The Shipping Forecast for December 4th

It's another DC dominated week on the shelves, with the first issue of GOTHAM CENTRAL and a newcomer-friendly new arc from 100 BULLETS - but Marvel's also bringing out the big guns with... SECRET WARS? No, wait, that's not right...
02 December 2002

Welcome to the Shipping Forecast, Ninth Art's pick of the best and most notable new releases hitting comic stores each week.

COMIC OF THE WEEK:

GOTHAM CENTRAL #1 (DC Universe)
Don't think of it as a revival of Chuck Dixon's 1996 mini series GCPD. This new ongoing series set around the lives and cases of the Gotham police probably owes its genesis more to the recent success of other police procedural comics set in superhero universes, namely POWERS and TOP TEN. With a creative team that includes two of the best Bat-writers around, DETECTIVE's Greg Rucka and CATWOMAN's Ed Brubaker (working together on the first arc, and alternating thereafter), and art from Michael Lark (BATMAN: NINE LIVES), it should live up to all expectations. Rucka and Brubaker know how to handle crime stories, and Lark's pulpy style makes him one of the best artists out there for drawing dark cities populated with real people. I'm strongly looking forward to this - and that makes this only the second DCU title I've ever felt compelled to pick up! At least until the first crossover, at which point I'll drop it like an ugly baby. [Fisher]

ALSO THIS WEEK:

ULTIMATE WAR #1 (Ultimate Marvel)
The Avengers in a crossover with the X-Men, you say? That hardly sounds like a reason for excitement. But wait! This is no run-of-the-mill crossover - it's the first one to take place in the Ultimate Marvel Universe. Mark Millar's Ultimates and Ultimate X-Men battle Magneto (and, undoubtedly, each other), so expect plenty of pop culture references, stylish and snappy dialogue, and sizeable property damage. Chris Bachalo handles the art duties, following a recent spell on ULTIMATE X-MEN, so chances are it will look suitably sumptuous and 'Hollywood-ish'. Fanboys everywhere should be frothing at the mouth for this one, so leave your brain at the door and marvel at the pretty explosions and super-people hitting each other. [Finisterre]

ZERO GIRL: FULL CIRCLE #2 (DC Wildstorm/Homage)
I recommended this one last month, but I'm going to make a mention of it again as the second issue hits the stands, just to make an observation. I enjoyed the first ZERO GIRL series enormously, to the extent where it's fast become one of the comics I most love to re-read. Kieth's Homage follow up, FOUR WOMEN, while a strong work, simply couldn't match it in my estimations. So I was very worried about this sequel, not least because a bad sequel can so easily dilute the strengths of the original work. However, the first issue of this second series was so strong, so original, and yet so thematically in synch with the original, that it looks like I needn't have been concerned. Sam Kieth is a wonderful, dazzlingly inventive storyteller, and in FULL CIRCLE he appears to be totally on top of his game. [Fisher]

100 BULLETS #40 (DC Vertigo)
Part of the trick of writing an ongoing series is that, after a while, you need to find a way to bring new readers in... without annoying the existing ones. Those who aren't sure how to do that should take a look at Brian Azzarello's 100 BULLETS. After completing the complex "The Counterfifth Detective" storyline, the title's next move? Six one-shot issues that each focus on a single character. It brings new readers in by letting you meet the main cast of the book, while long-time readers learn more about these people of mystery. And that's not even factoring in the questions of morality and violence that show up in 100 BULLETS, or the appeal of this issue's protagonist (the Hawaiian-shirted Lono, easily the most unpredictable cast member), or Eduardo Risso's gorgeous art. If you've never read 100 BULLETS and are curious to see what it's all about, this (or any of the other one-shot issues) is as great a place to start as any. [Plymouth]

JLA/JSA: VIRTUE & VICE HC (DC Universe)
Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against writers Geoff Johns and David Goyer. The two have proven on JSA that they're more than capable of writing good old-fashioned superhero stories that are thoroughly enjoyable to read. But that's not the real attraction with JLA/JSA: VIRTUE & VICE. No, we're talking about the art team of Carlos Pacheco and Jesus Meriño. Probably best known for the art on AVENGERS FOREVER and FANTASTIC FOUR, Pacheco and Meriño's art is some of the best in superhero books being published; there's a great sense of energy about it, no matter what the story. Add in some gorgeous renderings of familiar and new faces, and the ability to make even the most complex of scenes easy to follow, and you can see why JLA/JSA: VIRTUE & VICE looks so enticing. I mean, sure, there's bound to be fun with the two teams pounding the tar out of mutual enemies (and each other), but the art... oh, this is going to be one gorgeous book. [Plymouth]

THE SHIPPING LIST FOR DECEMBER 4th:

Shipping details come courtesy of Diamond. Visit the Diamond website for the latest information, as the list is subject to change.

