Triple Shot: TITHE #1, CONVERGENCE: BATMAN - SHADOW OF THE BAT #1 & HARROW COUNTY #1 Preview at FORCES OF GEEK

Its back to basics for this comics reporter this week with a throwback Thursday Triple-Shot!

What’s better than some single issue comic reviews to get you out to the store this week and enjoy that spring weather. Matt Hawkins (Top Cow President, Think Tank) safecracks his way into a mega-church with The Tithe #1 and Larry Hama (G.I. Joe, Wolverine) takes on Batman and the classic Dark Knight substitute Azrael in Convergence: Shadow of the Bat #1.

The fine folks over at Dark Horse let us have a sneak peak at Cullen Bunn’s Harrow County #1, mentioned in our interview a few weeks ago!

THE TITHE #1
WRITER: Matt Hawkins
ART:  Rahsan Ekedal

Publication Date: April 15, 2015
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Top Cow/Image Comics
UPC: 70985301875900111
Buy it HERE

The Tithe refers to the 10% donation of wages donated to a church or religious organization. Actually, there’s a verb form of that word as well as a noun, and the tradition is ancient so don’t come after me with pitchforks if I’m only slightly correct!

Last year, we talked with Top Cow President Matt Hawkins about his spy-fi comic Think Tank. I enjoy listening to Matt’s views on comics creation and running the Top Cow brand in various podcasts and interviews.

Matt and artist Rahsan are at it again with The Tithe. Three armed robbers invade one of those Disney mega-churches at Sunday mass in Jesus masks.

In the front of house, a young lady highjacks the television screens a la ‘Anonymous’ with images of the pastor Miles Tibett in ungodly compromising positions and spending the churches’ money on extravagances. This organization is called “SAMARITAN” on the teleprompter signoff.

This is at the heart a great heist story, with religion and mega-churches as the playground. The FBI investigates SAMARITAN and other misallocated and tax-free accounting from the church with two very cool and opposite leads. Dwayne Campbell, a Baptist and believer is a family man. His partner Jimmy is a younger dude, a ‘hacker’ (apologies, not even Mr. Hawkins has a better name for this kind of computer savvy security breaching tech nerd gone good) and an atheist.

As what follows traditionally in Matt’s creator-owned books are some essays, behind the scenes to his research and a bit on his background as a former churchgoer turned atheist.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Ant-Man

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Triple Shot With A Digital Chaser HALLOWEEN EDITION! Advance Look at HELLBOY AND THE B.P.R.D. #1, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS #1, CUTTER #1 Plus Monkeybrain's BOO! HALLOWEEN STORIES V. 2!

We’re keeping it grimly fiendish here on this Halloween edition of Triple Shot! 

We were lucky enough to start in the scariest state in the union, Connecticut, to preview December’s Hellboy and The B.P.R.D. #1 from Mike Mignola and superstar artist of the dark arts Alex Maleev.

Then we cut your expectations into an animal shrubbery with a new Edward Scissorhands #1.

If that wasn’t enough evisceration, tune in to Cutter from Top Cow for the real bloody stuff.

Cap off this bag of tricks with Monkeybrain’s devilishly pieced together Boo! Halloween Stories Vol. # 2devised to make your blood curdle!

HELLBOY AND THE B.P.R.D. #1
Writers: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi
Artist: Alex Maleev
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics 
Pub. Date: December 03, 2014
Price: $3.50
UPC: 7 61568 26148 6 00111
More Info HERE


A true treat for fans of Hellboy in his twentieth year is this story set in 1952 written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi.  Frequent Bendis collaborator Alex Maleev, who’s painterly style defined a Daredevil run and slight to redefine a schizophrenic Moon Knight is a treat to see return to the Hellboy-verse. 

To those familiar and to newcomers as well, the story takes place in the 50s — as we bear witness to Hellboy joining the B.P.R.D. in the field for the first time.

No doubt as this arc progresses, he will learn a lot about himself as he interacts with the team. Already he faces challenges like Agent Stegner’s prejudice and an uncertainty of his abilities in the field after being raised and coddled by the Department since he was discovered.

A series of 33 murders in a Brazilian village prompts the investigation into the supernatural which will be Hellboy’s first mission. Stay tuned to this series to see if he succeeds or fails. 

Hellboy and the B.P.R.D. #1 is available on December 3. Highly recommended for Hellboy fans or new readers, considering the nature of this quasi-origin story.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

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Matt Hawkins Takes THINK TANK for a Ride on the COSMIC TREADMILL - FORCES OF GEEK

Last week, we took a look at Think Tank Season #1. In celebration of today’s release ofThink Tank #12, we caught up with Top Cow President/COO Matt Hawkins about the latest issue, time management, and of course the genetic viruses in his science thriller.

Plus, Matt talks Minotaur Press and what we can expect from Top Cow on Free Comic Book Day!

FOG!: Hi Matt - thanks for joining us today to talk about the end of Think Tank Season 1. Care to tell is what to expect in Think Tank #12?

Matt Hawkins: The 12th issue is the finale of the first long story arc that kicked off with issue 1. All of the lingering threads are sort of resolved. David faces death his mortality and realizes that there’s not really much he can do to stop the geopolitical forces in motion. The looming confrontation between China and the US kicks off and the collusive nature of it is frightening in its repercussions. That and the virus is out!

David is in a lot of trouble in this issue. In fact, the latest arc, Outbreak, is very dangerous for a lot of the characters. Are targeted genetic viruses possible or even probable in the near future?

They’re viable now. The completion of the Human Genome Project opened up a pandora’s box of possibilities both good and bad.

Had you expected to go this far with the series? This was initially a shorter run, am I correct?

Yes was originally planned as a 4 issue mini series. Reaction to it was stronger than I expected so we kept it going. A book about a research scientist trying to fight the system isn’t your typical comic book, so I wasn’t sure we’d find an audience.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for February 12, 2014

COMICS

 “I’d buy that for a dollar”!, that’s a dollar each for a story set in New Detroit for the new Robocop movie (which is actually pretty good). Joe Harris, Ed Brisson, Frank Barbiere and Michael Moreci take Murphy to the streets in Robocop: To Live and Die in Detroit. Your move, creep! … Another movie property worth checking out is Kick-Ass 3 #6 (of 8). Millar promises that this is the end of Dave and Hit-Girl’s adventures, so if you liked the movies, here is the end game as the meta superhero story curses its way to the end. … Think Tank #12 from Top Cow President Matt Hawkins closes out Season One before going into full color mode later this year. The science thriller uses real science and theoretical government weapons to at the very least make you paranoid and also makes your heart race with all the action! … Picks this week from LeaguePodcast.com!

THINK TANK - SEASON 1 (Issues #1-#12) — COSMIC TREADMILL at FORCES OF GEEK

The last issue of Top Cow’s President and COO Matt Hawkins’ Think Tank: Season 1 hits shelves next Wednesday, February 12th.

Imagine being a successful comic book bigwig and a physicist and television producer and on top of all that, write a number of titles for Top Cow and Image!

With an insider’s view of the comic making industry, the back matter for Think Tank often has Matt speaking on readership numbers, legal and illegal. The Science Class at the end of the book also goes in-depth to his research and theoretical military tech used in the book.

Issue #12’s glossary announces what is next for the black and white spy-fi series as it embarks on a newly colored life in Season 2 and a one shot in March!

Review copies come my way, and also I am willing to try new books when one catches my attention from the media or by its cover on my weekly trip to the shop.  

 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]