Over the past year, the Shipping Forecast has gone from strength to strength, picking up new readers and adding new panellists along the way. Each week we pick the best and most notable new comics to reach your stores, with a little help from the Diamond shipping list.

Because the list is subject to change, and because some weeks a book can take you by surprise, this week we're adding a new feature to the service: Sonar, a round-up of the books that slipped through our nets from the previous week.

GERMAN BIGHT PICKS:

FABLES #1 (DC Vertigo)
All of a sudden, Vertigo seems to be hitting a good patch. First we had the launch of MIDNIGHT MASS (loved it, go get yourself a copy) and now the eagerly awaited arrival of FABLES. Even those who haven't heard of much of Bill Willingham's long back catalogue will have been aware that here at the lighthouse we approved heartily of his take on the Sandman mythos in the just-finished THE THESSALIAD miniseries. Those who know more should remember his regrettably truncated series COVENTRY for Fantagraphics. In either case, Willingham's proved himself a deft writer of fantastical characters, so letting him loose with a cast of fairy tale folk was a damn good idea. Wondering what really happens after "happily ever after", and moving the cast from Fairyland to New York, should provide a great springboard for all kinds of great stories. Unlikely to disappoint.

SHOT CALLERZ #1 (Oni Press)
Call me a freak (I know you do anyway), but I've never been able to get into 100 BULLETS. As comics book thrillers go, I'm far more inclined to take a chance on this limited series, though. A four-issue heist-gone-wrong turned chase movie in comics form with a female protagonist? Yes please. One scared and angry woman has to find her double-crossing ex before the people they robbed take out their revenge on her. Sounds good, doesn't it? The publicity blurb promises pulp and blaxploitation influences, but pardon me if I catch a hint of RUN LOLA RUN and Tarantino's magpie approach to thriller formats. Written by crime novelist Gary Phillips and drawn by Brett Weldele, this should be a rigorous test of the former's ability to work away from his usual medium and a welcome new project from the latter.

FISHER PICKS:

CABLE #105 $2.25 (Marvel Universe)
Here and on BLACK WIDOW, Igor Kordey has proved himself an incredibly articulate visual storyteller, even though his other great strength - his comparative speed - has actually caused problems for him on NEW X-MEN. He's now joined by another Eastern European on this book, the ever-so-smart and slightly demented Darko Macan, author of GRENDEL: DEVILS AND DEATHS and THE CORINTHIAN. We're actually three issues away from this book's relaunch as SOLDIER X, but this is as good a place as any to check out the new creative team and find out if that relaunched title will be to your tastes. Macan should prove an excellent replacement for David Tischman, continuing this book's extraordinary exploration of socio-political turmoil around the globe. This month: Rio de Janeiro.

MARVEL KNIGHTS DOUBLE SHOT #2 (Marvel Knights)
Marvel is getting around the fact that anthology books never last in the US by selling this as a limited series, which also means they can enlist all the best talents at the House to sell each issue. Last month, that meant Garth Ennis. This month, it's Grant Morrison, presenting his own take on Nick Fury. The story, perhaps inevitably, centres on brainwashing, and the art comes from the competent but none-too-flashy Manuel Gutierrez. The second story is written and illustrated by Ted McKeever, an artist of unique vision. Here he applies his considerable talents to a Marvel character who's never really worked for me: The Man-Thing. But if anyone can make it work, it's McKeever.

FASTNET PICKS:

QUEEN & COUNTRY #8 (Oni Press)
A new story arc for Q&C sees Greg Rucka address the concerns of the international intelligence world post-September 11th. One of the strengths of this book has been its clear-sighted view of international politics and how it can affect individuals, and it'll be interesting to see how Rucka tackles this - especially as he is working on a British, not American, point of view here. This series has never been less than excellent and I'm not expecting any drop in standards here. The new storyline sees Tara Chace travelling to Cairo to meet a man who might hold the key to stopping a new terrorist atrocity. Q&C changes artist with every storyline, and the covers and interiors are now pencilled by Leandro Fernandez, an Argentinean artist whose angular, stylised work brings another dimension to the characters and storytelling.

DOGGER PICKS:

VOGELEIN #2 (Fiery Studios)
VOGELEIN is the story of a three hundred year old clockwork faeire. If you read Alasdair Watson's column a few months back, you'll have read his thumbnail review of the first issue of this book, which can be roughly summarised as, "This book took me by surprise. I liked it." Here's issue #2 arriving now, and this is the sort of thing that deserves your support - an original, creative vision, self-published, with solid production values and, most important, talent in both the art and the writing, employed to tell a really good, interesting and different story. If you're thinking that clockwork faeries don't sound like your sort of thing, I encourage you to put aside your prejudices and give this a look. Check out the website at vogelein.com.

FABLES #1 (DC Vertigo)
"No More Happily Ever After." That's the tagline in the promo art. I love fairy tales in their original form, with the sex and the violence intact. And I like modern crime drama. There is no way on earth I'm going to miss this. This is going back over the same sort of territory that Neil Gaiman occasionally cast a brief light on in SANDMAN, but doing it at much greater length, through a slightly different filter. Buy this book. Find out about the fairy tales your mother never told you.

