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:

SWEATSHOP (DC Comics)
Unlikely as it may have seemed in the heyday of HATE, Peter Bagge is working for DC. He's done it before, in fact, as writer of the eccentric all-ages book about the all-girl band YEAH! (which came out from Homage). SWEATSHOP is a little closer to the misanthropic social satire that most readers expect of Bagge, with the added plus of his art. Well, mostly. The setting of the story is the production studio for syndicated cartoon strip "Freddy Ferret", where uncredited art assistants draw from the scripts of unreconstructed old git Mel Bowling. Naturally, these kids have comics ambitions of their own, and so their work is interspersed in the main story, drawn by artists other then Bagge; in this issue, Stephen DeStefano and Bill Wray. It's a clever idea, and Bagge's team should be more then able to pull it off. I've been looking forward to seeing SWEATSHOP on the shelves ever since I heard about it. Fight you for the last copy? [German Bight]

ALSO THIS WEEK:

CAPTAIN MARVEL VOL 1. NOTHING TO LOSE TPB (Marvel Comics)
The previous Captain Marvel series was something of a goofy laff-fest. Long time Marvel sidekick-to-the-stars Rick Jones juggled his personal life with handling a frequent array of fairly light-hearted threats by virtue of being molecularly linked (or something) to Captain Marvel, an alien superhero who was Cosmically Aware. Or something. It was frequently funny and always an enjoyable read. In this rebooted series, however, everything changes. While the jokes are still present, they take something of a back burner to a Captain Marvel epic more in tune with the cosmic Jim Starlin adventures of Captain Marvel Sr in the late 70s. Genis-Vell (as he's known to his friends) has become more or less omnipotent and completely insane following a bout of extreme self-doubt, which spells bad news for the universe. Rick Jones, tied to Captain Marvel by a plot device too complicated to explain, watches helplessly as Genis pursues a mad scheme to become God. It's all totally crazy, and very readable. [Viking]

DANCE TILL TOMORROW VOL 6 TP (Viz Communications)
DANCE TILL TOMORROW's creator Naoki Yamamoto's roots as a hentai artist are never far from the surface in this sometimes-whimsical, sometimes-moody manga about a young man who must graduate from college and get married to collect a huge inheritance. But unlike more banal hentai-influenced works like PLASTIC LITTLE or MAXION, DANCE TILL TOMORROW offers a reasonably gender-balanced perspective and, in its finer moments, infuses its eroticism with a genuine sincerity that makes its characters likeable in their vulnerability. Though it is definitely not for the under-18 crowd, DANCE TILL TOMORROW gives adult readers plenty of meaningful character development to hang on to between inevitable appearances of "the cone of light". Witty, morally conflicted, and almost impossible to put down. [Trafalgar]

THREE STRIKES #1 (Oni Press)
"Three strikes and you're out." This isn't just a rule for playing baseball, it's also a California law, where a third-time criminal offender ends up in jail no matter what the offence. When Rey Quintana shoplifts a pair of earrings for his girlfriend's birthday, it's his third strike... and Rey goes on the run from the law, pursued by bail bondsman Noah Conway. A lot of the promise in THREE STRIKES comes from its creative team of writers Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir, and artist Brian Hurtt. These three didn't strike out on their earlier collaboration of SKINWALKER; between that and a four-page preview in the latest issue of QUEEN & COUNTRY, it seems that THREE STRIKES will be another home run for all parties involved. [Plymouth]

HAPPY #3: ZIRKUS (Top Shelf)
HAPPY is a bizarre mixture of underground shock and hyper-cuteness, and is possessed with an Edward Gorey-esque fixation on oddity and strangeness. Its author, Josh Simmons has got oodles of technique to spare, visually referencing artists as disparate as R Crumb and Gary Panter, while creating a style that is quite his own. I have a feeling that this third issue, which appears to expand on the material in Simmons' early mini, ZIRKUS NEW ORLEANS, will be the most controversial yet. The original mini-comic involved a lot of self-mutilation, glass eating, and perversity, sexual and otherwise, and there is no reason to believe this will be any different. Undoubtedly not for the weak of heart, but showcasing one of comics' brightest young talents. [Trafalgar]

