Mike's Pick of the Week: Ultimates 3 #4

Yes I know it's in vogue to bash anything Jeph Loeb does for Marvel. But I don't care. It's loud, dumb fun with the return of one of my favorite artists ever in Joe Madureira on pencils. Yes it's different than the equally delayed Millar/Hitch run but this one is more my speed. In a move I expect my fellow cohorts on RBN to disown me for I will also throw in as a bonus pick Jeph Loeb's Hulk #4. Another loud, dumb, fun book. Yes I like Jeph Loeb, there I said it.

Larry's Pick of the Week:Salt bagels
Lightly topped with salt crystals, salt bagels are the perfect breakfast. You can eat them alone, even. It's like having a soft pretzel to start your day. Mmmmm, salt bagels.

Julian's Pick of the Week:Toronto's Gay Pride Parade.
Just like every year, this weekend will conclude the Gay Pride week with the annual parade, in a celebration of openness, diversity and acceptance. Pride week and the parade bring around one million people to the city from all over the country and abroad. Personally, I think it's a great occassion to go out, see and meet different people and put in your two cents, support-wise for gay rights. Or you may just go and get drunk, whatever rocks your boat, as long as - in one way or another - you're contributing to wider acceptance (your own or someone else's) of anyone regardless of sexual orientation.

Erin's Pick of the Week:Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville
Some of you out there might say an indie-label reissue of this hipster classic is silly and that we don't need to know who Liz is singing these songs to. You might say that perhaps this anniversary cashing in is just the death throes of a generation's hipness. You might even say that Dave Matthews' introduction to the bonus dvd is clear proof that it's not relevant. But some of you might say that a reissue with a dvd is a pretty rad idea and that you love this cd and that you always knew Dave Matthews was hella cool. I'm definitely in the latter camp. Watch RBN for a personal essay reflecting on Exile later this week but, in the meantime, go buy the album with the bonus materials. Understand that this will satisfy you.

Rich's Picks of the Week:Umbrella Academy Apocalypse Suite TP
Probably the best superhero comic of the past year gets a chance to pick up some new readers as the 6 issue series is collected in this trade paperback edition. Written by My Chemical Romance singer Gerard Way (yeah I know, but seriously, the dude can write comics) and illustrated by Brazillian wonder twin Gabriel Ba, this story about a disfunctional set of grown-up superhero siblings created by a mad scientist and bad dad is like a cross between The Royal Tenenbaums and The Incredibles.

Goodbye - The third volume of Drawn & Quarterly's reprints of Yoshihiro Tatsumi's life's work could be the darkest and strangest yet with stories originally published in the early '70's that deal with Hiroshima, prosititution during WWII and foot fetishism. As with the first two volumes, this handsome hardcover is designed by famed indie comics creator and major Tatsumi fan Adrian Tomine.