DARK HORSE

SEP020055 CANNON GOD EXAXXION: STAGE 2 (PART 3 OF 5) #11 (MR) $3.50
SEP020042 KISS PHOTO CVR #4 $2.99
SEP020041 KISS RUBI CVR #4 $2.99
SEP020059 LONE WOLF 2100 #5 $2.99
AUG020027 RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT: HUMAN WONDERS #3 (Of 4) $2.99

DC COMICS

SEP020240 100 BULLETS #40 (MR) $2.50
OCT020789 21 DOWN #4 $2.95
OCT020733 BATMAN FAMILY #6: THE TECHNICIAN (Of 8) $2.25
OCT020764 BIG DADDY DANGER #5 (Of 9) $2.95
OCT020815 CODENAME: KNOCKOUT #19 (MR) $2.75
OCT020736 DETECTIVE COMICS #777 $2.75
OCT020763 DOOM PATROL #15 $2.50
OCT020749 GOTHAM CENTRAL #1 $2.50
SEP020199 JLA/JSA: VIRTUE & VICE HC $24.95
OCT020773 JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #14 $2.25
SEP020202 LEGION #14 $2.50
OCT020786 LOONEY TUNES #97 $2.25
OCT020798 RESIDENT EVIL CODE VERONICA BOOK FOUR TP (MR) $14.95
OCT020800 ROBOTECH #0 $2.50
OCT020775 SPECTRE #24 $2.75
OCT020755 SUPERMAN #189 $2.25
OCT020828 VERTIGO POP!: LONDON #2 (Of 4) (MR) $2.95
OCT020781 YOUNG JUSTICE #52 $2.75
OCT020812 ZERO GIRL: FULL CIRCLE #2 (Of 5) (MR) $2.95

IMAGE
JUL021154 A DISTANT SOIL #35 $3.95
JUL021139 ART OF JOSEPH MICHAEL LINSNER HC $39.95
JUL021140 ART OF JOSEPH MICHAEL LINSNER LTD ED HC $69.95
SEP021217 BATTLE OF THE PLANETS #5 $2.99
SEP021163 GI JOE FRONTLINE #2 $2.95
OCT021728 KABUKI VOL 6 SCARAB TP $19.95
OCT021762 RADISKULL & DEVIL DOLL RADISKULL HATE CHRISTMAS ONE SHOT $2.50
JUN021414 SAVAGE DRAGON #102 $2.95

MARVEL

OCT022033 ALIAS #17 (MR) $2.99
OCT022060 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN VOL 3 TP $12.99
SEP021499 CALL OF DUTY: THE BROTHERHOOD #6 (Of 6) $2.25
SEP021495 CAPTAIN MARVEL #3 $2.25
OCT022056 EDEN'S TRAIL #2 (Of 6) $2.99
SEP021468 ELEKTRA #17 $2.99
OCT022021 EXILES #20 $2.25
OCT022052 MARVEL DOUBLE SHOT #2 (Of 4) $2.99
SEP021497 MARVILLE #3 $2.25
OCT022047 THOR #57 $2.25
OCT022026 ULTIMATE DAREDEVIL & ELEKTRA #2 (Of 4) $2.25
OCT022034 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #32 $2.25
OCT022009 ULTIMATE WAR #1 (Of 4) $2.25
OCT022014 UNCANNY X-MEN #416 $2.25
OCT022081 UNCANNY X-MEN KIA ASAMIYA POSTER $5.95
OCT022024 WOLVERINE: NETSUKE #4 (Of 4) $3.99
SEP021476 X-MEN UNLIMITED #39 $3.50

OTHER PUBLISHERS

SEP021843 ARCHIE #530 $2.19
SEP021915 BART SIMPSON COMICS #10 $2.50
SEP022378 BASTARD!! #12: EMPRESS (PART 2 OF 4) (MR) $3.95
AUG021989 DEADBEATS #56 $2.50
OCT022483 DEMON BEAST INVASION BOOK 1 (A) $16.95
OCT022427 EDGE #9 $7.95
OCT022428 FIRST #26 $2.95
SEP021912 FUTURAMA COMICS #10 $2.50
OCT022482 JERRY ROBINSON'S ASTRA (MR) $15.95
SEP021851 JUGHEAD #148 $2.19
SEP021852 LAUGH DIGEST #180 $2.39
SEP022371 MEDABOTS VOL 3 TP: MEDAFORCE $9.95
OCT022433J MYSTIC #31 PI
SEP021783 PATTY CAKE & FRIENDS VOL 2 #7 $4.95
AUG021766 POP GUN WAR #5 $2.50
OCT022425 R A SALVATORE'S DEMON WARS: TRIAL BY FIRE #1 (Of 5) $2.95
SEP022393 SILENT MOBIUS PART 11: BLOOD #5 (Of 5) $2.95
AUG021767 STRANGERS IN PARADISE VOL III #54 $2.95
SEP022043 TRANSFORMERS: GENERATION ONE VOL 1 TP $17.95
SEP021855 VERONICA #134 $2.19
SEP022136F VOGELEIN #5 (Of 5) (MR) $3.00
OCT022440 WAY OF THE RAT #8 $2.95
OCT022314 XIN: LEGEND OF THE MONKEY KING #2 LAU CVR $2.99
OCT022316I XIN: LEGEND OF THE MONKEY KING #2 LTD OEMING CVR $9.95
NOV022794 ZOIDS #12 CHAOTIC CENTURY $5.95

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.