The Shipping Forecast for June 19th

Some tremendous depictions of women in comics this week, from Greg Rucka's take on WONDER WOMAN to Debbie Dreschler's difficult but extraordinary SUMMER OF LOVE - plus, in case you missed it, the excellent XXXLIVENUDEGIRLS.
17 June 2002

The Shipping Forecast is Ninth Art's pick of the best and most notable new releases hitting comic stores each week, courtesy of the fishing crew at the Ninth Art lighthouse. Shipping details come courtesy of Diamond. Check out the Diamond website for the latest information, as the list is subject to change.

PLYMOUTH PICKS:

SUMMER OF LOVE HC (Drawn & Quarterly)
There are very few comics that can make one so uncomfortable as reading something by Debbie Dreschler. This isn't because she's a bad cartoonist, or writes about gory, horrific monsters. Oh no. Dreschler understands that the real things to be afraid of are human beings, and that they're capable of the most horrifying behaviour of all. Originally serialised as the five-issue series NOWHERE, this hardcover brings back the uncertainty of puberty and love in such a manner that you'll see how powerful emotional abuse can really be. Dreschler's art, using a brown and green palette, conjures up memories of an earlier, more innocent era, when things were less complicated - and then turns it on its head to suggest that, really, nothing ever changes for the better.

BATMAN: BRUCE WAYNE, MURDERER TP (DC Universe)
When BATMAN: THE 10-CENT ADVENTURE was released, a lot of people scoffed it leading into the upcoming "Bruce Wayne, Murderer" storyline. What everyone had forgotten to take into account was that with Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker, and Bob Schreck at the helm, we were about to get one of the strongest Batman-related storylines in quite some time. Even after massive overprintings, most of the issues are sold out at the distributor level, so DC Comics has rush-solicited the BRUCE WAYNE, MURDERER collection. With twists and turns that most readers didn't see coming, BRUCE WAYNE, MURDERER is a book that achieves what so few seem to in this day and age - honest suspense, and real questioning on how it's going to end. Hopefully, if this does well, we'll see the BRUCE WAYNE, FUGITIVE follow-up collection very soon. In the meanwhile, though, prepare to sit back and enjoy Act One.

TWISTED TOYFARE THEATRE VOL 2 TP (Wizard)
I don't know whose bright idea it was at Toyfare magazine to take action figures, put them in a series of poses, take pictures, and put word balloons in their mouths... but I really hope they got a big raise. TWISTED TOYFARE THEATRE VOL 1 was shriekingly funny, be it Spider-Man (and friends) running over Smurfs in his car, or the Hulk and Spider-Man destroying He-Man (and his friends), or Captain America's "little souvenir" that he took from his time in World War II. If this second volume is only half as funny, you'll still get more than your money's worth from this.

DOGGER PICKS:

MIDNIGHT, MASS #3 (DC Vertigo)
I've recommended the previous two issues, and yes, it's still good. So far, this has been an entertaining blend of Indiana Jones and HP Lovecraft - adventure fiction with a twist of horror. John Rozum has set us up with a cast of interesting characters, and is fleshing out the relationship with flair, while Jesus Saiz's art continues to delight. This is something that's at once the sort of thing that Vertigo built its line on 10 years ago, and yet still something very fresh and different. Not to be missed.

POUNDED #3 (Oni Press)
Part three of three, but it's Oni, so there'll be a trade. I've been looking forward to this one with interest. The lead character, Heavy Parker got a bad time of things last issue, and looks like he's set for revenge in this one. But I'm really not sure whether he'll get revenge or not - after all, he only really got what he had coming to him in the last issue, so I'm not even sure I want to see him get his own back. Wood has put together a funny and compelling story here, and Rolston's art is absolutely perfect for the job, bringing out the humour in the situation with a deft touch. This is one of those little gems that you can come back to again and again, and it'll make you smile every time.

FISHER PICKS:

WONDER WOMAN: THE HIKETEIA HC (DC Universe)
I still hate hardcovers, but this is one I desperately want to take a look at. For one thing, it's Greg Rucka, dedicated portrayer of determined women, writing Wonder Woman, a character who almost never gets written with the sort of complexity you'd want to see. DC's always been a little squeamish about its own Holy Virgin, so it'll be fascinating to see what Rucka's been able to get away with here. But just as exciting is who's illustrating it. I'm not familiar with Wade Von Grawbadger (I think I missed that Bond movie), but anyone who knows MARVEL BOY knows JG Jones is a phenomenal talent with an extremely bright future ahead of him. The story? It's Wonder Woman versus Batman. Oh sure, there's probably more to it than that. But you don't need any more, do you?

