrupt business practices, has had not just the colors of his fur switched, but a complete overhaul of his work ethic as well…I think I’m kinda okay with the mishap.

***Possible Spoilers Below***

Friday Slice of Heaven

Silver Surfer Black #1

(Written by Donny Cates, illustrated by Tradd Moore, colored by Dave Stewart, lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles, published by Marvel Comics)

You know I’ve been vibing on pretty much every-gosh-darned-thing Donny Cates has been writing and written (I still need to jump on Babyteeth, though), but I somehow neglected to add this powerhouse, must-buy comic to my pull. I am so thankful I secured a copy. Holy. Cosmic. Glorificusness! This comic is not only up there with my favorite Marvel cosmic adventures by way of the story, but the art is not just amazing, it is simply out of this world. This comic is like a time jump back to the ’70s with psychedelic art that is destined to flip your dome and send you on a trip from which you never want to return. All we need is for an oversized reprint of this issue as a velvety blacklight poster…or at least the next issue in my grubby mitts ASAP. Plus, this issue includes a fantastic twist I did not see coming. C’mon, Marvel, blacklight posterize this sexy beast!!!
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The Immortal Hulk #19

(Written by Al Ewing, illustrated by Joe Bennet, inked by Ruy José and Belardino Brabo, colored by Paul Mounts and Rachelle Rosenberg, lettered by VC’s Cory Petit)

The last time I really enjoyed a Hulk comic was back when I was living in Ohio as an eight-year-old. Yes, I admit that Peter David’s highly-regarded run is a blind spot I mean to fix at some point, but Ewing and Bennet’s horror take on ol’ jade jaws is one of the best things Marvel has put out in quite some time. The Abomination is exactly that, a complete and utter abomination that might just find his way into your worst nightmares and ends up being the most unnerving adversary the Hulk has had to face thus far in this phenomenal series…which is saying something. The Immortal Hulk is a scary thrill-ride that 100% warrants the rave reviews it has received since its first issue. If you aren’t reading this unique, experimental run of the Hulk, then you need to correct that through the three available trades!

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1

(Written by Donny Cates, Al Ewing, Tini Howard, and Zac Thompson & Lonnie Nadler; illustrated by John McCrea, Yiloirry Cinar, Ibrahim Moustafa, and Filipe Andrade; colored by Mike Spicer, Rain Beredo, and Jay David Ramos; lettered by VC’s Cory Petit; published by Marve Comics)

This somehow missed my pull a couple of weeks ago and given my decades of experience of being let down by annuals, I was okay with missing this issue; then I saw this copy sitting on my LCS’s shelf and I caved; I’m glad I picked it up. You essentially get four stories: one with the Universal Church of Truth showing they will be around to plague the Guardians in the future (more Adam Warlock?!), a great story about Nova and the mental health issues caused by war, another cool one with Adam Warlock taking on a false god, and one about Darkhawk that I don’t really get. All and all, this annual breaks the “disposable” trend of most annuals by providing a highly enjoyable preview of where Guardians of the Galaxy might be headed next.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Little Bird #3

(Written by Darcy Van Poelgeest, illustrated by Ian Bertram, colored by Matt Hollingsworth, lettered by Aditya Bidikar, designed by Ben Didier, published by Image Comics)

After reading yet another heavenly issue of this fantastic comic, I am now aware of the devastating truth that we have only two issues left of this haunting, violent, impeccably-illustrated series. Yes, there will eventually be a hardcover collection, but I strongly recommend getting the issues first—if you can find them—so that you will appreciate the need to double dip once the collection drops.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Ascender #2

(Written by Jeff Lemire, illustrated by Dustin Nguyen, lettered and designed by Steve Wands, published by Image Comics)

You all know that Lemire and Nguyen’s exceptionally gorgeous Descender has been my favorite series of the past five years. Now, two issues into the second half of this grand epic that has shifted from sci-fi to fantasy, Ascender looks to be my favorite series of the next five. In this issue, technology returns after ten years of its near absence as Bandit appears (I’m not spoiling a thing, he’s on the cover of the first issue for Pete’s sake) and in true Lemire fashion, the robot dog’s reunion with Andy left a couple tears streaming down my cheek. Issue three can’t come soon enough for this awesome series. I guess it’s time for a Descender reread.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Doomsday Clock #10

(Written by Geoff Johns, illustrated by Gary Frank, colored by Brad Anderson, lettered by Rob Leigh, published by DC Comics)
Although this title is slow in its release schedule—almost to the detriment of the flow of the story—I am still loving every page of this twelve-issue maxi-series. This issue setups up the foreshadowed confrontation between Dr. Manhattan (the man of inaction) and Superman (the man of action) as Dr. Manhattan jumps between parallel worlds and shows his connection to the DCU and how there can be so many slightly different iterations of the Man of Steel. I have no idea how it will all end with the final two issues, which is fine by me as that is exactly where I want to be. I look forward to reading the entirety of Doomsday Clock once it’s all done…whenever that might be.

X-Men Grand Design - X-Tinction #1

(Everythinged by Ed Piskor, published by Marvel Comics)

I’m as stunned as you are, Denizens, by the volume of Marvel titles that I have been picking up and loving over the past couple of months, and I guess you can say that Piskor’s intricately researched, planned, and executed retelling of decades of X-Men stories—mindbending continuity and all—is exactly the type of experimentation and risk-taking by Marvel that brought me back into the fold. The cool thing about the third, and final, two-issue chapter is that this era is exactly when I had decided enough is enough and bounced from all things involving the X-Men, so it is refreshing to get caught up on what all went down during the “X-Tinction” years as only the infinitely talented Piskor could deliver. This series is one you need to read in paper format to get the full experience of the textured paper and to experience The X-Men in the manner this creator intended.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 

Green Lantern #8

(Written by Grant Morrison, illustrated by Liam Sharp, colored by Steve Oliff, lettered by Tom Orzechowski, published by DC Comics)

I somehow missed issue #7—don’t worry, a copy is on its way!—which everyone on the internet was freaking out about, but I broke my habit of refusing to read issues out of order as the promise of a Green Lantern/Green Arrow team-up to fight intergalactic drug cartels was just too much for me to resist. I have no idea what the hell “Xeen Arrow” is or where it comes from, all I know is that this issue was so delightfully weird that I loved every page of it. It also doesn’t hurt to have Sharp’s oh-so-gorgeous art to guide you on this insane trip. Oh, looky there…issue #7 just arrived; I know exactly what I’ll be reading next.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

There were a ton of other fantastic comics I read since I last checked in, but these were the ones that stood out and wowed me the most. Thank you for reading and see you next time!

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 6/14/2019