The Shipping Forecast for March 3rd

Expand your horizons with a tour of Morocco and a trip to the opera with this week's comics haul - or revisit familiar faces with the return of a former JUSTICE LEAGUE, another crack at SWAMP THING, and more from the BPRD.
01 March 2004

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:

BARAKA & BLACK MAGIC IN MOROCCO GN (Alternative Comics)
SHUCK creator Rick Smith first came to Ninth Art's attention back in 2001, when John Fellows interviewed him about BARAKA AND BLACK MAGIC in its original incarnation as a web comic. Now those of you who could never quite bring yourselves to read a comic online (OK, I'll be honest; those of us) have finally got a chance to catch up. BARAKA AND BLACK MAGIC is a travelogue, telling the story of Smith's trip to Morocco in late 2000 with his wife Tania Menesse. Travel comics are a rare thing, but they really shouldn't be, since comics allow an author to combine both the visual and emotional experiences of his travels. Judging by all reports, Smith does a pretty good job, though his art style may be too distinctly indie for some tastes. It's nice for comics to take us somewhere other than either Joe Sacco's PALESTINE or Jack Kirby's FOURTH WORLD for a change. [Fisher]

ALSO THIS WEEK:

SWAMP THING #1 (DC Vertigo)
For the fourth time of asking, DC bring back the Swamp Thing for a series. It was meant to be a six issue miniseries, but they liked it so much, DC has optioned another ongoing horror serial with the shambling muck-encrusted mockery of a man. With Andy Diggle cultivating the story, I don't expect it to be as clichéd as that last sentence of mine. He has pledged to strip the undergrowth back to reveal the roots of the Swamp Thing - at its best with Wrightson and Wein, and later with Moore. You don't need to know all about the weed that has grown around those roots, as this story should stand in its own right. Expect resolution for all the bothersome DCU continuity that three previous series have produced. [Forties]

LIBRARY OF OPERA GODFATHER'S CODE #1 (NBM)
As if it weren't enough that NBM is collecting P Craig Russell's early opera adaptations in gorgeous high quality albums, now it's also publishing a new adaptation by the artist - his first since RING OF THE NIBELUNG from Dark Horse. This time the subject is Cavalleria Rusticana, by Pietro Mascagni, and as the title of the adaptation suggests, this is essentially a mafia opera. Set in a Sicilian village at the time of its Easter celebrations, GODFATHER'S CODE tells the story of lust-fuelled Turridu, who comes home to discover that the woman he loves has married the local capo. He's not about to let that get in his way, though, and passion, intrigue and bloodshed inevitably follow. Russell's own passion is always evident in these adaptations, and given that he's one of the finest storytellers in the business, with a great eye for period and spectacle and a wonderful ability to capture body language and facial expressions, you can feel fairly certain that he's going to produce something special. It's an offer you can't refuse. [Fisher]

THE RED STAR VOL 2 #4 (Archangel Studios)
Time for another issue of THE RED STAR, everyone's favourite not-really-monthly sci-fi comic. THE RED STAR is set in a futuristic Russia with magicians, giant flying space battleships, mysterious goddesses, and non-stop war, and it's based on Gogol's LOST SOULS. Archangel Studios' heavily computer-coloured art fits the story perfectly and lends an epic scale to the pleasingly frequent battle scenes in the book. Even though this issue is four issues in to the PRISON OF SOULS story arc, there is always quite a good summary page to bring you up to date with what's going on. [Shannon]

FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE JUSTICE LEAGUE TP (DC)
Having had an aversion to the JLA ever since reading THE NAIL, I had never experienced the thing of joy and wonder that was Giffen & DeMatteis' original JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA/ EUROPE/ INTERNATIONAL/ ANTARCTICA run in the 1980s, so I passed up FORMERLY KNOWN AS... until a friend thrust it into my hands. FORMERLY KNOWN AS... is one of the best miniseries of 2003, and if you missed it in singles, buy the trade. It's a hilarious story of a bunch of retired superfolk reuniting under their borderline competent svengali Maxwell Lord to become "the people's heroes" - and disaster ensues. I defy anyone to read it and not laugh out loud within the first five pages. DC reunited the entire 1980s JLA team for this, including Kevin Maguire and Joe Rubenstein on art. My only word of warning is that you may like it so much, you'll start searching Ebay for the original Giffen & DeMatteis JLA run. If you do, start with the ingenious JUSTICE LEAGUE ANTARCTICA. Giffen & DeMatteis are set to return with another six-issue miniseries, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT THE JUSTICE LEAGUE, later this year. [Shannon]

CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON #1 (Marvel)
Christopher Priest's books always get cancelled. So says the Curse of Priest. Of course, another way of spinning it might be to say that Christopher Priest almost never gets pushed off a book, so he's always still there when cancellation inevitably comes a-knocking, as it does for 99% of superhero comics. Either way, it's a sad truth of comics that a writer as good as Priest has never received the wide acclaim he deserves. BLACK PANTHER probably marks his longest continuous run in recent years, and though it was a critical darling, it was never a huge hit (it was perhaps, dare I say it, a little too smart for most readers). THE CREW came and went, and now here comes another ongoing series where the word 'ongoing' feels unusually optimistic. Is Falcon really the guy to make another Captain America series seem like a viable prospect? Priest deserves a hit, but this may not be it. Bart Sears draws the really big chins. [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.

