Welcome back to the Shipping Forecast, Ninth Art's weekly look at the latest comic book releases. Every Monday we'll show you the week's shipping list from Diamond, and our four opinionated oceangoers will make their picks of the most noteworthy new books hitting the shelves.

Yes, you heard right, the forecast's trio has become a quartet. This week we present the debut of the latest recruit to the Ninth Art lighthouse, a cracktoothed fisherwoman who goes by the name of German Bight. Yes, because you demanded it, we've dragged a bigtime indie comics reader away from her native fishing grounds to serve you, the reader. Because you're worth it.

Remember, the Shipping Forecast is PDA compatible, so you can read it in the comic store!

Please note that that the nature of life is change. As in life, so in the Diamond shipping list.

DOGGER PICKS:

HELLBLAZER #163
I've been reading Hellblazer for longer than I've been reading any other comic that I'm currently buying. I don't want to stop reading it. I like horror, and I like the character of John Constantine. And it's not that the stories are *bad* it's just that they're filled with so many little things that make me think that it could be better, that I no longer enjoy reading them. So I'm buying this one issue to finish the current storyline. And then I'm done, at least until the creative team changes.

[i1] LITTLE ENDLESS STORYBOOK
Jill Thompson has finally been allowed to do what everyone has been demanding of her - a whole book devoted to the child-like versions of Neil Gaiman's Endless. If you buy this book, your children will thank you. Even if it's only your inner children.

ULTIMATE X-MEN TP
This is not clever comics. This is not adult comics. This is not something that sophisticated humans should enjoy. But y'know, "Armageddon" wasn't a clever or adult film and it made millions, even when hampered by an overdose of Aerosmith. Big dumb comics with lots of explosions. If you read THE AUTHORITY without feeling too ashamed, they you'll like this.

CROMARTY PICKS:

DISCIPLES #2
Writing about magic is always tricky in any medium - even more so when you're trying to give a plausible, well-researched slant on the subject with accurate historical reference. So I was very pleasantly surprised when I read DISCIPLES #1 to find that this gang of British creators have put together something well worth shouting about. DISCIPLES is understated and intelligent, but still coherent and intriguing. A vehicle for magical conspiracy theory and global adventure, it walks a fine line between overblown epic and Vertigo-ish homily - without succumbing to the excesses of either. Destined to be a slow-burning success, if I'm any judge of salmon.

[i2] GUNWITCH OUTSKIRTS OF DOOM #1
What's this? A NOCTURNALS miniseries drawn by someone other than Dan Brereton? The humanity! But wait - he's recruited Ted Naifeh, co-creator and artist of the beautifully rendered GLOOMCOOKIE, for the art chores. Aesthetically, Naifeh's a far cry from Brereton's steroid-pumped dark paintings, but what little preview art I've seen indicates he should be well up to the task. And, of course, Brereton is still writing, so expect this action-movie story (Gunwitch protects an other-dimensional town from invasion - yes, of course it's a western) to have all the usual dry wit, pulp charm and overblown gunplay you'd normally get. Bound to be more fun than the TOMB RAIDER movie, at any rate.

FISHER PICKS:

BLACK WIDOW TP
This trade collects the four issue mini by Devin Grayson and MARVEL BOY's brilliant JG Jones, and the superior three issue mini written by Grayson and Greg Rucka, which features the utterly compelling washed watercolour art of Scott Hampton. The first story is a solid adventure yarn centring on Russia's attempt to replace its famous female spy with a more loyal version. The considerably more trippy and PRISONER-esque sequel sees the original Widow taking her revenge with a FREAKY FRIDAY bodyswap. Uneven, but a lot of fun.

CODENAME: KNOCKOUT #2
The zero issue was disappointing, the first issue was too heavy handed, yet still I'm considering picking up the second issue and giving it one last chance to impress me. If this book were being put out by anyone other than Vertigo, its audience would be clear, but Rodi and Small's T&A espionage farce is so shamelessly self-indulgent that it hasn't even bothered to decide what kind of audience it wants, even as it turns to wink at it.

SPIDER-MAN THE DEATH OF GWEN STACY TP
Issue three of MARVELS is probably the closest comics has ever come to a really good 'cover version', revisiting as it does the events of this story. The truth is, though, I've never read the original, and the same is probably true of most readers. I'll be interested to see if this milestone in the superhero genre lives up to its reputation. This is a reissue of an existing trade that most stores have long since sold out of, and therefore a reassuring sign that the Marvel trade programme really is moving in the right direction.

GERMAN BIGHT PICKS:

[i3] SUPER MANGA BLAST #13
A bargain value mixed bag with something to please everyone, from stylised cheesecake with tech-violence to cuddly cat stories. This issue sees the debut of CLUB 9, a small town girl in the big city tale from Matoko Kobayashi, creator of the aforementioned cuddly cat WHAT'S MICHAEL? - so the pedigree's good. Also worth picking up for the convoluted plotting of 3x3 EYES and the rather wonderful SHADOW STAR. There are always useful plot summaries where needed for new readers.

LITTLE ENDLESS STORYBOOK
Vertigo may very well be milking the corpse of the Sandman cash cow, but it still produces more cream than cheese. Jill Thompson does The Endless in cutie-pie style. In colour. If you don't think this is a yummy prospect, then fair enough, but your loss. I doubt it'll disappoint the rest of us.

