Welcome to The Forecast. Every Monday, Ninth Art's hand-picked team of crack comic pundits offer a rundown of some of the best, worst and most noteworthy books on the shelves of your local comic shop.

BOOK OF THE WEEK: ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK

Unless you were in a plane crash and stranded on a desert island, you really have no excuse for not knowing about the LOST experience - another TV show that has also become a watercooler moment across the civilised world. And the eagle-eyed amongst you will have picked up the comics references seeping gently in from day one. Admittedly it's not Seth Cohen ranting about Bendis, but surely that's a good thing? I know I find myself embarrassed when the missus is enjoying an episode of sunny pretty people doing sunny pretty people things and a Massive Nerd appears. Look, Cohen, nobody cares about your opinions! Shut it!

Anyway, LOST writer Damon Lindelof is now turning his hand to comics with the surely-it's-a-joke ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK. Marvel have outright declared that this will literally be six issues of the Canuck with Metal Knucks and Naked Green Angry Man beating the living shite out of each other. In fact, the previews have been awash with the greatest image ever published by Marvel - Hulk tearing Wolverine in half. All the super-villains out there, and nobody thought about this?

Even if Lindelof's unproven comics chops concern you, you can't deny the glory of Leinil Francis Yu. Thanks to this and his excellent sci-fi series with Andy Diggle, SILENT DRAGON, Yu is the man of the moment. This is his second time around with Marvel after his first tenure brought us the excellent WOLVERINE: NOT DEAD YET and his rather more forgettable run on X-MEN with Chris Claremont. He's an artist who, when given proper time, can produce outright gorgeous work. Even if Marvel's current publishing plan to replace all their staff with slumming Hollywood types has been less than successful, you know it's going to look good.

Aside from everything else, how can it be a bad move to have a nice-looking mini from the creator of a hit TV show that everybody enjoys, starring two of Marvel's most recognised assets? If Lindelof can maintain the same manic-a-mano aggression displayed in the preview and bring on board some of the innovative narrative techniques of LOST, then it should even be an enjoyable experience for us fans down in the cheap seats. [John Fellows]

INTO THE UNKNOWN

Presumably Marvel collected the obscure OMEGA THE UNKNOWN to raise awareness of next years relaunch by Jonathan Lethem (FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE) and Farel Dalrymple (POP GUN WAR). The initial buzz on various message boards when the relaunch was announced was pretty negative. Fans of the original, cancelled, series, and the abrupt conclusion years later in a completely different comic claimed that the two examples (two!) of Dalrymple's OMEGA wasn't dynamic enough. And they asked, who was this Lethem guy? Someone with no comic writing experience? Bah! How dare he finish something that Steve Gerber wrote?

The ensuing minor hoo-hah about creator rights also helped spread the news of the relaunch and this collection. (Gerber initially said he didn't care, but he also declared that "Lethem has made an enemy for life", before Lethem got in contact.)

It's an interesting case, in that it treads a fine line between offering up what the anal continuity police want, especially given the fate of Omega in his final appearances (though it's a long way away from what Gerber and co-writer Mary Skrenes originally had planned) and giving Lethem wonderfully broad opportunities to play with the character. Remember, no one actually knows what Lethem's got planned, but his recent novels and short stories have demonstrated a passion for obscure comics lore.

I love Lethem's work, and POP GUN WAR is one of my favourite comics, so the relaunch is a no-brainer for me. This collection will get me, and anyone else who's interested, up to speed. [Ben Wooller]

ISN'T IT IRONIC?

Tony Stark and Joe Casey have something in common. While both men seem to be unnecessarily devoted to a slightly retro view of The Avengers, they are also driven by a restless need to think outside the box (or possibly the tin can). Whether it's the corporate superheroics of WILDCATS or the summer blockbusterism of FULL MOON FEVER, you can rely on Joe Casey to be unpredictable.

The most surprising thing about Joe Casey's new Iron Man series, however, may be the choice of artist. IRON MAN: THE INEVITABLE sees Casey team up with Frazer Irving for six issues of old-school Iron Man fun.

