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: SOLO

SOLO (DC Comics) returns this week with forty-eight pages of Paul Pope-y goodness. The third in Mark Chiarello's series of artist showcases, SOLO #3 brings the author of 100% and HEAVY LIQUID into the DC Universe for a series of tales that range from Greek Myth to Dark Future.

The stories include a retelling of the Minotaur legend, a Batman and Robin adventure in which young Dick Grayson confronts the Joker, and a timely reworking of the origin story of OMAC, Jack Kirby's monobrowed mohawker.

As with previous issues, which featured the art of Tim Sale and Richard Corben, Paul Pope's SOLO will be a perfect introduction to work, which is warm, expressive, and alive with energy. Fans of Pope's mainstream work on titles such as X-STATIX, TANGLED WEB and BIZARRO COMICS would be well advised to get their local shop to reserve them a copy of SOLO #3, as it could help encourage them to invest in some of Pope's longer and more idiosyncratic works. [Matthew Craig]

LUCKY SEVEN

Grant Morrison continues his one-man mission to improve the standard of mainstream comics with the release of SEVEN SOLDIERS#0 (DC Comics), the 38-page intro issue to his most ambitious project to date.

JH Williams illustrates this stand-alone story chronicling the experiences of Shelly Gaynor, granddaughter of golden age hero The Whip (gratuitous bondage costume sense.... tingling), as she answers a newspaper ad to hunt an ancient monster terrorising the Southwest. She meets the other 'Seven Soldiers' hired by organiser, The Vigilante, and they gradually realise that they are becoming enmeshed in a nightmare that could destroy civilisation as we know it. It also involves the ickiest use of mosquitos since UZUMAKI.

DC has been very good about posting excerpts recently, and you can read the first 11 pages here in PDF format. After this issue the story breaks up into seven four-issue miniseries, each with a different artist and focusing on a different 'soldier'. Then, the mega-series is wrapped up by another 38-page bookend issue drawn by Williams.

Forget HOUSE OF M, forget DC COUNTDOWN or CRISIS TWO or CRAPSHOOT or whatever it's called, forget all the other 'big projects' being thrown at us poor readers this year by the Big Two. SEVEN SOLDIERS is the one to follow. One writer, a group of excellent, innovative artists, and characters that Morrison can do anything he wants with. There's no reason to think it'll be anything less than fabulous. [Alex de Campi]

SKIZZ PHONE HOME

SKIZZ (DC/Rebellion) was supposed to be an extended satirical riff on Spielberg's ET, which appeared in cinemas around the same time as the strip's publication in 2000AD. Alan Moore and Jim Baikie removed the little alien from the cloying sentimentality of 80s America and plonked him in the urban nightmare of 80s Britain... in a place called Birmingham. It's an inspired concept that gives rise to a genuinely heart-warming story.

Skizz is an alien interpreter who looks like a kangaroo in a spacesuit. When he crash-lands on Earth, his computer tells him that he's going to need all of his advanced technology in order to survive on such a savage planet - but the computer and his spacecraft must self-destruct because it is illegal under galactic law to bring advanced technology to such a savage planet. It's the kind of catch-22 that Joseph Heller might have cooked up if he'd ever written science fiction.

Although the strip started out as a piss-take, it soon developed a life of its own, thanks to the cast of characters that help Skizz in his quest to return home. Teenage Roxy fits the Moore mould of strong female characters, while unemployed plumber Cornelius was clearly modelled on Yosser Hughes from Alan Bleasdale's celebrated TV drama BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF. Most powerful of all, however, was the characterisation of Skizz himself, the gentle pacifist left bewildered and bemused by humans and their idiosyncratic behaviour. [Bulent Yusuf]

SUE DIBNY LIVES!

This is what happens when you get too busy to go to the comic shop. One of the things I've most been looking forward to - the first part of Giffen, DeMatteis and Maguire' second JUSTICE LEAGUE mini - came out last week, and I missed it.

Whereas FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE JUSTICE LEAGUE was published as a six-issue stand-alone miniseries, DC has decided to publish this follow up as part of its new JLA: CLASSIFIED ongoing. Thus, issues #4-9 of JLA: CLASSIFIED will be the long awaited 'I Can't Believe It's Not The Justice League' storyline. Apparently, the story is now considered outside DC continuity, so Sue Dibny is alive and well and without so much as a tiny toe-print on her brain.

The brief return of Booster Gold, Blue Beetle and the rest is like a ray of sunshine in mainstream comics' current gloomfest. Don't believe me? You can read the first six pages online in PDF format. [Alex de Campi]

THE SHIPPING LIST FOR FEBRUARY 23rd 2005:

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

DARK HORSE

DEC040041 BPRD THE DEAD #4 (OF 5) $2.99
DEC040015 CONAN #13 $2.99
NOV040022D JINGLE BELLE #3 (OF 4) $2.99

DC COMICS

DEC040302 1000 FACES VOL 1 TP (MR) $14.95
DEC040229 BATGIRL #61 $2.50
DEC040223 BATMAN #637 $2.25
DEC040282 CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY #6 $2.25
DEC040290 ELFQUEST THE GRAND QUEST VOL 7 TP $9.95
DEC040258 FLASH #219 $2.25
DEC040328 HELLBLAZER #205 (MR) $2.75
DEC040268 JSA VOL 6 PRINCE OF DARKNESS TP $19.95
DEC040335 LOSERS #21 (MR) $2.95
DEC040239 NIGHTWING #104 $2.25
DEC040276 RICHARD DRAGON #10 $2.50
DEC040286 SCOOBY DOO VOL 3 ALL WRAPPED UP TP $6.95
DEC040289 SCOOBY DOO VOL 4 THE BIG SQUEEZE TP $6.95
DEC040274 SEVEN SOLDIERS #0 $2.95
DEC040301 SKIZZ TP $14.95
DEC040314 SLEEPER SEASON TWO #9 (OF 12) (MR) $2.95
DEC040275 SOLO #3 $4.95
DEC040246 SUPERMAN BATMAN SUPERGIRL HC $19.95
DEC040280 TEEN TITANS GO #16 $2.25
DEC040340 WITCHING #9 (MR) $2.95
DEC040278 WONDER WOMAN #213 $2.25

IMAGE

NOV041526D BURGLAR BILL #2 (OF 6) $2.95
NOV041543D RIDE FOREIGN PARTS ONE SHOT $2.95
DEC041543 SMALL GODS #7 $2.95
DEC041544 SPAWN #143 (RES) $2.50
NOV041599D TOMB RAIDER SGN #50 $19.99

MARVEL

DEC041741 AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #517 $2.25
DEC041763 AVENGERS EARTHS MIGHTIEST HEROES #8 (OF 8) $3.50
DEC041754 BLACK WIDOW #6 (OF 6) $2.99
DEC041777 EXCALIBUR #10 $2.99
DEC041769 FANTASTIC FOUR #523 $2.99
DEC041790 MYSTIQUE #24 $2.99
DEC041813 NEW MUTANTS BACK TO SCHOOL TP (RES) $16.99
DEC041785 NIGHTCRAWLER #6 $2.99
DEC041796 POWERS #9 (MR) $2.95
DEC041775 ROGUE #8 $2.99
DEC041810 ROGUE VOL 1 GOING ROGUE TP $14.99
DEC041744 SPIDER MAN HUMAN TORCH #2 (OF 5) $2.99
DEC041742 SPIDER-MAN INDIA #4 (OF 4) $2.99
DEC041757 STRANGE #4 (OF 6) $3.50
OCT041718 ULTIMATE NIGHTMARE #5 (Of 5) $2.25
DEC041779 UNCANNY X-MEN #456 $2.25
OCT041803 WOLVERINE THE END TP $14.99
DEC041786 X FORCE SHATTERSTAR #1 (OF 3) $2.99
DEC048058 X-23 #1 (OF 6) LTD ED VARIANT COVER $2.99
DEC041780 X-23 #3 (OF 6) $2.99
DEC041781 X-MEN #167 $2.25
DEC048068 X-MEN PHOENIX ENDSONG #2 LTD ED VARIANT COVER $2.99
DEC041792 X-MEN PHOENIX ENDSONG #3 (OF 5) $2.99
DEC041809 X-MEN THE END BOOK 1 DREAMERS AND DEMONS TP $14.99

OTHER PUBLISHERS

OCT042704F ANGRY YOUTH COMIX #8 (MR) $3.50
SEP042598E ARMY OF DARKNESS VOL 1 ASHES TO ASHES TP $14.99
DEC042606F ARTBABE PRESENTS LA PERDIDA #5 (OF 5) (MR) $5.95
DEC042459 BART SIMPSON COMICS #22 $2.99
DEC042949 BATTLE ANGEL ALITA VOL 8 2ND ED TP $9.95
DEC042389 BETTY & VERONICA SPECTACULAR #69 $2.19
DEC042730F BONEYARD #17 $2.95
AUG042674 DR BLINK SUPERHERO SHRINK #1 $2.99
DEC042479F ELVIRA #142 $2.50
DEC042961 EXCEL SAGA VOL 11 TP $9.99
DEC042962 FIREFIGHTER DAIGO OF FIRE COMPANY M VOL 10 TP $9.95
FEB052643F GOD THE DYSLEXIC DOG #2 (MR) $3.50
DEC042353 HEAVEN SENT PKT MANGA VOL 1 TP $9.99
DEC042391 LAUGH DIGEST #200 $2.39
DEC042499 MASCA VOL 1 GN (MR) $9.99
NOV043038 NO NEED FOR TENCHI VOL 2 2ND ED TP $9.99
DEC042977 PLEASE SAVE MY EARTH VOL 9 TP $9.99
DEC042787F RUNNERS BAD GOODS #5 $2.95
DEC042308F SCURVY DOGS RAGS TO RICHES TP $12.95
DEC042393 SONIC THE HEDGEHOG #146 $2.19
SEP042974F STEVE DITKO SPACE WARS SC $14.95
OCT042279 STRANGERS IN PARADISE #71 $2.95
DEC042640 UNCLE SCROOGE #339 $6.95
DEC042964 VAGABOND VOL 20 TP (MR) $9.95
SEP042788V VIDEO #5 $2.95
DEC042643 WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES #654 $6.95
DEC042498 WORLD OF NARUE BOOK 4 GN $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.