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: PERSEPOLIS 2

Thanks to Hollywood, 'sequel' used to be a dirty word, synonymous with 'cash-in'. After all, the story was told the first time around; the sequel only really exists to take the audience for more money. Even in comics, sequels tend to be shaky exercises. FINAL CUT wasn't a patch on HUMAN TARGET, DARK KNIGHT STRIKES AGAIN was a laughing stock compared to the original, and even MAUS 2 lacked the emotional wallop of the first book.

But we live in an age where sequels aren't necessarily a bad thing. While Hollywood was once satisfied to have 70% of the original audience return for the sequel, now it seeks to actually make its sequels good, so it can get the whole audience to come back and bring their friends. Today's sequels can be as good as - or even better than - the original.

With PERSEPOLIS 2: THE STORY OF A RETURN (published in the US by Random House and in the UK by Jonathan Cape), Marjane Satrapi has pulled off the feat of a wholly worthy follow-up to the original, the critically acclaimed graphic novel that told the story of her childhood in Iran (and was Ninth Art's pick for the best bookshelf comic of 2003). Of course, when Satrapi left Iran at the end of that book, her story wasn't over, and this sequel is entirely justified. Here, Satrapi struggles with life as an Iranian in Europe, then returns to Iran to find she's just as much an outsider there as she once again faces the absurdities and injustices of extremism.

As with volume one, it's a terrifically personal, revealing and witty memoir, one that deals not just with politics and personal freedoms, but with marriage, family and teenage tantrums in a way that brings the story of Satrapi's life right home. In these two volumes, Satrapi is able to immerse the reader in a life that we're lucky not to know. PERSEPOLIS 2 is a superb sequel and an immensely rewarding read. [Andrew Wheeler]

LAUGHING DEATH IN THE FACE

DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY creator Jim Massey is one of the few people on the Amazing Electronic Interweb who is so effortlessly funny that it makes me utterly green with jealousy. I've re-used Massey's "slower than a Holstein on rohypnol" line from DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY 1 so many times, I probably owe him royalties at this point.

And now DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY 2 is out, with proper Diamond distribution. DEATH is the tale of one skeleton and his scythe, and his little Genie friend too, just trying to have a couple of beers and relax. Along with ARSENIC LULLABIES, DEATH is one of the funniest comics on the shelf. It's the perfect Sunday-morning hangover comic, the unholy lovechild of the Gary Larson's FAR SIDE and Mike Shapiro's THE BOOK OF SICK. [Alex de Campi]

IMPERIUS REX

I bought CREATURE TECH creator Doug TenNapel's new book TOMMYSAURUS REX when it came out a couple of weeks back, but it's taken me this long to get around to actually reading it. Stupid boy me, because it's excellent. But, as the man that sold it to me said, it's come out from Image, which gives it an extra hurdle to overcome. If this had come out from someone like Oni or Top Shelf, there'd be a lot of people who'd give it a look because of the strength of the imprint, and they'd enjoy it.

Image doesn't have that brand recognition for quality comics these days - its titles veer wildly across the genre and quality spectrum, and don't seem to garner that sort of loyalty. Which is a shame, because this is the sort of book that'd sit quite nicely alongside a lot of works from those imprints we more readily associate with quality.

It's a simple, charming fable about, well, a boy and his dinosaur. I really don't want to say more than that, because it's worth discovering for yourself. What I do want to say is that TenNapel's talent rises to match his subject, capturing moment of gut-wrenching emotion with what looks like remarkable ease. You may or may not be aware that the book has been optioned for a film, and I really hope it gets made - this is a work in very much the same vein as THE IRON GIANT, and I could see it easily reaching the same levels of cult popularity. If you enjoyed that film, then you really should read this book. [Alasdair Watson]

NUMBER ONES

As a one-time Marvel zombie, I get a little depressed at how rarely we get a chance to talk about an exciting new Marvel book here at the Forecast. Despite my best efforts to be a haughty and discriminating reader of black and white indie filth, I still catch myself wanting to root for the old home team once in a while, yet Marvel, god bless it, does everything in its power to disappoint, frustrate and irritate me week in, week out. Like thousands of others weaned at Stan's breast, I want Marvel to succeed, but I try not to kid myself that they are succeeding in spite of the evidence.

This week, Marvel is giving my optimism a kicking with five new first issues. ELEKTRA: THE HAND is the second new ELEKTRA series in as many weeks, and sees RED STAR's Christian Gossett on art, with the rather Japanese-sounding Akira Yoshida (THOR: SON OF ASGARD) providing the rather Japanese-sounding plot about Ninjas, mysteries and, no doubt, honour.

The other launches sound equally inessential. BULLSEYE: GREATEST HITS sees Daniel Way trying to do what Kevin Smith could not, and turning out a whole Bullseye miniseries. Art by Steve Dillon provides the hook. A lack of Colin Farrell in leather pants provides the disappointment. Gambit gets another shot at an ongoing series, but without Steve Skroce's kinetic and nigh-indecipherable art. Georges Jeanty is his able replacement, with John Layman negotiating the N'Warlins dialogue.