Irving's an interesting choice for a number of reasons. Combining the sculpted organic blackness of a Mike Mignola with intricate line work reminiscent of mediaeval woodcuts, Irving has seemed right at home in the austere, stylised worlds of FORT, NECRONAUTS and Grant Morrison's KLARION. In the latter work, Irving made an ultramodern Manhattan cityscape seem mystical, almost unreal. Such abstract tendencies might seem at odds with a character like Iron Man, who thrives on the ultrasane draughtsmanship of artists like Sean Chen. But preview pages here, here and here put the lie to that.

Iron Man is a character who seems to limp from creative team to creative team with little or no singularity of purpose. The dipsomaniacal Ultimate version of the character aside, poor old Tony Stark often seems a gnat's wing away from being completely forgotten. With any luck, Casey and Irving will be able to inject some life into the old rust bucket before Marvel decides to sell him for scrap. [Matthew Craig]

THE SHIPPING LIST FOR DECEMBER 21st 2005:

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

DC COMICS

OCT050231D ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #647 $2.50
OCT050222D BATGIRL #71 $2.50
OCT050218D BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHTS #72 $2.50
OCT050220D BATMAN JOURNEY INTO KNIGHT #5 (OF 12) $2.50
OCT050242D BIRDS OF PREY #89 $2.50
OCT050245D FLASH #229 $2.50
OCT050320D HELLBLAZER #215 (MR) $2.75
AUG040373 JIMMY OLSEN ADVENTURES BY JACK KIRBY VOL 2 TP $19.95
OCT050257D JSA CLASSIFIED #6 $2.50
OCT050253D JUSTICE #3 (OF 12) $3.50
OCT058028D JUSTICE THIRD PRINTING #1 (OF 12) $2.99
OCT050262D LIGHT BRIGADE TP (MR) $19.99
OCT050323D LUCIFER #69 (MR) $2.75
OCT050263D MANHUNTER #17 $2.50
OCT050289D MOON CHILD VOL 1 TP (C: 3) $9.99
OCT050265D PLASTIC MAN VOL 2 RUBBER BANDITS TP $14.99
OCT050283D POWERPUFF GIRLS #69 $2.25
OCT050228D ROBIN #145 $2.50
OCT050303D ROBOTECH PRELUDE TO THE SHADOW CHRONICLES #4 (OF 5) $3.50
OCT050267D SEVEN SOLDIERS BULLETEER #2 (OF 4) $2.99
OCT050324D SWAMP THING SPONTANEOUS GENERATION TP (MR) $19.99
OCT050327D TESTAMENT #1 (MR) $2.99
OCT050312D TOM STRONG BOOK FOUR TP $17.99
OCT050314D TOP 10 BEYOND THE FARTHEST PRECINCT #5 (OF 5) $2.99
OCT050307D WRAITHBORN #4 (OF 6) $2.99

IMAGE

OCT051705D BLOOD RIVER GN $7.99
OCT051708D INTIMIDATORS #1 $3.50
FEB045201D MAGE VOL 1 THE HERO DISCOVERED TP $29.99
SEP051701D PVP #21 $2.99
JUL051665D SMALL GODS #12 $2.99
SEP051669D SPAWN MANGA VOL 1 TP $9.99

