The Shipping Forecast is Ninth Art's weekly look at the latest comic book releases, and this week we introduce our latest recruit, Plymouth, who has been dragged to the lighthouse to cover for our other fishermen when they get lured away by sirens.

Every Monday the members of our valiant crew will give you their picks of the most noteworthy new books in the weekly Diamond shipping list. Just as our crew will sometimes change, so will the shipping list, so for the very latest details, check out the Diamond website.

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FISHER PICKS:

HEROES (Marvel Comics)
Marvel has fast-tracked its first September 11 tribute book to the shelves, and it looks like being an impressive work. It features original art and text pieces in celebration of everyday heroes, by such big names as Garth Ennis, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, Kevin Smith, Bill Sienkiewicz, J Scott Campbell, Steve Rude and Alan Davis. At just $3.00 for 64 pages, there's little excuse not to pick up a copy, especially since all profits will go to the Widows' and Children's Fund of the Police Department, the Widows' and Children's Fund of the Fire Department, and the Red Cross.

DAREDEVIL #26 (Marvel Comics)
The mediocre fortnightly Bob Gale/Phil Winslade run is over, and the book is finally getting a "regular" creative team. After the enormously enjoyable Smith/Quesada, Mack/Quesada and Bendis/Mack runs, the introduction of a regular team almost comes as a disappointment. On the other hand, when that team is Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev, it's hard to feel too glum. Bendis may be stretching his talents a bit thin with ELEKTRA, ALIAS, the two ULTIMATE books and POWERS, but he and Maleev proved what a good team they are on SAM & TWITCH, and Bendis' previous DAREDEVIL run was one of his strongest works of the past couple of years. Editor Stuart Moore has described this book as "a combination of pulp action and psychological thriller". With Bendis and Maleev, that may be the perfect combination.

MAGIC PICKLE #2 (Oni Press)
Here's another slice of perfection, and if you're lucky, you can still pick up issue one. Cartoonist Scott Morse, the boy wonder behind SOULWIND and VOLCANIC REVOLVER, brings us part two of his gloriously rendered story of vegetable super-soldier Weapon Kosher. The series is earning rave reviews and has already achieved minor cult status, so you'd be a fool to let it pass you by. MAGIC PICKLE not only feeds your inner child, it also makes him eat his greens.

OUTLAW NATION #14 (DC Vertigo)
Another month, another effort to get you to read Jamie Delano's first rate autopsy of Americana, with flawless art from the two Gorans, Sudzuka and Parlov. Really, if you haven't given this book a try, you're missing an absolute treat. Those slack-jawed fops at DC Vertigo have no current plans to release a trade, but if you'd like to see one, drop DC Vertigo a mail and give them a wake-up call. Failing that, e-mail Bill Jemas. Maybe he'll print the damn thing.

CROMARTY PICKS:

COUSCOUS EXPRESS (AiT/PlanetLar)
I've been waiting for this one for a while, and it looks like it'll be worth it. Brian Wood, creator of CHANNEL ZERO, teams up with young artist Brett Weldele, and together they're promising to deliver a street-level, urban comic based around the violent and intense battles between... fast-food delivery couriers. Hey, no one can say it isn't original. And the PDF preview looks great.

SANDMAN PRESENTS: THE CORINTHIAN #1 (DC Vertigo)
Yes, it's another SANDMAN spinoff. Except... Well, the last few have been rather good, haven't they? LUCIFER is still standing up as an excellent book in its own right, THE DEAD BOY DETECTIVES was fun and original... So I'm going to give this one a try. Writer Darko Macan blows hot and cold for me, but artist Danijel Zezelj has never failed to impress with his oppressive, black and mildly surreal style. Set in 1920s Venice, this is apparently a "before he was the Corinthian" story. It could be very good indeed.

J SCOTT CAMPBELL DANGER GIRL SKETCHBOOK (DC Cliffhanger)
Time to find out what J Scott Campbell was doing all that time when he could have been drawing DANGER GIRL. This sketchbook features, among other things, "ultra-rare production drawings from the DANGER GIRL video game, action figures and PVCs". How can you resist? Quite easily, actually. You see, I already bought a book full of sketchy J Scott Campbell drawings and no linking story - it was called DANGER GIRL #7.

GERMAN BIGHT PICKS:

JOSS WHEDON'S FRAY #4 (Of 8) (Dark Horse)
Here's a rum'un. For all the scorn poured on the vogue for companies getting "celebrity" scribes in to write comics, they seem to be getting a lot of acclaim. Now, I'm not really a licensed property kind of reader, but I was intrigued to see that Joss Whedon was doing a future dystopia vampire slayer comic, and curiosity got the better of my usual tastes. So people, this is my report: It's really rather good. A fun time to be had by all. There are recognisable themes carried over from Whedon's TV work - a slightly dysfunctional family relationship, guilt, friendship, all of that kind of thing. Replace the Watcher with a demon who still has Mr. Giles' way with a dry phrase, and you've got something that'll satisfy BUFFY fans, but keep those who've never watched an episode entertained as well. Plus, the artwork's as fresh and zingy as the script.

