This summer, New York Times best-selling writer Scott Snyder collaborates with acclaimed writer Kyle Higgins and artist Trevor McCarthy for BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM, a five-part miniseries exploring historic Gotham City and its many dark secrets.

When a mystery as old as Gotham City itself surfaces, Batman assembles a team of his greatest detectives to investigate this startling new enigma. As clues are discovered and the mystery deepens, Batman’s team soon finds itself on a journey that explores different eras in Gotham’s history and touches upon notable Gotham families including the Waynes, Kanes, Cobblepots and Elliotts. BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM is an exploration of Gotham City’s dark history; a mystery that stretches back long before Batman watched over the city.

BATMAN: GATES OF GOTHAM is in stores today. Check out a preview of the first five pages below!

HECTOR HAMMOND

REAL NAME: Hector Hammond
OCCUPATION: Scientist
BASE OF OPERATIONS: Sector 2814
HOMEWORLD: Earth
HEIGHT: 5’ 1″
WEIGHT: 156 lbs
EYES: Blue
HAIR: Brown
FIRST APPEARANCE: Green Lantern vol. 2 #5 (March/April, 1961)
AKA: Hammond

BACKGROUND:
Growing up, Hector Hammond was always an outcast. Only interested in science, he never competed in sports or played with his peers. Hector preferred the company of a book to that of his friends.

Being the son of Senator Robert Hammond, Hector was often brought to Ferris Air to witness the experimental aircrafts Carl Ferris was developing for the government. Even this didn’t intrigue him but something else at the airbase did or rather someone else: Carol Ferris. Hector was instantly enamored by her sweet and sassy nature. Unfortunately Carol didn’t pay him much attention as she enjoyed spending time with Hal Jordan.

After college, Hector was still trapped in the shadow of Hal who was now working alongside Carol. The two were becoming inseparable making Hector extremely irritated. Hector was also jealous of Hal because deep down he knew his father wished he was more like him.

Using his connections, Senator Hammond secured Hector a job for a top secret government research facility. Hector couldn’t be more thrilled, his father finally appreciated him and he was doing everything he loved.

The government quarantined a crash site and recovered the dead body of Green Lantern Abin Sur. Hector was given the opportunity to examine and dissect the alien corpse. During the autopsy, the creature known as Parallax, who was dwelling inside the remains, infected him. Hector’s brain slowly began to grow larger as his head swelled to accommodate the size. He could now read people’s thoughts, had telekinesis, mind control and a genius level of intelligence but the effects became grotesque. Hector’s head was growing so large he required a wheelchair just to support his enormous cranium.

With his newfound abilities, Hector seeks to infect Carol so she’ll finally appreciate him for his brain and forget the handsome Hal Jordan.

ATTRIBUTES:

• Mind-control, telekinesis, and mind reading.
• Extraordinary intellect.
• Limited mobility due to excessively large head.

“The Rise of Eclipso” continues as Eclipso’s ambitious and terrifying master plan is revealed. It’ll be up to the Justice League to fight off his ever-growing Shadow Army in time to prevent The End of Days and stop Eclipso from getting to his next target: The Spectre. With Obsidian back, the JLA might seem equipped to take on all these challenges … but can Obsidian really be trusted?

From the ongoing creative team of James Robinson, Brett Booth, and Norm Rapmund, JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #57 goes on sale tomorrow.

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper ruled the wrestling ring for the better part of four decades, crafting a Hall of Fame career that brought cheers – and huzzahs – from fans across the globe. Along the way, Piper established numerous milestones that set his career apart from all others.

At age 15, Piper was the youngest professional wrestler to ever enter the squared circle – and he would proceed to hold more than 38 titles while eclipsing 7,000 victories in professional matches. It was the main event at the very first Wrestlemania – pitting Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff against Hulk Hogan and Mr. T – that truly established the WWE.

Of course, any fanboy worth his weight in comics can recite Piper’s famous lines from John Carpenter’s cult classic They Live. Wherever he goes, somebody asks Piper if he has any bubblegum.

Today, Piper continues to entertain and educate, whether it be via his one-man show or as a best selling author of an autobiography entitled “In the Pit with Piper.” Fans can experience Piper’s acting chops in his very first voiceover role for animation as the barbaric Bolphunga in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights which will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray from Warner Home Video on June 7th, 2011. Check out the new trailer here.

Piper’s character – Bolphunga the Unrelenting – is the central antagonist in the episodic segment entitled “Mogo Doesn’t Socialize.” Based on the 1985 story created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the story centers on Bolphunga’s search for Mogo, the largest Green Lantern, in hopes of engaging the famed warrior in a battle worthy of the villain. The role serves as a perfect vehicle to showcase Piper’s strength and wonderful sense of humor.

