Welcome to The Forecast. Every Monday, Ninth Art's core team of comment writers, the Ninth Eight, will be your guides to the best, worst, weirdest and most noteworthy books on the shelves of your local comic shop.

BOOK OF THE WEEK: WINTER MEN

WildStorm's renaissance continues with this week's release of the Brett Lewis/John Paul Leon WINTER MEN limited series. It seemed for a long time that WildStorm had almost become an appendix for DC - an unwanted and unneeded extra limb they just couldn't be bothered to excise. Most of the main WildStorm titles had died, Alan Moore was handing over ABC to his colleagues, PLANETARY had slowed to a crawl, and the creator-owned series had all but vanished.

But after Diggle and Yu's SILENT DRAGON, Ellis and Williams' DESOLATION JONES and the announcements of the Pfeifer/Camuncoli CAPTAIN ATOM, Dixon/Mahnke TEAM ZERO and the highly exciting Morrison/Lee WILDCATS, it's suddenly the right time to be a WildStorm fan.

Whilst DC seem to be pushing the newly reinvigorated WildStorm Universe by front-loading their figure-head title with the industry's biggest names - Grant Morrison and Jim Lee - they're not forgetting about the creator-owned series that have always been a part of the line. The new creator-owned Signature line strikes a balance between the flashy visuals that made WildStorm's name (check out Lienil Yu's over-the-top battle scenes in SILENT DRAGON) and the trend toward writer-driven works (Ellis taking his eccentric collection of tics to pulp noir in DESOLATION JONES).

Adding to this line is the long-awaited WINTER MEN. Whilst it ostensibly involves superheroes as part of its basic plot, it seems more to be a story about the problems of a post-Cold War Russia, with superheroes as a metaphor for the once great military power. Using superheroes to represent a nation isn't new, but Lewis looks set to do something slightly more interesting with the premise. WINTER MEN tells the story of out-of-work super-heroes, let go by a government who could no longer support them, and of how they survive in a new world, which needs stable food supply lines more than it needs glorious Technicolor showmanship.

Lewis was formerly responsible for co-writing the first two, more interesting, issues of BULLETPROOF MONK for Image. Those issues showed the promise of a more philosophical look at action and an understanding of a more relaxed, organic scripting style. John Paul Leon's art has popped up everywhere, most recently on the stand-alone CAPTAIN AMERICA #7 - fittingly, a wonderfully sombre tale about an out-of-work superhero. His scratchy artwork changes from project to project, but here he seems to be returning to his preference for thick, heavy inks. It's an interesting combination of creators and an interesting project from a company experiencing rejuvenation. So far, there has yet to be a misstep, and I wouldn't to find one here. [John Fellows]

ULTIMATE SUMMER FUN

Steve Dillon is one of my favourite comic artists of all time. (Amazingly, at least two other artists in my All-Time Favourites List are also called Steve. Try and guess who!)

Dillon's done it all, from archangels to zombies, and whatever the story, his work bears the same strong line, rich humour and sharp eye for the subtle idiosyncrasies of human behaviour. His most popular (and enduring) work, PREACHER, saw him paired with a writer whose sensibilities precisely matched his strengths as an artist.

Much of Dillon's recent work has been on the outskirts of the superhero genre. His run on THE PUNISHER - again with PREACHER scribe Garth Ennis - helped revitalise a character that had flamed out spectacularly in the mid-to-late 90s. Last year saw Dillon team up with Daniel Way to explore the mind and origins of Daredevil's nemesis, Bullseye. The sequel, due to start this November, will see Bullseye and the Punisher go head to head for a lethal game of cat and mouse.

While I'm sure many readers would prefer it if Steve Dillon got out of the hero game and back to more down-to-earth works (the long-promised CITY LIGHTS, perhaps - another Ennis/Dillon co-production), I'm just glad he's there.

Which brings us to this: THE ULTIMATES ANNUAL (Marvel). This 48-page novella sees the gung-hos of America's Superhuman Defense Initiative joined by a reserve force of shitkicking supermen. Mark Millar's acme-establishment Ultimates have taken a turn for the dour during the course of the series, with team members disappearing and dropping like flies at the hands of their companions. This annual promises to offer more of the same cloak-and-dagger tension (as opposed to Cloak and Dagger - one suspects that these Nancy Reaganite superheroes aren't quite ready to be revamped).

It also promises to be more of a full-on superhero book than Steve Dillon has produced in recent years. Those of you doubting that Dillon can cope with the sort of property damage that Millar might ask for would be advised to check out the aforementioned BULLSEYE: GREATEST HITS, the PREACHER: WAR IN THE SUN trade paperback, and the immensely funny HOW TO BE A SUPERHERO, written by Mark Leigh and Mike Lepine - not to mention this preview of The Ultimates at play. [Matthew Craig]

OFFICER CLASS

Months later than originally expected, THE FORTY-NINERS snuck out onto the shelves last week, with DC apparently reluctant to draw attention to what may be one of the last Alan Moore books they ever get to publish.

The second season of TOP TEN waits just around the corner, but Moore has left the watchmen of Neopolis in care of another author, Paul Di Filippo, and the new book doesn't look hugely promising, starting as it does with the heroes playing volleyball in the hackneyed fashion of an old Chris Claremont comic. (Or, come to think of it, a contemporary Chris Claremont comic.) For fans of Moore, this may well be Neopolis' last hurrah.

It's also the city's how-do-you-do; THE FORTY-NINERS is set in Neopolis' early days, with the heroes still arriving in the city, and the police force only just beginning to find its feet. TOP TEN police captain Steve Traynor is encountered here as a wet-behind-the-ears teen war hero (inspired by Charles Biro's Airboy), who's looking to find peace and purpose in a life outside wartime. He's joined by Leni Muller, who fought for the other side as Sky-Witch, but soon joins the squad at Precinct 10 and runs up against the undead underworld.

