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: THE DEMON ORORON

I am enjoying the hell out of Mizuke Hakase's THE DEMON ORORON. Volume 3 has just shipped from Tokyopop, so it's not too late to jump onto this series. You'll recognise it on the increasingly flooded shelves of manga by its clean, striking yellow covers and Hakase-san's unusual, slyly elegant artwork.

THE DEMON ORORON is what I always wanted Vertigo's LUCIFER series to be. If you're familiar with LUCIFER, ORORON is basically Lucifer and Elaine Belloc on a road trip through suburban Japan, trying not to cause havoc everywhere they go - and failing miserably. For Lucifer, substitute Ororon, absent king of hell, and for Elaine, we have Chiaki, half-angel daughter of The Archangel Michael. The gratuitous destruction and funny quip count in ORORON is far higher than in Lucifer, though, and (bonus) the title character is actually in every book.

I could continue with the parallels - Cat-demons Shiro and Kuro (part of Ororon and Chiaki's increasingly large entourage) are the comedy-relief equivalent of Gaudium and Spera. It isn't an issue of THE DEMON ORORON unless cat-boy Shiro gets killed and reincarnated. Border demons the Piti Pats look an awful lot like the Lilim. But ORORON began serialisation in WINGS magazine in April 1998 and ended in 2001, so it actually predates LUCIFER by some years, and since Mike Carey bought his first ever tankubon at Bristol this past May, I doubt he's ever seen ORORON. Chalk it up to ideaspace.

In Book Three, Chiaki learns even more about her background and her powers via chats with God (who looks worryingly like Kurt Cobain). She's just accidentally destroyed an entire city, which causes her immense pain and guilt due to her pacifist nature. Her love/hate relationship with Ororon (who she found wounded on the sidewalk, and took in, the way one would a stray cat) continues, as she can't resign herself to loving someone who is so destructive. Yep, this from a girl who just trashed an entire metropolis. THE DEMON ORORON is one of the funniest and most enjoyable new manga series in ages. If you enjoy supernatural, goth, or demon stories, check it out. [Alex de Campi]

IDENTITY TAG

For those of you who've had your heads buried in the sand for the last two months, I'll fill you in on the wacky hijinks of the spandex brigade. It seems that Sue Storm, wife of Plastic Man, accidentally raped Dr Strange with a light bulb in the Teen Titans HQ. Hellboy was so disgusted with this that he and Captain Planet had Sue Storm shot repeatedly with a bowel disruptor. Aren't you glad that such a stunning repository of SuperInfo can be summed so succinctly and so effortlessly?

For those of you who actually have been keeping up to date, you'll probably be thinking exactly the same thing as me as we reach issue #3 of the opinion-baiting mini-series IDENTITY CRISIS... Just who the hell is Sue Dibny? I mean, DC gives the writer a list of characters he's allowed to kill, and the most important one he could come up with is Sue Dibny? Not even a D-list super-hero, but the wife of one.

And if our minds are so unilateral in their thought-process, you'll probably also have a little morbid fascination at the contents of the third issue. If you start with murder, move onto rape, then by the seventh issue, you're really only left with gassing an entire island of seven-year-old orphans.

But the one thing that has gone completely undiscussed in regards the series is the actual quality of it. Rags Morales work from the sadly missed HOURMAN was blindingly intricate and had a strangeness akin to Ethan Van Sciver or Chris Weston. And while Brad Meltzer's only notable comics work is following Kevin Smith on GREEN ARROW, he's also a well-known novelist with plenty of sales under his belt.

These are both able and intelligent individuals who deserve the benefit of the doubt. But then logical and reasoned debate and comics are strangers in the night, exchanging glances. Perhaps the one unifying argument we can all get behind is just exactly how ugly those Michael Turner covers are. [John Fellows]

HIRE POWER

I have to admit that it sounds dumb. A series of Dark Horse comics based off a series of BMW car commercials. It sounds like Dark Horse has finally stepped off the licensed properties deep end.

But admit it: this looks interesting. THE HIRE, a series of films about a chauffeur who tackles a variety of dangerous jobs, is an idea that was made for comics. There's a powerful simplicity in the concepts employed by the commercials that dovetail neatly with comics: nameless hero, stand-alone stories, rotating creative teams... there are ample opportunities for good, fast-paced pop storytelling here, something that comics are suited to but rarely given the opportunity to do explore.

Dark Horse has a good history with licensed properties, VAN HELSING aside - there's a reason LucasFilm renewed with the company when the contract on STAR WARS expired and Marvel, DC, and Image were fighting for a piece of the padawan pie. Dark Horse approaches the properties with ingenuity and respect, and allows creative teams to run wild with previously arranged universes.

