How great was the first Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III issue of DETECTIVE COMICS? Wonderful characterization, beautiful, mind-blowing art and a frightening new villain in Gotham. Well, there’s more.

In the second part of “Elegy,” Batwoman captures her enemy, a madwoman known only as Alice, who sees her life as a fairy tale and everyone around her as fodder – including Kate. But when the tables are turned, Batwoman finds herself in a hallucinatory nightmare that brings the past crashing into the present, with hints of a threat that could bring a deadly conclusion to the lives of every man, woman and child in Gotham. So…yeah. Not very low stakes at all.

So, while I try to get used to all this west coast madness, why not enjoy a few pages from the next issue, which hits 7/29?

Following up after the status-altering events of WONDER WOMAN #33, writer Gail Simone and artist Aaron Lopresti kick off the two-part “Birds of Paradise” story, which finds Wonder Woman teaming up with Ollie Queen’s significant other, Black Canary, for an undercover caper that finds the duo rubbing elbows with some of the worst villains the DCU. It’s gonna be a rough time for some rough characters – but who better to spend it with than Diana and Dinah? Check out some pages from the issue below.

WONDER WOMAN #34 hits 7/29.

Well, we’re three weeks into the wonderful WEDNESDAY COMICS series, and reactions have been, well, spectacular. And here at The Source, we want to hear from you, the WC reader. What strip did you like last week? Which one is in the lead overall? What are some of your favorite moments so far? Let us know.

And because we realize art is a great motivator, we’ve got a look at next week’s CATWOMAN/THE DEMON strip, from writer Walt Simonson, with amazing art by the incomparable Brian Stelfreeze.

So make click-y with the art and chime in below.

I guess I could have taken the easy route and just made “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane” the headline, but that always grates on me. But I digress.

Many members of the DC family are making their way to the west coast for San Diego Comic-Con International, arguably THE pop culture event of the year, and a massive collection of celebrities, exclusives, entertainment news and, well, pretty much anything you’d want related to comics, movies, television and entertainment.

But fear not, Source readers – we’ve got a full slate of goodies for you that’ll keep you busy and informed even if you can’t make the trek west. If you haven’t already, you may want to bookmark this page, as it’ll be your one-stop shop for all San Diego news and info.

If you are heading to San Diego, swing by the booth and say hello. Or something equally polite.

Alright, flight is boarding. I’m glad I brought a few books…See you on the other side.

Writer Bryan Q. Miller (Smallville), who’ll be kicking off the new BATGIRL series in no time, continues his jaunt through the Teen Titans world, as the team tries to rescue Wonder Girl from the new Fearsome Five, as the Calculator enacts his revenge on the team for not protecting his daughter. Plus, writer Sean McKeever and artist Yildiray Cinar continue to chronicle the solo adventures of everyone’s favorite one-eyed teen, Ravager, in the issue’s second feature. What more do you need? Preview pages? Sure. Scroll down.

TEEN TITANS #73 hits 7/29.

It’s a preview Monday! As we make any and all last-minute preparations for San Diego, we’ve got a nice collection of previews for you today.

Next up is LAST DAYS OF ANIMAL MAN #3, from writer Gerry Conway and artist Chris Batista. And you don’t need to take it from me – scroll down and see for yourself – but it’s clear Batista is knocking it out of the park with this mini, spotlighting a possible future for Buddy Baker, aka Animal Man.

And what happens when the League of Titans enters the picture? Buddy Baker’s slowly losing his marbles, but can he rely on a little help from his friends? Or is it just time to curl up and call it a life? Check out some pages to see.

THE LAST DAYS OF ANIMAL MAN #3 hits 7/29.

This is it, folks. The new creative team of writers Bill Willingham and Matt Sturges, along with exceptional artist Jesus Merino unite to herald a new era for the Justice Society of America.

Strange things start to happen at JSA headquarters just as two new recruits join the fold, all which point to an all-out assault on the team. And what do new members King Chimera and All-American Kid have to do with it?

Join a team of legends and up-and-coming heroes as the critically acclaimed writers behind FABLES and JACK OF FABLES unite to kick off the latest chapter for the team, which is sure to have people talking for some time.

