Saturday, December 31, 2016

Donist World 2016 Year-End Roundup - Part 1!

(Sung to the tune of The Sound of Music's “My Favorite Things”)

Stone Age bullies want to punch you in the beef
Black science jerk-wads turn over a new leaf
Lethal boy robots and evil Mud Kings
These are a few of my favorite things

Trash talking paper girls fighting off weirdos
Cibopath agents eating god only who knows
Works by Remender dominate listings
These are a few of my favorite things

Hazel has grown up, Luke Cage gets all retro
Thanos and Warlock and Universe! I love so
Some great series ended high praise it sure rings
These are a few of my favorite things

Diamond misships
Then my beer spills
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

Slice of Heaven For the Year!

Happy Holidays, denizens! Y’know, come to think of it, this year’s holiday season was pretty chill. Uncle Billy Joe Jim Bob (or UB-J2B as I like to call him…yeah, I just saw Rogue One) stayed away this year — he was thankfully too hung over to make the drive — so we did not have to suffer through any of his “Make ’Murica Great” nonsense. We were also spared any diatribes on how the “illegals stole his job.” We all know that UB-J2B was actually fired two decades ago from his job after a “wardrobe malfunction” left him exposed to participants in his work’s “Bring Your Daughter to Work Day.” He also hasn’t even looked for a job during that time, but that’s neither here nor there. Anyhow, holiday horrors were at a minimum, and the Reverse Obie (my friends’ Boston terrier, whose surly attitude changed for the better after his fur colors swapped when a corrupt businessman’s curse backfired) and Tulip (my dog, and Donist World marketing director / administrative assistant / party planner / gingerbread house connoisseur) and I are having our own little holiday party at the corporate office (Mom’s basement).

Not only have we been having a blast putting this post together, we’ve been spreading the cheer with some winter warmer beers, gingerbread cookies, and whiskeys and ryes by the fire as we reminisced about the comics that captured our hearts over the course of 2016. So, if you have your own “forced family togetherness” making things unbearable, then by all means you owe it to yourself to swipe an innards-warming beverage and abscond to your place of peace to enjoy some fantabulous comic books. Oh yeah, grab some of them there Christmas cookies on your way out, especially the ones with the crunchy frosting, as you check out the list.


***Probably NOT Spoilers Below***


If you have a moment, check out our past FSoH/SitW Year-End Roundups for 2015201420132012, and 2011 to see all things heavenly from the past. For the comic series listed below, I provide a linked image of the best way to experience the comic if you have not yet read it. Basically, I will try to show an omnibus, then a hardcover, then a trade, and finally, if no trade is yet available, the first issue of the series. We at Donist World thank you for reading and hope you enjoy these comics as much as we do.

Donist World 16 (+1) Favorite Comic Series of 2016 (In no particular order)


Read More!



Share/Bookmark

Friday, December 23, 2016

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 12/23/2016

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 / secret Santa Tulip (my dog, Reverse Obie’s sister). We’re keeping the intro short this week as it’s almost Christmas and my puppy executive team still has some Christmas shopping to do. Me? I think I might have a hot chocolate, read some comics, and watch the rain. Ahhhhh…the good life. Also, we need to prepare for the arrival of our temporary Donist World intern, Jeff, the brother of the Donist. Our major stakeholder (Mom) said we had to include Jeff in our reindeer games — talk about history repeating itself — so I guess it’s what we gotta do. Just kidding, Jeff. Since we have a few days off, we’ll probably have some beers, and play some Talisman, just like in the old days. Anyhow, we wish you all the best of holidays, and to look for the first part of the Year-End Roundup next week. So grab some cocoa or pour yourself a coffee, have some gingerbread cookies (mmmmmm), and check out some great comics. Take care. 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