The rotating creators thing is a nice touch as well - the directors for the commercials included Ang Lee, Tony Scott, John Woo and Guy Ritchie (pre-SWEPT AWAY, thank you), the comic has writer/artist Matt Wagner on the first issue, and Bruce "The Chin" Campbell handling writing chores on the second, which has to be one of the cooler things I've heard this year. Yeah, it sounds a little dumb. Who cares? THE HIRE is a world with few rules, fewer limits, and no expectations. It will either be a brilliant success or a grotesque failure - either way, THE HIRE should be an interesting ride. [John Parker]

THE SHIPPING LIST FOR AUGUST 11th 2004:

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

DARK HORSE

JUN040051 BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #92 (MR) (Note Price) $2.99
MAY040040D BMW FILMS THE HIRE #1 (Of 6) $2.99
DEC030042D CHOSEN #3 (Of 3) (MR) $2.99
APR040105 CROW FLESH & BLOOD DH PRTG TP $9.95
MAY040044D GRENDEL DEVILS REIGN #3 (Of 7) (MR) $3.50
MAY040017D SPYBOY FINAL EXAM #3 (Of 4) $2.99

DC COMICS

JUN040941 100 BULLETS #52 (MR) $2.50
JUN040314 ACTION COMICS #818 $2.50
JUN040382 AQUAMAN #21 $2.50
JUN040806 AUTHORITY VOL 2 #14 (MR) $2.95
JUN040189 BATMAN LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #182 $2.50
JUN040942 BITE CLUB #5 (Of 6) (MR) $2.95
JUN040383 BLOODHOUND #2 $2.95
JUN040385 CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #3 (Of 6) $2.95
JUN040387 DC COMICS PRESENTS FLASH #1 $2.50
JUN040943 FABLES #28 (MR) $2.50
JUN040202 GOTHAM CENTRAL #22 $2.50
JUN040396 GREEN ARROW #41 $2.50
JUN040402 IDENTITY CRISIS #3 (Of 7) $3.95
JUN040405 JLA #103 $2.25
JUN040404 JSA #64 $2.50
JUN040412 LEGION #37 $2.50
JUN040190 NIGHTWING #96 $2.25
JUN040201 ROBIN UNMASKED TP $12.95
JUN040700 SCOOBY DOO #87 $2.25
JUN040318 SUPERMAN ADVENTURES VOL 1 UP UP AND AWAY TP $6.95
JUN040319 SUPERMAN ADVENTURES VOL 2 THE NEVER ENDING BATTLE TP $6.95
JUN040812 WILDCATS CYBERFORCE KILLER INSTINCT TP $14.95

IMAGE

JUN031330 SPAWN #137 $2.50

MARVEL

JUN041586 ALPHA FLIGHT #6 $2.99
JUN041574 AVENGERS #500 DIRECTORS CUT $4.99
MAY041695D AVENGERS THUNDERBOLTS #6 (Of 6) $2.99
JUN041576 CAPTAIN AMERICA #30 $2.99
JUN041602 DISTRICT X #4 $2.99
JUN041632 DOCTOR SPECTRUM #1 (Of 6) (MR) $2.99
JUN041607 EMMA FROST #14 $2.99
JUN041585 IDENTITY DISC #3 (Of 5) $2.99
JUN041623 INCREDIBLE HULK #75 (Note Price) $3.50
JUN041587 IRON FIST #6 $2.99
JUN041578 IRON MAN #87 $2.99
JUN041611 MARVEL KNIGHTS SPIDER-MAN #5 $2.99
JUN041633 POWERS #3 (MR) $2.95
JUN041643 PUNISHER MAX VOL 1 IN THE BEGINNING TP (MR) $14.99
JUN041580 SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN #18 $2.25
MAY041687D SUPREME POWER #12 (MR) $2.99
JUN041631 THE PUNISHER #10 (MR) $2.99
JUN041583 THOR SON OF ASGARD #7 $2.99
JUN041594 X-FORCE #1 $2.99

OTHER PUBLISHERS

JUN042131 15 MINUTES #1 $3.95
FEB042719 ALICE 19TH VOL 4 GN UNREQUITED LOVE $9.95
JUN042895 ANIMERICA EXTRA SEPT 2004 VOL 7 #9 $4.99
MAY042311E BETTY #140 $2.19
MAY042813F BLACKSHIRT VOL 1 GN (MR) $10.95
FEB042729 CERES CELESTIAL LEGEND VOL 7 TP $9.95
MAR042508E DUEL MASTERS #7 $2.95
JUN042906 FIREFIGHTER DAIGO OF FIRE COMPANY M VOL 8 $9.95
MAY042314E JUGHEAD WITH ARCHIE DIGEST #195 $2.39
JUN042921 NEON GENESIS EVANGELION VOL 6 TP 2ND ED $9.95
JUN042704 OJO #1 (Of 5) (MR) $2.99
MAY042316E PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #87 $3.59
JUN042370 RECORD OF LODOSS WAR GREY WITCH BOOK 2 GN NEW PTG $9.99
JUN042236 SOULFIRE #1 $2.99
JUN042237 SOULFIRE PX CVR ED #1 $3.99
JUN042238 SOULFIRE SIGNED ED #1 $24.99
JUN042239 SOULFIRE SIGNED ED SET #1 $39.99
JAN045316 STREET FIGHTER VOL 1 TP NEW PRTG $9.99
MAY042178F TIM SALE BLACK & WHITE HC $24.95
JUN042928 VAGABOND VOL 14 TP $9.95

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.