The Shipping Forecast is Ninth Art's pick of the best and most notable new releases hitting comic stores each week, courtesy of the fishing crew at the Ninth Art lighthouse. Shipping details come courtesy of Diamond. Check out the Diamond website for the latest information, as the list is subject to change.

PLYMOUTH PICKS:

FUSHIGI YUGI VOL 6: SUMMONER TP (Viz)
Manga creator Yu Watase's work seems on the surface to be light, fluffy material. It's only when you look closely that you discover it's anything but. FUSHIGI YUGI ("The Mysterious Play") tells the story of Miaka and Yui as they're sucked through a book's pages into China's distant past, where gathering celestial warriors means you can have your wishes granted. Sweet and innocent, right? Not when rape, betrayal, theft of loved ones, and worse continually plague our heroes. Don't write this off as teen fodder; for shojo manga ("girl's comics"), this is some dark and enthralling stuff.

ANGRY YOUTH COMIX #3 (Fantagraphics)
Johnny Ryan's ANGRY YOUTH COMIX is certainly, well, angry. Ryan's artwork has a certain juvenile look to it, and his subject material is crass, rude, and offensive. It can also be awfully funny when it wants to be. ANGRY YOUTH COMIX isn't for everyone, and it skirts the limits of good taste on a regular basis, but deliberately so. If you're looking for that, look no further.

GERMAN BIGHT PICKS:

MADMAN ODDITY ODYSSEY 10TH ANNIVERSARY TP (Oni Press)
A timely tenth anniversary reissue of Mike Allred's first complete Madman adventure. As fresh now as it's ever been, THE ODDITY ODYSSEY was the first major outing for Allred's distinctive style; merging the deceptively simple visual flair inherited from the likes of Kirby and Ditko with the weird verve of indie comics. It was an antidote to the grim adult superheroes that emerged from the shadows of WATCHMEN and THE DARK KNIGHT. It was, in a way, like discovering early Marvel all over again - innocence, humanity and storytelling with cool and crazy adventure thrown into the mix.

JOSS WHEDON'S FRAY #6 (Dark Horse)
So, thanks to the Allreds, it's okay for indie hounds to sometimes just chill out and indulge in a plain and simple slam-bang action-adventure book every now and again. Yes, this has the BUFFY pedigree going for it, so the script's tight and droll (which is why I picked this up in the first place), but I never thought I'd actually be getting antsy about the wait between issues. And I am. Joss Whedon is a busy man, which is kind of stating the obvious, so the scheduling has run into rough seas, but we'll get to journey's end eventually. In the meantime settle down and buy into the story of Melaka Fray, reluctant slayer, and her reluctant demon mentor.

FISHER PICKS:

SPARK GENERATORS (Cartoon Art Museum)
"Who are your influences?" It's one of the questions I dread seeing in an interview, not because it's necessarily a bad question, but because too many interviewers let their subject get away with just reeling off a list without taking it any further. This book should redress the balance, as it features twenty-six artists talking about the creators responsible for generating their own creative sparks. The talents include Jeff Smith, Scott Morse, Alex Robinson, Donna Barr and Trina Robbins. Sure to be a fascinating book for any aspiring creators or die-hard fan. I have a suspicion this won't actually make its shipping date, so be forewarned that it's coming your way, and see if you can get your store to set aside a copy.

32 STORIES (Drawn & Quarterly)
I wouldn't normally recommend a fourth printing of a book, but I only actually read this book quite recently, so this is the perfect opportunity for me to pass on my thoughts. This slender volume collects OPTIC NERVE creator Adrian Tomine's early minicomics, and it's a perfect showcase for the developing talents of a strong independent voice. There are definitely a few incidences of self-important indie navel-gazing here, but there's also some wonderfully well-observed vignettes that more than make up for it. Also re-offered this week is OPTIC NERVE #4, so you can also enjoy Tomine at a later stage in his career.

VIKING PICKS:

HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE TPB (DC)
For reasons best not guessed at, DC has chosen to put out a collection of this analysis of the long and boring history of the DC universe. It's basically a tedious and anal list of all the historical events in that universe, stretching from some 'Big Gods Create The Universe' twaddle to the present day (or the present day circa the late 80s, at any rate). There's some nice George Perez illustration, but really, this is one to be avoided at all costs in the hope that DC will get the message and spend the money on collections of material people actually want to read.

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #19 (Marvel)
Still continuing apace, Brian Michael Bendis continues to chart his revamped version of the Spidey saga. It's fun stuff, though not high art by any stretch of the imagination. The Bagley art isn't for everyone, and the colouring is even less appealing, but the writing is everything you'd expect from the seasoned writer of, at last count, every other book in the entire world. Spidey is scrapping with the dastardly Doctor Octopus at the moment, and is soon encounter a villain whose redesign is nothing short of genius - a version of Kraven the Hunter, styled fairly blatantly after Australian crocodile hunter Steve Irwin.

FASTNET PICKS:

THE ESTABLISHMENT #6 (DC Wildstorm)
Ian Edgington's distinctly British take on superheroes is dividing readers: AUTHORITY knock-off, or a genuine original? Steeped in the weird characters of the heyday of British TV scifi, it isn't that original, but it's already developed its own style and is certainly a fun read. Its lack of spandex and emphasis on character is refreshing for a mainstream superhero book, and Charlie Adlard's art is astonishing - take a look at the samples on Wildstorm.com. We still don't know what Equus, Scarlett, and team leader Drake can do - which is frustrating - but the team dynamic is building nicely. Two issues into its second story arc, the team's declassification thrusts them unwillingly into the spotlight - and then they're pushed aside again by the reappearance of a long-lost mission to Venus that isn't quite what it seems.

