The Shipping Forecast for January 4th

Just because we've kept our five fisherfolk busy with the Lighthouse Awards doesn't mean we let them off their usual duties. The first comics shipment of 2002 is on its way, and it boasts new Busiek, old Moore, and a distinctly dodgy Batman gimmick.
31 December 2001

Happy New Year, forecastketeers! And guess what? The first comic shipment of the new year is going to be late, as once again this week, comics will hit US stores on Friday. This is a pretty slim week, so if you want to see more of our fishy fivesome, check out this week's Lighthouse Awards 2001 for the best comics and creators of the year. Normal service should be resumed next week.

The forecast is compiled with help from the Diamond shipping list. For the most up to date shipping information, please check out the Diamond website.

PLYMOUTH PICKS:

POWER COMPANY: JOSIAH POWER (DC Comics)
POWER COMPANY: STRIKER Z (DC Comics)
DC Comics sure has a lot of faith in POWER COMPANY. It's getting a free preview in the back of the latest JLA, and now the month of January features a series of one-shots introducing the main characters. That said, the series actually sounds like it could be a lot of fun. When Kurt Busiek is on, his writing is great stuff; Tom Grummett isn't a terribly flashy artist, but he's very solid, consistent, and has really strong storytelling skills. Most importantly, there's something terribly amusing about a superhero team being set up like a law firm, complete with partners, associates, billable hours, etc. If it's half as good as DC Comics seems to think it is, we're in for a fun ride.

DELICATE CREATURES HC (Top Cow)
Ok, just so we're clear - this is not a comic book. It is, however, a fantasy prose story written by J Michael Straczynski and illustrated by Michael Zulli. I'm never one to say no to new Zulli art, and hopefully the story will be on par. To coin an old phrase, when Straczynski is good, he's very very good (MIDNIGHT NATION), but when he's bad, he's horrid (the trite AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #36). Top Cow and Image clearly have a lot of faith in this project to put it in such a high-profile format, so hopefully this is an entry at the good end of the Straczynski scale.

FISHER PICKS:

CAPTAIN BRITAIN TP (Marvel)
I'm going to mark the turn of the year with a radical change of direction - I'm picking some Marvel comics! Hoo-boy. Oh, OK, so it's business as usual. But not entirely. This trade paperback is something fans of Alan Moore and Alan Davis have been awaiting for a very long time, and I'm genuinely excited at the prospect of getting to read these stories again. Marvel UK's original Captain Britain stories are minor classics. Hopefully Marvel will follow up this collection with a reprint of the Jamie Delano/Alan Davis run on the character.

NEW X-MEN #121 (Marvel)
In this issue, Grant Morrison shuts up! This is one of the leftover issues from 'Nuff Said month, a gimmick that, it has to be said, hasn't worked for the best, but Morrison is a master storyteller, and if anyone can make the gimmick work, it ought to be him. This issue comes just two weeks after issue #120, so assuming it actually does ship this week (we've been misled countless times about this particular title), Marvel may finally be getting the book back on schedule. Art this issue comes from Frank Quitely, whom fans are hoping can brilliantly render Jean Grey being covered in semen. Oh yes, it's that issue.

DOGGER PICKS:

BATMAN: THE TEN CENT ADVENTURE (DC Comics)
Everyone's already said it, but frankly, it bears repeating: This is one of the stupidest marketing ideas we've seen in a really long time. Really, really stupid. The idea here is to tempt new readers to pick up a comic because it's only ten cents. Or for existing fans to buy loads of copies and give them to their mates, who will then be so impressed that they will rush to comic stores and demand to purchase everything with a bat-sign on it.

But it won't happen, because this is not a self-contained story. It's a lead in to a multi-part storyline across several bat-titles. Not only is the reader not getting a complete story, but if they want the complete story, they're going to have to pick up several titles over a long period of time, assuming that someone who isn't familiar with comics can suddenly understand, and be bothered to tolerate, the purchasing requirements of a crossover storyline. Given that plenty of existing comics fans can't and won't, why should someone who isn't familiar with comics? Better luck next time...