OUTLAW NATION #14 (MR) (DC Vertigo)
Time for me to add my voice to the chorus of praise for this title. The opening story arc lasted over a year - a brave move when so many readers will give a new comic four or so issues to impress them - and was a consistently rewarding read every issue. The art has never fallen short of immaculate either. So why is this title not getting the readership it deserves? Dunno. But it deserves your support, and this issue should be a good point to jump on board. Story Johnson is being forced to tell stories in order to keep his family alive. The second part of OUTLAW NATION starts with this issue. Don't let it pass you by again.

OPTIC NERVE #8 (Drawn and Quarterly)
Are you sitting comfortably? Well, don't expect to stay like that. OPTIC NERVE is a comic that I'll only buy when I feel that I can cope with the uncomfortable mood it brings on. Adrian Tomine's stock in trade is the acute observation of the tiny mistakes, imagined slights and petty hatreds that hum away in everyone's lives. His characters let these things play too large a part in their thoughts, and things start to go wrong. That's pretty much the basic pattern to every issue, but it's the way that pattern is interpreted that pulls you into the story. From what I've seen, OPTIC NERVE #8 draws on the terrifying embarrassments of high school - you know, the ones that you remember years afterwards for no apparent reason, but which still make you wince. A quiet-seeming comic that's really not for the faint hearted.

PHOENIX SQUARE TP (Amaze Ink/Slave Labor)
I'll admit right off that I'd never heard of this book or creator Paul Barlow before seeing the title on the list, but I've looked it up and I think some of you might like it. A fantasy set in the Victorian era, it's the story of a young man, his long-lost sister, some creepy beasties and nefarious goings-on. It should appeal to the sort of audience whose tastes include the SANDMAN PRESENTS titles and Guy Davis's BAKER STREET. If you're looking for something different from your usual comics, whatever style you may read, then this could be worth a look.

PLYMOUTH PICKS:

GRENDEL: THE DEVIL INSIDE #2 (Dark Horse)
In 1987, comics readers thought they knew who Grendel was. A brilliant criminal (Hunter Rose) who took the identity for fun, and his granddaughter (Christine Spar) who took the identity for revenge. When THE DEVIL INSIDE showed up, readers got their first glimpse of just who, or what, Grendel really was. Matt Wagner and Bernie Mireault not only reinvent the GRENDEL comic with this storyline, but suck the reader into a disturbing saga of the insanity of a man who might be the only person who truly understands the nature of Grendel. This emotional roller coaster has been out of print for over a decade; don't miss the boat this time around.

DETECTIVE COMICS #763 (DC Comics)
Company-wide crossovers are often a good reason to avoid books you normally read, as they have strange new storylines thrust upon them that you really couldn't care less about. Trust in Greg Rucka to neatly avoid that problem. While the immensely dull-looking JOKER: LAST LAUGH ties up Batman elsewhere, Rucka shifts the spotlight to Bruce Wayne's bodyguard Sasha, one of the more interesting additions to the Dark Knight's supporting cast. It's a nice side-step around crossover mania, and lets Rucka's storylines continue unabated. If that's not lure enough, there's also the debut of Judd Winick and Cliff Chiang's eight-part back-up story, "Josie Mac". Winick's story of a cop with precognitive powers sounds like a winner, and if you aren't a convert to Chiang's art yet, you will be once you see this. Forty pages for $2.50; now there's a deal you won't find too many other places.

KISSING CHAOS #2 (Oni Press)
If you didn't jump on the speeding car that is KISSING CHAOS last month, here's a brief primer - but we're going to have to be quick about it. Damien's covered in blood. He and Angela are wanted for armed robbery. Raevyn tried to steal their car and is now along for the ride. She may or may not have a gun. The cops are getting closer. And closer. And closer. And you just know that tensions are rising. Sound fast-paced? Welcome to KISSING CHAOS. Short, slick, sweet, stylish, and shot at you every three weeks. Don't miss out.

