Love. Redemption. Those don’t exactly sound like the high adventure comics are built on, but they’re two of the main components of I, VAMPIRE. And before you start thinking this is our take on the current vampire craze, let me set you straight on a couple things.

First, I, VAMPIRE debuted in the DC Universe back in 1980s, some twenty years ago. Second, this is part of the DC Comics-The New 52, so you know we’re not going for mushy romance, teen angst or asking you to pick a team.

Andrew Bennett may be hundreds of years old, but he and his true love, Mary, walk, talk and even dress like you and me. Problem is, Mary is pretty much the embodiment of evil, and she’d love nothing more than to eat all of humanity! Good thing Andrew’s on the side of good (not to mention a vegetarian). Yet the threat of war between the vampires and humanity is inevitable – meaning Andrew’s going to have to do some pretty horrible stuff against his own kind while trying to stave off war.

And there’s a mythology here, one that goes back to the earliest times of the DC Universe, when Camelot was but a recent memory and everyone ate with their hands. Can you guess which book I’m hinting at?

Like Andrew himself, the cold war which humanity doesn’t even know about will start in the shadows – but sooner or later everyone’s going to know about it, so you definitely want to jump on board now while we’re just getting started.

And just to whet your appetite, sharpen your fangs on these great shots by series artist Andrea Sorrentino.

Look what just landed on our desks!

Yesterday marked the release of 12 more titles in DC Comics-The New 52. As press continues to roll in, check out some of the highlights from the past couple of days.

For the fourth week in a row, IFANBOY selected a title from DC Comics-The New 52 as its Pick of the Week. Their selection this week? WONDER WOMAN #1 by Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang. “In this issue, she’s a straight up action star, with the power of a god,” IFANBOY wrote of the Amazonian princess.

And speaking of WONDER WOMAN, the series’ critically acclaimed creative team was interviewed by MTV GEEK, IO9 and COMIC BOOK RESOURCES. “There’s a very clear sense that what’s happening to these characters actually means something. Some of them are in real danger, and why are they in danger? Because they’re up against something that is much more powerful and immoral than they are,” Azzarello said to COMIC BOOK RESOURCES. “ I always shy away from the word ‘evil,’ but let’s just say there’s some big evils in this book.”

UNDER THE RADAR chatted with Cliff Chiang, who will be part of a WONDER WOMAN release party at Bergen Street Comics in Brooklyn, New York this Saturday. “We’re revamping the gods and their roles in the world. They’re kind of conniving and scheming for power,” Chiang explained. “Wonder Woman is a pawn of theirs. Sometimes she upsets their plans and sometimes she unwittingly helps them achieve their goals. It’s been great modernizing the gods and getting rid of togas and all the classical Greek architecture. The heart of all that mythology is great, but we don’t want any of this to feel old. We want readers to see a very clear creative vision. We’re not just rehashing.”

In anticipation of a couple local signings over the course of the next week, THE LOS ANGELES EXAMINER gave Los Angeles native Eric Wallace’s MISTER TERRIFIC a 5-star review, calling it a “strong debut issue.”

THE HUFFINGTON POST interviewed BATMAN and SWAMP THING writer Scott Snyder. “All of a sudden these murders begin that start to alert him to the fact that maybe he doesn’t know the city as well as he thought,” Snyder said of the Dark Knight. “there’s an enemy from old Gotham nursery rhymes. An ancient evil in Gotham that’s been there for centuries. Because Gotham really 300 years old, no matter how long Bruce has been Batman, he’s not as old as the city. So maybe the city belonged to another symbol, a rival symbol, long before it did the Bat, and maybe that sort of organization or that enemy just hasn’t really been bothering with Batman until now.” Head on over to THE HUFFINGTON POST to read the full interview and check out their exclusive preview of SWAMP THING #2.

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR highlighted their favorite titles released over the past two weeks from DC Comics-The New 52, which they dubbed an “impressive array of books.” Among their picks were BATMAN AND ROBIN, BATWOMAN, FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E., GREEN LANTERN, SUPERBOY, BATMAN, CATWOMAN, GREEN LANTERN CORPS and WONDER WOMAN.

SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE interviewed DC Editor-in-Chief Bob Harras about DC Comics-The New 52. “I think the (52) first issues really are setting the groundwork, but we’re building from there with every issue,” Harras told them. “The goal is definitely to keep readers excited and really kind of getting back to that sense of ‘What’s gonna happen next?’ … We’re really just building the base of excitement.”

