Welcome to The Forecast. Every Monday, Ninth Art's core team of comment writers, the Ninth Eight, will be your guides to the best, worst, weirdest and most noteworthy books on the shelves of your local comic shop.

BOOK OF THE WEEK: ALL-STAR SUPERMAN

Grant Morrison's having a busy time of it. On one hand, he's turning screwball sorcerers into puritan punks in SEVEN SOLDIERS. On the other, he's rebuilding the DC Universe in the wake of INFINITE CRISIS. And on the other other hand, he's lending Zenith-cred to Robbie Williams' latest album.

And as if that wasn't enough, he's making Superman interesting again.

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN debuts this week, and to call it "highly anticipated" would be an understatement. The series sees Morrison, with artist Frank Quitely, apply a continuity-free approach to the Superman universe, similar to that used in the comics based on DC's many animated series. In ALL-STAR SUPERMAN, the main players are the same as ever they were - Superman is the archetypal big brother superhero, Lois is his one true love, and Lex Luthor is a baddy - but without the recent angst that has ruined the character for some.

Morrison is on record as being in love with the "mad ideas" era of Superman - a time when much of the character's wider mythology was laid down, including Bizarro, Supergirl, and the Bottle City of Kandor. As seen in the recent SHOWCASE: SUPERMAN, these stories had brilliance and invention to spare, but the characters themselves were so broadly drawn as to be one-dimensional. Morrison is a writer who combines an unfettered imagination with modern sophistication, so while ALL-STAR will have that classic energy, it won't feel dated as soon as it comes off the stands.

Frank Quitely's eye for crisp, expressive anatomical and architectural detail, coupled with his ability to build and control the page, make him the ideal partner for Morrison on this twelve-part odyssey. As seen in books such as WE3, NEW X-MEN and (crucially) FLEX MENTALLO, Morrison and Quitely bring out the best in each other, a perfect union of surrealist and hyperrealist.

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN will be a bimonthly affair, which means that we'll have two solid years of Krypto-Scottish goodness, with (if there's any justice) an oversized hardcover collection some time after that. With Bryan Singer's movie arriving in cinemas next summer, it looks like 2006 will be a vintage year for the Man of Steel. [Matthew Craig]

FOUNTAIN PENNED

Darren Aronofsky is a born again comics fan, discovering comics in college, writing introductions for TRANSMETROPOLITAN, and finally joining the creators' fold with this week's hardcover novel THE FOUNTAIN (DC Vertigo). Taking place over three time periods, from the days of the Mayans to the far future of humanity, THE FOUNTAIN is the story of one reincarnated soul's attempts to beat the Grim Reaper once and for all.

As if the thought of the director of REQUIEM FOR A DREAM writing a graphic novel wasn't delightful enough, THE FOUNTAIN is a special oversized hardcover. In other words, it's bigger than a regular comic, and fairly towers over the puny manga-style digest.

Originally a screenplay destined for the chiselled jaw and purse-loosening powers of Brad Pitt, THE FOUNTAIN was adapted for comics by artist Kent Williams, with the aid of neuroscientist Ari Handel. Taking advantage of comics' unlimited imaginary budget - and Williams' achingly organic art - the novel shows what might have been, if Pitt hadn't opted to film TROY, instead.

Aronofsky has gone ahead andfilmed THE FOUNTAIN anyway, but on a lower budget, with Hugh Jackman in the lead. In lieu of any preview pages from the graphic novel, here's the trailer. The graphic novel represents a Director's Cut of sorts, a version of the story (perhaps even the truest version of the story) that would otherwise never be seen.

While it most certainly isn't a license for every stymied Spielberg to turn their rejected screenplays into graphic novels, THE FOUNTAIN looks set to prove one thing: if you want to tell your story your way, there's no better place to do it than comics. [Matthew Craig]

NEVER GO BACK

The SPIDER-MAN books used to be the archetypal superhero romance comics. There are few characters in mainstream comics so readily defined by their relationships with women. There was sweet little Betty Brant, Jameson's secretary. There was poor, doomed Gwen Stacy, the vanilla ice cream of girlfriends. Then there was Mary Jane Watson, the ultimate party girl, who managed to snag the amorous arachnid in her own little web.