JUBILEE is Marvel's latest shameless attempt to pick up girls, and the creative team of Robert Kirkman and Derec Aucoin offers plenty of promise. Then there's HULK writer Bruce Jones on the new HULK AND THING mini, which sounds about as gratuitous as can be, but with Jae Lee art it might at least look pretty. The Marvel website also promises MANNITES #1 by Adam Warren and Ricardo Mays this week, but offers no further information. If this is the return of those powerful mutant children that cropped up in X-MEN a few years ago, then I fear Marvel has found whole new barrels to scrape. [Andrew Wheeler]

THE SHIPPING LIST FOR SEPTEMBER 1st 2004:

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

DARK HORSE

JUL040035 MILKMAN MURDERS #3 (Of 4) (MR) $2.99
JUN040041 NAIL #3 (Of 4) (MR) $2.99
JUL040055 OH MY GODDESS #112 $3.99

DC COMICS

JUL040593 BATMAN CATWOMAN TRAIL OF THE GUN #2 (Of 2) $5.95
JUL040672 BATMAN JUDGE DREDD FILES TP $14.95
JUL040591 BIRDS OF PREY #73 $2.50
JUL040575 DETECTIVE COMICS #798 $2.95
JUL040618 FIRESTORM #5 $2.50
JUL040623 HARD TIME #8 $2.50
JUL040626 JUSTICE LEAGUE ELITE #3 (Of 12) $2.50
JUN040410 KINETIC #6 $2.50
JUL040660 LOONEY TUNES #118 $2.25
JUL040605 MAJESTIC #2 (Of 4) $2.95
JUL040636 MONOLITH #8 $2.95
JUL040644 SCRATCH #4 (Of 5) $2.50
JUL040702 SWAMP THING #7 (MR) $2.95
JUL040678 THUNDERCATS ENEMYS PRIDE #4 (Of 5) $2.95
JUL040706 Y THE LAST MAN #26 (MR) $2.95

MARVEL

JUL042029 ALPHA FLIGHT #7 $2.99
JUN041573 AVENGERS #501 (#86) (Note Price) $2.25
JUL041964 BULLSEYE GREATEST HITS #1 (Of 5) $2.99
JUL042021 CAPTAIN AMERICA & THE FALCON #7 $2.99
JUL042052 DAREDEVIL VS BULLSEYE VOL 1 TP $15.99
JUL041962 ELEKTRA THE HAND #1 (Of 5) $2.99
JUL041999 EXILES #52 $2.99
JUL041995 GAMBIT #1 $2.99
JUL041958 HULK AND THING HARD KNOCKS #1 (Of 4) $3.50
JUL041993 JUBILEE #1 $2.99
JUL042017 MARVEL AGE FANTASTIC FOUR #6 $2.25
JUL042014 MARVEL AGE SPIDER-MAN #11 $2.25
JUN041644 MARVEL MASTERWORKS FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 7 2ND ED HC 49.99
JUN041645 MARVEL MASTERWORKS FANTASTIC FOUR VOL 7 HC VAR DUST JACKET $54.99
JUL042016 SPIDER-GIRL #78 $2.99
JUL042010 SPIDER-MAN UNLIMITED #5 $2.99
JUL041997 STARJAMMERS #4 $2.99
JUL042026 THOR #84 $2.99
JUL041984 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #65 $2.25
JUL041988 UNCANNY X-MEN #448 $2.25

OTHER PUBLISHERS

JUN042897 ALICE 19TH VOL 6 GN BLINDNESS $9.99
JUL042786E ARMAGEDDON BOOK 1 GN (Of 11) $9.99
JUN042225 BETTY & VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #127 $3.59
JUN042583 CANDYAPPLEBLACK #3 (Of 7) (MR) $3.50
JUL043021F CLARK ASHTON SMITHS HYPERBOREA #1 $2.95
JUL042645E FATHOM DAWN OF WAR #1 (RES) $2.99
JUL042647E FATHOM DAWN OF WAR CALDWELL SIGNED ED #1 $19.99
JUN042910 HANA KIMI VOL 1 GN $9.95
JUN042911 HOT GIMMICK VOL 6 TP $9.99
JUL042709E KIZUNA BONDS OF LOVE BOOK 1 GN (A) $15.99
APR042769 LANCE BARNES POST NUKE DICK TP (RES) (MR) (Note Price) $11.95
JUL042563E LITTLE SCROWLIE #7 $2.95
JUN042567 MICKEY MOUSE ADVENTURES VOL 1 TP $7.95
JUL042790E NADESICO BOOK FOUR TP NEW PTG $9.99
JUN042919 NAUSICAA OF VALLEY OF WIND VOL 7 TP 2ND ED $9.95
DEC022420 NIGHTMARES AND FAIRY TALES #4 $2.95
JUN042132 PATTY CAKE & FRIENDS VOL 2 #12 $4.95
JUN042920 PLEASE SAVE MY EARTH VOL 6 TP $9.99
JUN042309F SCHOOL BITES VOL 1 GN $12.95
JUN042310F SCHOOL BITES VOL 1 GN DLX ED $19.99
JUN042230 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #140 $2.19
JUL042569E STREET ANGEL #3 $2.95
JUL042848E TRANSFORMERS ENERGON #27 $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.