The Shipping Forecast for November 26th 2003

Oni is out to impress this week with a slate that should include the single volume collection of Scott Morse's SOULWIND and the new original graphic novel from Neil Shaffer. Plus, we reel in a copy of Chester Brown's excellent LOUIS RIEL.
24 November 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:

COMPLETE SOULWIND TP (Oni Press)
If you only read one science fiction/fantasy/pulp fiction/fairy tale fable this year, this is the one to go for. And even if you're not planning to read any science fiction/fantasy/pulp fiction/fairy tale fables this year, you should still give it a look. As you may have noticed, SOULWIND is a strange patchwork of genres, making its way from space adventure to philosophical parable via Arthurian legend and romantic horror. That may sound daunting, but creator Scott Morse pulls it all together by deftly adapting his always-distinctive art style for each setting and story (indeed, the whole book is something of a master class in page layouts). The end result is a captivating epic combining first-rate storytelling with Morse's stunningly inventive visual flair. A major work by one of the most gifted comic creators of a generation. The previous five-volume set is a treasured part of my collection. [Fisher]

ALSO THIS WEEK:

WOLVERINE: SNIKT TP (Marvel)
Over the past year, Marvel has published about eight million Wolverine titles and spin-offs. Most of them are irredeemable garbage dealing with Wolverine's origin, perhaps the most tedious subject in the universe. Then there's WOLVERINE: SNIKT, which is a different beast entirely. Marvel, in the ongoing struggle the Big Two US comic companies are having in coming to terms with manga's popularity, offered Tsutomo Nihei (writer/artist of the cyberpunk mangas BLAME and NOISE) free rein in writing any sort of Wolverine story he wanted. The result is a cracking little sci-fi tale of Wolverine in a post-apocalyptic future, fighting robots that can, conveniently, only be destroyed by adamantium. What does this have to do with Wolverine and the X-Men, you may ask? Sweet FA! But it's still a fab story with mind-blowing art, and I'd take it over the usual cookie-cutter Wolverine mini any day. Guru eFX's colouring, with its cracktacular backgrounds and pale, almost black and white characters, is fresh and memorable. [Shannon]

LAST EXIT BEFORE TOLL GN (MR) $9.95 (Oni Press)
Have you ever found yourself in a rut, always performing the same actions over and over again? Wondering if you'll ever escape? Neal Shaffer, best known for writing last year's breakout hit ONE PLUS ONE, must have an idea what that's like. That's probably how we ended up with LAST EXIT BEFORE TOLL, where protagonist Charles Pierce's business trip suddenly goes horribly wrong, stranding him away from his normal life, in a place where he's got a chance to start over. But can someone ever really begin again? Shaffer's story promises to be more introspective than explosive, if ONE PLUS ONE is any indication, with plot twists and turns sneaking up on you when you least expect it. The art samples by relative newcomers Christopher Mitten and Dawn Pietrusko look great as well; it's a strong, realistic style that has a vague resemblance to Brett Weldele's (SHOT CALLERZ) pencils. LAST EXIT BEFORE TOLL's title indicates a final chance for escape before you have to pay; this looks like a book you don't want to miss your first chance to read. [Plymouth]

WILDCATS VERSION 3.0 #16 (DC WildStorm)
Why are you not reading this comic? WILDCATS v3.0 is simply one of the most intelligently written and well drawn mainstream titles out there. The series is about a group of people with superpowers who no longer have a great overarching adversary to fight, and how they choose to use their powers in "civilian" life. In this issue, Jacob Marlowe's attempts to improve the world via alien technology start to meet resistance as certain groups, including the president, feel the world is fine just as it is, thank you. Alien warrior Zealot, concluding her quest to undo the sect of assassins she started, comes up against the one warrior she can't stop. And if we're lucky, Grifter, the hero-in-a-wheelchair, blows something up. Oh, and have I mentioned the super-spies of the National Park Service? The pacing is a bit slow, but that's one of the subtle joys of reading WILDCATS v3.0. It's like playing poker with a good friend. At first you think all he has is a pair of Jacks, then you get to thinking that maybe he's got a full house, and then it dawns on you that the rat's been sitting on a royal flush the whole time. [Shannon]

