Remember the “Get Out of Hell Free” card the Secret Six tracked down in series’ first arc? Well, it’s become the focus of desire once again, with two members of the team planning to use it. But just how far will they have to go to get what they want?

SECRET SIX #31, by Gail Simone and J. Calafiore, goes on sale March 2.

BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM #20 on sale March 2 delves deeper into Dr. Death’s golden age altercations with Thomas and Martha Wayne and feature a beautiful homage to the cover of DETECTIVE COMICS #29 drawn by Bob Kane.

Check it out below!

The Birds go on the offensive in the thrilling conclusion of “The Death of Oracle” story. How will Gotham function without their master infojock – and the Birds of Prey continue without their leader?

Find out in BIRDS OF PREY #10, on sale March 9th.

FLASHPOINT is an epic storyline and a huge undertaking. How did you become involved in the project? How long has it been in the works?

As I was wrapping up the Batman “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader” 2-parter that I did with Neil, I had asked Dan Didio if he had anything in mind for my next project. I had told him that I really wanted to do a Flash project someday. Flashpoint was in its infancy (there wasn’t even a title at that point), and there were really no details at all, except that Dan did say (with this gigantic smile on his face) that he had a huge Flash project on the horizon and I could do it if I were interested. At that time, I didn’t know the storyline or even who was writing it, but I said yes right away. I really trust Dan’s instincts.

It’s funny…Geoff and I have always said that we wanted to work on a project together at some point before this ever happened. I had no idea he was involved with it, and I think when Dan offered it to me, Geoff didn’t know I was going to be involved with it either. I flipped when I heard he was the writer!

We started working on character designs late last spring and it took a good few months to get those going. There were a lot of characters to redesign and we had to coordinate them with DC Direct and all the people involved with that. Sounds simple with re-designing, but it’s not. There’s a lot of thought, sketches, ideas and themes tossed back in forth with everyone involved. You don’t just push a button and out comes a redesign.

What is it like working with Geoff Johns?

He’s an awesome collaborator. We bounce thoughts back and forth not only when the scripts come through but also with the art. I send Geoff every pencil page I draw looking for feed back from not only him, but Eddie Berganza, Adam Schlagman and Rex Ogle. It`s the way I love to work. Everyone is in communication and involved.

I also gotta say that Geoff’s scripts are intensely thought out but are open just enough so that I don’t feel cramped. They’re a pleasure to work from and things just flow. I’ve mentioned to him that his pacing is incredible. He’s got a great handle on that. I don’t think this will be our first and last project together.

Who is your favorite character to draw?

I can’t pick one! The toughest re-design was Cyborg, and what we had finally came up with I was very happy with, especially when I saw the sculpt for the toy. He’s a lot of fun to draw! Batman, as always, is a blast but I’m handling him a bit different than I did when I drew him when I worked with Grant. Of course, The Flash is iconic and a blast too!

One of the fun parts about re-design is that you get to make the character the way you want while keeping them in the parameters for the story. I love drawing knights, armor, and helmets. That was a perfect fit for me and Flashpoint Wonder Woman.

And wait till you see Superman…

What’s the biggest challenge on working on a big project like Flashpoint?

The scope and magnitude of this project is pretty intimidating! I’ve done a few huge projects in my career, but this one is like drawing and creating a blockbuster movie epic. It’ really expands your horizons and thought process as to how far you can run with something if that makes any sense.

How hard has it been not talking about the series for the past year?

As a lot of people know, I teach and work at my father’s art school where I have an office and studio. Everytime I go into class or walk down the halls, I get peppered with questions from students about Flashpoint! I just look at them and laugh and either say I can’t answer or just make something up to get a reaction. Then say I was only kidding! It’s been a lot of fun! Usually I tell them to go read the Sources’ Flashpoint Fridays cause they’re not going to get anything out of me!

Earlier, we posted what Justin Gray had to say about Jordi Bernet, a regular artist on JONAH HEX since 2006 and a new personal favorite of mine. Today, we’re back with co-writer and fellow Bernet fan, Jimmy Palmiotti.

First, I have to ask, have you ever met Jimmy Palmiotti?

Jimmy has a problem. He’s very shy. He doesn’t talk a whole lot.