Cage #3

Written and illustrated by Genndy Tartakovsky, inked by Stephan DeStefano, colored by Scott Wills, lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles, published by Marvel Comics. Dang, Denizens, I am loving this comic. For those of you who made the devastating mistake of not picking up the first issue of this four-issue mini-series, it’s about the time Luke Cage (from his yellow shirt, chain belt, jeans, and steel tiara days) went on a date with Misty Knight. When Misty doesn’t show, Cage sets out to find her leading to battles with weirdos, tiger and lion men, hallucinogenic trips, all for…actually, I have ZERO idea why all of the bonkers stuff that is happening to Cage is happening, but what the heck…it is a blast! Cage is not mired by anything going on in the current Marvel U, which greatly works to its benefit, with the story harkening back to the weirdness of the bronze age, a time Tartakovsky clearly adores. Alone, the story is fun, but it’s the creator’s unique and outlandish style that makes this comic such a treasure. Action sequences, expressions, and character acting are all exaggerated in this fight-fest issue where we see Misty Knight punch a kung-fu tigerman in the snoot to a beautiful “BONK!” sound effect (thanks to letterer extraordinaire and fine gentleman Cowles), to Iron Fist fighting monkey style with a karate monkey only to take a “DOOF!” to the face, and the thrills go on from there. But as lovely and glorious as this comic would be in black and white, Wills’s colors loft this issue to all things heavenly with vibrant, stunning sequences that make it all the more difficult to decide whether to linger on a page or to see what happens next; the turquoise and crimson sequences especially must be seen to be believed. Criminy! I love this comic, but there is one huge negative working against it: there’s only one more issue left. Sweet Christmas, Denizens, whether you are a fan of Luke Cage or the animated Samurai Jack or not, you need to run out and buy these three issues before the fourth drops next month, as the trade does not come out until May 2017, and that is too long a time to wait for a comic book this fantastic. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


Thanos #2

Written by Jeff Lemire, illustrated by Mike Deodato, colored by Frank Martin, lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles, published by Marvel Comics. If I had to choose one type of comic that I love more than anything else it would have to be the space opera. Yes, yes, I know, Denizens, even more than superhero comics. But before you come at me with the pitchforks, the burning torches, and cries of “Monster!,” there’s no reason a space opera can’t have superheroes in it. Hey, if you’ve been following Donist World for any length of time, then you know if I were to be stranded on a dessert island (that’s a desert island stocked with desserts) I would have The Micronauts by my side as well as any and all things Thanos and Warlock (especially those issues by my hero Jim Starlin). I would also have to bring along Descender, which is written by Jeff Lemire, the writer on the new — bring it back home, Donist — Thanos comic. Admittedly, I’m a tad behind on whatever is going on in the Marvel U at the moment, but when you mix one of my favorite creators with one of my favorite characters, and it is currently outside of any events, there’s no way I would skip out on reading this series. At only two issues in, the story is quite simple: Thanos is dying and he will take everyone with him if he cannot discover a cure for his condition. There are various factions seeking to put him down ahead of schedule, but you will just have to read this title to learn more about them. Needless to say I am digging the story so far, and I am also very much enjoying Deodatos art, with the coolest sequence being the one of Nebula breaking into a spaceship, which looks like something out of an old Warren Magazine sci-fi story. It’s beautiful. But what I enjoyed most about this issue is the coloring and design. I am unsure whether Deodato or Martin is responsible for the stunning halftone dots found on every page, but the colors…oh my stars and garters, Denizens…the colors are amazing on this comic. Martin knows how to make a great and peaceful world appear truly magical, and it’s his use of analogous and complementary colors at just the right time to really ramp up the emotion of a scene — again, the Nebula sequence takes the cake. So, yes, it is possible to have someone other than Starlin deliver a great look into the complex character of Thanos, and I am thrilled to see what happens next. You need to check this out. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, Omnibus Volume 1

