It’s the conclusion to the two-part “Birds of Paradise” arc, as a gaggle of super-powered cage fighters find themselves in the worst possible place to be — Wonder Woman and Black Canary’s bad side. Also, find out the final resolution between Diana and Nemesis. What more could you want? Oh, alright. Here are a few pages.

WONDER WOMAN #35 hits today.

Yesterday, we showed off pages from BATMAN: THE WIDENING GYRE #1, from Kevin Smith and artist Walt Flanagan. But the creative duo aren’t newbies when it comes to Batman.

On September 16, renowned filmmaker Smith (Clerks, Dogma) steps onto the streets of Gotham City to tell a tale of the Batman, as he squares off against Smith’s villainous creation, the mysterious serial killer known as Onomatepoeia. As the murderer sets his sights on the Caped Crusader, a collection of familiar faces appear to intercede, including the Crown Prince of Crime himself.

Told in the sharp-tongued and engaging style that has made Smith’s films fan favorites over the years, BATMAN: CACOPHONY pairs Smith with artists Flanagan and Sandra Hope to tell a tale that will force Batman to make the ultimate decision: Bring in a murderous villain or save the Joker’s life. Smith’s deft pacing, sharp dialogue and familiarity with the character of Batman and his milieu combine to create a tale of the Dark Knight unlike any other – and one that won’t soon be forgotten.

The hardcover graphic novel edition of the three-issue tale features an introduction from Smith along with his original script for the third issue. We’ve got the introduction for you right here, too. Just click that handy “Read More” link below.

Read the rest of this entry »

Writer James Robinson and artist Renato Guedes bring out the big guns for the finale of “Codename: Patriot” — namely, a slam-bang throwdown in the sewers of Metropolis. What are the stakes? Who are the players? Everyone, really. Except for a certain Man of Steel. It’s his responsibility to stop the shooter from making relations between Earth and New Krypton even worse. Just what General Lane wants. Check out a few pages from the issue below.

SUPERMAN #691 hits tomorrow.

Writer and filmmaker Kevin Smith re-teams with his CACOPHONY collaborator Walt Flanagan for BATMAN: THE WIDENING GYRE for an all-new adventure starring the Caped Crusader. The stakes are high as Batman encounters a new vigilante, amidst what Smith describes as a “backdrop of romance, intrigue and geek-bait guest stars galore.”

And this is only the beginning, folks. And while you count down the minutes until you can head to your store tomorrow, here are a few pages from the first issue.

BATMAN: THE WIDENING GYRE #1 hits tomorrow.

Enjoying the new take on CAPTAIN ATOM? How can you not be? Writers James Robinson and Greg Rucka are producing an action-packed, mysterious co-feature that’s beautifully rendered by CAFU. Here are a few pages from the next installment, part of ACTION COMICS #881, hitting 9/16. Enjoy.

Monday’s winding down, and while there are still four more work days looming, let’s take a glance at some of the notable bits in the press from the last few days:

• Over at EW.com’s shiny new book blog, SHELF LIFE, Ken Tucker talks up the first issue of BLACKEST NIGHT: SUPERMAN, calling the issue this week’s “smartest, grisliest mainstream comic book.”

• AIN’T IT COOL NEWS reviews the first issue of ADVENTURE COMICS, by Geoff Johns and Francis Manapul, succinctly summing up the issue: “This is the good stuff.”

• Speaking of ADVENTURE COMICS #1, THE ONION AV CLUB reviews the issue, along with the first issue of DOOM PATROL. Both debut issues nabbed a “B+” rating.

• NEWSARAMA’s posted their latest 20 Questions and 1 Answer with Dan DiDio, which is well worth reading if you’re looking for a few newsbits. Two words for you: BATMAN BEYOND?

Writer Geoff Johns and artist Ethan Van Sciver continue to race toward the gripping conclusion of FLASH: REBIRTH with the fourth installment in the mini-series that returned Barry Allen to the DCU. Allen left a legacy that thrived after his death. Now his return threatens it all. What secrets does Barry hold inside him about the fate of the Flash Family? What destiny awaits Wally and his twins? What murderous force targets Bart Allen? And what does it truly mean to be a speedster? You won’t find all the answers here, but we’ve got a few.

FLASH: REBIRTH #4 hits 8/26.

The writing team of Matthew Sturges and Bill Willingham continue their inaugural arc on JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA with part two of “Bad Seed,” pairing them with up-and-comer Jesus Merino. The JSA begins to feel some wear and tear as the team battles a monstrous collection of villains who’ve mounted an all-out war on the team in an effort to collect a bounty on the head of everyone except Stargirl. What compromises will the group make to chase the enemies? Why have Mr. Terrific’s communications stopped? Oh yeah, and Dr. Fate comes back. Check out a few pages below. JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #30 hits 8/26.

Well, it’s Friday, and I’ve managed to finagle the day off. But fear not — we’ve got our regularly scheduled “From the Editors” post right here. This time, it’s Editor Rachel Gluckstern giving us more info on the upcoming THE SHIELD ongoing series. Take it away, Rachel:

With the Red Circle event now underway, I just have to share some art from the amazing team on the monthly Shield book. From Francis Manapul’s amazing cover to the dream art team of Marco Rudy and Mick Gray, everyone’s pulled out all the stops to live up to Eric Trautmann’s impressive first script.

The Shield #1 goes on sale 9/9, leading the way for the Red Circle monthlies and featuring Inferno by Brandon Jerwa and Greg Scott. But how can you resist such a perfect team of talent and characters? Look for the Shield #1 in September!

Where’s it from? What does it mean? We’re not sure, but it sure looks pretty. What say you, Wonder Woman Editor Elisabeth Gehrlein?

“I hold this truth to be self-evident: Wonder Woman punching a giant in the face really hard makes a cool two-page spread.  Am I wrong?”

Not at all. Not. At. All.