Yeah, right. Jimmy’s full of ideas and enthusiasm and passion for comics. I asked him for a sentence or two about Bernet. Here’s what he wrote back…

“Getting to work with your hero is something both exciting and surreal at the same time. I have been a comic art collector for as long as I can remember and one of my favorite European artists is Jordi Bernet… so much so that I tracked down his agent and on a regular basis bought commissions and published works off him. Little did I know that years later, with the help of another brilliant artist, Mark Chiarello, that Justin and I would be writing script after script for the man himself. Add to that a trip to Barcelona, Spain where I actually got to sit down with Jordi, and this whole experience seems like I won the lottery…month after month.

“To call Jordi one of the best storytellers in the business is an understatement. Jordi learned his craft the hard way…working in comics his whole life and like another hero of mine, Joe Kubert, the experience is there for everyone to enjoy in each and every panel. Jordi’s graceful brush line contains a magical confidence only a real artist can have…and this seemingly simplistic style is a deceiving thing on so many levels. Any artist will tell you that only a true artist can express emotion and strength in so few lines …only a rue storyteller can create body language that tells a story…and only a true natural performer can pull together a story and a situation where no words are needed.

“Yeah, we consider ourselves the luckiest writers in the business…with the support of D.C. Comics behind us we have had 5 years of amazing artists working with us…a who’s who of the tops in the field and to add to this, we have had the pleasure of working with a true legend and for this we will be eternally grateful. As well, we look forward to the next five years, and with any luck, another 20 or 30 issues of Jonah with the legendary Jordi Bernet.”

Ah, that Palmiotti. If only he had the gift of the gab.

Let’s join him and Justin is tipping our hats to the artistry of Jordi Bernet…

One of the most interesting parts of this gig is that I get to talk with many of the writers and artists whose careers I follow. The very best part? When one of my favorite creators recommends someone’s work that I haven’t yet discovered.

Enter Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray. Their passion for Jordi Bernet is boundless. I have to confess that a few years ago, before their work together on JONAH HEX, I wasn’t aware of Bernet’s storied career. now, I eagerly track down his work for other publishers.

Listen, I could sing Bernet’s praises all day long, but I couldn’t do any better than his collaborators.

Here’s what Justin Gray has to say…

“A few words can’t possibly encompass the skill and artistry that Jordi Bernet applies to his work and his art is something comic fans should pour over for years if they truly want to understand the medium of sequential storytelling. I can say with regard to our collaboration on Jonah Hex that there is a quality to our scripts that, although we’ve worked with many amazing and brilliantly talented artists, that quality embodies the Spaghetti Western in his issues. I say his issues because we always feel that when Jordi has a script he makes it his own. The words might serve as a map, but the art he creates gives it a life unexpected and it is always surprising in the best way possible.

“Jordi makes me feel like we’re channeling one of my favorite western directors in Sergio Corbucci. There is so much that happens in that process and unless you’re as mad about westerns as I am, and have seen as many, you’ll never notice the texture and flavor that make the tales he illustrates. His ability to blend humor with intense drama and an incredible eye for detail is rarely seen. There’s a poetic symbolism to his work that seems simple and yet is so complex it often slides past your eyes and directly into your brain. I’ve heard people refer to his work as being too cartoony for Hex, but the reality is he creates a visual mythology that is consistent with the kinds of westerns that kept the genre alive when it was stagnant and void of invention. The kinds of westerns that have offered inspiration for the last five and a half years of our contribution to Jonah Hex.”

Come back later for Palmiotti’s take on Bernet as well as some more pages from JONAH HEX #65.

They both carry the Robin namesake, but Damian Wayne and Tim Drake have very different ways of doing things. So different, that when they cross paths in the upcoming RED ROBIN / TEEN TITANS crossover, things are sure to get interesting.

Here’s the first page of TEEN TITANS #92, on sale now, where we get to see how the two Robins think of each other a la Batman and Superman.

It’s a pretty… complicated relationship, so we asked TEEN TITANS writer J.T. Krul to elaborate on the Robin dynamic:

“Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”
by J.T. Krul

“For some reason, when I think of Red Robin (Tim Drake) and Robin (Damian Wayne), I can’t help but recall that great scene in City Slickers (am I dating myself?) where Daniel Stern and his wife are fighting at a party. ‘I hate you,’ she screams. To which Daniel replies, with every fiber of his being:

“‘I hate you more! If hate were people, I’d be China!’

“On a very primal, visceral level that’s how Tim and Damian feel towards one another. They loathe one another’s existence. Yet as with any great sibling rivalry, there are layers upon layers of feelings and attitudes that ebb and flow over time.