Mostly written by Steve Englehart and Doug Moench, mostly illustrated by Jim Starlin and Paul Gulacy, lots of other writers and artists, lots of inkers, lots of letterers, lots of colorists, published by Marvel Comics. This is going to be a brief look at what I could easily disect over a year’s worth of FSoH/SitW posts, but there’s so many comics and so little time. Honestly, when it comes down to it, you’re either a fan of the bronze age, or of kung fu comics, or of spy intrigue, or you have always wanted to delve into those worlds, or you’re not. This collection was practically made for me. Flat out, I love this tremendous omnibus. Not only is it filled with 28 comics — many of which are “Giant-Size” issues — it is a joy to read both from the perspective of the oft crazy story and the killer art. Shang-Chi, a master of kung fu (duh) seeks to stop the diabolical machinations of his father, Fu Manchu. There’s plenty of exciting fight sequences and plenty of ridiculous villains — with Razor-Fist reigning supreme — and many long musings about the world, humanity, business, the environment, and so much more, but everything fits together wonderfully in this truly special collectors item. And when I say “collectors item,” I mean that you kind of have to be a collector to buy this lovely beast of a book as it retails for $125. Not only that, but there are two more volumes in the series, and there’re two volumes of the sister series called The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, which also retail for $125 each. Even with steep discounts, getting each of these books will cost you some decent coin, and I challenge anyone to carry around all five books at once; there might still be another volume or two to go as well. The thing is…despite the money and the shear weight of all the volumes, it might all be kind of worth it to bring these little puppies on home. For most of my comic-book-loving life I have regretted not picking up these issues when they were coming out (I only had so much allowance money) and coupled with the whole legality of using the Fu Manchu character, it looked like I might never be able to check out these awesome comics; I’m so glad things have since changed. Just one of these volumes will keep you busy for a good, long while, and now that I’ve finished the first omnibus, I’m looking at my current allowance to see when I can get the next. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


Slice into the Woods


Donald Trump Continues to Ruin America

<sigh> I know it’s the holidays, but we cannot forget that the keys to our country will soon be handed over to an orange-skinned sociopath with a shitty hairdo. Now more than ever we need to come together as a country to stand-up to this monster and his multi-millionaire / billionaire squad of goons and sycophant losers. We need to obstruct every initiative Trump seeks to enact that damages our people, our institutions, or the ideals upon which our country was founded. Not only should every move this amateur makes be scrutinized, those in positions of authority and knowhow need to be digging and digging and digging to find the litany of past crimes and impeachable offenses this buffoon has committed over the years so he can rightfully be removed from office in the near future, if not preferably before he even begins his first day. Fuck that guy.


Share/Bookmark

Friday, December 16, 2016

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 12/16/2016

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 / sleep expert Tulip (my dog, Reverse Obie’s sister). We’re keeping the intro short this week as it is already rather late, and my puppy executive team and I need to grab some shut-eye. I don’t know what the deal is, but as great as we are at maintaining our status as a Fortune 320,000 company, we suck at sleeping soundly. Well, okay, Tulip and Reverse Obie sleep just fine, I’m the one with difficulties sleeping; it might have something from being puppy kicked by Tulip throughout the night. Anyhow, we’re hitting the Casper mattress and attempting to get something that resembles real sleep. <yawn> So, once you wake up, get some exercise, pour yourself a coffee, drink plenty of water, and check out some great comics. Take care. 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



Descender #17


Written by Jeff Lemire, illustrated by Dustin Nguyen, lettered and designed by Steve Wands, copy edits by Brendan Wright, published by Image Comics. It’s only been two months since my favorite comic on the stands went on a brief hiatus, but dang did the wait seem so much longer…painful even. If you remember, the third arc of the series primarily spotlighted the past of a different character for each issue (Bandit, TIM-22, Driller, Telsa, Andy and Queen Between); meanwhile, the main story gradually moved forward. Now, as we kick off the fourth arc, we are thrust back into the thick of things with three of the storylines propelling the story ahead. Where the last chapter was slow, deliberate — yet compelling as heck — this one moves quickly to bring a resolution  to the cliffhanger from way back in issue 12. Lemire’s story does not disappoint, and, of course, neither does Nguyen’s lush art. Each individual panel is lovely, but when you consider how effectively Nguyen carries emotion and drama, action and storytelling it is staggering to realize he accomplishes it all with watercolors…one of the most difficult styles to master. <whew> What’s been my favorite comic on the stands for all of 2016 continues to be my favorite comic on the stands, and for very good reason. If you want a beautifully told and presented sci-fi tale with heart, thrills, and chills, then look no further than the incredible Descender. You can pick up the first three trades today, which I strongly suggest you do. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


