Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 6/28/2019

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/Day Spa Darling Tulip (my dog, Reverse Obie’s sister). All right. Yes, I know. We vanished for a month, we came back and proclaimed we were back, and then disappeared again. The thing is that after the turmoil of the past few months, my Boston terrier executive team and I decided to take a holiday to Carmel to regroup and recover. We fully intended to write a “Friday Slice of Heaven” entry but we got a little too into relaxation mode and it just didn’t happen. Instead, we had a couple meals and beers at Yeast of Eden—a fantastic brewpub—and spent three glorious hours at The Refuge. Now, The Refuge is located in Carmel and has a gorgeous view of trees and hills and is a spa whose rules dictate no electronic devices, no talking, and no one under 18 years of age. With that, you get to alternate between eucalyptus steam rooms, dry saunas, cold and cool pools (more like so-cold-you'll-freeze-your-junk-off and it-feels-like-there-should-be-ice-cubes-floating-around), warm and hot pools, reading by a sun-kissed fire pit (umbrellas for shade if you like), or relaxing in a gravity chair to calming chimes. It was pretty amazing. Tulip preferred the steam room as Reverse Obie sweated out the stress toxins in the Sauna. I, however, preferred the gravity chairs where I dozed off to memories or running with Tulip in between the side of the creek and the bike path as the sun shone bright with Tulip looking back to be sure I wasn’t dropping too far behind. The day did us all some good. So, take a breath, let your shoulders relax, grab a tasty beer and some pizza, get ready for the next Spider-Man movie, sit back, relax, 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

Ascender #3

(Written by Jeff Lemire, illustrated by Dustin Nguyen, lettered and designed by Steve Wands, published by Image Comics)

Some great comics released these past two weeks but DANG if Ascender didn’t completely flip my dome. Criminy, this comic is the best. In this issue, Andy and his daughter Mila are on the run from Mother, the murderous witch who commands hordes of diabolical creatures, but there are also dire threats lurking in the woods. We learn the tragic event that befell Effy and also the value of having a good dog—even a robotic one—by your side. Nguyen’s watercolored art is even more lovely than usual, which is saying something, and the final page reveal had my heart racing and made me jump up and pump my fist in joy. The first chapter of this tale, Descender, is a must-read Donist World Darling of a series and this second act is already shaping up to be every bit its equal.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Little Bird #4

(Written by Darcy Van Poelgeest, illustrated by Ian Bertram, colored by Matt Hollingsworth, lettered by Aditya Bidikar, designed by Ben Didier, published by Image Comics)

Where Ascender made me gasp and then cheer, the penultimate issue of this miniseries that thoroughly took hold of me with the first issue also made me gasp…but there was no cause for celebration with the final few pages. Only a creeping sense of dread and the admission that I have absolutely no clue as to how things will go down, which is right where I want to be with this breakout post-apocalyptic story that depicts the perils of a terrifying theocratic society that is startling in its depiction by Van Poelgeest and oh-so-beautifully brought to life by Bertram’s masterful lines and Hollingsworth’s otherworldly colors. Even though it is almost over, you don’t want to wait for the eventual hardcover. Seek out the floppies and then double dip on the collection when it drops at the end of the year.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Conan the Barbarian #7

(Written by Jason Aaron, illustrated by Mahmud Asrar, colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered by VC’s Travis Lanham, published by Marvel Comics)

There are three or four Conan related titles currently hitting the shelves every month(ish) and although I’ve heard good things about them, I’m currently only reading the one that restarted it all: Conan the Barbarian. Every issue has been outstanding so far with pretty much standalone tales of our favorite barbarian's adventures with the exception of a couple pages here or there of a witch’s brood's attempts to kill the Cimerian. Here, Conan has “rescued” five lovely women from their lives as sex slaves after a substantial payment to their former captor. But what does Conan mean to do with his new purchases? You’ll have to read it to see in this fun, thrilling issue that combines the mystery behind the barbarian’s motives with a deeper glimpse into how he thinks and who he is. If you’ve been on the fence about reading this exciting reboot, then rest assured that it is solid proof of Aaron’s deep love and knowledge of the character and that you definitely need to purchase the soon-to-be released trade.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Guardians of the Galaxy #6