QUEEN & COUNTRY #21 (Oni Press)
Another new arc; yet another heartfelt endorsement. A lot changed in the previous arc of Q&C, and here's where the ramifications play out. This remains Greg Rucka's finest work, and the quality of his writing never seems to waiver, which is just as well when there's a new artist to adjust to every three-to-five issues. Not that I'm complaining, what with this book's sterling pedigree. This time around, the new guy is Mike Hawthorne, of WHISKEY DICKEL and THREE DAYS IN EUROPE, whose style is reminiscent of the inky Argentineans mixed with the clean lines of the Animated Adventures crowd. Judging by the advance pages this fisherman has snuck a peak at, Hawthorne's a natural fit for the title - and that's no faint praise. [Fisher]

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.

LOUIS RIEL HC (Drawn & Quarterly)
Even after twenty or so years, Chester Brown still manages to be interesting and original with every new project. From his first big splash with ED THE HAPPY CLOWN, and even with the aborted UNDERWATER, he's produced work that deserves attention and analysis. However, even from a creator who has been adapting all four versions of the gospels into sequential art, the story of LOUIS RIEL was unexpected. Little known outside Canada, and certainly unfamiliar to me, Riel was a rebel-turned-folk-hero who fought for land rights for the Métis people and then, by all accounts, let his zeal get the better of his sanity.

It's an absorbing tale, rendered by Brown in very stylised, black-heavy artwork in a set panel-grid. After coming out in serial form, LOUIS RIEL has been collected into a frankly beautiful collected edition. The flimsy part work pages are replaced by lovely, cream-coloured paper stock, there are new chapter divisions, and Brown's painstakingly hand-lettered footnotes take up several pages in the back, explaining the historical background and highlighting the parts where fact has been sacrificed for better storytelling. The whole thing is bound in sturdy textured hardback covers worthy of a reference book. Christmas is coming, and if you really want to splash out for the history buff/serious comic fan in your life, LOUIS RIEL would probably be very well received. [German Bight]

THE SHIPPING LIST FOR NOVEMBER 26th:

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

DARK HORSE

SEP030015 BTVS #63: A STAKE TO THE HEART (PART 4 OF 4) ART CVR $2.99
AUG030019 GO BOY 7: HUMAN ACTION MACHINE #4 $2.99
SEP030029 LONE #3 $2.99
SEP030022 USAGI YOJIMBO #71 $2.99

DC COMICS

SEP030241 AQUAMAN: THE WATER BEARER TP $12.95
SEP030210 BATMAN #621 $2.25
SEP030216 BATMAN ADVENTURES #8 $2.25
SEP030209 BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS #47 $2.75
SEP030243 CAPER #2 (Of 12) $2.95
SEP030286 CARTOON CARTOONS #24 $2.25
SEP030224 CATWOMAN #25 $2.50
SEP030225 CATWOMAN: CROOKED LITTLE TOWN TP $14.95
SEP030281 ELFQUEST ARCHIVES VOL 1 HC $49.95
SEP030247 EMPIRE #5 (Of 6) (MR) $2.50
SEP030249 FLASH #204 $2.25
SEP030252 GREEN ARROW: ARCHER'S QUEST HC $19.95
SEP030254 GREEN LANTERN #171 $2.25
SEP030313 HELLBLAZER #190 (MR) $2.75
SEP030260 JLA #90 $2.25
SEP030266 JLA-Z #3 (Of 3) $2.50
SEP030273 LEGION #27 $2.50
SEP030315 LOSERS #6 (MR) $2.95
SEP030276 REIGN OF THE ZODIAC #4 $2.75
SEP030303 SLEEPER #11 (MR) $2.95
STAR12929 STRAY $5.95
SEP030233 SUPERMAN #199 $2.25
SEP030238 SUPERMAN: THE KANSAS SIGHTING #1 (Of 2) $6.95
SEP030308 WILDCATS VERSION 3.0 #16 (MR) $2.95