Wonder Woman #12


Written by Greg Rucka, illustrated by Nicola Scott, colored Romulo Fajardo Jr., lettered by Jodi Wynne, published by DC Comics. I have to say, Denizens, that although I am really enjoying Wonder Woman’s present-day adventures, I am loving the “Year One” glimpse into her past even more. Rucka’s portrayal of Diana as the stranger-in-a-strange-land continues to charm me as she attempts to learn the language while experiencing the good and the bad of our society. The moments with Steve Trevor as the pair fall in love are touching especially when Diana opens up about a past love from Themyscira. But the honest emotional moments aren’t just restricted to the two main characters; the opening sequence between Lieutenant Candy and Dr. Minerva is simply delightful. Dialogue and scripted moments stand up perfectly on their own, but when you add Scott’s gorgeous art…it’s impossible not to fall in love with this book. To see Diana and Trevor smile — especially on one of the best double-page spreads to date — it’s impossible not to smile yourself. Fajardo Jr.’s vibrant colors bring life and positivity to a comic book landscape that leans all too often toward the dark and gritty. Writing. Art. Colors. It’s all solid. If you’ve been wanting to dive into the world of Wonder Woman, this series is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. The first trade of Diana’s present day adventures looks to arrive come February 2017. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


Reborn #3


Written by Mark Millar, pencilled by Greg Capullo, inked by Jonathan Glapion, colored by FCO Plascencia, lettered and designed by Nate Piekos of Blambot, edited by Rachael Fulton, published by Image Comics. Alrighty, this one’s gonna be a toughie to review without giving away too much of the premise revealed back in the first issue, but I’ll do what I can not to spoil much. Anyhow…Reborn’s name alone should shed some light on what to expect, and given the cover to this issue, I can safely say that a reunited father and daughter embark on some crazy adventures filled with monsters and swords and sorcery and lasers and beings with superhuman abilities. Basically you’re getting a whole mess of genres in one story, which in less capable hands would be a no-no. Coming from Millar and Capullo, however, you can rest assured that all’s gonna be just fine. Like I mention above, this is an action-packed, stress ball of an issue, with creepy-as-heck bad guys to boot. Capullo’s art shines and Plascencia’s colors round the experience out with the occasional flash of hue bringing light even to the Dark Lands. I will say that Roy Boy better be okay, and that whenever a shadowy figure opens his cloak and tells you to jump inside that you do not do it! Reborn is turning out to be a heck of a lot of fun. At only three issues in, you should be able to catch up lickety split. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


Slice into the Woods


Donald Trump’s Continued Strides to Ruin America

Yeah, I know I’ve been hating on this orange buffoon for a while, but I’ve despised everything this small-handed tyrant has stood for going on two decades now. Unlike a fine wine, Drumpf only manages to worsen with age. I sincerely hope the Electors right this bizarre and possibly stolen election. For the sake of not forgetting what this lying criminal has been up to, here’s a small reminder of Trump’s current misdeeds (I have to stay with current events, because he’s committed far too many wrongs over the years to recount here):

  • Settled Trump University fraud lawsuit for $25,000,000.
  • Many, many, MANY business conflicts of interest.
  • Russian hacking in our election in favor of Trump. Unconfirmed if he’s directly involved.
  • Loads and loads of debt. Namely Deutsche Bank…not good.
  • He lies more than he speaks the truth.
  • His VP, Mike Pence, believes in the debunked gay conversion therapy.
  • His list of cabinet picks reads like a “Best of” of supervillains. Millionaires and billionaires who look to dismantle labor laws, public schools, social security, the Environmental Protection Agency, all to better serve the interests of those with extreme wealth. Some picks have / had ties to Putin, others are straight-up racists, a few are conspiracy theory loons.
  • And so on and so on and so on and so on…

Ugh. Our country could use some good news, namely that neither this narcissistic sociopath, nor his coterie of cretins ever comes to power in our country.



