Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 9/13/2019

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/three-day-weekend thriller Tulip (my dog, Reverse Obie’s sister). We are a bit late, later than usual that is. Not only are we nowhere near Friday, it’s past Saturday and Sunday even. The truth is that my puppy executive team and I are taking a three-day weekend and closing the Donist World corporate office (Mom’s basement) this Monday so a handy can come and fix three doors and do some of the much-needed maintenance that we would definitely bollocks up if we attempted to do the upkeep ourselves. We are corporate masterminds, Denizens, the idea-men (and woman). Our strengths lie not in the practicalities of real-life situations that could potentially keep us alive—like being able to actually make the damn stuck door close—we traverse in the worlds of the mind and of corporate strategy…yeah, I’m not buying that nonsense either, in a zompacalypse we would be toast. Anyhow, take a breath, let your shoulders relax, grab a refreshing water (or a beer or two) and some kale chips (or delicious tortilla chips and salsa), 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

Powers of X #4

(Written by Jonathan Hickman, illustrated by R.B. Silva, inked by R.B. Silva and Adriano di Benedetto, colored by Marte Gracia, lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles, design by Tom Miller, published by Marvel Comics)

Once again, we get a non-red timeline issue in Hickman’s tremendous Powers of X and House of X mutant event run that seems pretty dang important to the X-Men’s world to me. Which means that this coming week’s House of X #5 will most likely rock our collective worlds. Here we learn that Krakoa has a sibling locked away somewhere along with a group of guardians long since thought gone; this can’t be good. We also see Xavier and Magneto’s first meeting with Mister Sinister and how they succeeded in bringing the ethically-challenged, mutant geneticist into the fold. Years later, Xavier arrives on Krakoa with Doug Ramsey, aka Cypher, so the younger man can use his powers and converse with the living island, continuing to move Moira MacTaggert’s plans for her 10th life along while hopefully saving mutantkind. As for the X³ distant future timeline, I’m going to have to read all of that again and again and again to hopefully figure out what the heck is going on there. So, yeah, I’m still thoroughly invested in what is—shockingly enough to me—an event book I am not only enjoying but one that has me counting the days to the next new comic book day. With only four issues left and the next supposed to be a doozy, I am thrilled to say I have no idea how this is all going to wrap up and that is a fantastic place to be. If you are waiting for a collected edition of this grand epic, or if you are like me and are excited to double-dip for a hardcover edition for your favorite bookshelf, then you are going to have to wait until the end of December to make it a truly Merry X-Men X-Mas.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Silver Surfer Black #4

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

This penultimate issue of the exciting and gorgeous Silver Surfer Black has one glaring, soul-crushing problem: it is the penultimate issue. I love this book. I love this book. I love this book. Five issues will nowhere be enough to satisfy my need for more of Marvel’s experimental, groovy, mindbending, tripadelic journey through the cosmos. The Silver Surfer still needs the help of a young Ego the Living Planet in his quest to stop Knull, the God of the Symbiotes, but he will first have to extract a certain “malady” from Ego’s core else there will be no Ego to provide any form of future aid. Unfortunately, what lies at Ego’s core will torment the Surfer with one of the direst decisions of his entire existence. I would buy this book and love its weirdness on Cates’s story alone, but oh my goodness gracious this is one of the most visually magnificent comics currently hitting the stands. Moore’s art is something that has to be seen to be believed, and once you actually see it, it will send you on an optical trip, unlike anything you’ve been on before. This is also due in no small part to Stewart’s vibrant flat color schemes which are certain to amaze. Silver Surfer Black is going to be another X-Mas time beauty that will spring to life as an oversized must-have collection that will need to be displayed front and foremost on your favorite bookshelf. That said, don’t wait, buy the issues before the collection drops, you won’t be sorry you did. And, again, we need some dang Tradd Morre Silver Surfer blacklight posters, by golly.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Black Hammer/Justice League: Hammer of Justice #3

(Written by Jeff Lemire, illustrated by Michael Walsh, lettered by Nate Piekos, published by DC Comics and Dark Horse Comics)

This is 100% the book I never knew I wanted and it is 100% the book I need. Black Hammer/Justice League is so very odd and contrary to anything I can imagine DC actually allowing to happen. But the thing is, they and Dark Horse have had some equally insane intercompany crossovers in the past and in Lemire and Walsh’s very capable hands this swapped worlds superhero tale hits on every level. I especially love the moments when Golden Gale hits on the various members of the Justice League and how uncomfortable they are with it. Equally fun are John Stewart and Colonel Weird working together to try to save a JL member at risk of making a terrible, life-threatening mistake. The ending couple of pages, however, sealed the deal by eliciting an audible gasp from me and now I nervously await the next installment of this five-issue miniseries. If you’ve never read the Donist World Darling that is Black Hammer then you best get on it, as it is one of the best series to drop in the past decade. That said, this is one oddball event you should not miss.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Venom #18

(Written by Donny Cates, illustrated by Iban Coello, colored by Rain Beredo, lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles, published by Marvel Comics)

This issue briefly dips its big toe into the pool that is the origin story of the new symbiote on the block: Sleeper. Sure, homie shows up outta nowhere from the depths of outer space to journey to Earth to meet the arrival of Knull the God of the Symbiotes and to aid in his defeat. The character is cool and expertly designed by Coello and I am not going to spoil this character’s secret identity other than to say it’s completely messed up; I would expect nothing less from yet another great Cates’s story. Anyhow, yes, this is an Absolute Carnage tie-in, but it doesn’t completely feel like it is as neither the title character nor the main adversary ever show up, not even once. But that is fine. I’m still enjoying both this comic and the event quite a bit.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


That’s it for this late installment of your friendly neighborhood Friday Slice post, but I will definitely see you next time. Thank you for reading. 

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 9/13/2019