BATMAN: UNSEEN #5 hits today.

Courtesy of writer and Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian with the masterful art of Sam Kieth, here’s a peek at the concluding issue, which hits today.

BATMAN CONFIDENTIAL #38 hits 12/2.

As promised, following co-writer Justin Gray’s comments from yesterday, we bring you Jimmy Palmiotti’s thoughts on the series hitting #50, plus a few lovely preview pages. Take it away, Jimmy:

In the 70’s, John Albano and Tony DeZuniga knocked it out of the park. Simple as that.

Getting to write a character I read as a child was something I would never have dreamed about happening, and now sitting here looking back a the 49 issues that came before this…well, it’s a type of surreal joy for me. Justin and I both understood the expectations put upon us by the die hard fans when we started the series and now looking back, consider ourselves totally blessed by the talented artists that helped us along the way and totally understand that the success is just as much because of their part in Jonah’s adventures.

Having the award winning Darwyn Cooke on board for the 50th issue makes this giant sized anniversary book something extraordinary all around. Add to that the constant support of our friends and colleagues at DC and we have an anniversary worth celebrating. If you never gave this book a shot in the past because of some preconceived notion of western comics, I recommend you give this issue a shot. Darwyn’s storytelling is classic in every sense of the word and trust me, this story itself will make you laugh, cry and feel like you just were part of something special.

Last, but not least, we would personally like to thank the fans and retailers all over the world that stuck with us, supported the book and especially those vocal few who made it their business to recommend Jonah Hex to those around them. This kind of undying love for the character has made it possible for us all to be here, over 4 years later, celebrating one of the most violently fascinating comic book characters ever created.

• Over at IGN you’ll find two key previews: BLACKEST NIGHT: FLASH #1 by Geoff Johns and Scott Kolins and BLACKEST NIGHT: WONDER WOMAN #1 by Greg Rucka and Nicola Scott.

• iFanboy talks to writer Matthew Sturges about this week’s JSA ALL-STARS #1.

• MTV’s SPLASH PAGE blog lists BLACKEST NIGHT as one of the things they’re most thankful for this year. Aw.

• AMAZON’s OMNIVORACIOUS blog has some kind words for the collected edition of BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL, featuring the work of writer/artist Tony Daniel.

New Krypton is a planet so fresh, it’s experiencing countless things for the first time. Its first spring. Its first blooms. Its first birth of a child. And now its first homicide. When an important figure in Kandor is murdered, the suspect seems obvious to everyone but Superman. But can he make Zod or the Council believe this is more than an open-and-shut case? And can he uncover the real killer in time to save the life of the accused? It’s a dark mystery, and the truth may blow apart the civilized trappings of Kandorian society in the process. From writers Greg Rucka, James Robinson and artist Pete Woods.

SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON #10 hits 12/2.

I hate to sound like too much of a broken record, but one of the perks of wandering around the DCU editorial floor is you get to slyly scan over all the cool art and sketches the editors have on their desks and in their offices. It’s always a treat to see what stuff is coming in from our various and hugely talented creators. Case in point: If you haven’t been reading writer David Hine and artist Jeremy Haun’s ARKHAM REBORN, you’re truly missing out on the reimagining of a key component of the Bat-mythos. Still not sold? Well, check out this two-page spread from the final issue, by the aforementioned Mr. Haun.

As you should already know, JONAH HEX hits the milestone of 50 issues this week. The series, which has been penned by the writing team of Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti since it launched, has also featured the artistic talents of Jordi Bernet, Luke Ross, Cristiano Cucina, David Michael Beck and J.H. Williams III. The 500th issue will see superstar Darwyn Cooke step in for a spell, as Hex discovers a secret being kept by Tallulah Black that could change everything Hex is about.

We thought it’d be a great time to have Gray and Palmiotti swing by The Source to talk about the series. So, here’s Justin:

By all rights this book should have been dead a long time ago. A western told primarily in single-issue stories with rotating artists? Not a cape or crossover in sight? It defies all logic. I’ll tell you we killed a hell of a lot of outlaws, preconceptions and have gone through a handful of talented editors to get to issue fifty…and we don’t plan on stopping any time soon. In fact we’ve upped the ante by joining forces with Jonah Hex original series artist Tony DeZuniga on an original hardcover graphic novel based on an idea he and fellow co-creator John Albano discussed but never brought to light. You’ll want to read it. We promise.

Lets talk Jonah Hex 50 and how crafting a comic book is a collaborative effort. Creatively, Jonah Hex is based on bringing in talented people, letting them do their thing and putting faith in their opinions. The simple rule for everyone involved is to check your ego at the door – the end result is all that matters.

Darwyn Cooke had very specific visual ideas that deviated from the script that increased the tension and emotion in what is one of the most emotional stories Jimmy and I have written for Jonah Hex. He imagined the scenes differently, which is what you want – someone who looks at things with a unique perspective. Honestly I never thought we’d see issue 13. That makes issue 50 very special for us and hopefully for you the faithful readers as well. It needed to look and feel like we were working harder than ever, always trying to make it better hopefully we succeeded.

Thanks, Justin! Check back tomorrow for some words from Jimmy Palmiotti.