Over at AOL/Asylum’s COMICS ALLIANCE site, our own Dan DiDio takes a moment to chat with CA’s Laura Hudson about how the Batman universe will be shaping up post-BATTLE FOR THE COWL.

ComicsAlliance: What’s been the reaction to the recent revelation that Dick Grayson, the original Robin, is now the new Batman?

Dan DiDio: We had a lot of speculation about who was going to be the new Batman, and one of the things that I found most surprising was that most people were trying to guess in a different direction. But from our standpoint, we were always pretty locked in on the fact that Dick Grayson was going to be the new Batman… the legacy aspect plays into everything that makes DC great, where we have so many characters that have moved from one generation to another. People have become very invested in [Dick Grayson] character over the years, and interested to see how he accepts the mantle.

• THE NASHUA TELEGRAPH had kind words for the FINAL CRISIS hardcover.

• Speaking of Grant Morrison and Batman, the writer talks to NEWSARAMA’s Zack Smith about BATMAN AND ROBIN and his plans for the Caped Crusader.

• And, speaking of BATMAN AND ROBIN, IGN has a nice review of the first issue, where they call the book “an outrageously fun start for this new series. “

Eddie Berganza’s not one to mince words, and more than willing to let the art speak for him. And we’re OK with that. Take it away, Eddie:

If you miss any issue of the 7-part CRY FOR JUSTICE mini, you are so gonna hate yourself!

Try not to get mad at us, folks, but we decided it’d be a nice kick-off to the weekend to throw you another cool BATMAN AND ROBIN image.

This morning, you saw the cover to BATMAN AND ROBIN #4, by Frank Quitely, And, as some of you know, Philip Tan will be stepping in for a three-issue arc on the series, pairing him with writer Grant Morrison. Imagine how pleased I was to get a note from BATMAN Group Editor Michael Marts letting me know he’d just gotten the pencils for Tan’s variant cover to #4. It’s almost like we planned it this way.

So, not only will you be getting Quitely cover goodness for the series, but Tan will be creating stunning variants for his time on interiors. But enough of my mutterings. Here’s the image.

Happy Friday, Source readers. By now, you’ve probably picked up your copy of BATMAN AND ROBIN #1, and seen the preview pages and commentary across the web. But why not finish off the week with something more? Here’s the cover to #4.

Did you think we’d leave out  THE SHIELD? Of course not. But who is the flag-waving hero? What’s his story? You might find something out by clicking below. “Might” being the key word here.

Tony Bedard and artist Claude St. Aubin keep the heat going in the pages of R.E.B.E.L.S., as the abductor of the intergalactic L.E.G.I.O.N. police force stands revealed, leading the entire sector to mobilize. What happens when Vril Dox’s team of renegades teams up with the Omega Men, Durlans, Khunds and Dominators? Well, you can get at least some of the answers here.

R.E.B.E.L.S. #5 hits 6/10

We’ve seen a few pages of THE DAILY PLANET about the new crop of Red Circle heroes, but what happens when the hero takes the keyboard and starts talking? The Web has your answer, right here.

Ever wanted to take a tour of the DC offices? Like living vicariously through rock stars? Well, now you can do both.

Indie rockers Art Brut paid a visit to 1700 Broadway this week, and the gang at UNDER THE RADAR Magazine were there to document the proceedings. As you may know, Art Brut’s latest, the aptly titled “Art Brut vs. Satan” features a song titled “DC Comics and Chocolate Milkshake.” Which probably means they’re fans of the company, or at least big milkshake drinkers.

From UNDER THE RADAR:

Under the Radar asked frontman Eddie Argos to write an essay on his love for DC Comics for our current Spring 2009 issue. When DC got word of the article they invited the British band to take a tour of their NYC offices, which happened yesterday (June 2nd). We sent photographer Tommy Kearns down to capture the action, as the band got the grand tour, met DC’s Senior Vice President/Executive Editor Dan Didio, and were given a bunch of free comic books.

You can check out the rest of the photos here.

Bruce Wayne is trapped in the past. The Caped Crusader is missing.

As Earth’s heroes and the citizens of Gotham City struggle to face a world without a Batman, Dick Grayson — the first Robin — dons his mentor’s cowl to try and stem the tide of crime threatening to drown the city Bruce Wayne spent years protecting.

Today, THE NEW YORK TIMES bestselling team of Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely will launch BATMAN AND ROBIN, a new ongoing series.

Morrison crafts an energetic, fast paced and punchy issue that brings to mind the lost elements of the Dark Knight’s past while injecting the characters with new, energetic twists. And what more can you really say about Quitely’s amazing artwork?

In case you missed it, pages from the first issue have appeared at AIN’T IT COOL NEWS, MYSPACE, IGN, WIRED and NEWSARAMA, plus a very cool mention on MTV’s SPLASH PAGE blog.

But that’s not all. Wondering what’s coming up in the book in the next year? Click below and see for yourself.