THE ADVENTURES OF BARRY WEEN 3: MONKEY TALES #6 (Oni Press)
Judd Winick's BARRY WEEN may be one of the best comics currently being published. Barry and Jeremy's foulmouthed rantings are inventively obscene, the situations escalate from insanity into delirium, and Winick's cartooning skills are top-notch. But it isn't just funny. There are real insights into the nature of friendship and growing up in here, and Barry's insight into his own condition can jolt you out of the comedy into something very moving. This is the last part of the book's first multipart storyline - which, as one of my briny colleagues has alleged, may just been an excuse for Winick to draw Asian girls in fur bikinis - and it will doubtless be collected into a trade shortly. However, Ween fans will want their fix now.

Comics shipping in the US on February 20th:

DARK HORSE

DEC010038 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER HAUNTED #3 (Of 4) $2.99
DEC010039 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER HAUNTED PHOTO CVR #3 (Of 4) $2.99
OCT010025 JOSS WHEDONS FRAY #6 (Of 8) $2.99
NOV010029 SILKE TP $12.95

DC COMICS

DEC010615 AMERICAN CENTURY #12 (MR) $2.50
DEC010537 BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHTS #26 $2.50
DEC010540 BIRDS OF PREY #40 $2.50
DEC010600 ESTABLISHMENT #6 $2.50
DEC010602 GEN 13 #74 $2.50
DEC010574 HAVEN THE BROKEN CITY #3 (Of 9) $2.50
DEC010576 HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE TP $9.95
DEC010579 JSA #33 $2.50
DEC010623 LUCIFER #23 (MR) $2.50
DEC010603 MONARCHY #11 $2.50
DEC010584 ORION #23 $2.50
DEC010620 OUTLAW NATION #18 (MR) $2.50
DEC010596 POWERPUFF GIRLS #24 $1.99
DEC010539 ROBIN #99 $2.25
DEC010562 SUPERGIRL #67 $2.25
DEC010558 SUPERMAN THE MAN OF STEEL #123 $2.25
DEC010585 TITANS #38 $2.50

IMAGE

DEC011498 APHRODITE IX #4 (Note Price) $4.95
DEC011514 MIDNIGHT NATION #10 (Of 12) (RES) $2.50
SEP011115 SAVAGE DRAGON #93 $2.95

MARVEL

DEC011789 CAGE #1 (MR) $2.99
OCT011908 DAREDEVIL PARTS OF A HOLE TP $16.95
NOV011822 ELEKTRA & WOLVERINE THE REDEEMER #3 $5.95
NOV011869 ESSENTIAL ANT MAN TP $14.95
OCT011904 ESSENTIAL CAPTAIN AMERICA VOL 2 TP $14.95
DEC011810 EXILES #10 $2.25
OCT011899 FANTASTIC FIRSTS TP $29.95
DEC011836 INCREDIBLE HULK #37 $2.25
SEP011488 MARVEL CROSSOVER CLASSICS VOL III TP $24.95
DEC011826 PARADISE X O $4.50
DEC011819 PETER PARKER SPIDER-MAN #40 $2.25
NOV011867 PUNISHER ARMY OF ONE TP $15.95
NOV011862 SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN TP $12.95
DEC011831 THOR #46 $2.25
DEC011837 THUNDERBOLTS #61 $2.25
SEP011435 ULTIMATE MARVEL MAGAZINE #11 $3.99
DEC011802 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #19 $2.25
DEC011807 UNCANNY X-MEN #403 $2.25

OTHER PUBLISHERS

NOV012312 32 STORIES COMPLETE OPTIC NERVE MINI COMICS CURR PRTG $12.95
OCT012605 ADVS OF BARRY WEEN 3 MONKEY TALES #6 (Of 6) (MR) $2.95
DEC012381 ANGRY YOUTH COMIX #3 (MR) $2.95
DEC012136 ARCHIE DOUBLE DIGEST #132 $3.29
DEC012138 BETTY & VERONICA #172 $1.99
DEC012624 CERES CELESTIAL LEGEND PART 2 #3 (Of 6) $2.95
DEC012301 CRUX #11 $2.95
DEC012626 DRAGONBALL PART 4 #7 (Of 10) $2.95
DEC012627 DRAGONBALL Z PART 5 #2 (Of 12) $2.95
DEC012612 FUSHIGI YUGI VOL 6 SUMMONER TP $15.95
DEC012619 INU YASHA PART 6 #10 (Of 15) $2.95
DEC012523 KISSING CHAOS #7 (Of 8) (MR) $2.25
DEC012518 MADMAN ODDITY ODYSSEY 10TH ANNIV TP $15.95
DEC012613 MARIONETTE GENERATION VOL 2 TP $14.95
NOV012311 OPTIC NERVE #4 (O/A) (MR) $2.95
DEC012622 RANMA 1/2 PART 10 #11 (Of 11) $2.95
DEC012621 RANMA 1/2 VOL 19 TP $15.95
DEC012303 SCION #21 $2.95
DEC012625 SILENT MOBIUS TURNABOUT #2 (Of 6) $2.95
DEC012181 SIMPSONS COMICS #67 $2.50
DEC012580 SMILE VOL 4 #3 $4.99
DEC012146 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #107 $1.99
DEC012111 SPARK GENERATORS TP $13.95
NOV012418 THIEVES & KINGS #37 $2.50

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.