MARVEL

OCT052019D BOOK OF LOST SOULS #3 $2.99
SEP051926D CAPTAIN AMERICA #13 $2.99
OCT051962D DAUGHTERS OF THE DRAGON DEADLY HANDS $3.99
SEP051929D FANTASTIC FOUR #533 $2.99
OCT052004D GENERATION M #2 (OF 5) $2.99
OCT051967D INCREDIBLE HULK #90 $2.99
OCT051969D IRON MAN THE INEVITABLE #1 (OF 6) $2.99
OCT052031D MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 1 FAMILY HEROES DIGEST $6.99
OCT051970D MARVEL ADVENTURES FLIP MAGAZINE #7 $3.99
OCT051971D MARVEL HEROES FLIP MAGAZINE #7 $3.99
OCT058044D MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN SECOND PTG VARIANT #20 $2.99
OCT051976D MARVEL SPOTLIGHT JOHN CASSADAY SEAN MCKEEVER $2.99
OCT052027D NEW X-MEN ACADEMY X VOL 3 X-POSED TP $14.99
OCT051957D PUNISHER VS BULLSEYE #2 (OF 5) $2.99
OCT051983D RUNAWAYS #11 $2.99
OCT051988D SPIDER-WOMAN ORIGIN #1 (OF 5) $2.99
SEP058474D SPIDER-WOMAN ORIGIN COIPEL VARIANT #1 (OF 6) (PP #694) $2.99
SEP051976D SUPREME POWER HYPERION #3 (OF 5) (MR) $2.99
OCT052025D ULTIMATE GALACTUS BOOK 2 SECRET TP $12.99
OCT051943D ULTIMATE WOLVERINE VS HULK #1 (OF 6) $2.99
OCT051942D ULTIMATE X-MEN FANTASTIC FOUR SPECIAL $2.99
OCT051993D WHAT IF FANTASTIC FOUR $2.99
OCT051994D WHAT IF SUBMARINER $2.99
OCT052012D X-MEN DEADLY GENESIS #2 (OF 6) $3.50
OCT058077D X-MEN DEADLY GENESIS 2ND PTG VAR #1 (OF 6) $3.99

OTHER PUBLISHERS

NOV052945F ARCHAIC #1 $2.99
OCT053356E BASTARD VOL 10 TP (MR) (C: 3) $9.99
OCT052781E BETTY & VERONICA DIGEST #162 $2.39
OCT053026F BLUE EYES VOL 2 TP (A) (C: 3) $19.95
OCT052998E DONALD DUCK AND FRIENDS #335 $2.95
JUL053046E DRACULA VS KING ARTHUR #3 (OF 4) $2.95
AUG053243F EXALTED #1 REG ED $3.49
SEP053218F EXALTED #2 POWER FOIL CVR ED $12.50
SEP053217F EXALTED #2 REG ED $3.49
OCT053372E FROM FAR AWAY VOL 8 GN (C: 3) $9.99
OCT053373E FUSHIGI YUGI VOL 17 GN (C: 3) $9.95
MAY053159 HANA KIMI VOL 7 GN (C: 3) $9.99
OCT053363E INU YASHA VOL 24 TP (C: 3) $8.95
JUN053114F JACK COLE READER VOL 1 TP (C: 4) $25.00
OCT053009F JANES WORLD VOL 4 TP $15.00
OCT052783E JUGHEAD #170 $2.25
OCT052784E JUGHEADS DOUBLE DIGEST #118 $3.59
OCT052730E LITTLE SCROWLIE #12 $2.95
OCT053364E MAR VOL 5 GN (C: 3) $7.99
OCT052999E MICKEY MOUSE AND FRIENDS #284 $2.95
OCT053375E PLEASE SAVE MY EARTH VOL 14 TP (C: 3) $9.99
OCT053365E PROJECT ARMS VOL 11 TP (C: 3) $9.99
OCT053376E RED RIVER VOL 10 GN (C: 3) $9.99
OCT052785E SABRINA VOL 2 #72 $2.25
OCT052854E SIMPSONS COMICS #113 $2.99
SEP052766E SOULFIRE VOL 1 HC $24.99
SEP053215F STREET FIGHTER II #1 POWER FOIL JO CHEN CVR C $12.50
OCT053369E TOUGH VOL 5 GN (MR) (C: 3) $9.99
AUG058328F TRUE STORY SWEAR TO GOD #16 (PP #691) $2.95
JAN053097E VIDEO GIRL AI VOL 7 2ND ED TP (C: 3) $9.99
OCT053377E W JULIET VOL 8 GN (C: 3) $9.99

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.