Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 7/19/2019

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/FOMCC (fear of missing comic con) Tulip (my dog, Reverse Obie’s sister). It’s that time of year again. That time where Wednesday creeps up and instead of focusing on the new comics that will be coming out, I am instead thinking, dang, I really wish I was at the San Diego Comic Con. Yeah, I know. It’s been over a decade since I’ve been to SDCC and I’m Jonesing to be there…but when I actually start thinking about it, I’m really not. The thought of being surrounded by throngs of people, the lack of food, the lack of deodorant, the actual comic book related programming being replaced by tv/movie/video game properties leaves me cold. Still…that pull to be there comes in waves. Tulip and Obie are even involved in SDCC madness as they have locked themselves in the corporate office (Mom’s basement) as they try to predict the outcomes of the Eisner Awards; I haven’t the heart to tell them that the winners have already been decided. Oh well. Anyhow, take a breath, let your shoulders relax, grab a tasty beer and some pizza, sit back, 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

Little Bird #5

(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)

This is it, Denizens, the eagerly awaited end is here! Or is it? I’m not completely certain, even after two read-throughs. This is the first book I read on Wednesday but after a grueling day at work, a dip in the hot tub, and some Stranger Things S3 goodness, I was barely able to start the comic and had no idea what had happened by the time I made it to the end. So, I reread this issue from start to finish, first thing the following morning, and gained a little more clarity as to the outcome of the story. But I think I need to set aside some time to read the entire five-issue run to know what exactly happened at the end. All of that said, I absolutely love this comic. Van Poelgeest’s story, although a bit confusing to my battered mind, is tremendous and compelling and Bertram’s art is nothing short of heavenly, especially when elevated by Hollingsworth’s vibrant colors that very much give this title the same vibe I felt reading the best comics of the mid-’80s. Little Bird is a dang fine book that I absolutely adore and it will be part of my annual reread schedule from here on out. You owe it to yourself to read this beautiful, violent, and complex work of art. Oh, and the reason I said “Or is it?” is because the creators announced their next project Precious Metal, which will debut in 2020; I am sooooo there.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Silver Surfer Black #2

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

This book is totally dope! Or is it actually “tight?” I don’t really know, but whatever word(s) the cool kids use for things they really, really like, then use that word and know it means Silver Surfer Black is simply one of the raddest comics out there. This was actually the second book I read on Wednesday and I think that so-tired-I’m-starting-to-hallucinate feeling helped make this visual journey even more outstanding. Yes, I had no idea of what I had just read that night, but a quick reread the next morning and I was thrilled by Cates’s intense story of the Silver Surfer squaring off against Knull, god of the symbiotes. Even Galactus’s first herald cannot face down this wicked being and is forced to flee after becoming infected by Knull’s darkness. The ending made me go, “Whoa!” and left me wishing for a blacklight poster of that last page image of the Surfer’s potential new ally before giving me some truly intense dreams that evening. Moore’s art is off the charts weird yet it is gorgeous in how it overemphasizes body postures and expressions. Stewart’s flat and shockingly vibrant colors transform all those glorious lines into something tremendous that you won’t find in any other titles currently hitting the shelves. You need to seek these issues out, Denizens, and hope and pray that we get an oversized hardcover of this phenomenal five-issue miniseries before the end of the year. Now, excuse me while I trip out on this bitchin…gnarly…bodacious…groovy—let’s go with groovy—cosmic comic. Do you grok?

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The Immortal Hulk #21

(Written by Al Ewing, illustrated by Joe Bennet, colored by Paul Mounts, lettered by VC’s Cory Petit, published by Marvel Comics)

After 21 glorious issues of this superhero-turned-horror comic, it’s starting to become increasingly difficult to say something different than what I have already said. Well, at least this month I can say that Joe Bennett gets a much-deserved break and Ryan Bodenheim steps in to give us some insight into General Fortean’s past and why he is so hellbent on destroying the Hulk. We also see what he decides to do with the decimated husk of the Abomination, it ain’t pretty, but those first and final pages sure as heck are. Bodenheim’s art is beautiful as ever, although I wish he outlined his characters a little heavier like he has done on some of his previous works. Now, what did I think of the latest issue? It’s freaking great. Great like the 20 issues that preceded it. If you haven’t been reading The Immortal Hulk, one of Marvel’s most exciting and best comics of the past year, then you need to do yourself a favor and pick up the past three trades.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Gideon Falls #15

(Written by Jeff Lemire, illustrated by Andrea Sorrentino, colored by Dave Stewart, lettered and designed by Steve Wands, published by Image Comics)

Alrighty, dagnabbit, I’ve been carrying on about how great this Twin Peaks-esque horror title is for the past fourteen issues and I’m all set to preach the same on this latest issue. But, if you aren’t going to listen to me, then how about the fact that Gideon Falls is slated to be a television show after a bidding war won by Hivemind. Not enough for you? Well, buckaroo, how about the fact that Lemire and Sorrentino won the Eisner for “Best New Series”? That’s right, let that piece of information meander in your dome for a moment. Now, if you haven’t been reading this creepy-as-heck, psychological horror comic, then you can remedy that by hammering through the first two trades and then pounce on the third when it drops this October. Oh…as for this issue…Father Wilfred is back but he seems to have left his memories elsewhere and his sudden appearance in place of Norton has Dr. Xu feeling uneasy. So, yeah, things are still really weird and I would expect nothing less from this chilling series that everyone should be reading. Congratulations to the creators for the much-deserved award.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


That’s it for this installment, Denizens, and I promise to start thinking of some new “Comics Lust” posts for some of the slower new release weeks. Thank you for reading.

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 7/19/2019