Saturday, July 2, 2011

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice Into the Woods 7/1/2011


(sung to the tune of Ratt's "You're in Love")

You step inside your local comic shop
You're lookin' for somethin' hot
You flip through Xombi
You're in love

Why the heck stop at only one
The Walking Dead is all kinds of fun
You want to read 'em lyin' in bed tonight
A kick in the pants you'll love alright

You flip through Xombi
You're in love

Obie came over to the house this past Wednesday and when I explained to him that my LCS had not received their allotment of The Sixth Gun #12 (thanks Diamond Dist) he gave a vacant Boston Terrier stare of frustration and promptly upchucked all of his Acana brand dog food all over my couch.  Now, don't get me wrong, I understand his frustration completely, I was the one who made a trip downtown specifically for that title, but there is a time and place for that sort of behavior...Casa Del Donist World is not it.  All is fine though, and we are dealing with the tragedy of having to wait for only (hopefully) an additional week, but that doesn't mean there weren't some amazing things to read.


***POSSIBLE SPOILERS***


Friday Slice of Heaven


The Walking Dead v.13
Too Far Gone
The Walking Dead Volume 13: Too Far Gone TPB - Written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Charlie Adlard, published by Image Comics.  I haven't talked about The Walking Dead for a long while, but that doesn't mean it is not one of the best series in publication.  Period.  This series was the one that I read issue one many months after its initial release and immediately ordered the first four graphic novels that were available.  Years later, I am still loving this gruesome, heart wrenching story that continuously leaves me feeling emotionally mugged, yet I always come back for more; read the prison issues...damn.  
I was actually two TPBs behind, but my LCS had a sale so I decided to catch up with Rick, Michonne, Carl and the rest.  This installment finds the crew adjusting to the new community and bringing their unique experiences and completely understandable paranoia to the town that has grown soft in their comfort.  This volume provides a breather for the group and allows the reader to reconnect with the characters after so many tragedies in the past, but as the reader expects with The Walking Dead, the good times rarely last and things begin to go wrong in a bad way.  In a world overrun with zombies, the biggest threat to human existence is humanity itself.  VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


The Walking Dead v.14
No Way out
The Walking Dead Volume 14: No Way Out TPB - Written by Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Charlie Adlard, published by Image Comics.  Okay, here it comes.  This volume ups the stakes to a heart-stopping degree and believe me when I say, "the shit goes down" in this volume.  I will do my best not to spoil this.  
Rick's walled community is completely surrounded by a massive zombie horde that threatens to break through the wall and descend upon the terrified community.   Not only that, but Andrea is trapped in a tower with no food or water leaving Glenn and a small crew to attempt a risky rescue while not becoming food themselves.  Other than that, you just need need to read this volume and then try to pick your jaw up from the floor.  Oh man, oh man, oh man.  Crap.  This is what comics strive to be: amazing, addictive, and thought provoking.  A fantastic series and a nerve-racking read.  After 80+ comic book issues, The Walking Dead continues to be one of the most important books on the stands.  VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


Xombi #4
Xombi #4 - Written by John Rozum and illustrated by Fraser Irving, published by DC Comics.  Dear DC comics, I am totally onboard with your reboot and the 52 issues about to be unleashed on the good 'ol US of A, but I have a simple request...please do not end Xombi.  That's it.  Simple.  I don't care if you keep it in the DCU or, better yet, go full-Vertigo on this title, just keep 'em coming.  Please.
This issue finds David Kim (Xombi) and his crew listening to Annie's tale as to why she released the Maranatha into the world, and how she used to reside in the Ninth Stronghold that gave her near immortality as well as her eventual downfall with her twisted involvement with the evil Roland Finch.
Rozum continues his intricate and at times confusing tale, but more and more answers are revealed as this fascinating story progresses.  I will also continue to gush over Irving's lovely art and striking color palette, but these two creators have something special that not enough people are reading.  You need to be reading this.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


Witch Doctor #1 - Written by Brandon Seifert and illustrated by Lukas Ketner, published by Skybound, an Image Comics imprint.  The prepress on this title adequately describes this miniseries as Dr. House meets the supernatural and that sums this book up quite nicely.  
Dr. Vincent Marrow is the man to call whenever someone suffers an affliction of parasitic supernatural origins, and a mixture of medicine and magic is the vaccine.  Marrow is accompanied by his human assistant Eric Gast, who seems to suffer the brunt of the otherworldly encounters, and Penny Dreadful, Marrow's anesthesiologist who is also a...I'm not certain what she is actually, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.  In this issue, the good doctor seeks to surgically remove a demonic possession from a young boy, but this particular case is not quite as "text book" as everyone believes.
Seifert and Ketner have created an odd, gross, interesting and unique series that is just what the doctor ordered for those ailing from an overdose of capes and tights.  A hell of a lot of fun.  I will definitely be picking up the rest of this series.  RECOMMENDED!


Slice Into the Woods


Amazon Affiliates Might Vanish For Those in California - *Sigh* I received a letter this week from Amazon saying something to the effect that if a certain law changes in regard to how Amazon and its affiliates are taxed in California, then Amazon will close the affiliate program for those individuals living in California; this includes poor little Donist.  Don't get me wrong, I haven't made a dime from all of the images or links in my posts, or anything from the Donist Amazon Store, but if this happens then all of those images and links will be broken and probably lead to nowhere, damaging the look of my site.  On the other hand, if all of my links and such remain intact, then they will be successfully sending shoppers to Amazon.com to earn them sales that they no longer are required to pay me a percentage for the referral that I would be more than happy to pay taxes on.   The situation is more dire for countless small businesses in California who actually make money through the affiliate program.  
Of course there are many more factors involved than what I currently understand, but I know that there are plenty of small businesses, the supposed backbone of America, that are going to take a hit that they might not recover from.  Thanks Amazon for cutting all of your affiliates on a whim because of your squabbles with California and the fact that you don't want to collect sales tax; this is why I continue to pay more to my LCS (including paying sales tax), mostly because they are not YOU.

To read more about this, check out ZDNet's article here.

For an amazing letter to Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos visit Daggle.com here.


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