Perhaps the most complex of Spider-Man's former girlfriends is Felicia Hardy: the sultry super-thief also known as the Black Cat. Black Cat differed from most of Spidey's girls in that she loved the mask, not the man behind it. Originally a fairly thin peroxide homage to DC's more famous Catwoman, Black Cat's obsessive, slightly bipolar personality soon established her as a nifty little foil for the somewhat earnest Spider-Man.

This week sees the first of (hopefully) several trade paperbacks dedicated to revisiting the relationship between Spidey and the Black Cat. Appropriately titled SPIDER-MAN VS THE BLACK CAT VOL 1, the book collects the earliest arc of their relationship, from their early flirtations to the hero's attempts to rehabilitate the recidivist. John Romita Jr provides some of the art. It's interesting to see how he grew from being an artist in his father's mould to the granite-hewn meatwagon he is today.

The Black Cat had a real place in the Spider-Man mythos back then. She was the sort of exciting, slightly crazy girlfriend that every man should have, at least once in their life: the sort of woman that comes into your life, turns things upside down, then leaves for good. If anyone in the Spider-Man universe had a finite arc, it was her.

But the timing of the book is no accident. The long-delayed Kevin Smith miniseries THE EVIL THAT MEN DO is set to pick up where it left off later this month, and a Marvel Must-Have collection of the first three issues also goes on sale this week. Comparing that book to the earlier stories is a bit like going to your university reunion: as fun as it might be touching base with old friends (and Smith's series is eminently enjoyable), you're soon painfully aware that, no matter how hard you wish otherwise, there can be no going back. [Matthew Craig]

THE SHIPPING LIST FOR NOVEMBER 16th 2005:

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

DC COMICS

SEP050218D ALL STAR SUPERMAN #1 $2.99
AUG058281D ALL STAR SUPERMAN VARIANT EDITION #1 $2.99
SEP050207D BATMAN AND THE MONSTER MEN #1 (OF 6) $2.99
SEP050211D BATMAN JOURNEY INTO KNIGHT #4 (OF 12) $2.50
SEP050231D BIRDS OF PREY #88 $2.50
SEP050288D CAPTAIN ATOM ARMAGEDDON #2 (OF 9) $2.99
SEP050306D FABLES #43 (MR) $2.75
SEP050308D FOUNTAIN HC (MR) $39.99
SEP050238D GREEN ARROW #56 $2.50
SEP050307D HELLBLAZER #214 (MR) $2.75
SEP050251D LEGION OF SUPER HEROES VOL 1 TEENAGE REVOLUTION TP $14.99
SEP050252D MANHUNTER #16 $2.50
SEP050274D POWERPUFF GIRLS #68 $2.25
SEP050298D ROBOTECH PRELUDE TO THE SHADOW CHRONICLES #3 (OF 5) $3.50

IMAGE

AUG051649D ARTHUR SUYDAM POSTER BOOK $38.99
SEP051675D DEATH JR TP $14.99
DEC041533D KANE VOL 5 UNTOUCHABLE RICO COSTAS & OTHER STORIES TP $13.95
FEB045201D MAGE VOL 1 THE HERO DISCOVERED TP $29.99
AUG051691D PVP #20 $2.99
JUL051632D PVP VOL 3 PVP RIDES AGAIN TP $11.99
JUL051636D SAINT GERMAINE VOL 1 SHADOWS FALL TP $14.99