FORBES covered the impact of DC Comics-The New 52 thus far. “To quote one comic store owner, ‘The New 52 is the biggest game changer in comic books we’ve seen in 30 years,’” the piece read. “The anticipation of the new releases every week has been nothing short of mind-blowing. Comic shops can’t keep the titles in stock. Some are selling out within hours of being put on the shelf, if they even make it to the shelf.”

IGN continued their series of interviews with all of the creative teams behind DC Comics-The New 52. Check out what Geoff Johns (JUSTICE LEAGUE), Tony Bedard (BLUE BEETLE), Judd Winick (CATWOMAN), Peter Tomasi (GREEN LANTERN CORPS), and Eric Wallace (MISTER TERRIFIC) had to say about their respective series. “There’s a reason these characters stick together,” Johns teased. “You’ll see new villains. You’ll find out why Aquaman and Green Arrow hate each other. It’s actually a pretty good story behind that, and that will come to light. You’ll see the never ending problems that exist on the team because of Batman and Green Lantern. You’ll see why Wonder Woman is the best fighter among the team. You’ll learn why Superman keeps his distance from everybody else. There’s a really cool arc where Superman and his role on this team is a little bit different than before. I think that’s on purpose; he’s a little bit disconnected from them. You’ll see why Flash refuses to call himself a vigilante.”

To be continued …

“You think you and your ‘army’ stand a chance against Superman and a half dozen Green Lanterns and Wonder Woman?” – Andrew in I, VAMPIRE #1

“The future is being re-made.”
– Madame Xanadu in JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #1

Today sees the release of BATMAN #1, the first time the series has had a #1 issue since 1940. With it, a new chapter in the history of the Dark Knight begins. Writer Scott Snyder caught up with a couple of major outlets to discuss what to expect from the series.

“To him Gotham is his oldest ally, his home, and his comfort zone,” Snyder said of Batman to NEW YORK MAGAZINE’s VULTURE blog. “But the city is hundreds of years old, and Batman has only been Batman for a short while, comparatively, so what if the city belonged to another symbol before Batman? The idea is that a secret enemy has existed in Gotham for hundreds of years, and they’re going to bring the whole weight of history to bare against Batman.” And in case you missed it, check out VULTURE’s exclusive preview of BATMAN #1.

In addition to BATMAN, Snyder is also the writer of SWAMP THING. “It’s really about [scientist] Alec Holland wrestling with monsters, both external and internal: a guy who is haunted by this mantle of this monster that he used to be,” Snyder told THE LOS ANGELES TIMES’ HERO COMPLEX of the series. “So, I really try to write a story that brings him face to face with some of his big fears about how his destiny and fate might be tied to that of this vegetable creature, Swamp Thing.” Be sure to read the full interview to find out which other series in DC Comics-The New 52 will be having a “really, really big crossover” with SWAMP THING.

In other DC Comics-The New 52 news, MTV GEEK chatted with WONDER WOMAN artist Cliff Chiang about the series’ take on the iconic character. “I’m hoping what we do with Wonder Woman will be… pleasantly unexpected,” Chiang teased.

To be continued …

Cover for "Beyond the Fringe" issue #1. Copyright DC Comics and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

NEW DIGITAL COMIC SERIES BASED ON CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED TV SHOW ‘FRINGE’ DEBUTS JUST IN TIME FOR SHOW’S FOURTH SEASON PREMIERE ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, AT 9/8c ON FOX

‘Beyond the Fringe’ Series is Written with Series Star Josh Jackson and Created by DC Entertainment

September 21, 2011 – Burbank, Calif., – Just in time for the start of its fourth season on September 23, critically acclaimed TV show FRINGE (Fridays 9/8c on FOX) debuted today a new digital comic series “Beyond the Fringe.” Created by DC Entertainment, written with series star Josh Jackson and featuring cover art by Drew Johnson, the first arc of “Beyond the Fringe” will explore key events that take place between seasons three and four on the show and will also explore a series of “what if” alternative scenarios.

“We received a great response from fans to previous ‘Fringe’ comics, and I’m especially excited to see their reaction to ‘Beyond the Fringe’ as we further integrate the story into the mythos of the show. And of course, we’re thrilled to be working with Josh Jackson in his debut as a comic book writer,” stated Hank Kanalz, senior vice president of digital for DC Entertainment.

The new series will alternate every two weeks between “A” and “B” storylines for a total of 14 chapters.  “A” storylines will explore events tied directly to the “Fringe” show canon, while “B” storylines will take a “what-if” approach and look at how things might change if certain elements are out of balance.  “Fringe” star Josh Jackson is on board to write “Peter and the Machine,” an arc comprising the first three “A” issues and which will detail events that take place in the timeline between what viewers saw happen at the end of season three, and the start of season four.

