Friday, August 5, 2011

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice Into the Woods 8/5/2011

(Sung to the tune of ABBA's "Does Your Mother Know")

Sweet Tooth's hot, thrillin' me
Is it true? Your dumb store didn't set one aside for you?
They skipped Gates of Gotham too?
Rachel Rising is a prize
I can read in your face that it was skipped and it's driving you wild
Argh, did the pull sheet ever get filed?!

Yes you got a bit of money
So it's not very funny
Does your LCS know that they're out?
So stop your cryin' little baby
Purchase online maybe
Does your LCS know that they're out?

Take it easy
(Take it easy)
Take a deep breath, bro
That's no way to go
Does your LCS know?
Take it easy
(Take it easy)
Try to cool it bro
You got Superboy...no.
Does your LCS know?


Hi Mom.  Hi my friends' Boston Terrier, Obie.  Don't you--my only two readers--worry your pretty little heads about it.  I did indeed get ahold of all of the comics mentioned in our intro song which was graciously performed by ABBA themselves this fine morning.  We're all good.  So have some kibble, grab a cup of Joe and figure out who gets what between yourselves, because we got a lot to cover today.  It's...


Friday Slice of Heaven




***POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW***


Sweet Tooth #24
Sweet Tooth #24 - Everythinged by Jeff Lemire, published by Vertigo Comics, a DC Comics imprint.  Last issue ended with an insane cliffhanger that does not get resolved at all in this issue.  Sorry, that's the truth, but it's okay, Lemire still leaves the reader with much to think about and admittedly to be confused by, but I'm sure all will be revealed soon.
After the events of last issue, Gus has a vision complete with a dead animal guide that takes him on a journey both bizarre and somewhat revealing, but it looks like his spiritual journey has just begun.  Meanwhile, panic strikes the travelers and doubt over the sincerity of Walter Fish's motives escalate.
Sweet Tooth  continues to be one of the best books on the stand, even if this particular issue saw little in the way of action or resolution from issue 23.  I will say that this was probably the fastest read that I have ever experienced for the series, not because of edge-of-your-seat page turns, but because of the lack of word balloons, but this is fine.  Like a few issues in the past, the dream sequences are illustrated in a different manner than the rest of the book and appear to be watercolored by Lemire.  I am not positive on his technique, but I will say that the differing style is chilling yet beautiful at the same time.  The bond between Gus and Jepperd is so touching, so heart-wrenching that it is hard not to tear up thinking about it.  Still a fantastic book and I cannot wait for next month.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


Batman Gates of
Gotham #4
Batman Gates of Gotham #4 - Plotted by Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgins, Written by Kyle Higgins and Ryan Parrott, illustrated by Dustin Nguyen and Derec Donovan, published by DC Comics.  Huh...Okay...looks like there's a lot of people involved in this issue, which I guess is a result of tying up this series in time for the 52 reboot refresh relaunch reawesomifying of the DC Universe.
As Robin and Red Robin clash with the Architect and pretty much get their asses handed to them, Batman and Black Bat rush to their aid.  The four determine that the Architect has more nefarious plans than simply blowing up bridges with his grand scheme threatening the entirety of Gotham City itself.  But, Batman has a plan...
Although this issue was very enjoyable, the change in artist was jarring.  This is not to say that the new artists are not talented, only that I would have liked to have seen Trevor McCarthy finish the five-issue run of the series, but those dang 52 are just around the corner and it wasn't meant to be.  This issue also seemed slightly rushed from both an art and a writing standpoint and was not as tightly plotted as previous issues; again the big 52.
Still highly enjoyable and a great read, I look forward to the final issue in two weeks.  RECOMMENDED!


Rachel Rising #1
Rachel Rising #1 - Everythinged by Terry Moore, published by Abstract Studios.  Having just finished reading the sixth volume of Moore's Echo, I was thrilled that Rachel Rising was just around the corner and I was lucky enough to grab the last copy at my LCS; I confirmed it is now in my pull.
The story opens with a mysterious woman walking through the woods to witness Rachel rising from her own grave at the bottom of a pit.  Lost and confused as to what happened to her, Rachel shambles home to find little in the way of answers as to the what has transpired, why she has rope burns around her neck and why her eyes look so odd.
This issue does not divulge much in the way of who Rachel is or what happened to her, but Moore does an amazing job of leaving the reader wanting to know more.  Instead of the characterization that I love from Moore's other works, this issue sets a tone, a mood of just how dark this issue will be, and he does this wonderfully.  Rachel Rising looks to be a slowburn murder-horror-mystery story that will unwind at precisely the pace Moore wishes for it to be unraveled. The back Fabio Moon cover is beautiful and also worth mentioning.  The wait between issues promises to be painful in the best kind of way.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


Superboy #10
Superboy #10 - Written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Pete Woods, Cafu and Bit, Paulo Siqueira and Andrew Mangum, and published by DC Comics.The penultimate issue of Superboy has arrived and although I enjoyed this installment, this issue fell a little flat compared to the creepiness of the previous issues, but with the impending DC 52 bomb about to strike in September I can understand why.  The book focuses on the big baddie, who just so happens to not be Eben Took, but Tannarak a sorcerer from the time of Atlantis. Tannarak's history takes up most of the real estate of this issue as we see portions of his life as depicted by four different artists. We also learn the reason for the downfall of the Took family and Lemire succeeds in having the reader actually sympathize with the now diabolical man. Oddly enough, Superboy does not even show up until the last couple of pages, and Krypto is no where to be seen. In all, we learn a little about the main bad guy, some of Took's backstory and nothing happens for the star of the show.
Lemire has a lot to wrap up in one issue and I am not all that certain that he will be able to do so with his allotted 20 pages. This is a shame as when not mired in events the series has been quite enjoyable, and I would have loved to have seen what Lemire had in store for Connor Kent. If Donist were a bettin' man, he would bet that Tannarak was to be a villain later in the series and there would have been a few more issues of the hollow men, but hey, whatchagonnado? I will say that I am excited for his upcoming Animal Man series, but I still would have liked a few more issues of Superboy so that it could wind down at a more reasonable pace. That said, I am still looking forward to the next (last) issue. RECOMMENDED!

Friday Slice Into the Woods


Comics - I didn't finish reading' 'em. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because I'm still kind of on vacation, but I did want to get something up on Friday. It's "Friday Slice of Heaven" dammit, not "Whenever Slice of Heaven." So there might be a .5 installment on Saturday or Sunday if the books I have are worth talking about. I will say that I regrettably did not get a copy of Severed by Scott Snyder, but it is on order, so hopefully I'll be able to talk about that book soon; I am sure I will like it.


Are there any books that you feel I should have read this week? Let me know. I'm always looking for something new, just don't tell my poor wounded wallet.








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