MARVEL

JUN052064D ASTONISHING X-MEN VOL 2 DANGEROUS TP $14.99
SEP051923D BOOKS OF DOOM #1 (OF 6) $2.99
SEP051950D CAPTAIN UNIVERSE X-23 $2.99
SEP051914D DAREDEVIL VS PUNISHER #6 (OF 6) $2.99
SEP052007D ESSENTIAL X-FACTOR VOL 1 TP $16.99
AUG051929D FANTASTIC FOUR #532 $2.99
SEP051928D FANTASTIC FOUR IRON MAN BIG IN JAPAN #2 (OF 4) $3.50
SEP058045D FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN 2ND PTG VAR #1 $2.99
SEP051996D MACHINE TEEN HISTORY 101001 DIGEST TP $7.99
SEP051907D MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #20 $2.99
SEP051904D MARVEL MILESTONES ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN X-MEN MICROMAN MANTOR $3.99
SEP051939D MARVEL MONSTERS FROM THE FILES OF ULYSSES BLOODSTONE $3.99
SEP051911D MARVEL MUST HAVES SPIDER-MAN & BLACK CAT #1-3 $4.99
SEP051982D MARVEL SELECT FLIP MAGAZINE #6 $3.99
SEP051983D MARVEL TALES FLIP MAGAZINE #5 $3.99
SEP051963D MUTOPIA X #5 (OF 5) $2.99
SEP051944D RUNAWAYS #10 $2.99
SEP051998D SPIDER-MAN VS THE BLACK CAT VOL 1 TP $14.99
SEP051955D THING #1 $2.99
SEP051903D ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #86 $2.50
SEP052000D ULTIMATE X-MEN VOL 12 HARD LESSONS TP $12.99
SEP051969D WEAPON X DAYS OF FUTURE NOW #5 (OF 5) $2.99
SEP051971D X-MEN #177 $2.50
SEP051970D X-MEN DEADLY GENESIS #1 (OF 6) $3.99
AUG058137D X-MEN DEADLY GENESIS QUESADA VARIANT #1 (OF 6) (PP #690) $3.99

OTHER PUBLISHERS

AUG053317E 1 WORLD MANGA VOL 2 TP $3.99
SEP052975F A G SUPER EROTIC ANTHOLOGY #23 (A) $4.99
SEP052749E ARCHIE DIGEST #221 $2.39
JUN052907J ARMY OF DARKNESS GREENE BOOMSTICK FOIL ED #2 PI
SEP052763E ASPEN SEASONS FALL 2005 #1 $2.99
AUG053057E BANANA SUNDAYS #4 (OF 4) $2.99
SEP052752E BETTY & VERONICA #213 $2.25
AUG052881F BLOODRAYNE LYCAN REX HORN CVR B $3.99
AUG052880F BLOODRAYNE LYCAN REX ROBINSON CVR A $3.99
AUG053035F BOSTON BLACKIE BLOODY SHAME GN (MR) $9.89
SEP052948E DONALD DUCK AND FRIENDS #334 $2.95
SEP053014F EVENT HORIZON VOL 2 TP (OF 12) (MR) $19.95
AUG053244J EXALTED #1 POWER FOIL CVR ED PI
APR052802E HACK SLASH VS EVIL ERNIE CRANK CVR B $4.95
APR052801E HACK SLASH VS EVIL ERNIE SEELEY CVR A $4.95
SEP053052E LOCAL #1 (OF 12) (MR) $2.99
SEP052950E MICKEY MOUSE AND FRIENDS #283 $2.95
SEP052700E PIRATE CLUB #8 $2.95
JUL052538F SECRET VOICE #1 (MR) $4.95
SEP052831E SIMPSONS COMICS #112 $2.99
SEP052757E SONIC X #3 (OF 4) $2.25
SEP052712E VAMPIRELLA REVELATIONS GONZALEZ CVR #1 $2.99
SEP052714H VAMPIRELLA REVELATIONS GONZALEZ VIRGIN CVR #1 $14.95
SEP052711E VAMPIRELLA REVELATIONS TEXEIRA CVR #1 $2.99
SEP052713H VAMPIRELLA REVELATIONS TEXEIRA VIRGIN CVR #1 $14.95
MAY053085E YU GI OH MILLENNIUM WORLD VOL 1 TP $7.95

The Ninth Eight are Matthew Craig, John Fellows, Kieron Gillen, Alistair Kennedy, Zack Smith, Andrew Wheeler, Ben Wooller and Bulent Yusuf.

This article is Ideological Freeware. The author grants permission for its reproduction and redistribution 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.