Share/Bookmark

Friday, December 9, 2016

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 12/9/2016

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 / get-back-in-shape counselor Tulip (my dog, Reverse Obie’s sister). We’re keeping the intro short this week as it is already rather late, and my puppy executive team need to hit the hay. Come to think of it, what does that saying even mean? Is it like trying to sleep on some hay in a barn or something? Hay itches somethin’ fierce, so I doubt that much sleep would get done. Naw, Denizens. We’re hitting the Casper mattress and getting some real sleep.We’re gonna sleep like a boss. <yawn> So, once you wake up, get some exercise, pour yourself a coffee, drink plenty of water, and check out some great comics. Take care. 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



The Flintstones #6


Written by Mark Russell, illustrated by Steve Pugh, colored by Chris Chuckry, lettered by Dave Sharpe, published  by DC Comics. You’ve been listening to me gush about the fantastic The Flintstones comic for five issues now. I flat out love this series. It’s honestly my favorite comic being published by DC right now. That said, the latest issue is probably my least favorite of the series to date, which is not a knock on the creators, it just means that this issue is merely dang good versus freakin’ hilariously awesome. Basically, this month’s offering is a look at humanity when faced with certain doom. People reveal dirty secrets, stop helping others, seek to help only themselves, all because of a miscalculation from the only scientist in town. At first, I thought this story was somehow a knock against scientists, but then I realized it’s a warning about blindly following someone without confirming or fact checking what that person says. Sound familiar? There are plenty of sight gags to be found, and some humorous sequences, but my favorite moment came with the discussion between “Bowling Ball” and “Vacuum,” which was an odd mixture of horrifying and touching, if you can believe that. But I need to stress again that although this isn’t my favorite issue of the six released thus far, The Flintstones continues to be a brilliant satirical look at life, love, religion, the news, and everything else that goes on in our society. This great series sees a trade drop March 2017, but why wait? You should just go ahead and grab the floppies as soon as you can. Treat yo self! RECOMMENDED!


Black Science #26


Written by Rick Remender, illustrated by Matteo Scalera, colored by Moreno Dinisio, lettered by Rus Wooton, edited by Sebastian Girner, published by Image Comics. A new arc begins and Grant McKay is nowhere to be seen. Instead, the creators focus on Pia as she begins to search for one of her past fellow travelers, which she secretly hopes to be her lost brother. We also take a look at Mr. Block of Block Industries and the excesses his greed and lust for power have driven the evildoer to commit. It’s a great story that picks up right where we left off — minus Grant — but the real triumph of this issue is the art of Scalera and Dinisio. Whether it is the character acting, or the storytelling, or the lush backgrounds of the other-dimensional strip club, every bit of Scalera’s art is enough to leave you awestruck. Dinisio’s work has always displayed a lovely color palette, but this issue, Denizens, this issue is some next-level sizzle. Holy smokes! Just have a look at the cover with the vibrant shocks of beautiful color. The interior is equally impressive starting with the relatively simple first-page splash of a lit hand holding a fork. From there, the pages that follow are a showcase of lovely highlights followed by even more beautiful hues once we arrive at the aforementioned strip club; the ending sequence in the cave (not spoiling) continues the sweetness. Dang, this is one heck of a gorgeous comic. Longterm Denizens have been enjoying Black Science with me for some time now, but for those holdouts on this grand series you can catch up with the first five trades or the oversized hardcover. Black Science is comics sci-fi goodness everyone should be reading. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


A.D.: After Death #1


Written by Scott Snyder, illustrated by Jeff Lemire, lettered by Steve Wands, copy edits by Brendan Wright, published by Image Comics. Yes, this one came out two weeks ago, but I finally have a chance to talk about it now. I also count myself lucky to actually hold this gorgeous book in my grubby little mitts, as I forgot to add it to my pull, but I luckily have a LCS that knows what I like and stashed one away for me. Love, Denizens…love. Anyhow, I’m not really sure how I want to talk about this one, as touching on parts of the story will spoil much of the premise. So I won’t discuss the fantastic story. Instead, I’m going to focus on the format and the production of the physical book. A.D.: After Death is a magazine-sized, extra-length, three-issue series that is a mixture of prose highlighted with still imagery, and comic book storytelling. The cover is a slightly thicker, textured paper with faux distress that tactilely feels amazing. The interior paper might be of a heavier stock than regular Image comic books, but it is hard to tell. What is clear is that fans of Lemire’s art and Snyder’s non-superhero writing will not be disappointed in this truly special release that you should pounce on provided you can actually find a copy. I can’t wait to see where this meticulously crafted piece of art takes us next. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