Piper spent a few moments after his recording session to discuss his current activities, his love of acting, and the responsibilities of being a role model. Our friends at Warner Home Video have supplied us with these exclusive photos, screen shots and the first look at the Q&A with Piper. Enjoy!

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights was your first-ever voiceover for animation. How was the experience?

RODDY PIPER: That was about as much fun as I could ever hope to have. You can really lose yourself in an animated role. There’s so much freedom, so much room for creativity. It’s a blast.

Professional wrestling gave you plenty of experience being both the villain and the hero. How does the public perceive you today?

RODDY PIPER:I guess a lot of folks have grown up with me and, in an awkward way, for people who really have seen the good sides of me, I’m like a father figure. It’s remarkable – every place I go, there’s somebody that has an inspiring tale to tell. At one of my shows, there was a policeman named Paul who had been awarded a Congressional citation for saving someone’s life. He came up and gave me his citation. He said that when he was a little boy, he had troubles – but he would watch me and that’s where he found inspiration and direction. So when he goes into a tough situation, he relates to (my actions), and he says it saved his life.

The profession that I took upon is a lawless, tough piece of work, and so many of my friends are dead now. So in my one-man show, I tell the folks about people that they grew up with, people that they may have related to in different ways. My profession is very renegade. But as crazy as it seems, it’s as real as it gets.

What’s your approach to performing these one-man shows?

RODDY PIPER: I was with Burt Reynolds at his house in Jupiter (FL) and he said to me, “The one thing I try to convey as actors is that we don’t get enough ‘Atta Boys.’ So I try to make them leave with an ‘Atta Boy.’ And that really sticks with me. Encouragement is an essential.

You seem like a natural for animation. What’s your attraction to playing an animated character?

RODDY PIPER: I like the fact that I can go away and lose myself so I don’t have to live in the world of courage that everyone else does. I like creating, it’s what I do, and acting allows me to stretch all those different muscles in all kinds of ways. That’s pretty cool.

There are those that would claim wrestling is acting. What are the key differences in those two performances?

RODDY PIPER: Wrestling and acting couldn’t be anymore different in terms of what it takes to entertain. Wrestling is explosion, acting is implosion. One really screws up the other. That’s why Hogan sucks. If I came out on camera like I do in Madison Square Garden, it would look crazy. Clint Eastwood just shakes his head and raises his eye and it works. But when you’ve got 96,000 people at Wrestlemania, I need to get through to the back row. Fighting is not internal, but it can be very spiritual. Everything acting is internal. One of my problems in making the transition is pulling back, but I’m working on it.

Batman drops in on his former sidekick, Jason Todd, who’s been imprisoned in Arkham Asylum for several months, known only under the name of his anti-hero identity, The Red Hood. Todd’s prepping for a transfer to a lower-security prison, and this could mean trouble for Batman… and for that prison’s inmates.

The first part of Judd Winick’s “The Streets Run Red” starts this week in BATMAN AND ROBIN #23.

ABIN SUR

REAL NAME: Abin Sur
OCCUPATION: Green Lantern/Galactic Protector
BASE OF OPERATIONS: Sector 2814
HOMEWORLD: Ungara
HEIGHT: 6’ 1″
WEIGHT: 200 lbs
EYES: Blue
HAIR: N/A
FIRST APPEARANCE: Showcase vol. 1 #22 (September/October, 1959)
AKA: Green Lantern

BACKGROUND from the comic books:
The planet Ungara is unique in that its climate never changes, keeping the world in a perpetual Spring. Abin Sur, a red-skinned humanoid and inhabitant of the planet, was a history professor before becoming the protector of sector 2814.

This Green Lantern is one of the most well-known, respected and beloved members of the Corps. He was friends with neighboring sector Lantern Tomar-Re and has collaborated with him on countless missions. Abin was honored to have mentored Thaal Sinestro and has watched him develop into the greatest Corpsman. Their friendship became family when Sinestro married Abin’s sister, Arin Sur.

For Abin’s final mission, he was sent to evacuate an entire planet before the terrible fear entity known as Parallax arrived. By the time Abin reached the world, he was shocked to discover it completely obliterated–he was too late. Yet Parallax remained and attacked Abin’s rescue craft mortally wounding him and infecting him with fear. With the ship severely damaged, he fled using an escape pod. Through his power ring, Abin ordered the pod to make an emergency landing on the nearest habitable planet, Earth. With death inevitable, Abin fulfilled his final duty and sent his ring in search of a worthy successor. Hal Jordan was chosen.

