Friday, July 28, 2017

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 7/28/2017

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 / vaccinated vacationer Tulip (my dog, Reverse Obie’s sister). I know I’m late. Very late, but I have my reasons. Namely, I was out of the office on vacation down south (hello Stone Brewing and thank you for your delicious w00t Stout!) for three days, and up at Lake Arrowhead for another three. Amy the intern, Tulip, and I just got back in town late Thursday. Hey, we had a great time while Reverse Obie held down the fort at the corporate office (Mom’s basement). Now, I had every intention of writing up this post early Friday afternoon, but I had to take Tulip in for her annual checkup at the vet (perfect health, btw), and I’ve spent much of today apologizing to her and Reverse Obie for putting Tulip through the traumatic ordeal; I wish they knew I only take them to the vet because I love them. Anyhow, here’s a better-late-than-never post about a book that really knocked my socks off. I hope you’re ready for this one, Denizens, it’s a dang-fine comic, indeed! So, before you dive in, grab a tasty beer or refreshing iced tea, relax, and while you’re at it 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


Space Riders, Vol. 1

Written by Fabian Rangel Jr., illustrated by Alexis Ziritt, lettered by Ryan Ferrier, published by Black Mask Studios. Okay, Denizens, here’s what you’re gonna do: light some candles in a dark room (enough to read by), eat a couple calaveras, chase those yummy sugar skulls with a couple shots of mezcal (if you are old enough to drink alcohol, otherwise down a Red Bull or two), and prepare your eyes and mind for the trip-and-a-half-for-your-ass known as Space Riders.

Don’t call him Captain Peligro, it’s Capitan Peligro, and he is on the eternal mission to vanquish the evils of the universe…if he can gain revenge against the bootlicker who betrayed him, then that would be just fine. Joining Capitan Peligro aboard the skull ship the Santa Muerte is his crew: Yara, an android; and Mono, a mandrill warrior. The team of Space Riders will encounter diabolical space Vikings, meet powerful warrior women, and blast through space and time as they explore the psychedelic mysteries of the cosmos.

Dagnabbit! I love everything about this book. Rangel Jr. weaves an old school space opera that is economical in words on the page, yet mighty in the tale being told. He also wastes absolutely no time thrusting you into the thick of things while giving you just enough insight into Capitan Peligro to get you up and running. And you will run, as things move fast from beginning to end on this whip-crack trek of an adventure.

Then there’s the art…

Yes, the story alone had me smiling all the way through, but it was the dang cover that drew my eye above anything else on the stand. Ziritt’s colors and design are a 70s blacklight lover’s dream come true. If you’re worried the style shifts or changes once you get to the interiors, then have no fear; the interior has not only the glimmer and pizzazz of the covers but so much more. The character designs are glorious, the storytelling phenomenal — love the panel of Mono punching a space Viking to pieces — and the aforementioned colors are simply otherworldly in the best of ways. I also have to applaud the production of the book from the matte feel of the cover, to the intentionally weathered look of the interior pages and the deliberate touch of the shifted color “plates” to roughen things up.

Everything about this book is beautiful, and it is 100% a comic you need to own physically, not digitally, as a good portion of the experience that is Space Riders comes from holding it in your sugar-high shaking hands. To make matters even more awesome, there’s a follow-up series called Space Riders: Galaxy of Brutality that I will definitely buy in trade form, or floppies if I can manage to track down the issues. I fell in love with this book over my vacation, Denizens, and I know you will too. It’s settled, I’m going to read it again, and I’m also going to track down other work by these immensely talented creators, including any Space Riders merchandise I can find. Seriously, I want…no, need…a blacklight poster of this cover (and also a blacklight bulb, come to think of it), but for now I will have to reread this heavenly treasure over and over and over and over again. Straight up, you MUST read this comic.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


Slice into the Woods

Poolside Nachos - It goes without saying that this Donist has his quirks. I also have a massive list of pet peeves. This weekend, while on vacation, I added a new one to the ever-growing list. You see, Denizens, Amy the Intern, Tulip, and I spent three nights at the Omni La Costa hotel last week, and it was one heck of a good, relaxing time. One thing I wanted to do while there was have their mile-high nachos; I saw a couple women eating them once while on a business trip there a few months ago. Unfortunately, I did not have an opportunity to order them. This time, however, I made a beeline for the Diversions Sports Lounge the first night there, and the nachos were everything I ever dreamed of eating.

My issue awakened on Saturday when the adults-only swimming pool was packed to gills with so many people desperate to be seen and be part of the scene that we had to turn around and go to one of smaller, but quieter, pools on the other end of the property. BUT, just before we left, I saw a group of three women eating the mile-high nachos at the poolside. What’s wrong with that, Donist? You said you love the nachos. Oh, I do love the nachos, there’s no arguing that. My problem lies in that by “poolside,” I mean the three women were IN the pool, with the nachos sitting on the side of the pool by them. What this means, is that these women were eating the nachos with their saltwater-drenched fingers dripping onto their chips as cheese, sour cream, soggy tortilla bits, and steak bites fell into the pool being used by the throngs of other guests. Not only that, they were stuffing the chips into their maws, licking their fingers while rinsing off their soiled talons in the pool. Barf me out. Gag me with a spoon. Oh, the humanity. Oh, the horror, the horror. What the hell is wrong with people?


Please Just Put #45 and All of His Scum in Jail Already - The near Hitler Youth rally with the Boy Scouts, the hiring and firing and feuds with staff, the general idiocy of Stupid Watergate, the “banning” of transgender people serving in the military…yeah, the Grand Cheeto and his traitorous ilk need to go.

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