MODERN MASTERS VOLUME 1 ALAN DAVIS TP (TwoMorrows Publishing)
This is the first in a highly promising new series from TwoMorrows, which promises to profile some of the top artists in comics - and you couldn't ask for a better name to kick things off that Alan Davis. Over his twenty year career, Davis has demonstrated that he's one of the most consistently exciting and energetic artists in superhero comics, as well as one of the most influential. This book collects sketches and previously unpublished work, and also contains a few words from the man himself, speaking on the art of comics, and from perennial collaborators Paul Neary and Mark Farmer. No word on who is to feature in future volumes of MODERN MASTERS, but if this series is a success it could provide interested readers with a much more accessible route in to comic art criticism than the often intimidating multi-volume magazine series. [Fisher] STOP PRESS: It has now been announced that the subject for volume two will be George Perez.

MYSTIQUE #1 (Marvel Comics)
I am shocked, let me tell you, shocked and appalled, to have to report that thus far, the Tsunami line has actually been pretty good. While none of it is going to set the comics world alight, SENTINEL, RUNAWAYS and especially THE HUMAN TORCH have all been gratifyingly entertaining teen comics. Damn you all to hell, Marvel muckety-mucks, you smug, superior bastards! At least it looks like we'll still be safe giving the forthcoming Epic line a good kicking. Meanwhile, the new wave rolls on with MYSTIQUE, a solo series for devious criminal shapeshifer Mystique. This is at least the third time I know of that a creative team has tried to get a MYSTIQUE series off the ground, and now may seem an odd time to place the spotlight on a terrorist, but writer Brian K Vaughan and artist Jorge Lucas are both what Wizard magazine might call 'hot' talents, so the prospects are good. [Fisher]

MUCHA LUCHA #1 (DC Comics)
Crazy larger-than-life characters clad in masks and glittery spandex, defending their family honour and traditions with risky high-flying manoeuvres, all in a new comic from DC... Nothing new in that, is there? Wrong! MUCHA LUCHA #1 introduces comics fans to the in-ring antics and back-stage shenanigans of the International School of Lucha Libre, the home of the Code of Masked Wrestling. Taken from the Kids' WB! cartoon of the same name, this book boasts writing and covers by the original TV creative team of Eddie Mort and Lili Chin, with interior art from Ricardo Garcia Fuentes and Mike DeCarlo. Unlike certain other less-than-stellar attempts to combine wrestling and comics in the past, this promises wit, goofy antics and (most importantly) the ability to not take itself too seriously. So fly from the top rope and splash out on MUCHA LUCHA #1. [Finisterre]

THE SHIPPING LIST FOR APRIL 23rd:

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

DARK HORSE

FEB030063 HELLBOY: WEIRD TALES #2 $2.99
FEB030021 JOSS WHEDON'S FRAY #7 (Of 8) (RES) $2.99
FEB030019 SPYBOY 13.1: THE MANGA AFFAIR #1 (Of 3) $2.99

DC COMICS

MAR030263 AMERICAN CENTURY #23 (RES) (MR) $2.75
FEB030140 BATGIRL #39 $2.50
FEB030144 BIRDS OF PREY #54 $2.50
FEB030187 CARTOON CARTOONS #17 $2.25
OCT020836 CRISIS ON MULTIPLE EARTHS BY ALEX ROSS POSTER $7.95
FEB030164 FOREVER MAELSTROM #6 (Of 6) $2.95
FEB030197 GLOBAL FREQUENCY #7 (Of 12) $2.95
FEB030168 GREEN ARROW #24 $2.50
FEB030224 LUCIFER #37 (MR) $2.50
FEB030189 MUCHA LUCHA #1 (Of 3) $2.25
FEB030198 OUT THERE #17 $2.95
OCT020838 SUPERFRIENDS POSTER $7.95
FEB030152 SUPERMAN #192 $2.25
FEB030184 SWEATSHOP #1 $2.95
FEB030211 TOM STRONG #20 $2.95
FEB030185 WONDER WOMAN #191 $2.25
FEB030228 Y: THE LAST MAN #10 (MR) $2.95