SONAR : MISSED PICKS FROM LAST WEEK'S COMICS

BAZOOKA JULES #3 (Com-X)
Once again, Com-X sneaks an issue out. Neil Goodge's BAZOOKA JULES is a fun read, and although the story can hardly be said to be zipping along, it's well worth the wait. Some nifty bits of mad science and some eye-poppingly colourful cartoony art add to the jollity (although the colours are ill-chosen in places - you have to squint to read white letters on a pale green background, Mr Goodge). Owing as much to Britcomics like the BEANO as it does to superheroes, it's fresh and funny and thoroughly good company. And yes, it does have a heroine with large breasts; yes, it does try to have it both ways by cracking jokes about big-boobed superheroines; no, it's not offensive at all. Goodge is hoping to have issue 4 out before the end of June. I hope he does. (FASTNET)

Comics shipping in the US on May 8th:

DARK HORSE

FEB020093 BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #67 BEASTS (PART 2 OF 7) (MR) $2.99
JAN020025 GROO DEATH AND TAXES #4 $2.99
MAR020069 OH MY GODDESS PART XI #10 MYSTERY CHILD (PART 8 OF 8) $3.99
FEB020046 SPYBOY YOUNG JUSTICE #3 (Of 3) $2.99

DC COMICS

MAR020374 AZRAEL AGENT OF THE BAT #90 $2.50
MAR020373 BATGIRL #28 $2.50
MAR020371 BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #155 $2.25
MAR020360 DC FIRST FLASH SUPERMAN $3.50
MAR020432 FABLES #1 (MR) $2.50
MAR020390 GREEN LANTERN #150 (Note Price) $3.50
MAR020437 HUNTER THE AGE OF MAGIC #11 (MR) $2.50
MAR020396 IMPULSE #86 $2.50
MAR020399 JUSTICE LEAGUE ADVENTURES #7 $1.99
MAR020366 NIGHTWING #69 $2.25
MAR020422 ROBO DOJO #4 (Of 6) $2.95
MAR020414 SCOOBY-DOO #60 $1.99
OCT010602 SGT ROCK ARCHIVES VOL 1 HC $49.95
MAR020406 SUICIDE SQUAD #9 $2.50
MAR020445 TRANSMETROPOLITAN #56 (MR) $2.50

IMAGE

MAR021351 CREEPS #4 (Of 4) $2.95
JAN021550 DAWN THE RETURN OF THE GODDESS TP (MR) $12.95
FEB021550 KABUKI VOL 6 SCARAB HC $29.95
MAR021374 MUTANT EARTH BISLEY CVR #1 (Of 4) $2.95
SEP011136 SPAWN #116 $2.50
FEB021579 WITCHBLADE #55 $2.50

MARVEL

FEB021889 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #40 (RES) $2.25
MAR021687 BLACK PANTHER #44 $2.50
MAR021663 CABLE #105 $2.25
MAR021675 CAPTAIN AMERICA #2 $2.99
MAR021674 MARVEL KNIGHTS DOUBLE SHOT #2 (RES) $2.99
MAR021685 MARVEL MANGAVERSE #2 $2.25
MAR021661 MORLOCKS #2 (Of 4) $2.50
MAR021689 ORDER #4 $2.25
MAR021654 SPIDER-MAN BLUE #1 (Of 6) $3.50
FEB021858 WOLVERINE & ELEKTRA THE REDEEMER HC $29.95
MAR021664 X-TREME X-MEN #13 $2.99

OTHER PUBLISHERS

FEB022224 BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #54 $1.99
MAR022481 BIG O PART 1 #4 (Of 5) $3.50
JAN022281 BONE #47 $2.95
MAR022089 COLONIA #7 $2.95
MAR022086 ELVIRA #109 $2.50
MAR022109 FIRST #19 $2.95
FEB022683F FISH N CHIPS #2 $2.95
MAR021868 JUST A PILGRIM GARDEN OF EDEN #3 (Of 4) $2.99
MAR022050 LADY DEATH BEDLAM #1 $2.99
MAR022051 LADY DEATH BEDLAM PREMIUM ED #1 $9.99
FEB022226 LAUGH DIGEST #175 $2.19
MAR022465 MAGICAL JOURNEY POKEMON PART 7 #3 (Of 4) $4.95
MAR021929 NIGHTMARES AND FAIRY TALES #1 $2.95
MAR022352 QUEEN & COUNTRY #8 (MR) $2.95
MAR022468 RANMA 1/2 PART 11 #3 (Of 11) $2.95
FEB022227 SABRINA VOL 2 #32 $1.99
MAR022345 SHOT CALLERZ #1 (Of 4) (MR) $2.95
MAR022105 SLAYERS SPECIAL #5 $2.95
FEB022449 STRAY BULLETS #25 (MR) $3.50
JAN022494F THIEVES & KINGS #38 $2.50
MAR022144 TRANSFORMERS GENERATION ONE #2 $2.95
FEB022293I UNTOLD TALES OF EVIL ERNIE RELENTLESS PREMIUM #1 (MR) $9.99
FEB022294I UNTOLD TALES OF EVIL ERNIE RELENTLESS SUPER PREM #1 (MR) $20.00
MAR022496 VAGABOND PART 1 #7 (MR) $4.95
JAN022191 VAMPI #17 REG ED $2.99
JAN022192I VAMPI #17 DLX ED $9.95
JAN022503F VAMPIRE PRINCESS MIYU ARTBOOK $24.99
FEB022559F VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE GN NOSFERATU (MR) $6.95
MAR022252 VOGELEIN #2 (Of 5) (MR) $3.00

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.