(Written by Donny Cates, illustrated by Geoff Shaw, colored by David Curiel, lettered by VC’s Cory Petit, published by Marvel Comics)

Cates’s phenomenal work at Marvel is what lured me back to the House of Ideas. I loved Thanos Wins and his run with Ryan Stegman on Venom has been nothing short of heavenly, so picking up Guardians of the Galaxy was a total no brainer. In this issue, the moment the Guardians have been dreading is about to come true: the resurrection of the mad Titan, Thanos. Hela and the Black Order stand at the brink of success and a difficult decision must be made. I love this series, especially given that nearly all of my favorite cosmic heroes flow in and out of its pages, but I will say that…things…get resolved a tad too quickly for my liking. Regardless, this comic is a heck of a good time. The trade gets released in August.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

X-Men Grand Design - X-Tinction #2

(Everythinged by Ed Piskor, published by Marvel Comics)

Piskor set out on what I thought to be a nigh-impossible task for himself when he decided to take decades of crazy continuity spread across hundreds of issues and condense it all down into three, two-issue chapters (that there is six issues for those doing the maths) that would summarize all of that material into something that not only made sense, but captured the thrill and fun of reading the issues back in the day. He knocked it out of the freakin’ park. Couple this with the fact that he did EVERYTHING on this series—including the design and the selection of the aged-looking paper—and you have something special, something the likes of which we most likely won’t see for some time to come…unless, of course, it’s whatever it is the man decides to tackle next. If you haven’t been picking up these monumental issues, then the three oversized trades are definitely the way to go…unless Marvel agrees to put out an omnibus of the whole shebang, which I really hope they do. Please! Please! Please!
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

That about does it for this installment, Denizens, but there were a few other, older things I read over the past two weeks that I think I will save for another day. Have a great 4th of July and get out there for some Spider-Man: Far from Home action! See you next time.

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 6/28/2019

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 6/14/2019

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/Still Adjusting Tulip (my dog, Reverse Obie’s sister). Phew! Okay, Denizens, we’re back after missing a month. After a whirlwind of selling our place, buying our new place, dealing with shutting down utilities and starting up utilities, securing insurance, contracting movers, moving from one place to another, lifting heavy boxes for three days straight, getting rid of furniture no one wants (hurts my heart), cleaning old places, changing mailing addresses everywhere, restocking food, packing and unpacking, trips to the dump, trips to Alpha Thrift, and tons of paperwork, we are finally in our new home and I finally have a moment to talk about some comics. Since we’re pretty far behind, I’m going to do a rapid-fire burst of the comics my puppy executive team and I have read over the past month that we think you should know about. So, take a breath, let your shoulders relax, grab a tasty beer and some pizza, get ready for the next Spider-Man movie, sit back, relax, 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

Silver Surfer Black #1

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

You know I’ve been vibing on pretty much every-gosh-darned-thing Donny Cates has been writing and written (I still need to jump on Babyteeth, though), but I somehow neglected to add this powerhouse, must-buy comic to my pull. I am so thankful I secured a copy. Holy. Cosmic. Glorificusness! This comic is not only up there with my favorite Marvel cosmic adventures by way of the story, but the art is not just amazing, it is simply out of this world. This comic is like a time jump back to the ’70s with psychedelic art that is destined to flip your dome and send you on a trip from which you never want to return. All we need is for an oversized reprint of this issue as a velvety blacklight poster…or at least the next issue in my grubby mitts ASAP. Plus, this issue includes a fantastic twist I did not see coming. C’mon, Marvel, blacklight posterize this sexy beast!!!
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The Immortal Hulk #19

(Written by Al Ewing, illustrated by Joe Bennet, inked by Ruy José and Belardino Brabo, colored by Paul Mounts and Rachelle Rosenberg, lettered by VC’s Cory Petit)

The last time I really enjoyed a Hulk comic was back when I was living in Ohio as an eight-year-old. Yes, I admit that Peter David’s highly-regarded run is a blind spot I mean to fix at some point, but Ewing and Bennet’s horror take on ol’ jade jaws is one of the best things Marvel has put out in quite some time. The Abomination is exactly that, a complete and utter abomination that might just find his way into your worst nightmares and ends up being the most unnerving adversary the Hulk has had to face thus far in this phenomenal series…which is saying something. The Immortal Hulk is a scary thrill-ride that 100% warrants the rave reviews it has received since its first issue. If you aren’t reading this unique, experimental run of the Hulk, then you need to correct that through the three available trades!