IMAGE

FEB031190 AGENTS #1 (Of 6) $2.95
FEB031254 BATTLE OF THE PLANETS BATTLE BOOK $4.99
DEC021797 HAWAIIAN DICK #3 (Of 3) $2.95
FEB031217 LIBERTY MEADOWS #31 $2.95
FEB031220 MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE VOL 2 KIRBY CVR #2 $2.95
FEB031219 MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE VOL 2 SANTALUCIA CVR #2 $2.95
OCT021765 SAVAGE DRAGON VOL 8: TERMINATED HC $28.95
FEB031257 TOMB RAIDER #29 $2.99
FEB031250 WHIZ KIDS #1 $4.95

MARVEL

FEB031349 AGENT X #10 (Note Price) $2.99
FEB031361 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #52 $2.25
FEB031373 AVENGERS #66 $2.25
FEB031413 CAPTAIN MARVEL VOL 1: NOTHING TO LOSE TP $12.99
FEB031362 DAREDEVIL #46 $2.99
FEB031367 ELEKTRA #22 (RES) $2.99
FEB031378 FANTASTIC FOUR #68 $2.25
FEB031377 INCREDIBLE HULK #53 $2.25
FEB031414 MARVILLE VOL 1 TP $12.99
FEB031329 MYSTIQUE #1 $2.99
FEB031365 PUNISHER #25 $2.99
FEB031380 THOR #63 (Note Price) $2.99
FEB031338 UNCANNY X-MEN #422 (Note Price) $3.50
FEB031343 WEAPON X #8 (Note Price) $2.99
FEB031333 WOLVERINE XISLE #4 $2.50
FEB031352 X-MEN UNLIMITED #45 $2.50
FEB031344 X-STATIX #10 (Note Price) $2.99
FEB031341 X-TREME X-MEN #24 $2.99

OTHER PUBLISHERS <

FEB031759 ARCHIE #535 $2.19
FEB032088 ATOMIC CITY TALES VOL 2: DOC PHANTOM TP $12.95
FEB031810 BART SIMPSON COMICS #12 $2.50
FEB032193 BIG O VOL 2 TP (RES) (Note Price) $9.95
FEB031829 CROSSOVERS #4 $2.95
FEB031834 CRUX #25 $2.95
FEB032195 DANCE TILL TOMORROW VOL 6 TP (MR) $12.95
JAN032200 DEATHMASK #1 $2.99
JAN032201 FREEMIND #5 $3.50
FEB032213 FUSHIGI YUGI VOL 8: FRIEND GN (Note Price) $9.95
FEB032176 HAPPY #3: ZIRKUS (MR) $3.50
FEB031769 JUGHEAD WITH ARCHIE DIGEST #183 $2.39
FEB032231 JUNKO MIZUNO'S HANSEL AND GRETEL GN $15.95
FEB031711 LIKEWISE #2 (MR) $4.95
JAN032202 METALLIX #4 $3.50
JAN032512 MODERN MASTERS VOLUME 1 ALAN DAVIS TP $12.95
FEB032060 ODDBALLZ #7 $2.95
FEB031771 PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #75 $3.59
FEB032224 RANMA 1/2 TP VOL 1 2ND ED $9.95
FEB032225 RANMA 1/2 TP VOL 2 2ND ED $9.95
MAR032502 RANMA 1/2 VOL 22 TP (O/A) $9.95
FEB031842 ROUTE 666 #11 $2.95
FEB031844 SCION #35 $2.95
FEB031811 SIMPSONS COMICS #81 $2.50
MAR032090 SOJOURN VOL 3 TP $15.95
FEB031845 SOLUS #2 $2.95
FEB032089 THREE STRIKES #1 (Of 5) (MR) $2.99
FEB031773 VERONICA #139 $2.19
FEB031707 WRETCH VOL 1 TP $13.95

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.