Slice into the Woods


Donald Trump’s Continued Strides to Ruin America

I’m kind of repeating myself here from the past two weeks, but the negative and truly awful things this inexperienced, morally bankrupt, orange blowhard continues to do are simply too numerous to recount here. I’ll focus on one that has me pissed for going on three weeks now:
  1. Again-again, I have to state how shitty of a decision it is to pick Betsy DeVos as head of the Department of Education. She’s a billionaire donor to the Republican party. Her husband is an heir to the Ponzi Scheme that is Amway. She has no experience in public education. She has spent no time in the classroom. Neither she nor her children have ever attended a public school. DeVos is a proponent of the common core and “school choice,” which means our tax dollars going to charter schools, for-profit schools, and worst of all religious schools. Her appointment is an insulting blow to our public education system. For a truthful and realistic look at charter schools check out this piece by John Oliver from “Last Week Tonight.” Public education is a big part of what actually makes America great (America never stopped being great, btw), and with the awful choice of DeVos, the right’s goal of dismantling our constantly-under-attack public education system just became that much easier.
  2. Trump picked a climate-denier who sued the EPA (Scott Pruitt) to run the EPA. Wow, talk about a dick move of epic proportions.
  3. Trump’s vengeful, lying Twitter posts.
Trump continues to be up to some terrible shit, and it only looks to get worse. He isn’t even in office yet. Fuck. Monsters and nut jobs and Wall Street crooks, oh my. Truly deplorable.


Share/Bookmark

Friday, December 2, 2016

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 12/2/2016

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 / champion turkey-taster Tulip (my dog, Reverse Obie’s sister). Well, another Thanksgiving has come and gone, and my puppy executive team and I are still feeling the effects of going a little crazy over the previous week. Now, the Donist World office (Mom’s basement) is not only committed to maintaining our status as a Fortune 320,000 company, but also in establishing our commitment to maintaining well minds and bodies. No more Reverse Obie looking like a meatloaf on legs. No more Tulip lying on her side as she gobbles a deluge of kibble. No more of me…oh…there’s a nine-day-old piece of pumpkin pie left in the fridge. Oh me, oh my. Anyhow, in between stretching your legs, and getting some air, pour yourself a coffee, drink plenty of water, and check out some great comics. Take care. 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



Seven to Eternity #3


Written by Rick Remender, illustrated by Jerome Opeña, colored by Matt Hollingsworth, lettered by Rus Wooton, edited by Sebastian Girner, published by Image Comics. Oh boy, Denizens, I’m gonna have to make a lofty statement here. You ready? Here goes: Of Remender’s recent work, Seven to Eternity has to be my favorite so far. Come to think of it, it’s almost up there with the tremendous, must-read Fear Agent. I know, right? “But, Donist, you love Black Science, Low, Deadly Class, and Tokyo Ghost,” you say. And I still do. Very much so, but Seven to Eternity has sucked me in completely. Maybe I’ve been longing for a straight-up fantasy series to come along, one with wondrous creatures, bizarre magic, and a truly terrible force of evil. Or maybe it’s the new mythologies, or the strong sense of family, or the theme of standing by your convictions and doing what’s right that’s the main draw. It could also be Remender’s phenomenal writing with grand stakes and wonderfully developed characters and Opeña’s gorgeous layouts and character designs given life through Hollingsworth’s rich color palette. Let’s just say it’s all of these things. The end of this issue wraps up what can best be described as a three-issue-long prologue, where we now have the seven together (one of which remains kind of cloaked and mysterious) and the adventure is ready to now begin. This is kind of crazy. Especially given how much I have loved all three issues. This one, however, has what remains of the Mosak taking on the Mud King’s loyal servant, the Piper, and although the Mosak have the numbers, the fearsome Piper is not going to go down easy. Heck, he’s not going to go down at all. Man, oh man, the fight in this issue is harsh, and Piper’s powers are weird, and…<ack> I’m not going to say anything else other than if you are not reading what may end up being the best new comic series of 2016, then you need to be making moves to remedy the situation. <phew> Dang, this is a great series, and it is literally just getting started. I can’t wait to see what happens next. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!