B.P.R.D.: A PLAGUE OF FROGS #1 (Dark Horse)
It's Mike Mignola year. His HELLBOY will be released at the cinemas, and the whole world will know that comics are where it's at. Probably. Meanwhile, here's a chance to sample some of the Hellboy mythos in a handy miniseries. All of his supporting cast are here; the fish bloke, the golem type, the woman that does fire, that old English guy, and many more. The Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense is a more interesting proposition than Mulder & Scully. This series takes us back to the origins of the Hellboy story with what HP Lovecraft called "Batrachians", or Frog Men, as long-time HELLBOY readers know them. While Mignola's dark art really suits these sort of stories, his partner here is Guy Davis, who gives the creeping horror comics a good name. [Forties]

THE SHIPPING LIST FOR MARCH 3rd:

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

DARK HORSE

JAN040016 BPRD A PLAGUE OF FROGS #1 $2.99
AUG030020 HELL #4 $2.99
OCT030053 MEGATOKYO VOL 2 TP (C: 2) $9.95
OCT030042 SYN #5 $2.99
OCT030046 TRIGUN VOL 2 TP (MR) (C: 2) $14.95

DC COMICS

DEC030256 ADAM STRANGE ARCHIVES VOL 1 HC $49.95
JAN040274 AUTHORITY VOL 2 #10 (MR) $2.95
JAN040211 BATMAN CITY OF LIGHT #6 (Of 8) $2.95
JAN040203 DETECTIVE COMICS #792 $2.75
JAN040237 FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE JUSTICE LEAGUE TP $12.95
JAN040241 HARD TIME #2 $2.50
JAN040248 JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #29 $2.25
JAN040269 LOONEY TUNES #112 $2.25
JAN040253 MONOLITH #2 $2.95
JAN040299 MY FAITH IN FRANKIE #3 (Of 4) (MR) $2.95
JAN040255 PLASTIC MAN #4 $2.95
JAN040286 ROBOTECH INVASION #3 (Of 5) $2.95
JAN040302 SANDMAN PRESENTS THESALY WITCH FOR HIRE #2 (Of 4) (MR) $2.95
DEC030254 SUPERMAN BATMAN #7 $2.95
JAN040226 SUPERMAN BIRTHRIGHT #8 (Of 12) $2.95
JAN040301 SWAMP THING #1 (MR) $2.95
JAN040304 Y THE LAST MAN #20 (MR) $2.95

IMAGE

DEC031330D PVP VOL 1 DORK AGES TP $11.95
JAN041323 SWORD OF DRACULA #3 $2.95
MARVEL
JAN041572 ALPHA FLIGHT #1 $2.99
JAN041549 CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON #1 $2.99
JAN041583 EXILES #44 $2.99
DEC035221 HULK UNCHAINED #3 (OF 3) (PU#607) $2.99
JAN041537 MARVEL AGE SPIDER-MAN #1 $2.25
JAN041559 PUNISHER THE MOVIE #1 (Of 3) $2.99
JAN041593 PUNISHER THE MOVIE TP $12.99
JAN041536 SPIDER-GIRL #71 $2.99
JAN041534 SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #2 $2.99
JAN041584 SUPREME POWER #8 (MR) $2.99
JAN041550 THANOS #7 $2.99
JAN041542 THOR #75 $2.99
JAN041571 UNCANNY X-MEN #441 $2.25

OTHER PUBLISHERS

DEC032738 ALICE 19TH VOL 3 GN (C: 3) $9.95
DEC032156 ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #150 $3.59
JAN042115 ARCHIE MYSTERIES #34 $2.19
JAN042046 BARAKA & BLACK MAGIC IN MORROCO GN (MR) $11.95
JAN042055 BEAR #4 $2.95
DEC032159 BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #65 $2.19
NOV032282 DUEL MASTERS #3 $2.95
DEC032092 EVENFALL VOL 1 TP LAY ME DOWN $9.95
DEC032753 FUSHIGI YUGI VOL 10 GN ENEMY (Note Price) $9.95
DEC032754 FUSHIGI YUGI VOL 2 TP 2ND ED ORACLE (RES) (Note Price) (C: 3 $9.95
DEC032353 GI JOE GI JOE REBORN $4.95
DEC032351 GI JOE POSTER BOOK $4.95
DEC032758 HOT GIMMICK VOL 3 TP (C: 3) $9.95
OCT032293 JOHN CARPENTERS SNAKE PLISSKEN GOLDEN CVR ED #4 $2.99
OCT032294 JOHN CARPENTERS SNAKE PLISSKEN RODRIGUEZ CVR ED #4 $2.99
DEC032576 LIBRARY OF OPERA GODFATHERS CODE #1 (C: 4) $2.95
JAN042062 LITTLE SCROWLIE #5 $2.95
DEC032045 MAGIC WHISTLE #9 (MR) (Note Price) $11.95
JUL031986 RED STAR VOL 2 #4 $2.99
OCT032813 RUROUNI KENSHIN VOL 2 GN (C: 3 & 4) $7.95
NOV032495 SCOOTER GIRL #6 (Of 6) (MR) $2.99
DEC032737 SHONEN JUMP VOL 2 #4 APR 2004 (C: 3) $4.99
JAN042250 SLAYERS RETURN TP $9.99
DEC032598 SPOOKED GN (MR) $14.95
JAN042674 STONEHAVEN GN HC $38.95
JAN042675 STONEHAVEN GN SC $19.95
DEC032369 TRANSFORMERS GENERATION ONE VOL 2 WAR & PEACE TP $17.95

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.