Comics shipping in the US on October 17:

DARK HORSE

AUG010022 GRENDEL THE DEVIL INSIDE #2 (Of 3) (MR) $2.99
AUG010044 JOSS WHEDONS FRAY #4 (Of 8) $2.99
JUL010047 SUPER MANGA BLAST #16 (MR) (Note Price) $5.99

DC COMICS

AUG010190 ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #597 $2.25
AUG010263 AMERICAN CENTURY #8 (MR) $2.50
AUG010192 BATGIRL #21 $2.50
AUG010220 BATMAN ORPHEUS RISING #3 (Of 5) $2.50
AUG010186 BIRDS OF PREY #36 $2.50
AUG010193 DETECTIVE COMICS #763 $2.50
AUG010248 GEN 13 #70 $2.50
AUG010195 HARLEY QUINN #13 $2.25
FEB010445 J SCOTT CAMPBELL DANGER GIRL SKETCHBOOK $6.95
AUG010235 JIST WITH DAVE GIBBONS CREATING GREEN LANTERN $5.95
AUG010232 JLA GATEKEEPER #1 (Of 3) $4.95
AUG010191 JOKER LAST LAUGH #3 (Of 6) $2.95
AUG010194 JSA #29 $2.50
AUG010250 MONARCHY #8 $2.50
AUG010252 NINJA BOY #3 $2.95
AUG010275 OUTLAW NATION #14 (MR) $2.50
AUG010242 POWERPUFF GIRLS #20 $1.99
AUG010274 SANDMAN PRESENTS THE CORINTHIAN #1 (Of 3) $2.50
AUG010196 SPECTRE #10 $2.50
JUL010374 STAR TREK NEXT GENERATION FORGIVENESS HC $24.95
AUG010197 SUPERBOY #93 $2.25
AUG010253 TALEWEAVER #2 (Of 6) $2.95

IMAGE

FEB011252 DARK ANGEL PHOENIX RESURRECTION #4 $2.95
AUG011159 OBERGEIST #6 $2.95
APR011354 RED STAR #7 $2.95
AUG011142 TOMB RAIDER #17 $2.50
APR011362 VIOLENT MESSIAHS #7 $2.95

MARVEL

AUG011454 100 GREATEST MARVELS #2 $7.50
JUN011585 CABLE #96 $2.25
AUG011459 CAPTAIN AMERICA #48 $2.25
AUG011460 CAPTAIN MARVEL #24 $2.50
AUG011433 DAREDEVIL #26 $2.99
AUG011462 INCREDIBLE HULK #33 (Note Price) $3.50
AUG011423 ROGUE #3 (MR) $2.50
JUL011571 SENTRY TP (C: 2) $24.95
AUG011464 THOR GODSTORM #2 (Of 3) $3.50
AUG011465 THUNDERBOLTS #57 $2.25

OTHER PUBLISHERS

AUG011750 ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #129 $3.29
AUG012201 BAKUNE YOUNG VOL 2 TP $16.95
AUG011751 BETTY #105 $1.99
AUG012085 BONEYARD #4 (MR) $2.95
AUG011709 COUSCOUS EXPRESS GN $12.95
AUG012051 DAHLIA VAMPIRE #6 (Of 6) $2.95
AUG012221 DRAGONBALL Z PART 4 #11 (Of 15) (C: 3) $2.95
AUG012225 EL HAZARD PART 3 #4 (Of 6) $2.95
AUG012049 FUTABAKUN CHANGE VOL 7 #3 $2.95
AUG011825 HALLOWEEN III THE DEVILS EYES $2.99
AUG011826 HALLOWEEN III THE DEVILS EYES PX CVR $2.99
AUG011715 HIGHWAY 13 #4 $2.95
AUG012103 KISSING CHAOS #2 (Of 8) (MR) $2.25
AUG011838 LADY DEATH MISCHIEF NIGHT #1 $2.99
AUG011842 LADY DEATH MISCHIEF NIGHT PREMIUM ED #1 $12.99
JUL011975F LODOSS WAR CHRONICLES HEROIC KNIGHT #13 $2.95
AUG012102 MAGIC PICKLE #2 (Of 4) $2.95
AUG012052 OGENKI CLINIC VOL 8 #3 (A) (C: 3) $2.95
JUN012085 OPTIC NERVE #8 (MR) $3.50
AUG011713 PATTY CAKE & FRIENDS VOL 2 #4 $4.95
MAR011789 PHOENIX SQUARE TP $16.95
JUL011887E RADIOACTIVE MAN #4 $2.50
AUG011909 SIGIL #17 $2.95
AUG011799 SIMPSONS COMICS #63 $2.50
AUG012175 SMILE VOL 3 #11 $4.99
AUG011910 SOJOURN #4 $2.95
AUG012048 VAMPIRE PRINCESS YUI VOL 3 #3 $2.95
JUL012108I VAMPIRELLA #3 LTD CVR ED $9.95
JUL012107E VAMPIRELLA #3 REG ED (Note Price) $2.99
JUN011879 WITCH VOL 1 TP (MR) $11.95

The 9A Lighthouse Crew are Trafalgar, Shannon, Fastnet, Plymouth, Viking, German Bight, Finisterre, Forties, Dogger, Cromarty and Fisher.

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.