Deadly Class #24


Written by Rick Remender, illustrated by Wes Craig, colored by Jordan Boyd, lettered by Rus Wooton,  edited by Sebastian Girner, published by Image Comics. Well, what do you know. I was just ringing the glory bells for Remender’s work, and hot dang we get a double whammy of awesomeness this week. Now, I really enjoyed our introduction to the first semester at Kings Dominion that ran through issues 1–21, and I was hella messed up by the end, but dang if the second semester and its new crop of kids aren’t charming the heck out of me, too. The cover alone, with death-metal-lovin’ Helmut facing down the sociopathic Viktor, left me trembling with excitement — and to be honest, nervous worry — and the interior did not let me down. Sure, Helmut and Viktor only get in each other’s faces in this issue, but that’s cool. The moments with returning character Saya trying to make sense of her life as Shabnam plots to be in charge all help drive the reader's escalating sense of tension to run wild. Oh yeah…and Helmut’s story is a gas (see what I did there, those who read it?), it’s hilarious, but I ain’t about to spoil it for those wet noodles still on the fence about picking up this fantastic series about a high school for assassins. If the concept for the story isn’t quite enough to get you to give Deadly Class a try, then have a look at Craig’s phenomenal character acting and his killer layouts with his creative use of high-panel-count pages. Still uncertain? Feast your peepers on Boyd’s use of monochromatic color schemes and halftone dots that make already beautiful line work that much better. You can easily catch up with the oversized hardcover, or the four available trades. You need to be reading this series, Denizens. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


Saga #40


Written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated Fiona Staples, lettered and designed by Fonografiks, coordinated by Eric Stevenson, published by Image Comics. Yup, still loving Saga. Saga is the book that comes to mind every single time I think I want to give the first trade to a friend or colleague to introduce them to the joys of comic books…and I then I remember the very first page of the very first issue…then Fard (Fard!)…then the dragon (geez Louise!), and a whole host of other severely NSFW topics and imagery to be found in this great series, and I usually just give that friend a bottle of wine or something. Although there’s no such thing as a bad issue of Saga, I will say that the past two issues have been merely really, really good, as opposed to freaking phenomenal. But in typical Vaughan and Staples fashion, this issue’s conclusion leaves on a cliffhanger that looks to rev things up to being heavenly once again…that, or the creators are going to give us yet another heart-crushing moment that will mess me up for days afterwards. Dang…Prince Robot…that’s all I’m sayin’. Anyhow, if you aren’t already reading the best sci-fi / fantasy / romance / family drama comic on the stands, then you can and should catch up with the lovely oversized hardcover or the the many trades. Just don’t let any dang kiddies near this 100% NSFW-but-fantastic-nonetheless series. RECOMMENDED!


Slice into the Woods


Donald Trump’s Continued Strides to Ruin America

I’m kind of repeating myself here from last week, but the negative and truly awful things this inexperienced, morally bankrupt, orange blowhard has done over the last couple of weeks — not to mention the past year — are simply too numerous to recount here. I’ll focus on one that still has me pissed:
  1. Again, I have to state how shitty of a decision it is to pick Betsy DeVos as head of the Department of Education. She’s a billionaire donor to the Republican party. Her husband is an heir to the Ponzi Scheme that is Amway. She has no experience in public education. She has spent no time in the classroom. Neither she nor her children have ever attended a public school. DeVos is a proponent of the common core and “school choice,” which means our tax dollars going to charter schools, for-profit schools, and worst of all religious schools. Her appointment is an insulting blow to our public education system. For a truthful and realistic look at charter schools check out this piece by John Oliver from “Last Week Tonight.” Public education is a big part of what actually makes America great (America never stopped being great, btw), and with the awful choice of DeVos, the right’s goal of dismantling our constantly-under-attack public education system just became that much easier.
Trump continues to be up to some terrible shit, and it only looks to get worse. He isn’t even in office yet. Fuck. Monsters and nut jobs and Wall Street crooks, oh my. Truly deplorable.


Share/Bookmark