Chris KelleyThe Drink : The Glen Moray 12 Year Single Malt

The Comic: Letter 44 published by Oni Press

The Scotch
Since 1897, The Glen Moray distillery has been distilling its brand of scotch whiskey in the city of Elgin, the capital of Speyside, Scotland. The Speyside region has the most distilleries in the country. Single malts from this region are lighter and among the sweetest in Scotland.

I received this bottle of Glen Moray 12 Year as a gift. I had never had it before and I always love trying new scotches. This has a very nice fruity almost floral nose to it. The taste is very warming and malty with hints of toffee. This would be a great bottle for people who are just discovering scotch. It’s very smooth, sweet and easy to drink.

For around $40 a bottle, this scotch is very well worth it. Pour yourself a glass, sit back and enjoy!

The Comic
I hadn’t heard of Letter 44 prior to my weekly trip to the comic shop. I noticed the $1 price tag and that it was a #1 issue so it made the decision pretty easy. Plus, it’s a science fiction book so I had to get it. I love when publishers sell #1 issues for $1. It’s a great way for readers to get into a series they’ve never heard of, written and drawn by creators they’ve never heard of.

The new President-Elect, Stephen Blades, has learned something very disturbing: there’s something out there and they have no idea what it is. On the day of his inauguration, Blades visits the Oval Office and finds a letter marked “44” written by former President Francis Carroll. In the letter, Carroll explains that seven years ago they discovered some sort of construction operation in an asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Aside from that, they know little else. President Carroll explains why he did certain controversial things in his presidency. He wanted to be prepared for anything and everything.

Understandably, President-Elect Blades doesn’t know what to think. He makes this his first order of business as President. From here, you are introduced to some of his cabinet as well as a team of scientists and military personnel that President Carroll sent into space to investigate the discovery. President-Elect Blades comes into office after a very controversial two-term presidency. It feels very familiar to our own situation back in 2008.

This is the first Oni Press book that I’ve read. I’m not sure if this art is a house style or not, but I’m not sure if it’s 100% for me. Certain panels are a little wonky. An arm here or a leg there seem to be a bit out of proportion for the body they are attached to. I must say, though, artist Alberto Jimenez Albuquerque only gets better as the book progresses. He shows great detail in his backgrounds when on the space shuttle. He also does a great job of translating the weightlessness the crew experiences. There are also a few close up panels of a couple different characters faces that are absolutely beautiful. All in all, I enjoyed it, but it’s not my favorite.

GO. BUY. THIS. BOOK! This book shows so much promise and was an absolute great read. I cannot wait for the next issue. If you haven’t picked this up, do yourself a favor and get it!! You’d better hurry, though. This is poised to be a high seller.

Thanks for reading,
Christopher Kelley

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Chris Kelley is Matt Baum’s cousin. We try not to hold that against him.