The concept of a city of superheroes is a fragile one that doesn't stand up to much scrutiny, but rather than pick at it, Moore dives right in and embraces his implausible set-up, creating a story that's so sure of its footing that it never once stumbles. Of course Neopolis is a ludicrous idea, but it's also a beautiful one, especially in the hands of artist Gene Ha. With his painted rendition of the city and its inhabitants, it all becomes exactly as plausible as it needs to be.

In common with much of Moore's ABC work, THE FORTY-NINERS is more about spinning a great yarn than attempting anything too bold or profound. He's capable of extraordinary work, but he's also far better than most at simply telling a story, and telling it well. It's actually Ha's work that elevates this to must-have status, and makes the hardcover price well worth paying. [Andrew Wheeler]

THE SHIPPING LIST FOR AUGUST 10th 2005:

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

DARK HORSE

JUN050042D BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #104 (MR) $2.99
APR050031V CONCRETE VOL 1 DEPTHS TP $12.95
JAN050076D SAMURAI HEAVEN & EARTH #4 (OF 5) $2.99

DC COMICS

JUN050438D 100 BULLETS #63 (MR) $2.75
JUN050347D ACTION COMICS #830 $2.50
JUN050355D ADAM STRANGE PLANET HEIST TP $19.99
JUN050327D BATMAN #643 $2.50
JAN040213D BATMAN IN THE FORTIES TP $19.95
JUN050332D BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #194 $2.50
JUN050357D BREACH #8 $2.50
JUN050440D FABLES #40 (MR) $2.75
JUN050364D GREEN ARROW #53 $2.50
JUN050367D HAWKMAN #43 $2.50
JUN050372D JLA #117 $2.50
JUN040949D LUCIFER VOL 6 MANSIONS OF THE SILENCE TP (MR) $14.95
JUN050425D MAJESTIC #8 $2.99
JUN050444D MNEMOVORE #5 (OF 6) (MR) $2.99
JUN050335D NIGHTWING #111 $2.50
JUN050381D OUTSIDERS #27 $2.50
JUN050398D SCOOBY DOO #99 $2.25
JUN050342D SUPERGIRL #0 $2.99
JUN050341D SUPERGIRL #1 $2.99
JUL040682D TERRA OBSCURA VOL 2 #2 (Of 6) $2.95
JUN050389D VILLAINS UNITED #4 (OF 6) $2.50
JUN050429D WINTER MEN #1 (OF 8) (MR) $2.99

IMAGE

JUN051845D CITY OF HEROES #4 $2.99
JUN051752D FERRO CITY #1 $2.95
APR051684D NOBLE CAUSES #12 $3.50
JUN051757D WINGS OF ANANSI ONE SHOT $6.95

MARVEL

APR051905D CAPTAIN AMERICA #8 $2.99
JAN058158D CAPTAIN AMERICA JOE JUSKO VARIANT COVER #8 $2.99
JUN052072D ESSENTIAL DAREDEVIL VOL 3 TP $16.99
JUN052036D EXILES #68 $2.99
JUN058073D FANTASTIC FOUR HOUSE OF M LTD ED VARIANT #1 $2.99
JUN052074D GHOST RIDER #1 POSTER $5.95
JUN052012D GRAVITY #3 (OF 5) $2.99
JUN051975D HOUSE OF M #5 (OF 8) $2.99
JAN058164D HOUSE OF M MCKONE VARIANT COVER #5 (OF 8) $2.99
JUN052069D HULK TEMPEST FUGIT TP $14.99
JUN051984D INCREDIBLE HULK #85 $2.99
JUN058074D INCREDIBLE HULK LTD ED VARIANT #83 $2.99
MAY051789 IRON MAN #4 $2.99
JUN058075D IRON MAN HOUSE OF M LTD ED VARIANT #1 $2.99
JUN052045D KABUKI REFLECTIONS BOOK #5 $5.99
JUN052026D MARVEL NEMESIS IMPERFECTS #4 (OF 6) $2.99
JUN052015D MEGA MORPHS #1 (OF 4) $2.99
JUN058081D MUTOPIA X LTD ED VARIANT #1 $2.99
JUN052024D NEW WARRIORS #3 (OF 6) $2.99
JUN052038D ORORO BEFORE THE STORM #3 (OF 4) $2.99
JUN052043D PUNISHER #24 (MR) $2.99
JUN051998D SPIDER-MAN BREAKOUT #5 (OF 5) $2.99
JUN051999D TOXIN #5 (OF 6) $2.99
JUN051991D ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #22 $2.50
JUN052050D ULTIMATE MARVEL FLIP MAGAZINE #3 $3.99
JUN052051D ULTIMATE TALES FLIP MAGAZINE #3 $3.99
JUN041635D ULTIMATE X-MEN VOL 8 NEW MUTANTS TP $12.99
JUN051990D ULTIMATES ANNUAL #1 (MR) $3.99
JUN052029D X-MEN #174 $2.50

OTHER PUBLISHERS

MAY052502E BETTY & VERONICA #211 $2.25
MAY052504E JUGHEAD AND FRIENDS DIGEST #4 $2.39
FEB042750E NEON GENESIS EVANGELION VOL 2 2ND ED TP $9.95
MAY052506E PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #96 $3.59
APR043012E SAIKANO VOL 1 GN $9.95
MAY052507E SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #152 $2.25
MAY053049F THE KING GN $19.95
MAY052638F TRUE STORY SWEAR TO GOD #14 $2.95

The Ninth Eight are Matthew Craig, John Fellows, Kieron Gillen, Alistair Kennedy, Zack Smith, Andrew Wheeler, Ben Wooller and Bulent Yusuf.

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.