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Guardians of the Galaxy Annual #1

(Written by Donny Cates, Al Ewing, Tini Howard, and Zac Thompson & Lonnie Nadler; illustrated by John McCrea, Yiloirry Cinar, Ibrahim Moustafa, and Filipe Andrade; colored by Mike Spicer, Rain Beredo, and Jay David Ramos; lettered by VC’s Cory Petit; published by Marve Comics)

This somehow missed my pull a couple of weeks ago and given my decades of experience of being let down by annuals, I was okay with missing this issue; then I saw this copy sitting on my LCS’s shelf and I caved; I’m glad I picked it up. You essentially get four stories: one with the Universal Church of Truth showing they will be around to plague the Guardians in the future (more Adam Warlock?!), a great story about Nova and the mental health issues caused by war, another cool one with Adam Warlock taking on a false god, and one about Darkhawk that I don’t really get. All and all, this annual breaks the “disposable” trend of most annuals by providing a highly enjoyable preview of where Guardians of the Galaxy might be headed next.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Little Bird #3

(Written by Darcy Van Poelgeest, illustrated by Ian Bertram, colored by Matt Hollingsworth, lettered by Aditya Bidikar, designed by Ben Didier, published by Image Comics)

After reading yet another heavenly issue of this fantastic comic, I am now aware of the devastating truth that we have only two issues left of this haunting, violent, impeccably-illustrated series. Yes, there will eventually be a hardcover collection, but I strongly recommend getting the issues first—if you can find them—so that you will appreciate the need to double dip once the collection drops.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Ascender #2

(Written by Jeff Lemire, illustrated by Dustin Nguyen, lettered and designed by Steve Wands, published by Image Comics)

You all know that Lemire and Nguyen’s exceptionally gorgeous Descender has been my favorite series of the past five years. Now, two issues into the second half of this grand epic that has shifted from sci-fi to fantasy, Ascender looks to be my favorite series of the next five. In this issue, technology returns after ten years of its near absence as Bandit appears (I’m not spoiling a thing, he’s on the cover of the first issue for Pete’s sake) and in true Lemire fashion, the robot dog’s reunion with Andy left a couple tears streaming down my cheek. Issue three can’t come soon enough for this awesome series. I guess it’s time for a Descender reread.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Doomsday Clock #10

(Written by Geoff Johns, illustrated by Gary Frank, colored by Brad Anderson, lettered by Rob Leigh, published by DC Comics)
Although this title is slow in its release schedule—almost to the detriment of the flow of the story—I am still loving every page of this twelve-issue maxi-series. This issue setups up the foreshadowed confrontation between Dr. Manhattan (the man of inaction) and Superman (the man of action) as Dr. Manhattan jumps between parallel worlds and shows his connection to the DCU and how there can be so many slightly different iterations of the Man of Steel. I have no idea how it will all end with the final two issues, which is fine by me as that is exactly where I want to be. I look forward to reading the entirety of Doomsday Clock once it’s all done…whenever that might be.

X-Men Grand Design - X-Tinction #1

(Everythinged by Ed Piskor, published by Marvel Comics)

I’m as stunned as you are, Denizens, by the volume of Marvel titles that I have been picking up and loving over the past couple of months, and I guess you can say that Piskor’s intricately researched, planned, and executed retelling of decades of X-Men stories—mindbending continuity and all—is exactly the type of experimentation and risk-taking by Marvel that brought me back into the fold. The cool thing about the third, and final, two-issue chapter is that this era is exactly when I had decided enough is enough and bounced from all things involving the X-Men, so it is refreshing to get caught up on what all went down during the “X-Tinction” years as only the infinitely talented Piskor could deliver. This series is one you need to read in paper format to get the full experience of the textured paper and to experience The X-Men in the manner this creator intended.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! 