Comics shipping in the US on January 4th:

DARK HORSE

OCT010036 OH MY GODDESS PART XI #5: MYSTERY CHILD (3 Of 8) $2.99

DC COMICS

NOV010553 BATMAN: THE TEN CENT ADVENTURE $0.10
SEP015108J BATMAN: THE TEN CENT ADVENTURE CUSTOMIZED EDITION (PU #50) PI
NOV010623 CRUSADES #11 (MR) $2.50
NOV010580 DOOM PATROL #4 $2.50
OCT010616 EVERQUEST: THE RUINS OF KUNARK $5.95
NOV010618 FOUR WOMEN #4 (Of 5) (MR) $2.95
NOV010606 LOONEY TUNES #86 $1.99
OCT010619 NINJA BOY #5 $2.95
NOV010545 POWER COMPANY: JOSIAH POWER $2.50
NOV010546 POWER COMPANY: STRIKER Z $2.50
NOV010597 SPECTRE #13 $2.50
NOV010578 SUPERMAN ADVENTURES #65 $1.99
AUG010257 TOM STRONG #15 (RES) $2.95
NOV010617 TOMORROW STORIES BOOK ONE HC $24.95
NOV010602 YOUNG JUSTICE #41 $2.50

IMAGE

NOV011493 ATHENA INC: THE BEGINNING $5.95
JUN011324 BLUNTMAN AND CHRONIC GN (MR) $14.95
JUL011251 DELICATE CREATURES HC $16.95
SEP011120 TELLOS VOL 2: KINDRED SPIRITS TP $17.95
NOV011529 TOMB RAIDER #19 $2.50

MARVEL

NOV011796 ALIAS #5 (MR) $2.99
OCT011903/NOV011854 CAPTAIN BRITAIN TP $19.95
SEP011463 DAREDEVIL: YELLOW #6 $3.50
NOV011815 EXILES #8 $2.25
OCT011853 ICEMAN #3 (MR) $2.50
OCT011857 NEW X-MEN #121 $2.25
NOV011830 SPIDER-GIRL #42 $2.25
NOV011804 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #17 $2.25
SEP011426 US WAR MACHINE TP $14.95
OCT011868 X-TREME X-MEN: SAVAGE LAND #4 $2.99

OTHER PUBLISHERS

OCT012208 ARCHIE #518 $1.99
OCT012209J ARCHIE AND FRIENDS STARRING JOSIE & PUSSYCATS #54 PI
OCT012308 BAD KITTY RELOADED #3 (Of 4) $2.99
OCT012309I BAD KITTY RELOADED ALT CVR #3 $7.50
NOV012547 DRAGONBALL PART 4 #6 (Of 10) $2.95
NOV012552 DRAGONBALL Z PART 5 #1 (Of 12) $2.95
NOV012291 FIRST #15 $2.95
SEP011917 GEOBREEDERS #33 $2.95
OCT012528 HAMMER OF THE GODS COLOR SAGA $4.95
OCT012216 LAUGH DIGEST #172 $2.19
SEP012000F NIGHTHUNTER #1 (Of 12) $3.75
NOV012539 PULP VOL 6 #2 (MR) $5.95
NOV012541 RANMA 1/2 PART 10 #10 (Of 11) $2.95
OCT012370 SLAYERS SPECIAL #1 $2.95
OCT012377 SLAYERS SUPER EXPLOSIVE DEMON STORY #3 $2.95
OCT012511I VAMPIRELLA #5 LTD CVR ED $9.95
OCT012510 VAMPIRELLA #5 REG ED (Note Price) $2.99
OCT012219 VERONICA #122 $1.99

The 9A Lighthouse Crew are Trafalgar, Shannon, Fastnet, Plymouth, Viking, German Bight, Finisterre, Forties, Dogger, Cromarty and Fisher.

Ninth Art endorses the principle of Ideological Freeware. The author permits distribution of this article by private individuals, on condition that the author and source of the article are clearly shown, no charge is made, and the whole article is reproduced intact, including this notice.