April’s DOC SAVAGE #13 kicks off a six-issue story arc written by extraordinary artist (and Doc Savage fan) J.G. Jones, whom DCU readers will recognize from his outstanding cover work on Final Crisis, 52, Wonder Woman and of course Doc Savage and First Wave.

The first part of J.G.’s globe-trotting adventure kicks off in the Egyptian wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and spans all the way to  Cairo, which gives him the perfect excuse to give us this painting of DOC SAVAGE fighting a mummy.

As of January 2011, DC Comics titles will no longer carry the Comics Code Authority Seal of Approval. In 2011, DC Comics will employ a rating system consistent with that of the rest of the industry, as well as with our digital releases, which already utilize a rating system. As for our Vertigo comic books, they will not utilize the rating system, because they will continue to be labeled as “For Mature Readers”.

Beginning with our April 2011 titles, all DC comic book covers will utilize the following rating system:

E – EVERYONE

Appropriate for readers of all ages. May contain cartoon violence and/or some comic mischief.

T – TEEN

Appropriate for readers age 12 and older. May contain mild violence, language and/or suggestive themes.

T+ – TEEN PLUS

Appropriate for readers age 16 and older. May contain moderate violence, mild profanity, graphic imagery and/or suggestive themes.

M – MATURE

Appropriate for readers age 18 and older. May contain intense violence, extensive profanity, nudity, sexual themes and other content suitable only for older readers.

Jim and Dan

With Oracle out of the picture, Batgirl and Proxy must throw everything they’ve got at the super-fast villain Slipstream.

And by throwing everything, we mean everything – including Batgirl’s new car, as seen in Dustin Nguyen’s cover to April’s BATGIRL #20.

At the end of the epic DC Universe Online cinematic trailer, we see Lex Luthor giving what’s left of the Justice League the lay of the land in a world where Brainiac is quickly taking over.

This storyline rolls out in DC UNIVERSE ONLINE LEGENDS, where Lex Luthor must join forces with a few unexpected allies to take the fight back to Brainiac. But – The Atom? And Black Canary?!

Find out who else has Lex’sback as the series continues with issue #6 (shown below), on sale in April.

Three of legendary author/artist Joe Kubert’s most compelling works will be available in paperback this May. If you haven’t experienced his work before, now is the perfect time to give it a try.

Here’s what Joe himself has to say, “I’m thrilled that 3 books I’d written and drawn and were published in the past are being republished currently. YOSSEL, JEW GANGSTER and DONG XOAI should not be listed as ‘comic books,’ because that would be a misnomer. As a friend stated in a recent discussion we were having about today’s narrative art and graphic novels, “There are no boundaries anymore, only the horizon.”
 

Nine hundred issues is a significant milestone. Come this spring, ACTION COMICS will be the first—and only—comic book series with nine hundred issues under its belt.

Here are 6 items of breaking news about this historic anniversary issue:

1. ACTION COMICS 900 continues the epic Reign of Doomsday storyline.
2. There’s a contribution by famed SUPERMAN THE MOVIE director, Richard Donner;
3. A story by the screenwriter of THE DARK KNIGHT, David Goyer;
4. A story by the co-creator of LOST, Damon Lindelof;
5. In addition to covers by David Finch and Alex Ross, there will be a variant cover by Adam Hughes.
6. In order to squeeze in all these amazing contributions, ACTION COMICS will clock in at a whopping 96 pages.

Stay tuned to THE SOURCE for more about ACTION COMICS 900 in the coming weeks.

Bryan Q. Miller’s , Dustin Nguyen’s and Pere Perez’s last few issues of BATGIRL have seen a ton of love from the critics lately, and it couldn’t be going to a more fun-to-read book. If you’ve been skipping out on this one, maybe a few of these reviews will help pull you in…

Joey Esposito at IGN Comics gave Batgirl #17 a stellar 9.5 rating:

“I’ve been enjoying Batgirl for a while now, but issue #17 has completely uprooted my expectations for the series. Maybe it’s the interplay between the two characters, the perfectly constructed jokes, or the utter enjoyment I get from Damian Wayne in general, but Batgirl #17 is unapproachable as the best book I’ve read this week.”

… While iFanboy gave the issue their coveted “pick of the week”:

“Batgirl #17 is a comic book rarity these days. It tells a complete story that is compelling, emotional, and not lacking action, and it does it all in just 22 pages. I’ve talked a lot about Batgirl over the last year, it truly is one of my favorite titles, and if you have at all wondered about the book, if you have at all thought about giving it a shot, then I urge you to check this one out. You don’t have to know anything; you don’t have to be following any storylines here or anywhere else. Batgirl #17 is just two great characters playing off each other while solving a crime and reading it was by far the most fun I had with my comics this week.”

And last, but far from least, Ain’t It Cool News gave issue #16 a spotlight review, with all sorts of nice things to say about the book:

“Charming… funny… and a glowing reminder that even the darkest legacies work towards the hope of a brighter future … [a] fantastic issue”

Have you been reading the series? What do you think?

From Superman vs. Muhammad Ali to even stranger appearances such as Orson Welles and John Walsh, celebrities have a long tradition of showing up in the DC Universe.  This year won’t be any different, as British comedian and television host Jonathan Ross will appear in next months’ KNIGHT & SQUIRE #5.

Here  are a few words about Mr. Ross’s cameo from the Knight & Squire creative team:

It’s an absolute pleasure to feature Britain’s  most famous comic fan, collector and now professional in an issue of Knight and Squire, and thanks very much to Jonathan for being such a sport in allowing it to happen.  I’m only sorry we haven’t given him powers and  a costume.

- Paul Cornell

Capturing Mr. Ross’s boyish good looks and natural charm was an artistic challenge, getting his suit right, an artistic triumph!

- Jimmy Broxton

Look out  for Jonathan Ross in KNIGHT & SQUIRE #5, on sale in  February.

The Sinestro Corps are out for blood – and they have their sights set on the Qwardian Weaponer who forged Sinestro’s ring. Will the Green Lantern Corps break their truce to protect innocent Qwardians from Sinestro’s wrath?

Find out in GREEN LANTERN CORPS #56, on sale today.

New comic books go on sale today, including JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA issue 53, the final chapter of “JLA Omega” by James Robinson and Mark Bagley.

The alliance between the Justice League and the Crime Syndicate has broken down. Things look grim. Can there possibly be a plan that will defeat Omega Man?

Batman must have a plan, right? I mean, he always has a plan.

Uh, right?

This issue reveals Dark Supergirl’s allegiances, ties in with the Starman/Congorilla Special and sets the stage for next month’s story, “The Rise of Eclipso” by Robinson and the new art team of Brett Booth and Norm Rapmund.

Here’s a look at the first four pages.