This week

over at GeeksUnleashed.Me content included, but was not limited to, 

• Alan Moore's reasoning for attending NICE 2012, "an accident" apparently
• A obituary for the latest death of Professor Charles Francis Xavier
• News of the British Comics Awards, The Young People's Comic Award 2012
• Image Comics' Exclusives at NYCC 2012
• A review of The Walking Dead #102 - SPOILER ALERT
• News that Amazing Spider-Man is to end at #700
• An advanced review of Near Death volume 2
• Our 'Comic of the Week' - The New Deadwardians #7
• Aspen's Exclusives at Las Vegas Comic Expo 2012
• Grant Morrison's Multiversity
• A review of Pulp Detective
• And a look at the iPhone 5, plus UK deals

So far this week over, at geeksunleashed.me...

...you can find

• Advanced reviews of Rebel Blood, Revival #3 and The Manhattan Projects volume 1 
• My contribution to the Wednesday Watchlist column
• My début selecting the Comic of the Week, which was the brilliant Mind MGMT #5
• News coverage of Marvel NOW!'s newest announcement and President America

As well as an interview with Patrick Zircher on Shadowman and a preview of Bloodshot #4.

Enjoy! 

So...

...my output is about to dramatically dip. However, this is due to relocation. I’ve been invited to contribute as a staff writer to geeksunleashed.me. So far I’ve written three advanced reviews, namely for The Creep #1, Conan The Barbarian #8 and Tomorrow Jones #1, as well as a review of Tempest by Bob Dylan and a possible S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series - all in my first week. It’s incredible exciting; I’m hoping for a long and fruitful relationship. This week I shall pick the Comic of the Week, which I can reveal as Mind MGMT #5. See you there. 

Fashion Beast #1

- Alan Moore, Malcolm McLaren, Antony Johnston (@antonyjohnston) & Facundo Percio.

Fashion Beast, I’m assured, is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast in a dystopian future under the threat of nuclear winter. It’s the comic book adaptation, by long time collaborator Johnston, of an unpublished, unfilmed screenplay by Moore and McLaren, architect of the Sex Pistols, beautifully illustrated by Percio. James Baldwin once wrote ‘love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within’ and this will no doubt be realised over the course of the next 9 issues. This first issue, however, is too brief a glimpse of things to come.

Rating ** (bust)   

Think Tank #2

- Matt Hawkins (@topcowmatt) & Rahsan Ekedal (@RahsanEkedal)

This issue of the excellent Think Tank is more character driven and benefits from it. Loren is now (thankfully) more sympathetic, whilst remaining devious, and is fulfilling his potential as one of Top Cow/Image’s best new characters. I’m hopeful that the series is a soapbox for Hawkins – a commentary on the ills of science and the military-industrial-government complex. On a lighter note, Hawkins delivers another powerful cliff-hanger, whilst Ekedal’s art amazes again (I tactfully withdraw my comment regards colour, which I made in my review of #1). Excitingly, the series has been expanded to run for at least 10 issues!

Rating **** (stick)

Hawkeye #2

- Matt Fraction (@mattfraction) & David Aja (@davaja)

Whilst maintaining the frantic pace of the first, this issue exceeds the high expectations set last month. Fraction cracks wise, frequently and often, whilst Aja’s artwork shines – reminiscent of both Mazzucchelli and Maleev. The synchronicity between the creators is epitomised by the incredible 24 panel page. Furthermore, there’s a sign of things to come with Barton’s mentor alluded to and villains introduced from The Owl to Kingpin, Hammerhead to Tombstone (as well as Madam Masque). It is in stark contrast to every other event driven book hitting the shelves and I’ve no hesitation in recommending this title. BUY BUY BUY!

Rating **** (stick)



Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre #3

- Darwyn Cooke & Amanda Conner

Silk Spectre is perhaps the most surprising of the Before Watchmen series, sole responsibility for which is the creative team of Cooke and Conner (plus Mounts’ excellent colours). Not only is it fun and sexy, it’s a fully realised vision of why Laurie follows in her Mother’s footsteps and becomes the Silk Spectre, mark II. Perhaps the least of the original characters has benefited the most from revisiting Watchmen. With Minutemen, this is atop my pile every month. The skill of the team is exemplified by a cameo, more effective in the few panels here than in their own series.      

Rating ***