The Shipping Forecast for October 8th

A new approach to Marvel's mutants; a classic glimpse of DC's heroes; plus a manga many female readers will love, and an anime adaptation to appeal to the teenage boy in us all - available from all good comics retailers!
06 October 2003

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:

WORLD'S BEST COMICS: THE GOLDEN AGE DC ARCHIVES SAMPLER (DC Comics)
Sometimes it's nice to gen up on history. DC is putting this out in the hope that it will tempt more readers to buy its swish hardcover editions of the DC character archives. Whether that tactic works or not will be seen in due course, but in the meantime this sampler is a great chance to pick up early works for just 99 cents. The comics within may be considered crude and campy, but these are the early years of pop-culture icons. There's a Siegel and Shuster story from back in the days when Superman wasn't almost undefeatable, and an early Batman versus the Joker tale by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The energy and inventiveness of early American comic books is evident in Jack Cole's Plastic Man stories. For me, the big draw is the Wonder Woman story by William Moulton-Marston. Moulton-Marston was responsible for what was (in more innocent times) Wonder Woman's kinky subtext. To readers now it's more a big, honking, in-your-face-text: Much use is made of the magic lasso, villains must learn their lesson and "submit to loving bondage". The story in this sampler is a battle of the sexes titled "Mission to Planet Eros". Enough said. [German Bight]

ALSO THIS WEEK:

TRIGUN VOL 1 TP (Dark Horse)
When you've got a sixty million double-dollar bounty on your head, chances are good that you're truly a menace to society and everyone around you. Just try and explain that to Vash, who seems like a sweet and innocent guy that really just wants to be left in peace with his breakfast. Wherever Vash goes in this post-apocalypse Wild West, though, destruction just seems to follow. There's a reason why he's better known as Vash the Destroyer, after all, and it probably isn't so much his amazing abilities with a pistol, but the actions of those that are trying to wipe out Vash by any means necessary. (Why use a pistol when plastic explosives will do?) One of the biggest anime hits to arrive in the English-speaking world of the last couple of years, TRIGUN was known for its humour, sophistication, and crazy action sequences. Hopefully the print version will be just as much fun. [Plymouth]

RED STAR VOL 2 #3 (Archangel Studios)
RED STAR has a bit of an uneven publishing schedule, which is a shame as it is a really first-class space opera series in a comic landscape where sci-fi is usually done poorly, if at all. In a futuristic universe dominated by the Russian States and the evil sorcerer-emperor Imbohl, renegade warship RSS Konstantinov travels through space towards the Spiritrealm. It seeks to rescue Marcus Antares, brother of the Konstantinov's captain and husband of its chief sorceress, as well as the millions of ghost-souls imprisoned by Imbohl. At the end of #2, the Konstantinov had just been boarded by the warship Taktarov. In # 3, we learn of the resolution of this battle, as well as what Marcus Antares has been up to in the Spiritrealm. Gossett and Kayl's writing makes the story feel fresh and immediate, and brings back the sort of excitement about space stories that has been thin on the ground since STAR WARS. Art by Paul Schrier and Snakebite is all computer generated, giving the book a very unique but very effective look, especially in depictions of giant spaceship battles. If you watched STAR BLAZERS as a child, you'll love RED STAR, which is a grittier, more violent take on a similar story. Although # 3 is mid-arc, the recap pages make it easy to catch up. [Shannon]

NYX #1 (Marvel)
What happens when you're a mutant and you don't have the luxury of staying in a mansion? You might just end up on the streets, and that's just what NYX (short for New York X) is all about. It's been a while since Marvel's Editor in Chief Joe Quesada wrote something for the company (the co-authored issue of DAREDEVIL he wrote with Jimmy Palmiotti was probably his last significant writing effort), so based on that alone it should at least be worth a glance. More importantly, though, Josh Middleton's art has gotten better with each new book since his debut on MERIDIAN a few years ago, and the art in NYX looks to be nothing short of stunning. He can certainly handle pretty and ethereal, so it'll be really interesting to see how he handles gritty and dirty locales for a change. This book will probably push Middleton into the realm of comic book superstar, and it's a well-deserved title at that. [Plymouth]

BOOKS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

Because we can't always give you the most up-to-date shipping information, we'll also give you an occasional look at some of the best books that have recently shipped or are expected to ship in the coming weeks.