“Obviously, Tim is not thrilled about Damian taking on the role of Robin in Gotham, and he’s even less thrilled about him joining the rest of the gang at Titans Tower. Tim sees Damian as damaged goods, as a potential risk to those around him. Naturally, he would not want to see those closest to him harmed because of the little runt’s impulsive and aggressive nature. But let’s be honest, Damian came out of nowhere as the literal son Bruce never had. Tim could not help feeling somewhat brushed aside as Bruce adapted to his arrival. In a way, he was replaced. The last thing Tim would want to see is the same thing with the Titans. This is his family. At least, he was here first.

“As for Damian, he’s gone to great lengths to express his low opinion of most everyone he comes into contact with (who knew arrogance could be such a virtue), and Tim tops the list. Again, it’s sibling rivalry played out to the Nth degree. To Damian, he’s the true son of Batman. He’s better than the others in every way – at least every way that matters. However, something I keep coming back to when it comes to Damian is that he accepted the role of Robin. If he truly felt Dick and Tim (and Jason for that matter) were nothing but poor substitutes, if he truly felt he deserved a different standing for being Bruce’s flesh and blood, then why would he take that costume? Why would accept what could be called hand-me-downs? Sure, he got rid of the booties and the green underwear, but he’s still Robin. He can say what he wants, but at the end of the day – Damian is trying to emulate the others to a certain extent. In the grand scheme of things, they are all the sons of Batman, and Damian cannot help but identify some worthwhile traits in those that came before him.

“In the pages of the TEEN TITANS crossover with RED ROBIN, we get to catch a glimpse of their team dynamic as both Tim and Damian bury their attitude to focus on the task at hand. From a practical standpoint, they each want the same thing – to save the day and make sure their issues do not interfere with that goal. They want to be professional, so to speak. Red Robin wants to show that he can treat Robin just like any other member of the team – bringing the tactical leadership and detachment that Batman seems to master so easily. But more importantly, or rather more personally, Tim wants to show (and perhaps even convince himself) that he doesn’t feel threatened by Damian – that he doesn’t fear being replaced in the eyes of the titans. As for Robin, he wants Tim to see that he can do just as good of a job as he ever did – that he can be a team player when needed. In other words, he wants to show his big brother that he’s no child.

“On the surface, both Tim and Damian are seeking to convey the same notion – that they don’t care what the other one thinks about them – When the opposite is actually closer to the truth.

“Ah, sibling rivalry.”

Francesco Francavilla shared an inside look at the new issue of Detective with us yesterday, and today he was kind enough to walk us through the design of #874′s cover. Check out what he sent us!

“Since everyone seemed to enjoy our previous “making of” the Detective cover, here’s another look behind the curtains for the new cover of Detective 874, out this week (we decided to showcase a new cover that was more specific to the story elements that Scott had introduced and will be developed soon in the second Snyder/Jock arc).

As with every cover I do, I always try to come up with multiple concepts/layouts for the editors to choose from. The number of layouts varies from project to project; in this specific case I had a clear idea of what I wanted to showcase on the cover, so 2 different options were enough to nail down the concept.

The first layout recalls a bit the composition of my Gordon cover for #875 (in stores next month) while the second layout is a more “classic” take on Batman. In both cases, I always ink and inkwash my layouts to give a better idea of the final art (with shadows and such). I also like to play with the type (hand drawn logo etc.) to make sure composition doesn’t interfere with it.

Editorial really liked option 2, so next I re-penciled the art on an 11×17″ bristol board, inked, and digitally colored. The final result is the brand new cover you can see above and that you will find in stores this Wednesday.
I hope you guys will pick up the book and enjoy it since this issue includes the conclusion (pt.3) of Skeleton Cases and treats you to an action-packed short story that hints at new things to come in the upcoming Batman arc. It’s also, without doubt, one of my best issues yet.

Cheers,
Francesco”

DETECTIVE COMICS #874 is in stores today.

We have some nice art to help you get through the midweek slump. First up, the cover to THE FLASH #10 by the incredible Francis Manapul followed by the variant of GREEN LANTERN CORPS #58 by Tyler Kirkham. Next up are both JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #22 covers. The standard is by Dustin Nguyen and the variant by Kevin Maguire. Rounding out the bunch is the JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #55 variant by Dan Jurgens.