The August 7 by Moritat

Nighthawk by Patrick Scherberger

Cinammon by Patrick Scherberger

From Issue 6 by Moritat

Issue 7 cover sketch by Ladronn

From Issue 7 by Moritat

SUICIDE SQUAD #6, featuring the beginning of “The Hunt for Harley Quinn” storyline, has sold out and will be going back to press.

Written by Adam Glass with art by Clayton Henry, SUICIDE SQUAD #6 reveals glimpses of Harley’s origin as the Squad attempts to find her now that she’s escaped Belle Reve Penitentiary. Glass told USA TODAY, “This is Harley’s solo album,” he says. “She’s going out and trying to see what the world is like out there. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t love Mr. J — that’s the love of her life.

So if you didn’t get a copy yet, you still can. The second printing will arrive in stores March 21, 2012. Mark your calendar!

Here’s a round up of the exclusive previews from this week’s DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 releases, on sale tomorrow.

USA TODAY has your first look at THE FLASH #6 with an interview with series writer and artist Francis Manapul and co-writer and colorist Brian Buccellato. “The Rogues are about the score — they’re about getting in, getting paid and getting out. They’re not the Joker, they’re not Lex Luthor. They have their own way of doing things,” Buccellato says. Adds Manapul: “We think the team we’re forming together is going to be just as dysfunctional as the first one. That’s what made them work so well, this rag-tag group that by all means should not even be together. They’re like the Bad News Bears of villains, and somehow they made it work.”

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY debuted a sequence from BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT #6, YAHOO! Voices premiered ALL-STAR WESTERN #6, BUZZFEED revealed pages from AQUAMAN #6, GAWKER’s IO9 ran an exclusive preview of GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #6 and IGN previewed SUPERMAN #6. MTV GEEK has your first look at TEEN TITANS #6, UGO previewed VOODOO #6 while BLOODY DISGUSTING previewed JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK #6, and CRAVE revealed a look at THE SAVAGE HAWKMAN #6.

Meanwhile, COMIC BOOK RESOURCES has a sneak peek at I,VAMPIRE #6, NEWSARAMA has the first look at THE FURY OF FIRESTORM: THE NUCLEAR MEN #6, and IFANBOY previewed BLACKHAWKS #6.

With the highly anticipated “Night of the Owls” crossover beginning this May, we asked writers Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti how it impacts their story in ALL-STAR WESTERN.

““Plans within plans.” That’s one of my favorite lines from Frank Herbert’s eco-sci-fi epic, Dune. It is also one of the hardest things to convey in a monthly comic where readers are often second-guessing the outcome or direction of a series. There is always a larger plan at work and things are never quite what they seem,” says Gray. “Both Batman and Jonah Hex have been discovering this fact in their own unique ways. Having chosen Gotham City as the unlikely setting for ALL-STAR WESTERN, Jimmy and I thought long and hard about the different ways we could make the book interesting to both new readers and the Jonah Hex faithful. To do that we began our initial arc with the secret society called The Crime Bible trying to establish its roots in 1880’s Gotham. At the same time over in BATMAN, readers were introduced to The Court of Owls.”

Gray continues, “By now you know both organizations existed long before the caped crusader launched his one-man campaign to save the soul of a city. So starting in May, The Court of Owls, the Talon, the secret history of Gotham, Crime Bible, Jonah Hex and Amadeus Arkham…some of the most unlikely and surprising elements start falling seamlessly in to place. It has been months and months in the making, but the plans within plans are coming to fruition and even the most cynical fan has to admit this New 52 thing is pretty damn exciting.”

So get ready to discover what the Court of Owls was up to in Gotham City cira 1880 in ALL-STAR WESTERN #9.

As Palmiotti says, “This is the best of both worlds for comic fans and us, and we plan on delivering the goods. Everything about this crossover makes sense and is planned brilliantly. We are happy to make Jonah and the gang part of comic book history once again.”

(art by Ladronn)

What makes Buddy and Ellen Baker’s relationship so special and so enduring?