PROMETHEA #13
Not my favourite of the ABC line, but as the end of TOP 10 is imminent, this is next in the queue. A comic that welcomes careful readers, stretches their minds and then twangs away on them like a toddler on a rubber-band and shoebox guitar. A really devious and well read toddler, mark you. Now that Sophie's gone sojourning in other realms, how will Stacia cope with embodying Promethea on Earth? Here's where we find out. Expect more of J.H. Williams III's jaw-droppingly-lovely art to ease the journey of discovery.

SLOWPOKE: CAFE POMPOUS
A collection of Jen Sorensen's comic strips from US alternative newspapers. Being from the other side of the rich Atlantic fishing grounds, I haven't encountered Jen Sorensen before, but this looks like it could be a giggle. Absurdist and anti-hipster while still being hip. Something that fans of CUD, MINIMUM WAGE and the miscellania of late era HATE might enjoy.

Comics shipping in the US on June 27th:

DARK HORSE

APR010037 BTVS #34 $2.99
APR010038 BTVS PHOTO CVR #34 $2.99
APR010033 LONE GUNMEN $2.99
APR010034 LONE GUNMEN PHOTO CVR $2.99
APR010052 OH MY GODDESS PART X #5 HAND IN HAND (PART 2 OF 2) $3.50
APR010040 SUPER MANGA BLAST #13 (MR) $4.99

DC COMICS

APR010471 ACTION COMICS #780 $2.25
APR010473 BATMAN #592 $2.25
APR010480 BATMAN BEYOND #22 $1.99
APR010482 BIRDS OF PREY #32 $2.50
APR010541 CODENAME KNOCKOUT #2 (MR) $2.50
APR010520 DEXTERS LABORATORY #24 $1.99
APR010495 FLASH #175 $2.25
APR010529 GEN ACTIVE #6 $3.95
APR010497 GREEN ARROW #5 $2.50
APR010544 HELLBLAZER #163 (MR) $2.50
APR010508 JSA #25 (Note Price) $3.75
APR010510 LEGION WORLDS #3 (Of 6) $3.95
APR010546 LITTLE ENDLESS STORYBOOK $5.95
APR010536 PROMETHEA #15 $2.95
APR010489 SUPERGIRL #59 $2.25
APR010472 SUPERMAN OUR WORLDS AT WAR SECRET FILES #1 $5.95
APR010515 WONDER WOMAN #171 $2.25

IMAGE

MAR011277 AREA 52 #4 $2.95
APR011331 DISCIPLES #2 $2.95
FEB011287D FATHOM KILLIANS TIDE #2 $2.95
MAR011291 MECH DESTROYER #2 $2.95
MAY011392 RISING STARS #1/2 $2.95
FEB011286D SAVAGE DRAGON #86 $2.95
FEB011240D SPAWN #109 $2.50
FEB011244D SPAWN THE DARK AGES #26 $2.50
APR011368 TOMB RAIDER #14 $2.50
APR015092J TOMB RAIDER ALT CVR #14 PI

MARVEL

APR011671 AVENGERS #43 $2.25
APR011634 BLACK WIDOW TP (C: 2) $15.95
APR011632 DAREDEVIL #19 $2.99
MAR011540 DAREDEVIL NINJA TP (C: 2) $8.95
APR011672 DEADPOOL #55 $2.25
APR011664 DEFENDERS #6 $2.25
APR011631 GHOST RIDER HAMMER LANE #1 $2.99
MAR011561 INCREDIBLE HULK GROUND ZERO TP NEW PRTG (C: 2) $17.95
FEB011579D MARVEL KNIGHTS #12 $2.99
MAR011550 SPIDER-MAN THE DEATH OF GWEN STACY TP NEW PRTG (C: 2) $14.95
APR011657 TANGLED WEB THE THOUSAND #3 (Of 3) $2.99
APR011658 ULTIMATE MARVEL TEAM UP SPIDER-MAN & IRON MAN #5 $2.25
APR011643 ULTIMATE X-MEN #7 $2.25
APR011650 ULTIMATE X-MEN TP (C: 2) $14.95
APR011673 UNIVERSE X #11 (Of 12) $3.50
APR011649 WOLVERINE #165 $2.25
APR011646 X-FORCE #117 $2.25

OTHER PUBLISHERS

APR011955E BETTY #101 $1.99
APR011958E BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #122 $2.19
APR012393E CERES CELESTIAL LEGEND #1 (Of 6) $3.25
MAR011910 CHASTITY SHATTERED #2 $2.99
FEB011955F DARK ANGEL #24 $2.95
APR012109E DREAMS OF THE DARKCHYLDE #5 $2.95
APR012378E EAGLE VOL 17 COMING HOME $6.95
APR012056F ELVIRA #98 $2.50
APR011999E FUTURAMA COMICS #4 $2.50
APR011923E GLOOM COOKIE #8 (MR) $2.95
APR012398E GUNDAM WING EPISODE ZERO #3 (Of 4) (C: 2) $2.95
APR012300E GUNWITCH OUTSKIRTS OF DOOM #1 (Of 3) $2.95
APR011960E JUGHEAD #138 $1.99
APR011962E JUGHEADS DOUBLE DIGEST #78 $3.29
APR012077F LODOSS WAR CHRONICLES HEROIC KNIGHT #10 $2.95
APR012094E MERIDIAN #13 $2.95
APR012399E NO NEED FOR TENCHI PART 11 #3 (Of 4) $3.50
APR012380E POKEMON ADVS PART 4 #4 (Of 4) (C: 3) $4.95
APR012001E SIMPSONS COMICS #59 $2.50
MAR011785 SLOWPOKE CAFE POMPOUS $5.95
MAR012134 VICTORIAN #9 $2.95

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.