Hypergeek’s Hot Picks – Comic Book Recommendations for the Week of Wednesday August 19th 2009
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Hypergeek’s Hot Picks is a weekly column on the site, where I take a look through the list of comics being released that week, and decide which ones I think are worth picking up. I then pick out the comics which I am most looking forward to, and tell readers why I think they will be that week’s hottest comics.
With most of the comics that I recommend, I have usually read a pre-release copy, and enjoyed it, or I have read a preview of the comic, and can predict that it is going to be a good read. At the end of the day though, it’s just my opinion, so don’t take it *too* seriously 
This Week’s Hottest Comic Picks
My top comic recommendations for this week! Make sure you buy them if you buy nothing else from the Hot Pick stack!
Every single issue of Unthinkable has appeared in Hypergeek’s Hot Picks. This is a ground-breaking series that says a lot of things that makes post-9/11 America feel rather uncomfortable. I have read a pre -release of this issue, and it is astounding. We finally get to discover who has been behind the terrorist attacks that have been rocking the world, but the how and why are left to the final sensational issue, which should be hitting stands next month!
Still not convinced? Check out this glowing review I did of issue #2
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The best word I can think of to describe Air is “magical”, which is not a word that I use very often, but Air is one of those books that I find a real treat to experience, as it pulls me into it’s bizarre world for 15 minutes of every month. There are surprises at every corner, unexpected twists, and the beautiful promise of a world just beyond our comprehension. You never know quite where the story is going, and it takes several detours along the way, but it is all about the journey and not the destination.
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Pay attention Creeps! Your monthly portion of pulse-pounding excitement from the world of Judge Dredd is here!
This month Dredd sends a journalist undercover; mouldering magician Darren Dead investigates secrets amongst his peers; and Brit-Cit Detective Judge Armitage needs a new partner. All this plus brand-new Tank Girl adventures, interviews, reviews and more. Plus in the bagged graphic novel this month: Judge Dredd: Bad Manners by John Wagner, John Burns, Paul Marshall, and Wayne Reynolds.
It is your civic duty to by Judge Dredd Megazine! Anything else would be un-American!
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This amazing new series from Ivan Brandon and Nic Klein is possibly the best new comic of 2009! It’s a 9th Century Viking crime book, packed with great characters, a tight plot, and is unrelentingly brutal. After the devastating events of issue #2 Egil is all alone, with nothing to lose, and is about to do something he will probably live to regret!
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This new project from Archaia and Rodenberry Studios look incredibly interesting! The first and final issues are to be written by Phil Hester, with artwork by Frazer Irving, and all issues in-between will be interconnected issue from revolving teams of writers and artist. Sound pretty high concept! I should have an interview with Frazer Irving up on the site tomorrow, and we talk briefly about this project, so stay tuned for that
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I have been a little disjointed with with the Punisher titles as of late, with Punisher MAX losing its fire after Ennis left, and the Marvel U version of the Punisher is starting to get very cheesy with all his gizmos and gimmicks. I have been avoiding Marvel’s NOIR titles, dismissing them as a lame cash-in on the whole Noir resurgence. However, I read the 8 page preview of this comic and was blown away! Frank Tieri is a very good writer, and Paul Azeceta is one of my favourite artists, so hopefully they are going to create something very special here! It might be what us Punisher fans need!
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Books/OGNs
This is the first book out of Vertigo’s CRIME sub-imprint. Obviously the success of 100 bullets made Vertigo think, “Wow, people like this stuff, lets milk it for all it’s worth!”. Still, I am a sucker, and will buy these anyway…
First up is Dark Entries by crime writer Ian Rankin is a classic locked room mystery featuring John Constantine. Just crime, not ghouls, not magic, just pure gumshoe mystery solving… OK sign me up for that!!!!
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The second book out of Vertigo’s CRIME line. It’s written by 100 Bullets scribe, Brian Azzerello, and…well… it sounds a lot like an arc of Criminal. that’s not a bad thing, but there really are a lot of crime Noir books out there right now. Is the bubble set to burst?
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Magazines
The Comic Journal is the only print comic publication worth buying! If you’ve ever read Wizard magazine and had to take a shower afterward from how infantile and puerile the writing is, then TCJ is the magazine for you! TCJ is always packed full od wonderful interviews and insightful articles that make you remember that is is OK for grown-ups to read comics too. Where Wizard will have an article on which Iron Man uniform is teh coolest OMG, The Comic Journal will have an article on the influence of William Burroughs on the comic industry.
A little snobby yes, but I really do hate Wizard. All it is good for is being pulped down to print more copies of TCJ!
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Waiting on the Trade
So, you don’t buy the weekly comics eh? Too good for the Wednesday crowd? Well, don’t worry, Hypergeek’s go you covered….
If you quite reading Punisher MAX after Garth Ennis left the title, then you probably made the right decision. However, you will have missed this wonderful story arc by Duane Swierczynski that sees Frank tricked, trapped, gassed, strapped to a table and injected with injected with a serum that will kill him in exactly six hours. The people who grabbed him want him to do a simple little job and then they’ll give him the antidote — simple, right? Guess again. The Punisher is nobody’s errand boy. There’s only one thing he wants to do before he dies: Take as many bastards as he can with him.
Duane Swierczynski has created one of the most enjoyable Punisher stories in years, it’s not a carbon copy of what Ennis was doing on the title, and it isn’t a grim Noir story with Frank trying to hunt down child rapists. It is fast, fun, brutal, and completely insane. If you didn’t catch it the first time, make sure you grab it now!!
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Unknown Soldier is an astounding series! I can’t believe that it has taken DC to get the first trade of the series out. They need to take some lessons from Marvel on that front. If you wish to know what I have thought of the Unknown Soldier series thus far, please click here.
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A demon infests a family’s cat, eats the parents, keeps the children as slaves, and unleashes all sorts of depraved filth upon the world its quest to harvest as many souls as it can before the Armageddon comes… all this and lots of CUTE!!!!!
Ubu Bubu was one of the most peculiar and most hilarious comics of the last year. If you missed the series in single form be sure to pick this collected edition up. I was asked for a cover quote for the book, so fingers crossed that I make it
Ubu Bubu #2 Review
Ubu Bubu TPB Quote
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An absolutely amazing interstellar war epic from Radical Comics. Fans of Warhammer 40K stories will love this one!
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My Complete Hot Picks
These are all the comics that I am buying this week. They are all certain to be good, otherwise I wouldn’t be buying them. Would I??
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