HAPPY MANIA #4 (TokyoPop)
With HAPPY MANIA #3, Moyoco Anno really hit her stride both in terms of storytelling and art. If she keeps up the pace with HAPPY MANIA #4, it promises to be a superlative read. Issue four continues the saga of unlucky-in-love Kayoko Shigeta, her sarcastic flatmate Fuku, accidental boyfriend Takahashi, and spoilt (but sad) little rich girl Violet. The characters are strong, three-dimensional people, and the problems they face in their relationships and jobs are universal. Anno can move from screamingly funny comedy to quiet tragedy without a hitch, and has a rare ability to make us empathise with all her characters. Her art is equally strong: some of the panels in #3 ranked among the most memorably drawn and emotionally powerful that I have ever seen in manga. Don't miss this series; it only has six books and both #3 and #4 are perfect jumping-on points. Ever since Epic's publication of TROUBLE, there's been a lot of discussion about how to make comics with more appeal to women of any age. In my view, manga such as Happy Mania are the way forward. Have a female friend who doesn't read comics, or who has never looked at manga? Buy her HAPPY MANIA. [Shannon]

THE SHIPPING LIST FOR OCTOBER 8th:

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

DARK HORSE

APR030052 LONE WOLF 2100 #10 $2.99
AUG030049 OH MY GODDESS #102: DR MOREAU (PART 3 OF 5) $2.99
JUL030048 SERAPHIC FEATHER VOL 4: DARK ANGEL TP $17.95
AUG030052 TRIGUN VOL 1 TP $14.95

DC COMICS

AUG030271 100 BULLETS #47 (MR) $2.50
AUG030191 ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #621 $2.25
AUG030176 BATMAN: ABSOLUTION SC $17.95
AUG030177 BATMAN: DEATH AND THE MAIDENS #3 (Of 9) $2.95
AUG030171 BATMAN: LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #172 $2.50
AUG030211 DEMON: DRIVEN OUT #2 (Of 6) $2.50
AUG030212 DOCTOR FATE #3 (Of 5) $2.50
AUG030274 FABLES #18 (MR) $2.50
AUG030214 FALLEN ANGEL #4 $2.50
AUG030255 GEN 13 #14 $2.95
AUG030221 HERO #9 $2.50
AUG030223 HUMAN DEFENSE CORPS #6 (Of 6) $2.50
AUG030225 JLA #88 $2.25
AUG030229 JSA: ALL STARS #6 (Of 8) $2.50
AUG030249 SCOOBY DOO #77 $2.25
AUG030262 STORMWATCH: TEAM ACHILLES #16 (MR) $2.95
AUG030196 SUPERMAN & BATMAN: GENERATIONS III #10 (Of 12) $2.95
JUN030233 TOKYO STORM WARNING #3 (Of 3) $2.95
JUN030238 TOM STRONG #22 $2.95
AUG030265 TWO STEP #1 (Of 3) (MR) $2.95
AUG030243 WORLD'S BEST COMICS: THE GOLDEN AGE DC ARCHIVES SAMPLER $0.99

IMAGE

JUL031164 AGENTS #6 (Of 6) $2.95
MAY031201 ARIA: THE USES OF ENCHANTMENT #4 (Of 4) $2.95
AUG031205 FEATHER #2 (Of 6) $2.95
AUG031207 FRANKENSTEIN MOBSTER HUGHES CVR #0 $2.95
AUG035088 FRANKENSTEIN MOBSTER SKETCH EDITION VARIANT #0 $2.95
AUG031206 FRANKENSTEIN MOBSTER WHEATLEY CVR #0 $2.95
JUL031179 GI JOE #22 $2.95
JUL031184 GI JOE: FRONTLINE #15 $2.95
JUL031193 HEAVEN'S DEVILS #1 (Of 4) $2.95
AUG031217 HELLHOUNDS #3 $2.95
JUL031204 MICRONAUTS #11 $2.95
MAY031247 PARADIGM #11 $3.95
AUG031261 SWORD OF DRACULA #1 $2.95