MICRONAUTS #1 (Devil's Due)
Back when I was living on the UK mainland, we had TRANSFORMERS toys, THUNDERCATS toys and even GI JOE toys. We never had any MICRONAUTS toys. In terms of nostalgia value, this one should be right down there with CRYSTAR: CRYSTAL WARRIOR. But actually, of all these franchises, the MICRONAUTS comic is the one I have fondest memories of. I never even had many issues, because they were difficult to get hold of, and what I did have never seemed to match up to make a whole story. But I loved those comics. Acroyear and Bug and Baron Karza were much more exciting to me than Han and Chewie and Darth. Unfortunately, this new series is based on the toy licence, not the Marvel comic, which means those characters aren't in it, so I probably won't go near it. Still, if anyone has a copy of that unpublished Cary Nord MICRONAUTS book Marvel was meant to put out years ago, do get in touch...

BATMAN: YEAR ONE TP (DC Universe)
It's probably stating the obvious, but if you don't own this book, you're a very bad person. While the yammering hordes may acclaim THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS as the greatest Batman story of all time, connoisseurs know that Frank Miller and David Mazzuchelli's YEAR ONE is the true measure of greatness, and the only Batman book you absolutely need to own. After all, Batman's origin story is Batman's story, and this is the best telling of it anyone's ever produced. Star-coded for your pleasure, YEAR ONE is back on the shelves this week. Go. Make your comic collection a better one.

SONAR / MISSED PICKS FROM PREVIOUS WEEKS

XXXLIVENUDE GIRLS (Penny Dreadful Press)
Here's a wonderful thing that slipped late onto the Diamond list. It's a comic quite unlike anything you've come across before, and I want you to go out and buy it. It's not porn, whatever the title may have you thinking. It's more like a pictographic version of free verse poetry. No description I give could do it enough justice, but I'll try. XXXLiveNudeGirls is like having a collection of verbal and visual snapshots from the minds of those car-crash girls that you meet or maybe are. You know; the ones that laugh a little too loud and drink a little too much, too quickly? The ones you can't quite figure out but really wish you could? That's what I mean by car-crash girls. The text is straight monologues interleaved through the sequential, literally snapshot art (the pictures are photographs turned into greytoned illustrations). This book is a wonderful thing and I wish the creators, Laurenn McCubbin and Nikki Coffman, a long and happy time producing work like this together. As long as they're putting it out, I'll be buying it. So should you. Check out xxxlivenudegirls.com to see what you're missing. [German Bight]

Comics shipping in the US on June 19th:

DARK HORSE

APR020018 BTVS ANGEL REUNION $3.50
APR020054 CANNON GOD EXAXXION #8 STAGE 1 (8 OF 8) (MR) $2.99
MAR970084 OH MY GODDESS MARA STRIKES BACK #1 (Of 3) (001) $3.95
APR020025 RIPLEYS BELIEVE IT OR NOT INTO THIN AIR #1 (Of 4) $2.99
MAR020071 SUPER MANGA BLAST #22 (MR) $5.99

DC COMICS

APR020481 100 BULLETS VOL 4 FOREGONE TOMORROW TP (MR) $17.95
APR020414 AZRAEL AGENT OF THE BAT #91 $2.50
APR020415 BATGIRL SECRET FILES #1 $4.95
MAR025039 BATMAN BRUCE WAYNE MURDERER TP $19.95
APR020413 BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHTS #30 $2.50
APR020612 BATMAN YEAR ONE TP (STAR07488) $9.95
APR020470 ESTABLISHMENT #10 $2.50
APR020424 HARLEY QUINN #21 $2.25
APR020441 HAVEN THE BROKEN CITY #7 (Of 9) $2.50
APR020445 JSA #37 (Note Price) $3.50
APR020447 JSA JUSTICE BE DONE TP (STAR10947) $14.95
APR020491 LUCIFER #27 (MR) $2.50
APR020493 MIDNIGHT MASS #3 (Of 8) (MR) $2.50
APR020465 POWERPUFF GIRLS #28 $1.99
APR020426 ROBIN #103 $2.25
APR020431 SUPERGIRL #71 $2.25
APR020429 SUPERMAN THE MAN OF STEEL #127 $2.25
APR020459 WONDER WOMAN THE HIKETEIA HC $24.95