Green Lantern #8

(Written by Grant Morrison, illustrated by Liam Sharp, colored by Steve Oliff, lettered by Tom Orzechowski, published by DC Comics)

I somehow missed issue #7—don’t worry, a copy is on its way!—which everyone on the internet was freaking out about, but I broke my habit of refusing to read issues out of order as the promise of a Green Lantern/Green Arrow team-up to fight intergalactic drug cartels was just too much for me to resist. I have no idea what the hell “Xeen Arrow” is or where it comes from, all I know is that this issue was so delightfully weird that I loved every page of it. It also doesn’t hurt to have Sharp’s oh-so-gorgeous art to guide you on this insane trip. Oh, looky there…issue #7 just arrived; I know exactly what I’ll be reading next.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

There were a ton of other fantastic comics I read since I last checked in, but these were the ones that stood out and wowed me the most. Thank you for reading and see you next time!

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 6/14/2019

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 5/10/2019

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/Queen of the Heavy Tulip (my dog, Reverse Obie’s sister). Okay, here’s the deal: the reason why I missed a couple of posts this year, after more than nine years of uninterrupted Donist World heavenliness, is because Amy the Intern (my wife), Tulip, and I are going to be moving at the end of this month. We’re not moving too far, just closer in town, which is something we meant to do 10 years ago but couldn’t at the time. In order to do this, we’ve had to jump through all sorts of hoops to find a realtor, to get our place ready for sale, to secure the sale, to find a new home, to have our offer accepted, and to prepare for the actual move. It’s all been pretty relentless and there were times Tulip, Reverse Obie, and I just could not find the time to let y’all know about what comics have been flipping our wigs. That said, I suspect we’re going to miss a few more posts in the coming weeks, but now that things are looking to be nearing completion, I wanted to keep you all in the loop as to the why. So, take a breath, repeat “every little thing gonna be alright,” grab a tasty beer and some pizza, run out to see Avengers: Endgame, sit back, relax, and afterward read 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

Murder Falcon #8

(Everythinged by Daniel Warren Johnson, colored by Mike Spicer, lettered by Rus Wooton, edits by
Sean Mackiewicz and Arielle Basich (associate editor), published by Image Comics)

This is the moment I have been both ecstatic for and dreading since I found out the phenomenal Murder Falcon was ending with issue #8. This series finale is exciting, kick ass, scary, triumphant, and devastating all at the same time. Even just flipping through the comic today, after reading it a few days ago, I started getting choked up; I don’t even want to get into how rough it was finishing the book for the first time. Few comics, novels, or movies have affected me this way. Very few. But Murder Falcon hit me pretty hard and I freaking love it for that. It’s almost impossible to convey to someone who has not experienced this book that this comic about an ex-heavy metal guitarist who gains a magical guitar, and whose shredding riffs give great power and abilities to a beefy, falcon-headed warrior to fight monsters, will ultimately leave them sobbing upon reaching the end. The premise of the book is admittedly ridiculous, but Warren Johnson instills so much humanity, so much realism, into his characters that you fall in love with them from the moment you meet them. I cheered as each of Jake’s band members found their magical instrument and subsequent good-guy, monster champion. I was thrilled with each musician ally they met along their journey to combat the demonic forces of evil. I felt the loss when one fell all too soon. But, dang if I wasn’t cheering along through every single gorgeously rendered fight sequence. I was initially going to end with something along the lines of “This book is so much better than it has any right to be,” but that is not f_ing true. Murder Falcon is exactly as great—if not more so—than you can expect from one of my favorite comic creators; I cannot wait to see what Warren Johnson comes up with next. You can read the entire collection with the trade coming out in July, and I still hope to see this tremendous series get the oversized hardcover treatment it so rightfully deserves.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Conan the Barbarian #6

(Written by Jason Aaron, illustrated by Mahmud Asrar, colored by Matthew Wilson, lettered by VC’s Travis Lanham, published by Marvel Comics)