MARVEL

JUL031474 AVENGERS #71 $2.25
AUG031604 EARTH X VOL 5: PARADISE X BOOK 2 TP $29.99
AUG031531 INCREDIBLE HULK #62 $2.25
AUG031524 IRON MAN #73 $2.99
AUG031519 KINGPIN #5 $2.50
AUG031545 MARVEL 1602 #3 (Of 8) $3.50
AUG031542 NAMOR #7 (Note Price) $2.99
AUG031497 NYX #1 $2.99
AUG031546 PUNISHER #33 $2.99
AUG031541 RUNAWAYS #7 $2.50
AUG031539 SENTINEL #7 $2.50
AUG031517 SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #5 $2.25
AUG031515 ULTIMATE SIX #3 (Of 6) $2.25
AUG031498 ULTIMATE X-MEN #38 $2.25
JUL031501 VENOM #5 $2.25
JUL031531 WEAPON X #13 $2.99

OTHER PUBLISHERS

JUL032208 ANGELS WING #4 $2.99
JUL031989 ARCHIE #541 $2.19
JUL031992 ARCHIE DIGEST #202 $2.39
JUN031969 ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE HC $19.95
JUN031970 ASTRONAUTS IN TROUBLE TP $16.95
AUG032419 ATOMICS: SPACED OUT & GROUNDED IN SNAP CITY TP $12.95
JUL032530 BASARA VOL 2 TP (MR) $9.95
FEB031703 BIPOLAR #4 $2.95
JUN032158 CROSSOVERS #8 $2.95
JUN032170 CRUX #29 $2.95
AUG032359 DARK DAYS #4: 30 DAYS OF NIGHT SEQUEL (OF 6) (MR) $3.99
JUN032200 DEADBEATS #61 $2.50
JUL035108 DEMON CITY HUNTER MANGA VOL 1 TP (PU#587) $9.99
JUL035106 DEMON CITY SHINJUKU MANGA VOL 1 TP (PU#587) $9.99
JUL035107 DEMON PALACE BABYLON MANGA VOL 1 TP (PU#587) $9.99
AUG035066 EL CAZADOR #1 2ND PTG $2.95
AUG032093 EL CAZADOR #2 $2.95
JUL032066 FUTURAMA COMICS #15 (Note Price) $2.99
AUG031953 HSU AND CHAN #4 $2.95
JUL032000 JUGHEAD #154 $2.19
JUN032457 MIDNIGHT MOVER #4 (Of 4) (MR) $2.99
MAY032182 NODWICK #22 $2.99
JUL032104 R A SALVATORE'S DEMON WARS VOL 2 #5: EYE FOR AN EYE (Of 5) $2.95
MAY031992 RED STAR VOL 2 #3 $2.99
JUL032529 SHONEN JUMP VOL 1 #11 NOV 2003 $4.95
AUG032423 SIDEKICKS: TRANSFER STUDENT TP DIGEST EDITION $11.95
AUG031958 THE CITY VOL 1 TP $10.95
JUL032467 THE NORM MAGAZINE #1 $4.95
AUG032187 TRANSFORMERS: ARMADA #16 $2.95
JUL032166 TRANSFORMERS: GENERATION ONE VOL 2 #6 (Of 6) $2.95
AUG032190 TRANSFORMERS: WAR WITHIN VOL 2 #1 $2.95
JUN032418 VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE: ISABEL (MR) $4.95
JUL032006 VERONICA #145 $2.19

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.