IMAGE

APR021411 ATHENA INC CVR A #2 $2.95
APR021412 ATHENA INC CVR B #2 $2.95
FEB021540 BLOOD LEGACY THE NOVEL $6.95
APR021421 IMAGE INTRODUCES DOG SOLDIERS $2.95
APR021422 INFERNO HELLBOUND #0 (Net) PI
APR021430 MICRONAUTS #1 $2.95
OCT011588 SPAWN #117 $2.50

MARVEL

APR021765D AVENGERS ICONS TIGRA #4 $2.99
APR021766D CAPTAIN MARVEL #33 $2.50
APR021751D DAREDEVIL #34 $2.99
APR021767D FANTASTIC FOUR #57 $2.25
APR021715D HOOD #2 (MR) $2.99
APR021779D MIGHTY MARVEL POSTER CAPTAIN AMERICA #1 (C: 4) $5.95
FEB021935D MIGHTY MARVEL POSTER ORIGIN #6 (C: 2) $5.95
APR021780D MIGHTY MARVEL POSTER ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #1/2 (C: 4) $5.95
APR021733D MORLOCKS #3 (Of 4) $2.50
APR021741D NEW X-MEN #128 $2.25
APR021728D SPIDER-MAN PETER PARKER #45 $2.25
APR021727D SPIDER-MAN QUALITY OF LIFE #2 (Of 4) $2.99
APR021729D SPIDER-MAN SWEET CHARITY $4.95
APR021768D THUNDERBOLTS #66 $2.25
APR021742D ULTIMATE X-MEN #19 $2.25

OTHER PUBLISHERS

APR022589 ALL NEW TENCHI MUYO PART 1 #2 (Of 5) $2.95
APR022038 ARCHIE #524 $1.99
APR022224 BANISHED KNIGHTS #4 $2.95
APR022329 BATTLE POPE WRATH OF GOD #1 (Of 3) (MR) $3.50
APR022103 BIG BOOK OF BART SIMPSON TP $12.95
APR022125 CHASTITY REIMAGINED #1 $2.99
APR022130I CHASTITY REIMAGINED PREMIUM ED #1 $9.99
APR022134I CHASTITY REIMAGINED SUPER PREMIUM #1 $20.00
APR022557 DOUBLECROSS MORE OR LESS GN $4.95
APR022596 DRAGONBALL PART 5 #1 (Of 7) $2.95
APR022194 FIRST VOL 2 TP $19.95
APR022173 GENERIC COMIC BOOK #8 $1.95
MAY022170 GI JOE CONVENTION SPECIAL LTD ORIGINAL SKETCH ED $59.99
APR022001 GIRL GENIUS #6 (RES) $3.95
MAR022062 HAUNTED GRAY MATTERS #1 $2.99
MAR022063 HAUNTED GRAY MATTERS PREMIUM ED #1 $9.99
JUN022338F HUBIE #1 $2.95
APR022578 INU YASHA PART 6 #14 (Of 15) $2.95
APR022507 INVINCIBLE ED #1 BEATING OF ED (OF 6) $3.50
JUN022521F LAND OF O #1 $3.95
APR022049 LAUGH DIGEST #176 $2.19
APR022218 LOUIS RIEL #7 $2.95
APR022458 MADMAN ADVENTURES TP $14.95
APR022576 MAGICAL JOURNEY POKEMON PART 7 #4 (Of 4) (C: 3) $4.95
APR022570 MARIONETTE GENERATION VOL 3 TP $15.95
APR022601 MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM 0079 VOL 5 TP $9.95
APR022187 NEGATION #7 $2.95
APR022602 NEON GENESIS EVANGELION PART 7 #2 (OF 7) $2.95
MAR022351 POUNDED #3 (Of 3) (MR) $2.95
APR022124 PURGATORI REIMAGINED #1 $2.99
APR022128I PURGATORI REIMAGINED PREMIUM ED #1 $9.99
APR022133I PURGATORI REIMAGINED SUPER PREMIUM ED #1 $20.00
APR022462 QUEEN & COUNTRY #9 (MR) $2.95
APR022188 SIGIL #25 $2.95
APR022104 SIMPSONS COMICS #71 $2.50
APR022189 SOJOURN #12 $2.95
APR022573 STEAM DETECTIVES VOL 5 TP $15.95
MAR021933 SUGAR BUZZ #9 $2.95
FEB022386F SUMMER OF LOVE HC (MR) (C: 4) $24.95
FEB022387F SUMMER OF LOVE S&N HC (MR) (C: 4) $34.95
APR021962 TWISTED TOYFARE THEATRE VOL 2 TP $9.99
APR022053 VERONICA #128 $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.