“Beyond the Fringe” is the third comic series based on the popular drama. New issues of “Beyond the Fringe” will be released every two weeks this fall at $.99 per download.  Issue #1 is available for download today online at read.dccomics.com or on mobile devices through the DC Comics app.

Premiering its fourth season on September 23 at 9pm ET/PT on FOX, FRINGE is an acclaimed procedural thriller that follows the Fringe Team as they investigate unbelievable events and mysterious occurrences linked throughout the world in pursuit of a larger, more shocking truth. The series stars Anna Torv, Josh Jackson, John Noble, Lance Reddick, Blair Brown, Jasika Nicole and Seth Gabel. Created by J.J. Abrams & Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci, FRINGE is produced by Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Jeff Pinkner, J.H. Wyman and Joe Chappelle serve as executive producers, while Kurtzman, Orci and Akiva Goldsman are consulting producers. Additionally, Pinkner and Wyman serve as the series’ showrunners. Become a fan of the series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fringe and follow the series on Twitter at @FRINGEonFOX.

DC Entertainment, home to iconic brands DC Comics (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, The Flash, etc.), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables, etc.) and MAD, is the creative division charged with strategically integrating across Warner Bros. and Time Warner.  DC Entertainment works in concert with many key Warner Bros. divisions to unleash its stories and characters across all media, including but not limited to film, television, consumer products, home entertainment, and interactive games.  Publishing thousands of comic books, graphic novels and magazines each year, DC Entertainment is the largest English-language publisher of comics in the world.

“Kyle Rayner of Earth, you have been chosen.”
– A Guardian of Oa in GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #1

“A bunch of Lanterns have just died in sector 3599.”
– John Stewart in GREEN LANTERN CORPS #1

Tomorrow marks the release of two major titles from DC Comics-The New 52, BATMAN #1 and WONDER WOMAN #1. And what better way to kick off these series’ releases than with two high profile previews?

USA TODAY’s POP CANDY has the exclusive preview of WONDER WOMAN #1. “The idea is to move forward with Wonder Woman in a way that makes her story bigger,” series artist Cliff Chiang told them.

NEW YORK MAGAZINE’s VULTURE blog has the exclusive first look at the first five pages of BATMAN #1, by Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo and Jonathan Glapion. And if you haven’t already, be sure to bookmark VULTURE as they’ll be running an exclusive interview with Scott Snyder in the coming days.

To be continued …

As we prepare for another 12 titles from DC Comics-The New 52 to be published tomorrow, coverage and buzz continues to roll in. Here are some of the highlights.

AIN’T IT COOL NEWS caught up with Geoff Johns to discuss JUSTICE LEAGUE, AQUAMAN, GREEN LANTERN and DC Comics-The New 52 as a whole. “My big story-line for my first year of AQUAMAN is him on a quest to find out who sank Atlantis,” Johns revealed. “Because it wasn’t an accident.”

USA TODAY ran an exclusive preview of SUPERGIRL #1 and interviewed series co-writer Mike Johnson. “We’re really excited about the opportunity to hand this book to a female reader who is into things like The Hunger Games. This is a strong character with her own point of view,” Johnson told them of Kara.

MTV GEEK spoke with Jeff Lemire about FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E. “He is absolutely humorless, which in turn leads to a lot of humor down the line,” Lemire said about the series’ protagonist. “But he is a noble soldier, an unstoppable killing machine with the heart of a poet and the manners of a Victorian gentleman.”

IGN continued their series of interviews with all of the creative teams behind DC Comics-The New 52. Check out what Nathan Edmondson (GRIFTER), Adam Glass (SUICIDE SQUAD), Peter Milligan (RED LANTERNS), Fabian Nicieza and Pete Woods (LEGION LOST) and Peter Tomasi (BATMAN AND ROBIN) had to say about their respective series. “Their relationship is a father and son at odds right from the start,” Tomasi said to IGN of Bruce and Damian Wayne in BATMAN AND ROBIN. “Bruce struggles to get a handle on Damian and his past, trying to his best to teach his son what it means to be a just and moral person but making plenty of mistakes along the way. Damian wants to be accepted for who and what he is, but his past and present are locked in a constant battle that threatens to take a terrible toll.”

NEWSARAMA has the exclusive preview of LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #1 by Paul Levitz and Francis Portela. The issue goes on sale tomorrow.

To be continued …