IMAGE

JUL031170 CASEFILES: SAM & TWITCH #5 (MR) $2.50
SEP031267 GI JOE BADEAUX CVR #24 $2.95
SEP031268 GI JOE SEELEY CVR #24 $2.95
SEP031269 GI JOE: FRONTLINE ALEXANDER CVR #17 $2.95
SEP031270 GI JOE: FRONTLINE SEELEY CVR #17 $2.95
SEP031275 HEAVEN'S DEVILS #2 (Of 4) $3.50
OCT031304 STREET FIGHTER ANDREWS CVR B #4 $2.95
OCT031303 STREET FIGHTER LEE CVR A #4 $2.95
JUL031238 TRAKK MONSTER HUNTER STAN WINSTON STUDIO ED #1 $14.95
AUG031262 VAMPIRES CHRISTMAS GN (RES) $5.95

MARVEL

SEP031560 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #501 (#60) $2.25
AUG031523 AVENGERS #74 $2.25
SEP031548 EMMA FROST #5 $2.50
SEP031574 FANTASTIC FOUR #507 (#78) $2.25
AUG031534 HUMAN TORCH #7 $2.50
SEP031534 INHUMANS #7 (Note Price) $2.99
SEP031564 JLA/AVENGERS #3 (OF 4) $5.95
SEP031585 MARVEL 1602 #4 (Of 8) $3.50
SEP031537 MYSTIQUE #8 (RES) $2.99
SEP031541 NEW X-MEN #149 $2.25
SEP031583 PUNISHER #36 $2.99
SEP031577 SILVER SURFER #3 (RES) $2.25
SEP031559 SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #7 $2.25
SEP031586 THOR: VIKINGS #5 (Of 5) (MR) $3.50
SEP031590 TROUBLE #5 (Of 5) $2.99
SEP031542 UNCANNY X-MEN #433 $2.25
SEP031532 VENOM #8 $2.99
SEP031631 WOLVERINE LEGENDS VOL 5: SNIKT TP $13.99
SEP031550 X-STATIX #16 $2.99

OTHER PUBLISHERS

AUG032477 AYA #1 $2.95
SEP032572 BASTARD VOL 5 TP (MR) $12.95
SEP032073 BETTY & VERONICA #195 $2.19
SEP032074 BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #120 $3.59
SEP032441 COMPLETE SOULWIND TP $29.95
STAR19949 DEMON CITY HUNTER MANGA VOL 1 TP $9.99
AUG035134 DEMON CITY HUNTER MANGA VOL 2 TP $9.99
SEP032238 DREW STRUZAN OEUVRE ART BOOK HC $59.95
SEP035150 DUEL MASTERS #1 DARKNESS COVER $2.95
SEP035152 DUEL MASTERS #1 FIRE COVER $2.95
SEP035154 DUEL MASTERS #1 LIGHT COVER $2.95
SEP035153 DUEL MASTERS #1 NATURE COVER $2.95
SEP035155 DUEL MASTERS #1 WATER COVER $2.95
SEP032237 DUEL MASTERS HOLOFOIL CVR #1 $5.95
SEP032006 EVENFALL #5 (MR) $2.95
SEP032575 FLAME OF RECCA VOL 3 TP $9.95
SEP032409 KOLCHAK: TALES OF NIGHT STALKER #1 (MR) $3.50
SEP032436 LAST EXIT BEFORE TOLL GN (MR) $9.95
SEP032440 QUEEN & COUNTRY #21 (MR) $2.99
SEP032366 RICHARD MATHESON'S I AM LEGEND GN $35.00
SEP032179 ROUTE 666 #18 $2.95
AUG032116 SCION #41 $2.95
AUG032097 SOLUS #8 $2.95
SEP032079 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #130 $2.19
AUG035112 STEEL ANGEL KURUMI MANGA VOL 1 TP (MR) (PU#591) $9.99
SEP032140 TAROT, WITCH OF THE BLACK ROSE #23 (MR) $2.95
SEP032241 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES ANIMATED #6 $2.95
AUG035111 THOSE WHO HUNT ELVES MANGA VOL 1 TP (PU#591) $9.99
SEP032244 TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS EYE OFFICIAL GUIDE #8 (Of 8) $5.25
SEP032324 UNCLE SCROOGE #324 $6.95
SEP032320 WALT DISNEY'S CHRISTMAS PARADE #1 $8.95
SEP032326 WALT DISNEY'S COMICS & STORIES #639 $6.95

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.