When Conan is discovered as the sole survivor of a decimated party of Turanian invaders, the Turan horde reluctantly realizes that this filthy barbarian might be their only hope of surviving against the deadly Stygians who have no intention of submitting. Aaron and Asrar continue some of the best Conan comics since the barbarian’s glory days of the ’70s. This is despite seeing very little of the  Crimson Witch and her awful brood in each issue, but this is fine. Thus far, we are treated to exceptional done-in-one tales of Conan’s exploits across the world on his journey to attaining his own kingdom. That said, we do see snippets of the death god Razazel's minions as they creep ever closer to sacrificing Conan for their own evil ends. Both the focal story of each issue and the slowly unfolding grander tale have me completely sucked in. If you are not reading the great Conan the Barbarian then, by Crom, you best do something to remedy that situation. The first trade of issues 1–6 releases in July.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Deadly Class #38

(Written by Rick Remender, illustrated by Wes Craig, colored by Jordan Boyd, lettered by Rus Wooton, edited by Briah Skelly, production by Erika Schnatz, published by Image Comics)

I have to admit to being a little confused as to how Marcus and Maria managed to make their way back into the Kings Dominion Atelier of the Deadly Arts school after everything that has happened in the series thus far. But that’s cool. I have no problem with just going with the flow and seeing the protagonists of the series once again meet their enemies face to face on their old stomping grounds. Now, all we need is for Saya to return and we’ll have the band back together…or at least the few members of the original band that happen to still be alive. Craig’s art continues to be exciting and unique and his use of high/low panel-counts per page succeeds in driving the intensity of a scene every bit as much as his solid storytelling. Now, I need to finally check out the television show. You can catch up with either the two hardcover Deluxe Editions that collect issues 1–31, or through the seven trades that collect issues 1–36.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


That’s it for this installment, Denizes. As I mentioned in the intro, no telling what the next few weeks hold in store for me, but Tulip, Reverse Obie, and I hope to get back on schedule in the next month or two once the move is all sorted out. Thank you for reading.

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 5/10/2019

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 5/3/2019

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/Puppy of Dragons Tulip (my dog, Reverse Obie’s sister). Alrighty, keeping the intro short this week as I need to go for a run—as prescribed by Tulip and Reverse Obie who will both be sitting on the couch and rewatching last week’s Game of Thrones episode as I wheeze and curse and struggle. So, grab a tasty beer and some pizza, run out to see Avengers: Endgame, sit back, relax, and afterward read 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

The Quantum Age

(Written by Jeff Lemire, illustrated by Wilfredo Torres, colored by Dave Stewart, lettered by Nate Piekos of Blambot, published by Dark Horse Books)

I remember seeing The Quantum Age #1 at my LCS the day it came out but I didn’t understand it was a Lemire book set in the Black Hammer universe. It wasn’t until the miniseries was half over that it dawned on me: I would soon be able to delve deeper into the world of one of the best comic series on the stands; I simply HAD TO HAVE this.
For those of you not familiar with the fantastic Black Hammer series (illustrated primarily by Dean Ormston), it is the story of a group of heroes who narrowly defeat a world-ending threat only to vanish without a trace. Presumed to have given up their lives to save humanity, these heroes are revered, mourned, memorialized…but they are also very much alive. Trapped on a country farm that actually succeeds in killing one of them, some of the heroes struggle to escape the quaint town as others settle comfortably into a world without supervillains and mad gods. Unfortunately, something is not quite right and the arrival of a newcomer looks to unearth a dire secret.
From the main series springs a bunch of miniseries that deepen the mystery of what happened to the heroes while effectively creating a rich and wonderful universe that looks to hopefully support additional ongoing series as well as more miniseries. To date, we have Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil (written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by David Rubín), Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows (written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Ken Fiumara), The Quantum Age, and the recently released Black Hammer ’45 #1 (written by Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes, and illustrated by Matt Kindt and Sharlene Kindt, and looks to run for four or five issues). We also have the Black Hammer Giant-Sized Annual #1 (written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by various) and Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise #1 (written by Jeff Lemire and illustrated by Emi Lenox) one-shots to thrill and excite and grow the franchise, which will someday soon be growing tremendously via the recent movie AND television deal Lemire announced for the property. Needless to say, if you want to experience some of the best superhero comics being published, then cast your eyes past the Big Two to the Black Hammerverse.
All of that build up and you are probably wondering what the heck this The Quantum Age is all about. Well, one hundred years in the future, a new group of superheroes inspired by the great heroes who seemingly sacrificed their lives to defeat the dreaded Anti-God look to make a last-ditch attempt at ending a brutal authoritarian regime. Drawing inspiration from the greatest adventures of the Legion of Super-Heroes while standing apart on its own, The Quantum Age succeeds in expanding the Black Hammerverse and bringing to life some great new heroes as it adds tremendously to the main series. Torres delivers an exciting vision of the future with cool character designs, ever-changing and detailed backgrounds, and solid storytelling to keep you whipping through this six-issue miniseries that flys by all too quickly. The greatest negative—as of this writing—is that this chapter is over with no mentions of a plan on the horizon to return to the heroes of the Quantum League; with any luck, this will one day change.
As a public service, if you are new to the Black Hammerverse, here is a breakdown of the reading order to get the most out of Lemire’s multiple-award-winning creation:

• Black Hammer Volume One: Secret Origins
• Black Hammer Giant-Sized Annual #1
• Black Hammer Volume Two: The Event
• Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil
• Doctor Starr and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows
• Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise #1
• Black Hammer Volume Three: Age of Doom - Part One
• The Quantum Age
• Black Hammer ’45 #1–4 or 5
• Black Hammer: Age of Doom #6–ongoing

There is also a gorgeous, very-oversized, hardcover called Black Hammer Library Edition Volume 1, that I STRONGLY suggest you pick up. It contains the first two trades and the annual and gives you the best view of Ormston’s glorious art. With any luck, we will one day start seeing Library Editions of the minis and “Age of Doom.”
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Little Bird #2

(Written by Darcy Van Poelgeest, illustrated by Ian Bertram, colored by Matt Hollingsworth, lettered by Aditya Bidikar, designed by Ben Didier, published by Image Comics)

Okay, this is the book I alluded to a couple of weeks ago when my LCS ran out of copies and I realized I had not added it to my pull. I was completely smitten by the first lovely issue and I was desperate to get this in my grubby, little paws. Thankfully, it arrived this week and I was certain to add the title to my pull for the remainder of this five-issue miniseries. In this installment, we learn more about Little Bird’s mother and the horrors that she had been forced to endure. We also learn that there is much more to Little Bird than we ever suspected and we are briefly introduced to the Resistance, the lone but powerful group attempting to stand against the might of the fascist United Nations of America. Van Poelgeest continues to pull me in deeper on this post-apocalyptic look into what happens when religious extremists take control, and Bertram and Hollingsworth flesh out this disturbing world with a mixture of beauty and horror that is too lovely to look away from despite what you are actually seeing. Supposedly, this series is not going to be collected, but even though we are not even at the halfway point I can tell you I would gladly double dip on an oversized hardcover were one to be made available. You best scramble to find copies of this fantastic comic while you can.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Paper Girls #28

(Written by Brian K. Vaughan, illustrated by Cliff Chiang, colored by Matt Wilson, color flats by Dee Cunniffe, lettered and designed by Jared K. Fletcher, published by Image Comics)

We only have two issues left of the ever-exciting, sci-fi adventure Paper Girls and I honestly have no idea where Vaughan and Chiang could possibly take us next. The girls have been put thoroughly the wringer as they bounce from future to past to future to who-knows-where as they meet alternate versions of themselves, clones (?), monsters, weirdos, and all sorts of bizarre otherworldy creatures, but this time they’ve been separated from one another and left in the most perilous of situations. Vaughan and Chiang follow each girl as their world(s) comes crashing down around them. If you’ve been with the series since the beginning, there’s no way you’ll stop reading now as we come racing toward the ending of this immensely enjoyable series. Never fear, though, if you haven’t been following along you will soon be able to experience the whole shebang via six trades or three oversized hardcovers.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!


That’s it, Denizens. We’re off to meditate and make ourselves emotionally ready for the fourth episode of the final season of Game of Thrones. See you next week!

Friday Slice of Heaven, Slice into the Woods 5/3/2019