“To me, Buddy may be the “superhero,” but Ellen is the strong one,” says ANIMAL MAN writer Jeff Lemire. “He may wear the costume, but she’s the rock of the Baker clan. Truth is, Buddy is actually a bit of a flake. One day he’s a stuntman, the next day he’s an indy film actor, the next he’s flying around San Diego in tights and a mask. Yet. Ellen is always there, always supporting him and picking up the slack at home…she even manages a successful career as an illustrator. Let’s face it, of the two, Ellen is the “super” one.

But Buddy Baker has heart. He’s the emotional one. And he certainly attracts adventure and excitement…even if it can be the unwanted, ROTTEN kind of excitement at times. And I guess Ellen needs that to balance her. In the end it’s not just the kids or the wild adventure that have kept them together, it’s how much they both need each other in order to thrive at what they do best.

I hate to end this Valentine salute to Buddy and Ellen on a somber note…” Lemire continues, “but I still can’t help but wonder, exactly how much more of the craziness can Ellen endure? When Buddy keeps putting the kids in danger, I wonder where Ellen will draw the line. That may be a question we see answered sooner than later, as the forces of The Rot gather all around the Bakers!”

Pick up ANIMAL MAN #7 for Part 1 of Animal vs. Man on March 7th!

You may think I,VAMPIRE is a horror story about blood thirsty vampires, but writer Joshua Hale Fialkov would argue that at it’s heart, the series is a love story.

“All great stories are love stories,” says Fialkov. “Sometimes they’re about two people in love, or two people falling out of love, or a man in love with vengeance, or, a man in love with Truth, Justice, and the American Way. All of the characters we love are motivated almost entirely by love.”

“So,” Fialkov continues, “it only made sense to write a book not just about a man and a woman in love, but, about them both being in love with abstract concepts that put them at odds with each other.

Fialkov explains, “Mary loves freedom, Andrew loves humanity… Up until now, their love for one another was enough to keep that imbalance in check, but, not anymore.”

Read more about Mary, the Queen of Blood and Andrew Bennett in I,VAMPIRE issue #6 next Wednesday.

Can’t resist what io9 calls Brian Azzarello’s “profoundly creepy take on Greek mythology and the Olympic pantheon’s political machinations”?

Check out io9‘s exclusive preview of WONDER WOMAN issue #6 drawn by Tony Akins, featuring Poseidon and Hades, on sale this Wednesday.

Ongoing series artist Cliff Chiang takes over as co-writer starting with issue #8 this April. NEWSARAMA spoke with Cliff about his exciting new role.

(Art by Brett Booth)

The ANIMAL MAN ANNUAL #1 written by ongoing series writer Jeff Lemire with art by up and coming artist Timothy Green, II arrives in May!

This oversized stand alone story details the history of the epic struggle between the forces of The Red, The Green and The Rot as seen in the pages of ANIMAL MAN and SWAMP THING.

“There’s nothing I love more than writing ANIMAL MAN. Since the book launched in September, Joey Cavalieri and the team at DC have given me an incredible amount of trust to craft a big sprawling story about life, death, family and pets. So I was especially excited when they asked me to write a new 48 page ANIMAL MAN story for the upcoming ANIMAL MAN ANNUAL #1. I saw it as a great chance to expand upon the mythology of The Red, The Green and The Rot, but also to tell a satisfying story that can stand on it’s own as well,” said Jeff Lemire.

“In many ways this Annual is like a prequel to the crossover storyline that Scott Snyder and I have planned for ANIMAL MAN and SWAMP THING. But the best part is that I get to work with Timothy Green II. I’ve been a fan of Timothy’s since I first saw his work a few years back and I was really excited when Joey told me he would be drawing the Annual. I’ve seen the first few pages of art and man, is it gorgeous. He draws a great Swamp Thing and an even better Maxine!”

Pick it up this May. Until then, here’s the first look at the cover by Travel Foreman:

Wish you could have your very own ANIMAL MAN T-shirt like the one pictured here in ANIMAL MAN issue #7 written by Jeff Lemire with art by Steve Pugh based on the cover to ANIMAL MAN issue #1 by Travel Foreman?

Well, now you can.

This ANIMAL MAN: EVOLVE OR DIE T-shirt featuring art by Travel Foreman will be available late February 2012 at comic specialty stores or directly through the Graphitti Designs website: www.graphittidesigns.com

And don’t forget to pick up ANIMAL MAN #7, Part 1 of “Animal vs. Man,” on March 7th!