ATTRIBUTES:

• Green Lantern ring allows for a protective shield and energy constructs.
  Extremely reliable, trustworthy and humble.

ABIN SUR’S SHIP

REAL NAME: N/A
OCCUPATION: Transport Vehicle
BASE OF OPERATIONS: Sector 2814
HOMEWORLD: Ungara
HEIGHT: 40’
WEIGHT: 48,000 lbs.
EYES: N/A
HAIR: N/A
FIRST APPEARANCE: Showcase #22 (October, 1959)
AKA: N/A

BACKGROUND from the comic books:
Green Lantern Abin Sur chose to rely on spacecraft for travel, wanting to keep his ring at maximum charge in case of crisis. But neither his spacecraft nor his ring proved a match against the attack of the being called Parallax. Abin Sur escaped his damaged ship in a life pod, which crashed in a lake near Earth’s Coast City.

Abin Sur was mortally wounded in the crash of his pod. Before dying, however, Abin Sur managed to warn the Green Lantern Corps that Parallax was at large. On Abin Sur’s death, his ring sought out his successor as Space Sector 2814’s Green Lantern, Hal Jordan.

Abin Sur’s ship is long and angular, a series of irregular metal panels attached together. It was not built for comfort, but for utility only, reflecting its owner’s practicality.

ATTRIBUTES:

• Can travel faster than light.
• Heavily shielded and impressively armed to lessen need for ring-generated defenses in case of attack.
• Stocked with escape pods, survival gear, food and water.
• Ample cargo bay, for transport of supplies, refugees or prisoners.
• Compatible to augmentation from ring-generated willpower constructs.

ABIN SUR’S ESCAPE POD

REAL NAME: N/A
OCCUPATION: Emergency Transport Vehicle
BASE OF OPERATIONS: Sector 2814
HOMEWORLD: Ungara
HEIGHT: 15’
WEIGHT: 2600 lbs.
EYES: N/A
HAIR: N/A
FIRST APPEARANCE: N/A
AKA: N/A

BACKGROUND from the comic books:
After his ship was badly damaged by the attack of the being known as Parallax, Green Lantern Abin Sur escaped in a small life pod, careening into a lake near Earth’s Coast City . Abin Sur was mortally wounded in the crash of his pod. Before dying, however, Abin Su managed to warn the Green Lantern Corps of the danger of Parallax, and his ring selected Abin Sur’s successor as Space Sector 2814’s Green Lantern, Hal Jordan.

The escape pod, made from the same materials as its mother ship, is large enough for one passenger, and has limited range, supplies and guidance. It was designed for emergency purposes only.

ATTRIBUTES:

• Capable of limited-range space flight.
• Moderately shielded in case of attack.
• Limited navigation capability.
• Outfitted with minimal survival supplies.
• Compatible to augmentation from ring-generated willpower constructs

Two-Face has always been at least half-insane, but the loss of the scarred coin that keeps him semi-balanced has sent him reeling over the edge. The commissioner calls on Batman’s help to stop Two-Face’s murderous quest before more innocent lives are lost.

Tony Daniel and Steve Scott’s BATMAN #710 is on sale this week.

Each week, THE SOURCE’s ongoing FLASHPOINT FRIDAY feature is *the* destination for FLASHPOINT news. Continue to check out THE SOURCE every Friday throughout this summer.

And yet sometimes there’s FLASHPOINT news on a Monday that won’t hold til Friday. Today, for instance, we’ve got breaking news: FLASHPOINT issue one has already sold out.

Congrats to Geoff Johns, Andy Kubert, Sandra Hope, Nick Napolitano, Adam Schlagman, Rex Ogle and Eddie Berganza.

If you haven’t already picked up issue one and you’re wondering what everyone is talking about, head on over to GAWKER’s i09 interview with Geoff Johns that was posted over the weekend. Geoff discusses all things FLASHPOINT, including Cyborg’s relevance to the series–and the modern world. “The truth is, we’re all cyborgs with cell phones and online identities. He’s a hero who plugged in 24/7 and constantly in touch with technology and information. He’s a product of the day, he really is the twenty-first century everyman.”

Here’s a first look at the BATMAN titles coming out in August:

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Someone’s freed the lunatics from Le Jardin Noir, France’s equivalent to Arkham Asylum, and they’ll turn Paris into a living nightmare unless Batman and Robin can get there to stop them.

August’s BATMAN AND ROBIN #26 will be written by David Hine and illustrated by Greg Tocchini, and features the psychedelic cover by Chris Burnham shown below.