Oh, and did we mention we have preview pages? Well, we do.

JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #29 hits on 7/29.

By now, you’ve heard the news — Matt Brady, editor of long-running comic news site NEWSARAMA stepped down today, taking with him two decades of experience covering the industry.

It’s with mixed feelings that I type this, because this isn’t just another blog post for me, personally. I seriously doubt I’d have much of a place in the comic book industry if not for Matt, who, along with NEWSARAMA founder Mike Doran took a chance on a pesky college kid who was willing to write for peanuts (i.e. “free”). The comic book industry is a small place, and I’m proud to count Matt among my friends.

But despite my constant remarks to the contrary, this isn’t about me. Over the years, NEWSARAMA has built a reputation based on intelligent and balanced reportage, keen industry insight and a funny, self-deprecating tone that really comes directly from Matt. The site has always been at the forefront of covering all things relating to comics and will certainly continue to do so, and that’s a testament to Matt’s frightening work ethic and ability to build lasting relationships.

So, consider this a tip of the hat to you, Matt. Don’t get a big head over it.

Legions of us (us– you– >gasp< — THEM!) are packing now and will soon converge on the southern California town of San Diego… for the 40th Annual COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL! (Next Wednesday, in fact!)

40 years! 1970 to 2009! >Whew!<

And this will be my 19th time at this show in the last 20 years… and, man, has Comic-Con become the event of the year in that time! Today this convention is regularly covered on television and in magazines and draws creators and fans of all media… a far cry from the days when folks sat in hallways with their dog-eared collection of comics at their feet… just looking to trade for something they didn’t have—or hadn’t read!

Now Hollywood and Gaming and media of every stripe make this their home-base/launching pad—reaching the folks they need to speak to directly/instantly. Some people grouse that the show isn’t about comics anymore… but this convention has been about comic art, film and science fiction from the start! And this kind of attention and respect for the form some of us work in– and all of us enjoy– IS exactly what we were looking for, wasn’t it?

And while I’ve only been to 19 cons in San Diego I have been attending conventions around the world (England, Mexico, Australia) in the years since… and actually attended my first convention when I was 11 years old in New York City. My Mom took me to one of the early
shows run by the legendary Phil Seuling in Manhattan in1969.

What I liked about that convention then is what I like about going to San Diego now: I get to meet the people who do the creative work I like. Before comic conventions you couldn’t meet Picasso… or Hitchcock… or Groucho as a fan… but now, thanks to conventions like the one next week, we can meet the people we admire and respect. We can chat… and bond… and share what we all love!

We have a place where we belong to each other… people can tell me what they like or dislike about the work I’m involved in… AND if I’m lucky I get the chance to say hey to the comic writers and artists I know and love (and hope to work with in the future)… as well as rubbing elbows with folks like the guys from MR. SHOW (not comic books—but comics)… Jane Wiedlin (hey, music ain’t comics… but it IS something I like! And DC Comics DID sport Go Go Checks for a period!) and maybe… just maybe … I will bump into Hayao Miyazaki!
>Gasp! Again!<

See you there… us and them, too!!

It’s almost the weekend, so let’s give you a few things to read to make the work day go by a tad faster, shall we?

• THE NEW YORK TIMES has unveiled it’s latest Graphic Novel Best Seller list, and GREEN LANTERN: RAGE OF THE RED LANTERNS is sitting pretty atop the chart. Other notables: FINAL CRISIS, THE KILLING JOKE, BATMAN R.I.P., JOKER and ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER.

• USA TODAY has the second chapter of WEDNESDAY COMICS’ SUPERMAN strip. If you haven’t read it yet, it’s definitely worth the click.

• Neil Gaiman was on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” to chat up WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE CAPED CRUSADER.

• NEWSARAMA’s got the latest 20 Questions with Dan DiDio, covering a plethora of topics, including BLACKEST NIGHT, WEDNESDAY COMICS and some surprises.

• The BLACKEST NIGHT goodness continues, with IGN unveiling preview pages from BLACKEST NIGHT: TALES OF THE CORPS #2, CBR reviewed the first issue of the series and MTV’s SPLASH PAGE blog gives the book some love.